In a desire to please the Empress, he took her own work, which had recently been published in a small edition, as the basis for his work. Naturally, for a brightly talented poet, this story began to sparkle with richer colors, in addition to this, adding to the history of Russian versification a new style and made the poet a celebrity.
Ode Analysis
“Felitsa” has a subtitle that clarifies the purpose of writing this work. It talks about an appeal to the wise princess of the Tatar Murza, who settled in Moscow, but is on business in St. Petersburg. The reader is also mystified by the fact that the ode was supposedly translated from Arabic. The analysis of the ode “Felitsa” must begin with a name that does not sound familiar to either Russians or Arabs.
The fact is that this is what Catherine II called her heroine in her fairy tale about Prince Chlorus. Served as soil Italian language(here you can remember someone like Cutugno with the exclamation “Felicita”) Latin translates the word “Felitsa” (Felitsa - felicitas) as happiness. Thus, Derzhavin began to praise the empress from the first line, and then could not resist satire in the descriptions of her entourage.
Artistic synthesis
An analysis of the ode “Felitsa” shows the setting for the usual solemn ode of praise for the date, which was accepted in those days. The ode is written in traditional stanzas - ten lines, and, as expected, But before Derzhavin, no one had yet dared to merge two genres that were opposite in purpose - the majestic laudatory ode and the caustic
The first was the ode "Felitsa". Derzhavin seemed to have “stepped back” in his innovation, judging by the precisely fulfilled conditions of the genre, at least in comparison with “Birthday Poems,” which are not even separated by stanzas. However, this impression disappears as soon as the reader gets through the first few stanzas. Still, even the composition of the ode “Felitsa” represents a much broader artistic synthesis.
Fairy tale "Felitsa"
It is interesting to consider what motives prompted Derzhavin to write this “fan fiction”, what served as the primary basis and whether this topic was worthy of continuation. Apparently, she is worthy, and very much so. Catherine II wrote her fairy tale for her grandson, still small, but in the future great Alexander I. The Empress's fairy tale is about the Kiev prince Chlorus, who was visited by the Kyrgyz khan to check whether the prince was really as smart and dexterous as they say about him.
The boy agreed to take the test and find rare flower- a rose without thorns - and hit the road. On the road, having responded to the invitation of Murza Lazy Guy (a telling name), the prince tries to resist the temptations of that luxury and idleness with which Lazy Guy seduces him. Fortunately, this Kyrgyz khan had a very good daughter, whose name was Felitsa, and an even better grandson, whose name was Reason. Felitsa sent her son with the prince, who, with the help of Reason, went to the goal of his journey.
Bridge between fairy tale and ode
In front of them was a steep mountain, without paths or stairs. Apparently, the prince himself was quite persistent, because, despite enormous work and trials, he still climbed to the top, where he decorated his life with a rose without thorns, that is, with virtue. An analysis of the ode “Felitsa” shows that, as in any fairy tale, the images here are conventionally allegorical, but in Derzhavin at the beginning of the ode they stand up very strongly, and all the odic beginnings of classical examples, where the ascent to Parnassus and communication with the muses are inevitable, fade next to with seemingly simple images of a children's fairy tale.
Even the portrait of Catherine (Felitsa) is given in a completely new manner, which is completely different from the traditional laudatory description. Usually in odes the honored character appears in the inexpressive image of a goddess, walking through the solemn, booming rhymes of the verse with heavy rhythmic shortness of breath. Here the poet is inspired, and - most importantly - equipped with poetic skill. The poems are not lame and are not inflated with excessive pathos. The plan of the ode “Felitsa” is such that Catherine appears before the reader as an intelligent, but simple and active Kyrgyz-Kaisat princess. It plays well into the harmony of the construction of this image and the contrast - the image of Murza, vicious and lazy, which Derzhavin uses throughout the ode. Hence the unprecedented genre diversity that distinguishes the ode “Felitsa”.
Derzhavin and the Empress
The singer’s pose here also changes in relation to the subject of the chanting, if we consider not only all previous Russian literature, but even the poems of Derzhavin himself. Sometimes a certain godlike quality of the queen still slips through the ode, but with all this and with the general respect that the ode “Felitsa” demonstrates, the content also shows a certain shortness of relationship, not familiarity, but the warmth of almost family closeness.
But in satirical lines, Derzhavin can sometimes be understood in two ways. The collective features of the image of Murza ridicule all of Catherine’s nobles in turn, and it is here that the poet does not forget himself. Self-irony is an even more rare fact in the poetry of those years. The author's “I” is not devoid of lyrics, but it is made clear that “This is how I am, Felitsa!”, “Today I rule over myself, and tomorrow I am a slave to my whims.” The appearance of such an author’s “I” in an ode is a huge fact artistic value. Lomonosov also began his odes with “I,” but as a loyal slave, while Derzhavin’s author is concrete and living.
Narration from the author
Naturally, the composition of the ode “Felitsa” would not have withstood the author’s full-fledged individuality. Derzhavin most often presents under the author's "I" a conventional image of a singer, which is usually always present in odes as well as in satires. But there is a difference: in an ode the poet plays only sacred delight, but in satire only indignation. Derzhavin combined “one-string” genres with the creation of a living human poet, with absolutely concrete life, with a variety of feelings and experiences, with “multi-stringed” music of verse.
An analysis of the ode “Felitsa” certainly notes not only delight, but also anger, blasphemy and praise in one bottle. Along the way he manages to be disingenuous and ironic. That is, he behaves throughout the entire work as a completely normal and living person. And it should be noted that this individual personality has undoubted features of a nationality. In ode! And now such a case would be unprecedented if someone in our time wrote odic poetry.
About genres
Ode "Felitsa", the content of which is so rich in contradictions, as if warm sun rays warmed by the lungs colloquial speech from the reality of everyday life, light, simple, sometimes humorous, which directly contradicts the laws of this genre. Moreover, a genre revolution, almost a revolution, took place here.
It must be clarified that Russian classicism did not know poetry as “just poetry.” All poetry was strictly divided into genres and types, sharply demarcated, and these boundaries stood unshakable. Ode, satire, elegy and other types of poetic creativity could not be mixed with each other.
Here the traditional categories of classicism are completely broken after the organic fusion of ode and satire. This applies not only to Felitsa; Derzhavin did this both before and later. For example, the ode “To death is half elegy. Genres become polyphonic with light hand Derzhavina.
Success
This ode became a colossal success immediately after its publication: “Everyone who could read Russian found it in the hands of everyone,” according to a contemporary. At first, Derzhavin was wary of widely publishing the ode and tried to hide the authorship (probably the depicted and very recognizable nobles were vindictive), but then Princess Dashkova appeared and published “Felitsa” in the magazine “Interlocutor,” where Catherine II herself did not hesitate to collaborate.
The Empress liked the ode very much, she even cried with delight, ordered the authorship to be immediately exposed and, when this happened, she sent Derzhavin a golden snuffbox with a dedicatory inscription and five hundred ducats in it. It was after this that real fame came to the poet.
One of the main poems of G. R. Derzhavin is his ode “Felitsa”. It is written in the form of an appeal from “a certain Murza” to the Kyrgyz-Kaisak princess Felitsa. The ode for the first time made contemporaries start talking about Derzhavin as a significant poet. The work was first published in 1789. In this poem, the reader has the opportunity to observe both praise and blame at the same time.
main character
In the analysis of the ode “Felitsa” it is imperative to indicate that it was dedicated to Empress Catherine II. The work is written in iambic tetrameter. The image of the ruler in the work is quite conventional and traditional, reminiscent in its spirit of a portrait in the style of classicism. But what is noteworthy is that Derzhavin wants to see in the empress not just a ruler, but also a living person:
“...And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table...”
Novelty of the work
In his work, Derzhavin portrays the virtuous Felitsa in contrast to the lazy and pampered nobles. Also in the analysis of the ode “Felitsa” it is worth noting that the poem itself is imbued with novelty. After all, the image of the main actor is somewhat different compared, for example, with the works of Lomonosov. Mikhail Vasilyevich’s image of Elizabeth is somewhat generalized. Derzhavin points in his ode to specific deeds of the ruler. He also speaks of her patronage of trade and industry: “She orders us to love trade and science.”
Before Derzhavin’s ode was written, the image of the empress was usually built in poetry according to its own strict laws. For example, Lomonosov portrayed the ruler as an earthly deity who stepped from distant heavens to earth, a storehouse of infinite wisdom and boundless mercy. But Derzhavin dares to move away from this tradition. It shows a multifaceted and full-blooded image of the ruler - statesman and an outstanding personality.
Entertainment of nobles, condemned by Derzhavin
When analyzing the ode “Felitsa”, it is worth noting that Derzhavin condemns laziness and other vices of the court nobles in a satirical style. He talks about hunting, and about playing cards, and about trips to buy newfangled clothes from tailors. Gavrila Romanovich allows herself to violate the purity of the genre in her work. After all, the ode not only praises the empress, but also condemns the vices of her careless subordinates.
Personality in ode
And also in the analysis of the ode “Felitsa”, the student can note the fact that Derzhavin also introduced a personal element into the work. After all, the ode also contains the image of Murza, who is sometimes frank and sometimes sly. In the image of nobles, contemporaries could easily find those close to Catherine who were discussed. Derzhavin also meaningfully emphasizes: “That’s how I am, Felitsa, depraved! But the whole world looks like me.” Self-irony is quite rare in odes. And the description of Derzhavin’s artistic “I” is very revealing.
Who is Felitsa opposed to?
A student can discover many new facts in the process of analyzing the ode “Felitsa”. The poem was in many ways ahead of its time. Also, the description of the lazy nobleman anticipated the image of one of the main characters in Pushkin’s works - Eugene Onegin. For example, the reader can see that after waking up late, the courtier lazily indulges in smoking a pipe and dreams of glory. His day consists only of feasts and love pleasures, hunting and racing. The nobleman spends the evening walking on boats along the Neva, and in a warm house, family joys and peaceful reading await him, as always.
In addition to the lazy Murza, Catherine is also contrasted with her late husband, Peter III, which can also be indicated in the analysis of the ode “Felitsa”. Briefly, this point can be highlighted as follows: unlike her husband, she first of all thought about the good of the country. Despite the fact that the Empress was German, she wrote all her decrees and works in Russian. Catherine also defiantly walked around in a Russian sundress. In her attitude, she was strikingly different from her husband, who felt only contempt for everything domestic.
Character of the Empress
In his work, Derzhavin does not give portrait descriptions of the empress. However this disadvantage compensated by the impression that the ruler makes on her environment. The poet seeks to emphasize her most important qualities. If it is necessary to analyze the ode “Felitsa” briefly, then these features can be described as follows: it is unpretentious, simple, democratic, and also friendly.
Images in ode
It should be noted that the image of Prince Chlorus also runs through the entire poem. This character is taken from The Tale of Prince Chlorus, which was written by the Empress herself. The ode begins with a retelling of this fairy tale; there are such images as Felitsa, Lazy, Murza, Chlorine, Rose without thorns. And the work ends, as it should be, with praise to the noble and merciful ruler. Just as happens in mythical works, the images in the ode are conventional and allegorical. But Gavrila Romanovich presents them in a completely new manner. The poet portrays the empress not just as a goddess, but also as one who is not alien to human life.
Analysis of the ode “Felitsa” according to plan
A student can use a plan something like this:
- Author and title of the ode.
- The history of creation, to whom the work is dedicated.
- Composition of the ode.
- Vocabulary.
- Features of the main character.
- My attitude to ode.
Who was the author of the ode making fun of?
Those who need to do detailed analysis The odes “Felitsa” can describe those nobles whom Derzhavin ridiculed in his work. For example, this is Grigory Potemkin, who, despite his generosity, was distinguished by his capriciousness and whimsicality. The ode also ridicules the ruler’s favorites Alexei and Grigory Orlov, revelers and horse racing enthusiasts.
Count Orlov was a winner of fist fights, a ladies' man, a passionate hunter, and also a murderer. Peter III and his wife's favorite. This is how he remained in the memory of his contemporaries, and this is how he was described in Derzhavin’s work:
“...Or, taking care of all matters
I leave and go hunting
And I’m amused by the barking of dogs...”
We can also mention Semyon Naryshkin, who was the huntsman at Catherine’s court and was distinguished by his exorbitant love of music. And Gavrila Romanovich also puts himself in this row. He did not deny his involvement in this circle; on the contrary, he emphasized that he also belonged to the circle of the chosen ones.
Image of nature
Derzhavin also glorifies beautiful natural landscapes, with which the image of an enlightened monarch is in harmony. The landscapes he describes are in many ways similar to scenes from tapestries decorating the living rooms of the St. Petersburg nobility. Derzhavin, who was also fond of drawing, called poetry “ talking painting" In his ode, Derzhavin talks about “ high mountain" and about "a rose without thorns." These images help make the image of Felitsa even more majestic.
History of creation. Ode “Felitsa” (1782), the first poem that made the name of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin famous. It became a striking example of a new style in Russian poetry. The subtitle of the poem clarifies: “Ode to the wise Kyrgyz-Kaisak princess Felitsa, written by the Tatar Murza, who has long settled in Moscow, and lives on his business in St. Petersburg. Translated from Arabic." Yours unusual name This work received on behalf of the heroine "Tales of Prince Chlorus", the author of which was Catherine II herself. She is also named by this name, which in Latin means happiness, in Derzhavin’s ode, glorifying the empress and satirically characterizing her environment.
It is known that at first Derzhavin did not want to publish this poem and even hid the authorship, fearing the revenge of the influential nobles satirically depicted in it. But in 1783 it became widespread and, with the assistance of Princess Dashkova, a close associate of the Empress, was published in the magazine “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word,” in which Catherine II herself collaborated. Subsequently, Derzhavin recalled that this poem touched the empress so much that Dashkova found her in tears. Catherine II wanted to know who wrote the poem in which she was so accurately depicted. In gratitude to the author, she sent him a golden snuff box with five hundred chervonets and an expressive inscription on the package: “From Orenburg from the Kirghiz Princess to Murza Derzhavin.” From that day on, literary fame came to Derzhavin, which no Russian poet had known before.
Main themes and ideas. The poem "Felitsa", written as a humorous sketch from the life of the empress and her entourage, at the same time raises very important issues. On the one hand, in the ode “Felitsa” a completely traditional image of a “god-like princess” is created, which embodies the poet’s idea of the ideal of an enlightened monarch. Clearly idealizing the real Catherine II, Derzhavin at the same time believes in the image he painted:
Give me some advice, Felitsa:
How to live magnificently and truthfully,
How to tame passions and excitement
And be happy in the world?
On the other hand, the poet’s poems convey the idea not only of the wisdom of power, but also of the negligence of performers concerned with their own profit:
Seduction and flattery live everywhere,
Luxury oppresses everyone.
Where does virtue live?
Where does a rose without thorns grow?
This idea in itself was not new, but behind the images of nobles drawn in the ode, features clearly emerged real people:
My thoughts are spinning in chimeras:
Then I steal captivity from the Persians,
Then I direct arrows towards the Turks;
Then, having dreamed that I was a sultan,
I terrify the universe with my gaze;
Then suddenly, I was seduced by the outfit.
I'm off to the tailor for a caftan.
In these images, the poet’s contemporaries easily recognized the empress’s favorite Potemkin, her close associates Alexei Orlov, Panin, and Naryshkin. Drawing their brightly satirical portraits, Derzhavin showed great courage - after all, any of the nobles he offended could deal with the author for this. Only Catherine’s favorable attitude saved Derzhavin.
But even to the empress he dares to give advice: to follow the law to which both kings and their subjects are subject:
You alone are only decent,
Princess, create light from darkness;
Dividing Chaos into spheres harmoniously,
The union will strengthen their integrity;
From disagreement to agreement
And from fierce passions happiness
You can only create.
This favorite thought of Derzhavin sounded bold, and it was expressed in simple and understandable language.
The poem ends with the traditional praise of the Empress and wishing her all the best:
I ask for heavenly strength,
Yes, their sapphire wings spread out,
They keep you invisibly
From all illnesses, evils and boredom;
May the sounds of your deeds be heard in posterity,
Like the stars in the sky, they will shine.
Artistic originality.
Classicism forbade combining high ode and satire belonging to low genres in one work, but Derzhavin not only combines them in characterizing different persons depicted in the ode, he does something completely unprecedented for that time. Breaking the traditions of the laudatory ode genre, Derzhavin widely introduces colloquial vocabulary and even vernacular into it, but most importantly, he does not paint a ceremonial portrait of the empress, but depicts her human appearance. That is why the ode contains everyday scenes and still life;
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table.
“God-like” Felitsa, like other characters in his ode, is also shown in everyday life (“Without valuing your peace, / You read, write under the cover...”). At the same time, such details do not reduce her image, but make her more real, humane, as if exactly copied from life. Reading the poem “Felitsa”, you are convinced that Derzhavin really managed to introduce into poetry the individual characters of real people, boldly taken from life or created by the imagination, shown against the backdrop of a colorfully depicted everyday environment. This makes his poems bright, memorable and understandable.
Thus, in “Felitsa” Derzhavin acted as a bold innovator, combining the style of a laudatory ode with the individualization of characters and satire, introducing elements of low styles into the high genre of ode. Subsequently, the poet himself defined the genre of “Felitsa” as a mixed ode. Derzhavin argued that, in contrast to the ode traditional for classicism, which praised government officials, military leaders, solemn events were sung, in a “mixed ode” “the poet can talk about everything.” Destroying the genre canons of classicism, with this poem he opens the way for new poetry - “real poetry™”, which received brilliant development in the work of Pushkin.
The meaning of the work. Derzhavin himself subsequently noted that one of his main merits was that he “dared to proclaim Felitsa’s virtues in a funny Russian style.” As the researcher of the poet’s work V.F. rightly points out. Khodasevich, Derzhavin was proud “not that he discovered Catherine’s virtues, but that he was the first to speak in a “funny Russian style.” He understood that his ode was the first artistic embodiment of Russian life, that it was the embryo of our novel. And, perhaps,” Khodasevich develops his thought, “if “old man Derzhavin” had lived at least to the first chapter of “Onegin,” he would have heard echoes of his ode in it.”
In 1782, the not yet very famous poet Derzhavin wrote an ode dedicated to the “Kirghiz-Kaisak princess Felitsa.” The ode was called “To Felice”. A difficult life taught the poet a lot; he knew how to be careful. The ode glorified the simplicity and humanity of Empress Catherine II in dealing with people and the wisdom of her reign. But at the same time ordinary, and even rude spoken language she talked about luxurious amusements, about the idleness of Felitsa’s servants and courtiers, about the “Murzas” who were by no means worthy of their ruler. In the Murzas, Catherine’s favorites were clearly visible, and Derzhavin, wanting the ode to fall into the hands of the Empress as quickly as possible, was at the same time afraid of this. How will the autocrat look at his bold trick: mockery of her favorites! But in the end, the ode ended up on Catherine’s table, and she was delighted with it. Far-sighted and intelligent, she understood that courtiers should be put in their place from time to time, and the hints of the ode were an excellent occasion for this. Catherine II herself was a writer (Felitsa was one of her literary pseudonyms), which is why she immediately appreciated the artistic merits of the work. Memoirists write that, having called the poet to her, the empress generously rewarded him: she gave him a golden snuffbox filled with gold ducats.
Fame came to Derzhavin. The new literary magazine "Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word", which was edited by the Empress's friend Princess Dashkova, and Catherine herself published in it, opened with the ode "To Felitsa". They started talking about Derzhavin, he became a celebrity. Was it just a matter of successful and bold dedication of the ode to the empress? Of course not! The reading public and fellow writers were struck by the very form of the work. The poetic speech of the “high” odic genre sounded without exaltation and tension. Lively, imaginative, mocking speech of a person who understands well how it works real life. Of course, they spoke laudably about the empress, but also not pompously. And, perhaps, for the first time in the history of Russian poetry as about a simple woman, not a celestial being:
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table.
Strengthening the impression of simplicity and naturalness, Derzhavin dares to make bold comparisons:
Like you don't play cards,
Like me, from morning to morning.
And, moreover, he is frivolous, introducing into the ode details and scenes that were indecent by the secular standards of that time. This is how, for example, a Murza courtier, an idle lover and an atheist, spends his day:
&nbs p; Or, sitting at home, I’ll play a prank,
Playing fools with my wife;
Then I get along with her at the dovecote,
Sometimes we frolic in blind man's buff,
Then I’m having fun with her,
Then I look for it in my head;
I like to rummage through books,
I enlighten my mind and heart:
I read Polkan and Bova,
I sleep over the Bible, yawning.
The work was filled with funny and often sarcastic allusions. Potemkin, who loves to eat well and drink well (“I wash down my waffles with champagne / And I forget everything in the world”). On Orlov, who boasts of magnificent trips (“a magnificent train in an English, golden carriage”). About Naryshkin, who is ready to give up everything for the sake of hunting (“Leaving concern for all matters / Leaving behind all matters, I go hunting / And am amused by the barking of dogs”), etc. In the genre of a solemn laudatory ode, they have never written like this before. The poet E.I. Kostrov expressed a general opinion and at the same time slight annoyance at his successful opponent. In his poetic “Letter to the creator of an ode composed in praise of Felitsa, Princess of Kirgizkaisatskaya” there are the lines:
Frankly, it’s clear that it’s out of fashion
Soaring odes have already emerged;
You knew how to elevate yourself among us with simplicity.
The Empress brought Derzhavin closer to her. Remembering the “fighting” qualities of his nature and incorruptible honesty, she sent him to various audits, which, as a rule, ended with noisy indignation of those being inspected. The poet was appointed governor of the Olonets, then Tambov province. But he could not resist for long: he dealt with local officials too zealously and imperiously. In Tambov, things went so far that the governor of the region, Gudovich, filed a complaint to the empress in 1789 about the “arbitrariness” of the governor, who did not take anyone or anything into account. The case was transferred to the Senate Court. Derzhavin was dismissed from office and until the end of the trial he was ordered to live in Moscow, as they would say now, under a written undertaking not to leave.
And although the poet was acquitted, he was left without a position and without the favor of the empress. Once again, one could only rely on oneself: on enterprise, talent and luck. And don't lose heart. In the autobiographical “Notes” compiled at the end of his life, in which the poet speaks about himself in the third person, he admits: “There was no other way left but to resort to his talent; as a result, he wrote the ode “Image of Felitsa” and by the 22nd on the day of September, that is, on the day of the empress’s coronation, he handed her over to the court<...>The Empress, having read it, ordered her favorite (meaning Zubov, Catherine’s favorite - L.D.) the next day to invite the author to dinner with him and always take him into her conversation.”
In 1782, the not yet very famous poet Derzhavin wrote an ode dedicated to the “Kirghiz-Kaisak princess Felitsa.” That's what the ode was called "To Felitsa" . A difficult life taught the poet a lot; he knew how to be careful. The ode glorified the simplicity and humanity of Empress Catherine II in dealing with people and the wisdom of her reign. But at the same time, in ordinary, if not rude, colloquial language, she spoke about luxurious amusements, about the idleness of Felitsa’s servants and courtiers, about “Murzas” who were by no means worthy of their ruler. In the Murzas, Catherine’s favorites were clearly visible, and Derzhavin, wanting the ode to fall into the hands of the Empress as quickly as possible, was at the same time afraid of this. How will the autocrat look at his bold trick: mockery of her favorites! But in the end, the ode ended up on Catherine’s table, and she was delighted with it. Far-sighted and intelligent, she understood that courtiers should be put in their place from time to time, and the hints of the ode were an excellent occasion for this. Catherine II herself was a writer (Felitsa was one of her literary pseudonyms), which is why she immediately appreciated the artistic merits of the work. Memoirists write that, having called the poet to her, the empress generously rewarded him: she gave him a golden snuffbox filled with gold ducats.
Fame came to Derzhavin. The new literary magazine "Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word", which was edited by the Empress's friend Princess Dashkova, and Catherine herself published in it, opened with the ode "To Felitsa". They started talking about Derzhavin, he became a celebrity. Was it just a matter of successful and bold dedication of the ode to the empress? Of course not! The reading public and fellow writers were struck by the very form of the work. The poetic speech of the “high” odic genre sounded without exaltation and tension. Lively, imaginative, mocking speech of a person who understands well how real life works. Of course, they spoke laudably about the empress, but also not pompously. And, perhaps, for the first time in the history of Russian poetry as about a simple woman, not a celestial being:
Without imitating your Murzas, you often walk, and the simplest food happens at your table.
Strengthening the impression of simplicity and naturalness, Derzhavin dares to make bold comparisons:
You don’t play cards like me, from morning to morning.
And, moreover, he is frivolous, introducing into the ode details and scenes that were indecent by the secular standards of that time. This is how, for example, a Murza courtier, an idle lover and an atheist, spends his day:
Or, sitting at home, I will play a trick, Playing fools with my wife; Sometimes I go to the dovecote with her, sometimes I frolic in blind man's buff, sometimes I have fun in a pile with her, sometimes I look in my head with her; Then I love to rummage through books, I enlighten my mind and heart: I read Polkan and Bova, I sleep over the Bible, yawning.
The work was filled with funny and often sarcastic allusions. Potemkin, who loves to eat well and drink well (“I wash down my waffles with champagne / And I forget everything in the world”). On Orlov, who boasts of magnificent trips (“a magnificent train in an English, golden carriage”). On Naryshkin, who is ready to give up everything for the sake of hunting (“I leave worry about all matters / Leaving behind, go hunting / And amuse myself with the barking of dogs”), etc. In the genre of a solemn laudatory ode, nothing like this has ever been written before. Poet E.I. Kostrov expressed a general opinion and at the same time slight annoyance at his successful opponent. In his poetic “Letter to the creator of an ode composed in praise of Felitsa, Princess of Kirgizkaisatskaya” there are the lines:
Frankly, it is clear that soaring odes have gone out of fashion; You knew how to elevate yourself among us with simplicity.
The Empress brought Derzhavin closer to her. Remembering the “fighting” qualities of his nature and incorruptible honesty, she sent him to various audits, which, as a rule, ended with noisy indignation of those being inspected. The poet was appointed governor of the Olonets, then Tambov province. But he could not resist for long: he dealt with local officials too zealously and imperiously. In Tambov, things went so far that the governor of the region, Gudovich, filed a complaint to the empress in 1789 about the “arbitrariness” of the governor, who did not take anyone or anything into account. The case was transferred to the Senate Court. Derzhavin was dismissed from office and until the end of the trial he was ordered to live in Moscow, as they would say now, under a written undertaking not to leave.
And although the poet was acquitted, he was left without a position and without the favor of the empress. Once again, one could only rely on oneself: on enterprise, talent and luck. And don't lose heart. In the autobiographical “Notes” compiled at the end of his life, in which the poet speaks about himself in the third person, he admits: “There was no other way left but to resort to his talent; as a result, he wrote the ode “Image of Felitsa” and by the 22nd on the day of September, that is, on the day of the empress’s coronation, he handed her over to the court<…>The Empress, having read it, ordered her favorite (meaning Zubov, Catherine’s favorite - L.D.) the next day to invite the author to dinner with him and always take him into her conversation.”
Read also other topics in Chapter VI.