Derzhavin Gavrila Romanovich (1743-1816). Russian poet. Representative of Russian classicism. G.R. Derzhavin was born near Kazan into a family of small landed nobles. The Derzhavin family originated from the descendants of Murza Bagrim, who voluntarily went over to the side of Grand Duke Vasily II (1425-1462), which is attested in a document from the personal archive of G.R. Derzhavin.
Derzhavin's work is deeply contradictory. While revealing the possibilities of classicism, he at the same time destroyed it, paving the way for romantic and realistic poetry.
Derzhavin's poetic creativity is extensive and is mainly represented by odes, among which civil, victorious-patriotic, philosophical and anacreontic odes can be distinguished.
A special place is occupied by civil odes addressed to persons endowed with great political power: monarchs, nobles. Among the best of this cycle is the ode “Felitsa” dedicated to Catherine II.
In 1762, Derzhavin received a call to military service to St. Petersburg, in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment. From this time on, Derzhavin’s public service began, to which the poet devoted over 40 years of his life. The time of service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment is also the beginning of Derzhavin’s poetic activity, which without a doubt played an exceptional role. important role in his official biography. Fate threw Derzhavin into various military and civilian positions: he was a member of a special secret commission, the main task of which was to capture E. Pugachev; For several years he was in the service of the all-powerful Prosecutor General Prince. A.A. Vyazemsky (1777-1783). It was at this time that he wrote his famous ode "Felitsa", published on May 20, 1873 in the "Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word".
"Felitsa" brought Derzhavin noisy literary fame. The poet was generously rewarded by the empress with a golden snuffbox sprinkled with diamonds. A modest official of the Senate department became the most famous poet throughout Russia.
The fight against the abuses of nobles, nobility and officials for the good of Russia was a defining feature of Derzhavin’s activities and how statesman, and as a poet. And Derzhavin saw the power capable of leading the state with dignity, leading Russia to glory, to prosperity, to “bliss” only in an enlightened monarchy. Hence the appearance in his work of the theme of Catherine II - Felitsa.
In the early 80s. Derzhavin was not yet closely acquainted with the empress. When creating her image, the poet used stories about her, the dissemination of which Catherine herself took care of, a self-portrait painted in her literary works, ideas preached in her “Instructions” and decrees. At the same time, Derzhavin knew very well many prominent nobles of Catherine’s court, under whose command he had to serve. Therefore, Derzhavin’s idealization of the image of Catherine II is combined with a critical attitude towards her nobles,
The very image of Felitsa, a wise and virtuous Kyrgyz princess, was taken by Derzhavin from “The Tale of Prince Chlorus,” written by Catherine II for her grandchildren. "Felitsa" continues the tradition of laudable odes of Lomonosov and at the same time differs from them in its new interpretation of the image of the enlightened monarch. Enlightenment scholars now see in the monarch a person to whom society has entrusted the care of the welfare of citizens; he is entrusted with numerous responsibilities towards the people. And Derzhavin’s Felitsa acts as a gracious monarch-legislator:
Not valuing your peace,
You read and write in front of the lectern
And all from your pen
Shedding bliss to mortals...
It is known that the source of the creation of the image of Felitsa was the document “Order of the Commission on the Drafting of a New Code” (1768), written by Catherine II herself. One of the main ideas of the “Nakaz” is the need to soften existing laws that allowed torture during interrogations, death penalty for minor offenses, etc., so Derzhavin endowed his Felitsa with mercy and leniency:
Are you ashamed to be considered great?
To be scary and unloved;
The bear is decently wild
Rip animals and drink their blood.
And how nice it is to be a tyrant,
Tamerlane, great in atrocity,
There you can whisper in conversations
And, without fear of execution, at dinners
Don't drink to the health of kings.
There with the name Felitsa you can
Scrape out the typo in the line
Or a portrait carelessly
Drop it on the ground.
What was fundamentally new was that from the very first lines of the ode the poet depicts the Russian Empress (and in Felitsa, readers easily guessed it was Catherine) primarily from the point of view of her human qualities:
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
It happens at your table...
Derzhavin also praises Catherine for the fact that from the first days of her stay in Russia she strove to follow in everything the “customs” and “rites” of the country that sheltered her. The Empress succeeded in this and aroused sympathy both at court and in the guard.
Derzhavin's innovation was manifested in "Felitsa" not only in the interpretation of the image of an enlightened monarch, but also in the bold combination of laudatory and accusatory principles, ode and satire. The ideal image of Felitsa is contrasted with negligent nobles (in the ode they are called “Murzas”). “Felitsa” depicts the most influential persons at court: Prince G. A. Potemkin, Counts Orlov, Count P. I. Panin, Prince Vyazemsky. Their portraits were so expressively executed that the originals were easily recognizable.
Criticizing the nobles spoiled by power, Derzhavin emphasizes their weaknesses, whims, petty interests, unworthy of a high dignitary. So, for example, Potemkin is presented as a gourmet and glutton, a lover of feasts and amusements; The Orlovs amuse “their spirit with fist fighters and dancing”; Panin, “giving up worry about all matters,” goes hunting, and Vyazemsky enlightens his “mind and heart” - he reads “Polkan and Bova”, “he sleeps over the Bible, yawning.”
Enlightenmentists understood the life of society as a constant struggle between truth and error. In Derzhavin’s ode, the ideal, the norm is Felitsa, the deviation from the norm is her careless “Murzas”. Derzhavin was the first to begin to depict the world as it appears to an artist.
The undoubted poetic courage was the appearance in the ode “Felitsa” of the image of the poet himself, shown in an everyday setting, not distorted by a conventional pose, not constrained by classical canons. Derzhavin was the first Russian poet who was able and, most importantly, wanted to paint a living and truthful portrait of himself in his work:
Sitting at home, I'll do a prank,
Playing fools with my wife...
The “eastern” flavor of the ode is noteworthy: it was written on behalf of the Tatar Murza, and eastern cities are mentioned in it - Baghdad, Smyrna, Kashmir. The end of the ode is in a laudatory, high style:
I ask the great prophet
I will touch the dust of your feet.
The image of Felitsa is repeated in Derzhavin’s subsequent poems, caused by various events in the poet’s life: “Gratitude to Felitsa”, “Image of Felitsa”, “Vision of Murza”.
The high poetic merits of the ode “Felitsa” brought it wide fame at that time in the circles of the most advanced Russian people. A. N. Radishchev, for example, wrote: “If you add many stanzas from the ode to Felitsa, and especially where Murza describes himself, almost poetry will remain without poetry.” “Everyone who can read Russian found it in their hands,” testified O. P. Kozodavlev, editor of the magazine where the ode was published.
Derzhavin compares Catherine's reign with the cruel morals that reigned in Russia during the Bironism under Empress Anna Ioannovna, and praises Felitsa for a number of laws useful for the country.
The ode "Felitsa", in which Derzhavin combined opposite principles: positive and negative, pathetic and satire, ideal and real, finally consolidated in Derzhavin's poetry what began in 1779 - mixing, breaking, eliminating the strict genre system
The updated odes of 1779, published anonymously, were noticed only by poetry lovers. In 1782 Derzhavin wrote the ode “Felitsa”. Printed at the beginning next year in the magazine “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word”, it became a literary sensation, a milestone not only in the history of the ode, but also of Russian poetry.
In terms of genre, it was like a typical laudatory ode. Another, unknown poet praised Catherine II, but the “praise” was incredibly impudent, not traditional, and it was not she, but something else that turned out to be the content of the ode, and this other thing resulted in a completely new form.
The innovation and freshness of the form of the ode “Felitsa” were perceived with particular acuteness in that literary atmosphere when the laudable ode, through the efforts of Petrov, Kostrov and other ode-writers, reached the extreme point of decline and satisfied only the tastes of the crowned customer. The general dissatisfaction with the laudable ode to classicism is perfectly expressed by Knyazhnin:
I know that the odes are daring,
Which are already out of fashion,
Very capable of annoying.
They always Catherine,
Crazy chasing the rhyme,
They compared the paradise to Krin;
And, becoming the rank of prophets,
Communicating with God as if with a brother,
Without fear of a pen,
In his borrowed delight,
The universe is turning upside down,
From there to countries rich in gold,
They let loose their paper thunder.
The reason for the exhaustion of odes, according to Knyazhnin, is in the adherence of their authors to the rules and canons of classicism: they demanded imitation of models - and so the ode became sadly imitative and epigone. Moreover, these rules did not allow the poet’s personality to manifest itself in poetry, which is why odes are written by those who “borrow delight.” The success of Derzhavin’s ode lies in its deviation from the rules, from following models; he does not “borrow” delight, but expresses his feelings in an ode dedicated to the empress.
Under the name Felitsa, Derzhavin portrayed Catherine II. The poet uses the name Felitsa, mentioned in the “Tale of Prince Chlorus” written by the empress for her grandson Alexander, which was published in 1781. The content of the tale is didactic. The Kirghiz Khan kidnapped the Russian Tsarevich Chlorus.
Wanting to test his abilities, the khan gives the prince a task: to find a rose without thorns (a symbol of virtue). Thanks to the help of the Khan's daughter Felitsa (from the Latin felicitos - happiness) and her son Reason, Chlorine finds a rose without thorns at the top high mountain. The image of the Tatar nobleman Murza has a double meaning: where the ode goes to a high tone, this is the author’s self; in satirical places - a collective image of Catherine’s nobles.
Derzhavin in “Felitsa” does not create an official, conventional and abstractly ceremonial image of a “monarch”, but draws a warm and heartfelt portrait of a real person - Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna, with her habits, activities, and everyday life characteristic of her as a person; he praises Catherine, but his praise is not traditional.
The image of the author (Tatar Murza) appears in the ode - in fact, he depicted not so much Catherine as his attitude towards her, his sense of admiration for her personality, his hopes for her as an enlightened monarch. This personal attitude is also manifested towards her courtiers: he doesn’t really like them, he laughs at their vices and weaknesses - satire intrudes into the ode.
According to the laws of classicism, mixing genres is unacceptable: everyday details and satirical portraits could not appear in the high genre of ode. But Derzhavin does not combine satire and ode - he overcomes genre. And his updated ode can only formally be attributed to this genre: the poet writes simply poems in which he freely talks about everything that tells him his personal experience what worries his mind and soul.
The ode “Felitsa” is associated with the tragic failure of Derzhavin’s plan to become Catherine II’s advisor. A sincere feeling of respect and love for the empress was warmed by the warmth of the living heart of an intelligent and talented poet. Catherine not only loved praise, but also knew how rare it is to hear sincere praise. That is why she immediately, after meeting the ode, thanked the poet by sending him a golden snuffbox, sprinkled with diamonds, with five hundred ducats.
The success excited Derzhavin. Catherine liked the ode, which means that the boldness of addressing it was approved. Moreover, Derzhavin learned that she had decided to meet him. I had to get ready for the show. The opportunity opened up to get closer to the empress.
Derzhavin decided to immediately explain himself to her - he could not, he had no right to miss the opportunity to take the place of an adviser to the monarch. The presentation of his program was to be the ode “Vision of Murza”. The reception was scheduled for May 9, 1783. The poet did not have time to write the program ode, but his papers preserved a prosaic detailed plan this ode.
The poet begins with an interpretation of Catherine II’s promises to be an enlightened monarch: “Your enlightened mind and great heart remove the bonds of slavery from us, elevate our souls, make us understand the preciousness of freedom, which is only characteristic of a rational being such as man.” It recalls the lessons of the Pugachev uprising.
If they listen to him and change their policy, then the monarchs “will be disgusted by tyranny and under their rule human blood will not be shed like a river, corpses will not stick out on stakes and heads on scaffolds, and gallows will not float in rivers.” This was already a direct allusion to the tsarist reprisal against the participants of the Pugachev uprising.
Inspired by the concept of enlightened absolutism, Derzhavin explained in detail the need to establish contractual relations between the poet and the empress. He claimed that he was free from flattery and that he was committed to always telling only the truth. Using his favorite legend about Alexander the Great, who, trusting his doctor, boldly drank the medicine he offered, rejecting the slander of the courtiers who claimed that the doctor poured poison into his cup, the poet boldly expressed his desire to be such a “doctor” under Catherine.
He convinced her to trust him. The “drink” he offers will be healing, it will ease suffering, and help you see everything in its true light. And then he will sing of the empress’s merits: believe that my song “will encourage you to exploit the virtues and will aggravate your jealousy for them,” he says to Catherine.
The ode plan contains a list of political, public and social events that the Russian empress must implement. They constitute the essence of the program of Russian enlightened absolutism outlined by Derzhavin.
“Vision of Murza” could become one of best works Russian civil poetry. But it didn't. The outlined plan did not receive a poetic embodiment. All Derzhavin’s hopes of becoming an advisor under Catherine collapsed. Introduced to the empress, the poet hoped that they would remain alone and he would have the opportunity to tell her about his plans... Everything turned out differently: Catherine coldly greeted him in front of everyone.
With her arrogant and majestic appearance, she emphasized her dissatisfaction with the daring poet, who dared to satirically depict people close to her. The poet was stunned. All plans and hopes collapsed. There was no point in thinking about Catherine agreeing to bring him closer to her as a “doctor.” Moreover, anxiety crept in - whether he was in danger of falling into disgrace.
Apparently, Fonvizin was right, who in his “Minor” (presented in the past, 1782) portrayed the wise Starodum. His friend Pravdin expressed the wish that he be called to the court “for what a doctor is called to the sick for.” To this Starodum answered sternly and firmly: “It is in vain to call a doctor to the sick without healing. The doctor won’t help you here.”
Instead of “Vision of Murza” Derzhavin wrote “Gratitude to Felitsa”. In the ode, he tried to explain that his “courage” was generated by sincerity, that his “heart is grateful” to the empress and “burns with zeal.” “Explanatory” poems have lost their strength, energy, and fervor of feeling. The main thing about them is obsequious obedience. True, at the end of the ode, the poet carefully and delicately, but still hinted that he was unlikely to soon be able to sing the “god-like princess” again.
Derzhavin was not mistaken in his assumption: “heavenly fire” did not ignite in his soul, and he did not write more poems like “Felitsa.” The desire to be the singer of Felitsa-Catherine meant for Derzhavin the establishment of contractual relations between the poet and the empress.
He would continue to sing Felitsa selflessly, would sincerely glorify her name for centuries, if she, acting as an enlightened monarch, boldly updated legislation and carried out the reforms necessary for the country and people. The idea collapsed. Ode "Felitsa" remained lonely.
True, two more odes were dedicated to Catherine: “Image of Felitsa” (1789) and “Vision of Murza” (new edition of 1791, sharply different from the prose plan of 1783). “The Image of Felitsa” is truly an ode of praise. Derzhavin betrayed himself. It is written in a traditional plan. Uncontrollably extolling the virtues of Catherine in a very long, needlessly drawn-out ode, he demonstratively catered to Felitsa’s taste.
She needed praise, not Derzhavin's personal feelings. Flattery was part of Derzhavin’s plan - he was removed from the post of Tambov governor and put on trial. I had to go to St. Petersburg to seek protection from Catherine. In his autobiographical “Notes,” the poet explains the reason for writing the ode: “There was no other way left but to resort to my talent.
As a result, I wrote... the ode “Image of Felitsa.” The ode was delivered to the empress, she liked it, and the persecution of Derzhavin was stopped. In this ode, Derzhavin the poet was defeated by Derzhavin the official, associated with the court.
History of Russian literature: in 4 volumes / Edited by N.I. Prutskov and others - L., 1980-1983.
Ode "Felitsa" by Derzhavin, summary which is given in this article is one of the most famous works of this Russian poet of the 18th century. He wrote it in 1782. After publication, Derzhavin’s name became famous. Moreover, the ode turned into clear example new style in Russian poetry.
Derzhavin's ode "Felitsa", a summary of which you are reading, received its name from the name of the heroine of "Tales of Prince Chlorus". The author of this work is Empress Catherine II.
In his work, Derzhavin calls the ruler of Russia herself by this name. By the way, it is translated as “happiness”. The essence of the ode boils down to the glorification of Catherine (her habits, modesty) and a caricature, even mocking depiction of her pompous surroundings.
In the images that Derzhavin describes in the ode “Felitsa” (a summary cannot be found on “Brifley”, but it is in this article), you can easily recognize some of the people close to the empress. For example, Potemkin, who was considered her favorite. And also Counts Panin, Orlov, Naryshkin. The poet skillfully depicts their mocking portraits, while demonstrating a certain courage. After all, if one of them was very offended, he could easily deal with Derzhavin.
The only thing that saved him was that Catherine II really liked this ode and the empress began to treat Derzhavin favorably.
Moreover, even in the ode “Felitsa” itself, a brief summary of which is given in this article, Derzhavin decides to give advice to the empress. In particular, the poet advises that she obey the law, the same for everyone. The ode ends with the praise of the empress.
Uniqueness of the work
Having read the brief content of the ode “Felitsa”, one can come to the conclusion that the author violates all the traditions in which such works were usually written.
The poet actively introduces colloquial vocabulary and does not shy away from non-literary statements. But the most important difference is that he creates the empress in human form, abandoning her official image. It is noteworthy that many were confused and disturbed by the text, but Catherine II herself was delighted with it.
Image of the Empress
In Derzhavin's ode "Felitsa", a brief summary of which contains the semantic quintessence of the work, the empress initially appears before us in the usual god-like image. For the writer, she is an example of an enlightened monarch. At the same time, he embellishes her appearance, firmly believing in the image depicted.
At the same time, the poet’s poems contain thoughts not only about the wisdom of power, but also about the dishonesty and low level of education of its executors. Many of them are only interested in their own benefit. It is worth recognizing that these ideas have appeared before, but never before have real historical figures been so recognizable.
In Derzhavin’s ode “Felitsa” (Brifley cannot yet offer a summary), the poet appears before us as a brave and courageous discoverer. He forms an amazing symbiosis, complementing the laudatory ode with the individual traits of the characters and witty satire.
History of creation
It was Derzhavin’s ode “Felitsa”, a brief summary of which is convenient for a general acquaintance with the work, that made a name for the poet. Initially, the author did not think about publishing this poem. He did not advertise it and hid his authorship. He seriously feared the revenge of influential nobles who were not in better light depicted in the text.
Only in 1783 the work became widespread thanks to Princess Dashkova. A close ally of the empress published it in the magazine “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word.” By the way, the ruler of Russia herself contributed her texts to it. According to Derzhavin’s memoirs, Catherine II was so moved when she first read the ode that she even began to cry. It was in such moved feelings that Dashkova herself discovered her.
The Empress certainly wanted to know who the author of this poem was. It seemed to her that everything was depicted in the text as accurately as possible. In gratitude for Derzhavin’s ode “Felitsa,” a summary and analysis of which is given in this article, she sent the poet a golden snuff box. It contained 500 chervonets.
After such a generous royal gift, literary fame and success came to Derzhavin. No poet had known such popularity before him.
Thematic diversity of Derzhavin’s work
When characterizing Derzhavin’s ode “Felitsa,” it should be noted that the performance itself is a humorous sketch from the life of the Russian ruler, as well as the nobles especially close to her. At the same time, the text raises important issues state level. This is corruption, the responsibility of officials, their concern for statehood.
Artistic features of the ode "Felitsa"
Derzhavin worked in the genre of classicism. This direction strictly forbade combining several genres, for example, high ode and satire. But the poet decided on such a bold experiment. Moreover, he not only combined them in his text, but also did something unprecedented for the literature of that very conservative time.
Derzhavin simply destroys the traditions of the laudatory ode, actively using reduced, colloquial vocabulary in his text. He even uses frank vernacular, which, in principle, were not welcomed in literature in those years. Most importantly, he portrays Empress Catherine II as an ordinary person, abandoning her classical ceremonial description, which was actively used in similar works.
That is why in the ode you can find descriptions of everyday scenes and even literary still life.
Derzhavin's innovation
The everyday, everyday image of Felicia, behind whom one can easily discern the empress, is one of Derzhavin’s main innovations. At the same time, he manages to create the text in such a way as not to reduce her image. On the contrary, the poet makes it real and human. Sometimes it seems that the poet is writing it from life.
While reading the poem "Felitsa" you can be convinced that the author managed to introduce into poetry individual characteristics real historical characters, taken from life or created by imagination. All this was shown against the backdrop of everyday life, which was depicted as colorfully as possible. All this made the ode understandable and memorable.
As a result, in the ode “Felitsa” Derzhavin skillfully combines the style of a laudatory ode with the individualization of real heroes, and also introduces an element of satire. Ultimately, an ode that belongs to a high style contains many elements of low styles.
Derzhavin himself defined its genre as a mixed ode. He argued: it differs from the classical ode in that in a mixed genre the author has unique opportunity talk about everything in the world. So the poet destroys the canons of classicism, the poem opens the way for new poetry. This literature is developed in the work of the author of the next generation - Alexander Pushkin.
Meanings of the ode "Felitsa"
Derzhavin himself admitted that it was a great merit that he decided to undertake such an experiment. A well-known researcher of his work, Khodasevich, notes that Derzhavin was most proud of the fact that he was the first of the Russian poets to speak in a “funny Russian style,” as he himself called it.
But the poet was aware that his ode would, in fact, be the first artistic embodiment of Russian life, and would become the embryo of a realistic novel. Khodasevich also believed that if Derzhavin had lived to see the publication of Eugene Onegin, he would undoubtedly have found echoes of his work in it.
In the 70s of the 18th century, changes began in Russian literature. They deal specifically with poetry in a way that disrupts canonized forms. Little by little Lomonosov, Maikov, Kheraskov started this, but Derzhavin approached the world of genres like a rebel.
This is especially true for the genre of solemn ode, as evidenced by, if you read carefully and thoughtfully, the ode “Felitsa”, a brief summary of which is presented below.
Title of the ode
Felicitas means "happiness" in Latin. But this is not enough. Derzhavin read a fairy tale that Catherine II wrote for her grandson, Alexander, on behalf of Princess Felitsa to Prince Chlorus, who will later appear in the text as an active hero.
Due to ridicule of the nobles surrounding Catherine II, friends did not advise publishing the ode. It is not harmless, this ode to “Felitsa”. A summary of a long work could anger high dignitaries. And how could the empress herself react to the humorous description of her life? Moreover, it also speaks about important issues. Nevertheless, the ode was published and brought tears of tenderness to the empress. She found out who its author was and did him all the best. The ode “Felitsa” is not of interest to schoolchildren these days. They will read the summary out of necessity and with longing.
Start
The first ten verses tell how the princess, like the gods, showed the way to the captive prince Chlorus - the way to the place where the rose grows without thorns. He needed this rose to free himself from slavery. And the rose grows on high mountain, where the abode of virtue is located. This tale about the prince and the khan’s daughter Felitsa was composed, as already mentioned, by the empress herself. So the ode “Felitsa”, a brief summary of which includes a retelling of the work of Catherine II, could no longer help but flatter the empress. The second ten verses ask Felitsa for help in learning to live correctly, because the author himself is weak and cannot cope with everyday passions.
"Simplicity" of the Empress
In the next ten poems, Derzhavin creates an ideal image of the heroine, describing her behavior and habits: love for walking, simple food, reading and writing, and a measured daily routine. Her contemporaries were no different from all this. There is no portrait description (referring to the ode “Felitsa”). Derzhavin, a brief summary of this shows, highlights the monarch’s democracy, unpretentiousness, and friendliness.
Irony and satire
The poet introduces such an innovation into the ode, while previously such liberties were not allowed in this genre. He contrasts the virtuous Felitsa with her environment. The poet writes in the first person, but means Prince Potemkin, who leads a riotous lifestyle at court and, when fighting, imagines himself as a sovereign ruler, like the Sultan. When preparing for war, and he fought a lot and, as a rule, successfully, he spends his days in feasts, where exquisite food, which is countless, is served on golden dishes. Or he rides in a golden carriage, accompanied by friends, dogs, and beauties.
The author also does not forget A.G. Orlov (ode “Felitsa”). Derzhavin (we are considering a summary) talks about his love for horse racing. The Orlovs bred purebred trotters at their stud farms. The count organized races on his wonderful horses. Derzhavin also remembers the passion of the Orlov favorites for dancing and fist fights. This made their spirit happy.
In addition, the poet mentions P.I. Panin, who helped the empress in the coup. Panin loved hound hunting and devoted a lot of time to it, forgetting about government affairs. Derzhavin does not neglect such a great courtier as Naryshkin, who loved to ride along the Neva at night, and why at night, it is unknown, accompanied by a whole orchestra of musicians with horn instruments. Peace and quiet in the capital city could only be dreamed of by the common man who worked hard to earn his living. Well, how can you not smile at the peaceful entertainment of Prosecutor General Vyazemsky? He is in free time read popular stories and dozed over the Bible.
The poet is also ironic about himself, as if counting himself among a narrow circle of the elite. No one dared to write in such an ironic vein. The ode “Felitsa” (Derzhavin), a brief summary of which is conveyed here, became an innovative work. When Derzhavin was reproached for ridicule, which nowadays seems quite harmless, the poet pointed to the place where he describes his shortcomings, for example, chasing pigeons in a dovecote or simply playing cards like a fool. People, according to the poet, and rightly so, are not inclined to deal with serious matters all the time. It is only important not to run after empty dreams, not to lead a luxurious and lazy life, and not to grumble when they demand money for government affairs. And both Potemkin and Prince Vyazemsky were famous for this, whom Catherine II described in her fairy tale about Prince Chlorus under the names Lazy and Grumpy.
Literary joke
But the poet has no condemnation of the empress, who is surrounded by people with human weaknesses. After all, their talents are at the service of prosperity great empire. This is shown by the analysis of Derzhavin’s poem “Felitsa”. The literary anecdote technique is used in the portraits of high-ranking courtiers. In those days, a joke meant real story O real person, but artistically processed, which has an instructive or satirical sound. Indeed, in the memory of descendants there remained a reveler, a duelist and a tireless ladies' man, the favorite of Catherine II, Alexei Orlov, a cautious Panin, a sybarite, but also a victorious warrior Potemkin. Describes the gradual departure from the scene of the Freemasons, which began during the time of Catherine II under the influence of what happened bloody revolution in France. The Masons are mentioned at the very beginning of the ode. But in general, Derzhavin’s irony was not pathetic, accusatory in nature; it was soft, rather playful.
How the image of Catherine is created
Through the fairy tale about the clever Felitsa, who helps Prince Chlorus, Derzhavin creates the image of an ideal ruler. Where an ordinary person, says Derzhavin, goes astray and follows passions, one princess is able to illuminate everything with her wisdom. He hints at the creation of provinces in the state, which brought its administration into greater order. He appreciates in Catherine II that she does not humiliate people, does not oppress and destroy like a wolf, and turns a blind eye to their weaknesses. Catherine II is not God, and behaves accordingly. People are more subject to God than to the king. This is what the analysis of Derzhavin’s poem “Felitsa” says. The Empress observes this rule, because she is an enlightened monarch.
And, nevertheless, Derzhavin decides to give very delicate advice to the empress: dividing the state into provinces, sealing them with laws so that there are no disagreements. He goes on to beautifully compare her to a skilled captain leading a ship through a stormy sea.
Emphasizing modesty and generosity in the image of Catherine
Many stanzas are devoted to this, but the most important thing is that she refused the titles “Wise”, “Great”, “Mother of the Fatherland”, which the senators presented to her. Yes, the modesty was false, but it looked beautiful. When you carefully read not only the ode, but also the comments to it, such conclusions are implied by the analysis of the ode “Felitsa” by G. R. Derzhavin.
Idealization of the image of Catherine
In the first part of the ode, the image of a monarch with simple habits ordinary person The poet is very impressed. Further, Derzhavin praises her as a wise statesman. This is the image of an enlightened sovereign in comparison with the queens who ruled before her, often deeply ignorant and cruel. In the third, final part, the image of a philosopher soaring high above his subjects is created, who deeply thinks about the fate of the state and the people.
These are all the ideals of G. R. Derzhavin in the ode “Felitsa”. Felitsa is a living goddess on earth, which is confirmed by the final stanzas. They are full of praise, and it is no wonder that the empress shed tears while reading this essay.
Oriental motifs in ode
Having built the ode “Felitsa” from beginning to end on an oriental fairy tale written by the monarch herself, Derzhavin gave it an oriental flavor. It contains Lazy Guy, Grumpy, Murza, Khan, the Khan's daughter, and a godlike princess. This creates a special “flavor” that is unusual neither in Russian prose nor poetry. In addition, having made the monarch the object of poetry, the poet wrote the ode as praise and at the same time as satirical work. This ensures the originality of Gabriel Derzhavin’s ode “Felitsa”. He was one of the first poets to begin to discover new treasures of the living word in literature, one of those whose work does not fit into the framework of the theory of three styles.
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 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 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.