Biography of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy. Alexey Tolstoy: childhood, creativity, interesting facts from life

Tolstoy (Count Alexei Konstantinovich)- famous poet and playwright. Born on August 24, 1817 in St. Petersburg. His mother, the beautiful Anna Alekseevna Perovskaya, a pupil of Count A.K. Razumovsky, married in 1816 the elderly widower Count Konstantin Petrovich Tolstoy (brother of the famous medalist artist Fyodor Tolstoy). The marriage was unhappy; An open break soon occurred between the spouses. In Tolstoy’s autobiography (his letter to Angelo De-Gubernatis in the first volume of Tolstoy’s Works) we read: “For another six weeks I was taken to Little Russia by my mother and my uncle on my mother’s side, Alexei Alekseevich Perovsky, who was later a trustee of Kharkov University and known in Russian literature under the pseudonym Anton Pogorelsky. He raised me and my first years were spent on his estate." At the age of eight, Tolstoy, with his mother and Perovsky, moved to St. Petersburg. Through Perovsky's friend Zhukovsky, the boy was introduced to the then eight-year-old heir to the throne, later Emperor Alexander II, and was among the children who came to the Tsarevich on Sundays to play. The relationship thus established continued throughout Tolstoy's life; Alexander II's wife, Empress Maria Alexandrovna, also appreciated Tolstoy's personality and talent

In 1826, Tolstoy went to Germany with his mother and uncle; What was particularly vivid in his memory was his visit to Goethe in Weimar and the fact that he sat on the great old man’s lap. Italy, with its works of art, made an extraordinary impression on him. “We started,” he writes in his autobiography, “in Venice, where my uncle made significant acquisitions in the old Grimani Palace. From Venice we went to Milan, Florence, Rome and Naples - and in each of these cities my enthusiasm grew in me and love for art, so that upon returning to Russia I fell into real “homesickness”, into some kind of despair, as a result of which I did not want to eat anything during the day, and at night I cried when dreams carried me away to my lost heaven"Having received good home training, Tolstoy in the mid-30s entered the ranks of the so-called “archive youths” who were affiliated with the Moscow Main Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As an “archive student,” he passed the exam at Moscow University in 1836." in the sciences that made up the course of the former Faculty of Literature," and was assigned to the Russian mission at the German Diet in Frankfurt am Main. In the same year, Perovsky died, leaving him his entire large fortune. Later, Tolstoy served in the II department of His Imperial Majesty’s own chancellery, had court rank and, while continuing to travel abroad frequently, led a social life

In 1855, during the Crimean War, Tolstoy wanted to organize a special voluntary militia, but this failed, and he became one of the hunters of the so-called “Rifle Regiment of the Imperial Family.” He did not have to take part in hostilities, but he almost died from severe typhus, which carried away a significant part of the regiment near Odessa. During his illness, Colonel S.A.’s wife looked after him. Miller (née Bakhmetyeva), whom he later married. His letters to his wife relating to recent years his life, breathe the same tenderness as in the first years of this very happy marriage. During the coronation in 1856, Alexander II appointed Tolstoy as an aide-de-camp, and then, when Tolstoy did not want to remain in military service, Jägermeister. He remained in this rank, without performing any service, until his death; only a short time He was a member of the committee on schismatics. Since the mid-60s, his once heroic health - he unbent horseshoes and curled the teeth of forks with his fingers - began to wane. Therefore, he lived mostly abroad, in the summer in various resorts, in the winter in Italy and Southern France, but also lived for a long time on his Russian estates - Pustynka (near Sablino station, near St. Petersburg) and Krasny Rog (Mglinsky district, Chernigov province, near the city Pochep), where he died on September 28, 1875. personal life In his own way, Tolstoy is a rare example of a man who not only avoided in every possible way the honors that came his way, but also had to endure an extremely painful struggle for him with people who sincerely wished him well and provided him with the opportunity to advance and achieve a prominent position. Tolstoy wanted to be “only” an artist. When in the first major work In his poem dedicated to the spiritual life of the courtier, the poet John of Damascus, Tolstoy said about his hero: “We love Caliph John, he is like a day, honor and affection” - these were autobiographical features. In the poem, John of Damascus addresses the caliph with the following plea: “I was born simple as a singer, to glorify God with a free verb... Oh, let me go, caliph, let me breathe and sing in freedom.” We encounter exactly the same pleas in Tolstoy’s correspondence. Unusually soft and gentle, he had to muster all his energy in order to renounce closeness to the Emperor, who, when he fell ill near Odessa, was telegraphed several times a day about the state of his health. At one time, Tolstoy hesitated: it seemed attractive to him to be, as he put it in a letter to the Emperor, “a fearless truth teller” - but Tolstoy simply did not want to be a courtier under any circumstances. His correspondence clearly reflected the amazingly noble and pure soul of the poet; but from it it is clear that his graceful personality was devoid of strength and anxiety, the world of strong sensations and torments of doubt was alien to him. This left a mark on all his work.

Tolstoy began writing and publishing very early. Already in 1841, under the pseudonym Krasnorogsky, his book “The Ghoul” was published (St. Petersburg). Tolstoy subsequently did not attach any importance to it and did not include it in his collected works; it was only republished in 1900 by a personal friend of his family, Vladimir Solovyov. This is a fantastic story in the style of Hoffmann and Pogorelsky-Perovsky. Belinsky greeted him very warmly. A long period of time separates Tolstoy's first, fleeting appearance in print from the actual beginning of his literary career. In 1854, he appeared in Sovremennik with a number of poems ("My Bells", "Oh Haystacks", etc.), which immediately attracted attention to him. Literary connections it dates back to the forties. He was well acquainted with Gogol, Aksakov, Annenkov, Nekrasov, Panaev, and especially with Turgenev, who was freed from exile to the village that befell him in 1852 thanks to the efforts of Tolstoy. Having briefly joined the Sovremennik circle, Tolstoy took part in compiling a cycle of humorous poems that appeared in Sovremennik in 1854-55 under the well-known pseudonym of Kuzma Prutkov (see). It is very difficult to determine what exactly Tolstoy belongs here, but there is no doubt that his contribution was not unimportant: the humorous streak was very strong in him. He possessed the gift of a very subtle, albeit good-natured, mockery; many of his best and most famous poems owe their success precisely to the irony poured into them (for example, “Arrogance,” “At the Order Gate”). Tolstoy's humorous and satirical antics against the trends of the 60s ("Sometimes in Merry May", "Then the Hero", etc.) greatly influenced the bad attitude of a certain part of criticism towards him. Humorous passages also occupy a prominent place in Tolstoy’s cycle of adaptations of epic stories. Never embarrassed by extraneous considerations in his humorous antics, this, in the opinion of many of his literary opponents, “conservative” poet wrote several humorous poems, which are still not included in the collected works of his works and (not counting foreign editions) appeared in print only in the eighties. Among these poems, two are especially famous: “Essay on Russian history from Gostomysl to Timashev” (“Russian Antiquity”, 1878, vol. 40) and “Popov’s Dream” (ib., 1882, no. 12). The first of them is a humorous review of almost all the main events in Russian history, with a constant refrain: “There is just no order.” The poem is written in a deliberately vulgar tone, which does not prevent some of the characteristics from being very apt (for example, about Catherine II: “Madame, under you, order flourishes marvelously,” Voltaire and Dideroth wrote to her politely, “only the people to whom you are the mother need, rather give freedom, give freedom as soon as possible." She objected to them: "Messieurs, vous me comblez," and immediately tied the Ukrainians to the ground." "The Dream of State Councilor Popov" is even more comical - Written in. folk style the poems with which Tolstoy made his debut were especially liked by the Moscow Slavophile circle; In his organ, "Russian Conversation", two poems by Tolstoy appeared: "The Sinner" (1858) and "John of Damascus" (1859). With the termination of the "Russian Conversation" Tolstoy became an active contributor to Katkovsky's "Russian Messenger", where the dramatic poem "Don Juan" (1862) was published. historical novel"Prince Silver" (1863) and a number of archaic satirical poems making fun of the materialism of the 60s. In "Notes of the Fatherland" in 1866, the first part of Tolstoy's dramatic trilogy was published - "The Death of Ivan the Terrible", which was staged on stage in 1867 Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and was a great success, despite the fact that the rivalry of the actors deprived the drama of a good performer in the title role. IN next year this tragedy, in the excellent translation by Karolina Pavlova (see), also with great success, was staged at the court theater of the Grand Duke of Weimar, who was personally friends with Tolstoy. With the transformation of Vestnik Evropy into a general literary magazine in 1868, Tolstoy became its active collaborator. Here, in addition to a number of epics and other poems, the remaining two parts of the trilogy were placed - “Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich” (1868, 5) and “Tsar Boris” (1870, 3), the poetic autobiographical story “Portrait” (1874, 9) and written in Dante's style, a story in verse "The Dragon". After Tolstoy's death, the unfinished historical drama "Posadnik" and various short poems were published. Tolstoy's extremely popular novel "The Silver Prince" is least distinguished by its artistic merits, although it is undoubtedly suitable as reading for youth and the people. It also served as the subject of many plays. folk repertoire and popular popular stories. The reason for this popularity is the availability of effects and external entertainment; but the novel does little to satisfy the requirements of serious psychological development. The faces in it are presented too schematically and monochromatically; when they first appear on stage, they immediately receive a certain illumination and remain with it without further development, not only throughout the entire novel, but even in the epilogue separated by 20 years. The intrigue is carried out very artificially, in an almost fairy-tale style; everything is done according to the pike's command. The main character, according to Tolstoy himself, has a completely colorless face. The rest of the faces, with the exception of Grozny, are worked according to the conventional historical stencil that has been established since the time of “Yuri Miloslavsky” for depicting ancient Russian life. Although Tolstoy studied antiquity, for the most part not from primary sources, but from manuals. The influence of folk songs, epics and Lermontov's "Song of the Merchant Kalashnikov" was most strongly reflected in his novel. The author succeeded best with the figure of Ivan the Terrible. That boundless indignation that overcomes Tolstoy every time he speaks about the furies of Ivan the Terrible gave him the strength to break with the conditioned tenderness for ancient Russian life. Compared to the novels of Lazhechnikov and Zagoskin, who cared even less about the real reproduction of antiquity, “Prince Serebryany”, however, represents a step forward. Tolstoy is incomparably more interesting as a poet and playwright. The external form of Tolstoy's poems does not always stand at the same height. In addition to archaisms, which even such a connoisseur of his talent as Turgenev treated with great restraint, but which can be justified for the sake of their originality, Tolstoy comes across incorrect accents, insufficient rhymes, and awkward expressions. His closest friends pointed this out to him, and in his correspondence he more than once objects to these quite well-meaning reproaches. In the field of pure lyricism, best of all, according to Tolstoy’s personal mental make-up, he succeeded in light, graceful sadness, not caused by anything specific. In his poems, Tolstoy is primarily a descriptive poet, doing little psychology characters. Thus, “The Sinner” ends precisely where the rebirth of the recent harlot occurs. In "Dragon", according to Turgenev (in Tolstoy's obituary), Tolstoy "reaches almost Dantean imagery and power"; and indeed, the descriptions strictly adhere to Dante's style. Of Tolstoy's poems, only "John of Damascus" is of psychological interest. The inspired singer, who has retired to the monastery from the splendor of the court in order to devote himself to the inner spiritual life, is forbidden by the stern abbot, in the form of complete humility of inner pride, to indulge in poetic creativity. The situation is highly tragic, but it ends in a compromise: the abbot has a vision, after which he allows Damascene to continue composing chants. Tolstoy’s poetic individuality was most clearly reflected in historical ballads and adaptations of epic stories. Among Tolstoy's ballads and tales, "Vasily Shibanov" is especially famous; in terms of imagery, concentrated effects and strong language - this is one of best works Tolstoy. About Tolstoy’s poems written in the old Russian style, one can repeat what he himself said in his message to Ivan Aksakov: “Judging me quite strictly, in my poems you find that there is a lot of solemnity in them and too little simplicity.” The heroes of Russian epics as depicted by Tolstoy resemble French knights. It is quite difficult to recognize the real thieving Alyosha Popovich, with envious eyes and raking hands, in that troubadour who, having captivated the princess, rides with her on a boat and gives her the following speech: “...surrender, surrender, maiden soul! I love you princess , I want to get you, willingly or unwillingly, you must love me. He throws down his oar, picks up the ringing harp, the trembling outline resounds with wondrous singing...” Despite, however, the somewhat conventional style of Tolstoy’s epic adaptations, in their elegant archaism. one cannot deny the great effectiveness and unique beauty. As if anticipating his imminent death and summing up his entire literary activity In the fall of 1875, Tolstoy wrote the poem “The Calm Movement of Transparent Clouds,” where, among other things, he says about himself:
The end has come for everything, accept it too
A singer holding a banner in the name of beauty.
This self-determination almost coincides with what many “liberal” critics said about Tolstoy, who called his poetry a typical representative of “art for art’s sake.” And, nevertheless, the inclusion of Tolstoy exclusively in the category of representatives " pure art“can be accepted only with significant reservations. In those very poems on ancient Russian subjects, in which his poetic individuality was most strongly reflected, more than one “banner of beauty” was hoisted: Tolstoy’s political ideals are also expressed here, here he fights with the ideals, to him not sympathetic. Politically, he is a Slavophile in them. in the best sense words. He himself, however (in correspondence), calls himself a decisive Westerner, but communication with Moscow Slavophiles still left a bright stamp on him. In Aksakov's "Day" the poem "Sovereign You are our Father", which was sensational in its time, was published, where, in his favorite humorous form, Tolstoy depicts Peter's reform as a "porridge" that "Sovereign Peter Alekseevich" cooks from grain obtained "overseas" (his own supposedly “weed”), but interferes with a “stick”; The gruel is “cool” and “salty”; the “kids” will be slurping it up. In old Rus', Tolstoy is attracted, however, not by the Moscow period, darkened by the cruelty of Ivan the Terrible, but by Kievan Rus', the veche. When Potok the hero, waking up after a five-century sleep, sees the servility of the crowd before the king, he is “surprised by the parable” like this: “if he is a prince, or a king in the end, why do they sweep the ground before him with their beard? We honored princes, but not like that.” ! And really, am I really in Rus'? God forbid us from the earthly God! We are strictly commanded by Scripture to recognize only the heavenly God! He “tortures the fellow he meets: where is the veche meeting here, uncle?” In “The Snake Tugarin” Vladimir himself proclaims the following toast: “to the ancient Russian veche, to the free, to the honest Slavic people , I drink to the bell of Novgrad, and even if it falls to dust, let its ringing live in the hearts of descendants." With such ideals, which do not in the least echo "conservatism", Tolstoy, however, was enrolled in the mid-60s a category of openly retrograde writers. This happened because, having abandoned the “banner of beauty,” he threw himself into the struggle of social trends and very sensitively began to offend the “children” of the Bazarov type. He did not like them mainly because “they do not tolerate the sound of the guslar. , give them market goods, everything that they can’t weigh, don’t measure, they all shout, we need to get rid of it.” To fight this “dirty teaching,” Tolstoy called on “Panteleus the Healer”: “and against these people, Lord Panteley, you will don’t be sorry for the knotty ones.” And so, he himself acts as Pantelei the Healer and begins to wave the knotty stick. It cannot be said that he waved it carefully. This is not just good-natured irony at the “materialists,” “whose chimney sweeps are higher than Raphael,” who want to replace the flowers in the gardens with turnips and believe that the nightingales “must be exterminated as soon as possible for their uselessness,” and the groves should be turned into places “where fat beef would feed on roast meat,” etc. Expanding the concept of the “Russian commune” very widely, Tolstoy believes , that its adherents “want to spoil everything for the common bliss”, that “they consider few things to be strangers, when they need something, they drag and grab it”; “The crowds of them are all squabbling, as soon as they open their own forum, and separately they all swear in verba vozhakorum. Everyone only agrees on one thing: if you take away the property of others and divide it, lust will begin.” In essence, it is not difficult to cope with them: “in order for the Russian state to be saved from their undertaking, hang Stanislav around the neck of all the leaders.” All this caused many to have a hostile attitude towards Tolstoy, and he soon felt in the position of a writer driven by criticism. The general nature of his literary activity, even after the attacks rained down on him, remained the same, but the rebuff was “to a deafening cry: surrender, singers and artists! By the way, are your inventions positive in our age!” he began to give in a less harsh form, simply appealing to his like-minded people: “row together, in the name of beauty, against the current.” No matter how characteristic the struggle into which the poet entered, who considered himself exclusively a singer of “beauty,” was in itself, one should not, however, exaggerate its significance. Tolstoy was not a “poet-fighter,” as some critics call him; much closer to the truth is what he himself said about himself: “I am not a fighter of two camps, but only a random guest, for the truth I would be glad to raise my good sword, but a dispute with both is hitherto my secret lot, and neither one will take an oath could attract me." - In the field of Russian historical drama, Tolstoy holds one of the first places; here he is second only to Pushkin. The historical drama "Posadnik", unfortunately, remained unfinished. The dramatic poem "Don Juan" was conceived by Tolstoy not only as a drama, for the creation of which the author should not transform his own psychology into the characters of the characters, but also as a lyrical-philosophical work; Meanwhile, the calm, virtuous and almost “monogamous” Tolstoy could not penetrate the psychology of the insanely passionate Don Juan, always looking for a change of impressions. The lack of passion in the author’s personal and literary temperament led to the fact that the essence of the Don Juan type completely paled in Tolstoy’s depiction: it is precisely passion that is absent in his “Don Juan”. To the fore between dramatic works Tolstoy is thus represented by his trilogy. The first part of it, “The Death of Ivan the Terrible,” enjoyed the greatest popularity for a long time. This is explained primarily by the fact that until recently it was the only one that was put on stage - and the stage production of Tolstoy’s tragedies, which he himself took such great care of, having written a special instruction for it, is of great importance for establishing the reputation of his plays. The scene, for example, where a crowd of buffoons burst into the dying John, in fulfillment of the order he had just given, with a boom and whistle, does not produce even a tenth of the impression when read as on the stage. Another reason for the recent greater popularity of “The Death of Ivan the Terrible” is that at one time it was the first attempt to bring the Russian Tsar to the stage not in the usual framework of legendary greatness, but in the real outlines of a living human personality. As this interest in novelty disappeared, so did the interest in “The Death of Ivan the Terrible,” which is now rarely staged and has generally lost primacy to “Fyodor Ioannovich.” The enduring advantage of the tragedy, in addition to very colorful details and strong language, is the extreme harmony in the development of the action: there is not a single extra word, everything is directed towards one goal, expressed already in the title of the play. John's death hangs over the play from the very first moment; every little thing prepares it, tuning the thoughts of the reader and viewer in one direction. At the same time, each scene depicts John from some new side; we will recognize him and how statesman , both as a husband and as a father, from all sides of his character, the basis of which is extreme nervousness, a rapid change of impressions, the transition from upliftment to decline of spirit. It is impossible not to notice, however, that in his intense desire to concentrate action, Tolstoy mixed two points of view: fantastically superstitious and realistic. If the author wanted to make the center of the drama the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Magi that the Tsar would certainly die on St. Kirill’s day, then there was no need to attach primary importance to Boris’s efforts to evoke in John a disastrous excitement for him, which, as Boris knew from the doctor, would be fatal for the Tsar, apart from any predictions of the Magi . In the third part of the trilogy - “Tsar Boris” - the author seemed to completely forget about the Boris whom he brought out in the first two parts of the trilogy, about Boris the indirect killer of John and the almost direct killer of Tsarevich Dimitri, the cunning, treacherous, cruel ruler of Rus' during the reign of Theodore, who put his personal interests above all else. Now, except for a few moments, Boris is the ideal of a tsar and a family man. Tolstoy was unable to get rid of the charm of the image created by Pushkin, and fell into a psychological contradiction with himself, and further significantly strengthened Pushkin’s rehabilitation of Godunov. Tolstoy's Boris is downright sentimental. Boris's children are also overly sentimental: Xenia's fiancé, a Danish prince, is more reminiscent of a young man from Werther's era than an adventurer who came to Russia for a profitable marriage. The crown of the trilogy is its middle play - “Fyodor Ioannovich”. She was little noticed when she appeared, little was read, little was commented on. But then, at the end of the 1890s, the ban on staging the play on stage was lifted. It was staged first in courtly and aristocratic circles, then on the stage of the St. Petersburg Maly Theater; Later the play went around the entire province. The success was unprecedented in the annals of the Russian theater. Many attributed it to the amazing performance of the actor Orlenev, who created the role of Fyodor Ioannovich - but in the provinces there were “their own Orlenevs” everywhere. The point, then, is not in the actor, but in the wonderfully rewarding material that tragedy provides. Since the performance of Don Juan was hindered by the contrast between the psychology of the author and the passionate temperament of the hero, the similarity of spiritual moods brought extreme warmth to the portrayal of Fyodor Ioannovich. The desire to abandon brilliance and withdraw into oneself was so familiar to Tolstoy, Fyodor’s infinitely tender feeling for Irina so closely resembles Tolstoy’s love for his wife. With complete creative originality, Tolstoy understood in his own way Fyodor, illuminated by history in a completely different way - he realized that this was by no means a feeble-minded person devoid of spiritual life, that he had the makings of a noble initiative that could give dazzling flashes. Not only in Russian literature, but also in world literature, there are few scenes equal, in terms of stunning impression, to the scene of the tragedy when Fyodor asks Boris: “Am I a king or not a king?” In addition to its originality, strength and brightness, this scene is so free from the conditions of place and time, taken from the recesses of the human soul to such an extent that it can become the property of all literature. Tolstovsky Fyodor Ioannovich is one of the world types, created from the enduring elements of human psychology.

TOLSTOY Alexey Konstantinovich (08/24/1817-09/28/1875), Russian prose writer, poet, playwright. He spent his childhood in Chernigov province. on the estate of his uncle Alexei Perovsky (known in literature under the pseudonym Anton Pogorelsky), who encouraged the boy’s early awakening literary interests.

In 1834, Tolstoy passed an exam at the university and was enrolled as a “student” in the Moscow archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1837 he was seconded to the Russian mission at the German Diet in Frankfurt am Main; in 1840 he returned to Russia and was appointed an official in the office of legislation.

For the first time in print, Tolstoy came out with the fantastic story “The Ghoul.” In the 1840s, Tolstoy wrote a lot, but published only one poem, which was written at that time and appeared in print much later.

In the 1850s, Tolstoy, together with his cousins ​​the Zhemchuzhnikovs, created the image of Kozma Prutkov, on whose behalf they performed literary parodies and satires. Since 1854, Tolstoy’s lyrical poems and Prutkov’s satires began to appear in Sovremennik. These years were the most fruitful in the writer’s work. Having retired in 1861, he lived in a village near St. Petersburg or in Chernigov province, occasionally visiting the capital. Tolstoy's work is multi-genre. In 1867 the first collection of his poems was published. In the 60s he wrote the novel “Prince Silver”, a dramatic trilogy: “The Death of Ivan the Terrible” (1866), “Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich” (1868) and “Tsar Boris” (1870), his highest artistic achievement; a number of ballads and satires.

In the last years of his life, Tolstoy suffered seriously from a nerve disorder, relieving the pain with morphine. He died on the Krasny Rog estate in Chernigov province.

Tolstoy’s work, imbued with a love of healthy earthly life, Russian nature and homeland, reflected the movement of Russian literature from romanticism to realism, the achievements of which were reflected in the clarity and accuracy of the depiction of nature, in the fidelity and depth of disclosure of emotional experiences, in the satirical denunciation of serfdom.

K.P. Bryullov. Portrait of Count A.K. Tolstoy. 1836.

Tolstoy Alexey Konstantinovich (08/24/1817-09/28/1875), writer, poet, playwright. Born in St. Petersburg. On his mother’s side he came from the Razumovsky family (great-grandfather - the last Little Russian hetman Kirill Razumovsky; grandfather - Minister of Public Education under Alexander I - A. K. Razumovsky ). Father - gr. K.P. Tolstoy, with whom the mother separated immediately after the birth of her son. He was brought up under the guidance of his mother and her brother, the writer A. A. Perovsky (see: A. Pogorelsky), who encouraged Tolstoy’s early poetic experiments. In 1834 he entered the Moscow archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then he was in the diplomatic service. In 1843 he received the rank of chamber cadet. In the 30s - n. In the 40s, Tolstoy wrote fantastic stories in the style of a Gothic novel and romantic prose - “The Family of the Ghoul” and “Meeting after Three Hundred Years” (in French). The first publication was the story “The Ghoul” (1841, under the pseudonym Krasnorogsky). In the 40s, Tolstoy began working on the historical novel “Prince Silver” (finished in 1861), at the same time he created a number of ballads and lyrical poems, published later (in the 50s and 60s); many of them gained wide popularity (“My Bells”, “You know the land where everything breathes abundantly”, “Where the vines bend over the pool”, “Barrow”, “Vasily Shibanov”, “Prince Mikhailo Repnin”, etc.). In n. In the 50s, Tolstoy became close to I. S. Turgenev, N. A. Nekrasov and other writers. Since 1854 he has published poems and literary parodies in Sovremennik. In collaboration with his cousins ​​A. M. and V. M. Zhemchuzhnikov, in the “Literary Jumble” department of Sovremennik, in “Svistok” he published satirical and parody works signed by Kozma Prutkov; the work of the author they invented became a parody mirror of the obsolete literary phenomena and at the same time created a satirical type of bureaucrat, claiming to be the legislator of artistic taste.

Having withdrawn from participation in Sovremennik in 1857, Tolstoy began to publish in Russian Conversation, and in the 60-70s - Ch. arr. in "Russian Bulletin" and "Bulletin of Europe". During these years, he defended the principles of the so-called. “pure art”, independent of political, including “progressive” ideas. In 1861, Tolstoy left the service, which he was very burdened with, and concentrated on literary studies. He published the dramatic poem “Don Juan” (1862), the novel “Prince Silver” (1863), the historical trilogy - the tragedies “The Death of Ivan the Terrible” (1866), “Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich” (1868), “Tsar Boris” (1870). In 1867, the first collection of Tolstoy's poems was published. IN last decade wrote ballads (“Snake Tugarin”, 1868, “Song of Harald and Yaroslavna”, 1869, “Roman Galitsky”, 1870, “Ilya Muromets”, 1871, etc.), poetic political satires (“History of the Russian State from Gostomysl to Timashev ", published 1883; "Popov's Dream", published 1882, etc.), poems ("Portrait", 1874; "Dragon", 1875), lyric poems.

Tolstoy's work is imbued with a unity of motives, philosophical ideas, lyrical emotions. Interest in national antiquity, problems of the philosophy of history, rejection of political tyranny, love of nature native land- these features of Tolstoy as a person and thinker are reflected in his works of all genres. An ideal state structure corresponding to national character Russian people, he considered Kievan Rus and ancient Novgorod. The high level of development of art, the special importance of the cultural layer of the aristocracy, the simplicity of morals, the prince’s respect for the personal dignity and freedom of citizens, the breadth and diversity of international relations, especially relations with Europe - this was the way of life he imagined Ancient Rus'. Ballads depicting images of Ancient Rus' are imbued with lyricism; they convey the poet’s passionate dream of spiritual independence, admiration for the integral heroic natures captured in folk epic poetry. In the ballads “Ilya Muromets”, “Matchmaking”, “Alyosha Popovich”, “Kanut” and others, images of legendary heroes and historical subjects illustrate the author’s thoughts and embody his ideal ideas (for example, Prince Vladimir of Kyiv). According to the system of artistic means, these ballads are close to some of Tolstoy’s lyrical poems (“Blagovest”, “If you love, so without reason”, “You are my land, my native land”, etc.).

Tolstoy's ballads, depicting the era of strengthening Russian statehood, are imbued with a dramatic beginning. The subjects of many of them were events from the history of the reign of Ivan the Terrible, who seemed to the poet the most striking exponent of the principle of unlimited autocracy and complete absorption of the individual by the state. “Dramatic” ballads are more traditional in form than “lyrical” ballads, which relate mainly to the 60s - AD. 70s. However, in them too Tolstoy showed himself to be an original poet, modifying the poetic structure of the genre. Thus, in the ballad “Vasily Shibanov,” Tolstoy reconsiders the heroic situation of a dispute between a freedom-loving subject and the tsar, which gained recognition under the influence of the work of F. Schiller. Conveying the denunciation of Ivan the Terrible by Kurbsky, Tolstoy emphasizes in the participants dramatic conflict- the tsar and the rebellious boyar have common traits: pride, inhumanity, ingratitude. The author sees the ability for self-sacrifice, the willingness to suffer for the words of truth in common man, which the mighty of the world This is sacrificed to their dispute: the unknown slave wins a moral victory over the king and with his feat restores the triumph of truly human greatness over the imaginary. “Vasily Shibanov,” like Tolstoy’s other “dramatic” ballads, in its themes and the complexity of the psychological characteristics of the characters, in the poet’s ethical approach to historical events, is close to Tolstoy’s works of major genres.

In the novel “Prince Silver” Tolstoy depicts brutal clashes between strong people in an atmosphere of unbridled autocracy and shows harmful influence arbitrariness on the personality of the monarch himself and his entourage. The novel shows how, moving away from the corrupt court circle, and sometimes hiding from persecution or social oppression, gifted people from different strata of society “make history”, protect their homeland from the invasion of external enemies, discover and develop new lands (Prince Serebryany, Ermak Timofeevich, Ivan Koltso, Mitka, etc.). The style of the novel is associated with the traditions of the historical novel and the story of the 30s, including the traditions coming from N.V. Gogol’s stories “Terrible Vengeance” and “Taras Bulba”.

In the dramatic trilogy, Tolstoy depicted Russian life from the 16th century. XVII century The solution of historical and philosophical problems in these plays is more important for him than the accurate reproduction of historical facts. He paints the tragedy of three reigns, depicting three autocrats: Ivan the Terrible, obsessed with the idea of ​​​​the divine origin of his power, the kind-hearted Fyodor and the wise ruler - the “genius ambitious” Boris Godunov.

Tolstoy attached particular importance to the creation of individual, original and vibrant characters of historical figures. Major achievement The image of Tsar Fyodor appeared, testifying to the writer’s assimilation of the principles of psychological realism in the 60s. The Moscow Art Theater was opened in 1898 with the production of the tragedy “Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich”.

The peculiarities of Tolstoy’s historical thinking also affected political satires. Behind the anecdotal plot of “Popov’s Dream” was hidden the poet’s caustic mockery of liberals. The polemics with the nihilists were reflected in the poems “Sometimes Merry May...”, “Against the Current”, etc. In “The History of the Russian State from Gostomysl to Timashev” Tolstoy mercilessly ridiculed historical phenomena that, as he believed, interfered with the life of national Russia. Tolstoy's intimate lyrics, in contrast to his drama and ballads, are alien to elevated tone. His lyrical poems are simple and sincere. Many of them are like psychological short stories in verse (“In the middle of a noisy ball, by chance...”, “That was in early spring”). Tolstoy introduced elements of folk poetic style into his lyrics; his poems are often close to songs. More than 70 of Tolstoy's poems have been set to music by Russian composers; romances based on his words were written by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, P. I. Tchaikovsky, M. P. Mussorgsky, S. I. Taneyev and others.

In this article we will consider the biography of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy. We will tell you about his life, work, and introduce you to interesting facts about this poet. You probably associate the surname Tolstoy with another Russian writer, and this coincidence is no coincidence. They are not just namesakes - these figures Russian literature are distant relatives. The fact is that the Tolstoy family is very extensive. There is another writer with the name Alexei Tolstoy, but his patronymic is different - Nikolaevich (“Peter the Great”, “Walking in Torment”). This surname is also represented in modern Russian literature. Everyone, at least, knows the writer Tatyana Tolstaya.

Origin of Alexei Tolstoy

This poet belonged to the Razumovsky family on his mother’s side. Kirill Razumovsky, the last hetman in Ukraine, was his great-grandfather. And the rich man and nobleman A.K. Razumovsky - count, senator and minister of public education - was the grandfather of this poet. The illegitimate children of this count were the poet's mother, as well as her sisters and brothers. They were legalized at the beginning of the 19th century, receiving the surname Perovsky, as well as the title of nobility.

The childhood of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy

The poet was born in St. Petersburg in 1817, on August 24. Count K.P. Tolstoy, his father, did not play any role in the boy’s life: immediately after the birth of the child, the couple separated, and Alexei’s mother left with her son for the Chernigov province. Here, surrounded by Ukrainian southern nature, on the estates of first his mother and then her brother, Tolstoy spent his childhood, which left only good memories in his memory.

Alexey Konstantinovich showed literary interests very early. From the age of 6, he began to write poetry, as the poet himself reported in a letter to A. Gubernatis. The famous prose writer of the 20-30s, Alexei Perovsky, who signed his works with the name “Antony Pogorelsky”, tried to instill in his nephew a love of creativity and art, and in every possible way encouraged his first poetic experiments. The boy was taken abroad from the age of 10. He described in his diary his trip to Italy, which took place in 1831. Tolstoy was part of the childhood environment of the future heir to the throne, young Alexander II. The connection with this person will continue later.

Work in the Moscow Archive

Tolstoy was enrolled as a “student” in the Moscow Archive in 1834. His duties included the description and analysis of ancient documents related to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Alexey Konstantinovich in 1840 moved to the department of the Emperor's chancellery and served here for many years, moving up the ranks quite quickly. In 1843, Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy was awarded the title of chamber cadet.

We have very scant information about his work and life in the period of the 30s and 40s. This witty, affable, handsome young man was gifted with great physical strength. He could, for example, twist a poker with a screw. Tolstoy knew perfectly well foreign languages, was very well read. Alexey Konstantinovich divided his time between his service, which did not burden him very much, secular society And literary studies. The poet's main adviser until 1836 was Perovsky (he died in 1836). This man showed his literary friends the poems of the young Tolstoy. Among his friends was V.A. Zhukovsky, who spoke sympathetically about them.

First published works

In the period from the late 30s to the early 40s, he wrote two fantastic stories: "Meeting after 300 years" and "Ghoul Family". Tolstoy first published in May 1841, publishing the story “The Ghoul” under the pseudonym “Krasnorogsky” (derived from the Krasny Rog estate). V. G. Belinsky responded very favorably to this work. He saw signs of a young, but promising talent.

Creativity in the 40s

Alexey Konstantinovich published very little in the 40s - only a few stories and essays, as well as one poem. However, "Prince Silver", a historical novel telling about the reign of Ivan the Terrible, was conceived already during this period. Even then, Tolstoy was formed both as an author of ballads and as a lyricist. Many of his famous poems belong to this decade, for example: “Vasily Shibanov”, “My bells...”, “You know the land...” and others. All of them were published much later.

At this time, Alexey Konstantinovich was satisfied with a small circle of listeners - secular friends and acquaintances. He passed by the heated debates and ideological quests of the advanced Russian intelligentsia of the 40s.

Birth of Kozma Prutkov

Kozma Prutkov was “born” in the early 50s. It was not just a pseudonym, but a satirical mask created by Tolstoy, as well as the Zhemchuzhnikovs, his cousins. Kozma Prutkov is a narcissistic, stupid bureaucrat from the period of Nicholas' rule. In his name they created poems (parodies, epigrams, fables), and plays, as well as aphorisms and anecdotes on historical topics, in which the phenomena of literature and the surrounding reality were ridiculed. In life, the works corresponded to a number of witty pranks.

It is impossible to unambiguously determine which works were written by Tolstoy, but we can say without a doubt that Alexei Konstantinovich’s contribution was very great, since he had a very strong humorous streak. This poet had the gift of subtle, good-natured ridicule. Many of his most famous and best poems are examples of skillful use of irony (for example, “At the Order Gate,” “Arrogance”).

In 1851, in January, the comedy “Fantasy” by Alexei Zhemchuzhnikov and Tolstoy was staged. It was a parody of vaudeville, meaningless and empty, which then still dominated the Russian stage. Nicholas I, who was present at the premiere, was very dissatisfied with this play and ordered it to be excluded from the repertoire.

Tolstoy marries Sophia Miller

In the winter of 1850-1851, Alexey Konstantinovich met Sofia Andreevna Miller, the wife of a colonel. He fell in love with this girl. Sophia reciprocated, but the marriage was interfered with: on the one hand, her husband, who did not want to give a divorce to his wife, and on the other hand, Tolstoy’s mother, who treated her son’s chosen one unkindly. Only in 1863 was their marriage officially formalized. Sofya Andreevna was an educated woman who knew several languages, knew how to play the piano, and also sang. In addition, she had an extraordinary aesthetic taste. More than once Tolstoy called his wife the best critic. All the love lyrics of this author, starting from 1851, were addressed specifically to her.

Meeting different writers

Gradually Tolstoy acquired connections in literary circles. He became close to Turgenev in the early 50s and helped him free himself from the village, where he was in exile for Gogol’s obituary, which was published by Ivan Sergeevich. Later, Alexey Konstantinovich also met Nekrasov. After a long break, in 1854, it appeared in print again. Several poems by this poet were published in Sovremennik, as well as the first series of works by Kozma Prutkov.

The life of Alexei Konstantinovich during the Crimean War

During the Crimean War, Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy first wanted to create a partisan detachment, after which (in 1855) he entered the rifle regiment as a major. However, the poet did not have the chance to visit the war - he fell ill with typhus when the regiment was stationed near Odessa. After the end of hostilities, on the day when Alexander II was crowned, Alexey Konstantinovich was already appointed aide-de-camp.

The second half of the 50s in the poet’s work

The second half of the 50s was a period of revival of social movement and thought after the collapse of the Nikolaev regime. During these years, the poems of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy appeared very actively. Two thirds of all his works were created then. They were published in all sorts of magazines.

At the same time, this time is characterized by increasing social differentiation. In 1857, relations between the editors of Sovremennik and Tolstoy cooled somewhat. At the same time, the poet became closer to the Slavophiles. Alexey Konstantinovich became friends, in particular, with Aksakov. However, several years later, he did not accept the claims of the Slavophiles to become spokesmen for the true interests of the people.

Vacation and resignation

Alexey Konstantinovich often visited the court. Visits were not limited to official receptions. But he increasingly disliked his official duties, especially the fact that he did not have the opportunity to fully concentrate on art. Only in 1859 did the poet achieve indefinite leave, and retired in 1861.

Life and work of Tolstoy in the 60s

A brief biography of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy in the 60s can be marked by the following events. After the poet retired, he settled in the village permanently. Tolstoy lived either in Pustynka, his estate near St. Petersburg, or in Krasny Rog, far from the capital (Chernigov province). Only occasionally did he come to St. Petersburg.

In the 60s, the poet kept himself pointedly aloof from literary circle, corresponding and meeting only with some writers (Markevich, Fet, K.K. Pavlova, Goncharov). He was published mainly in M. N. Katkov’s “Russian Bulletin,” a reactionary magazine. Then (at the end of the 60s) the works of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy were published in Vestnik Evropy, edited by M. M. Stasyulevich.

During this time, at the beginning of the decade, he wrote the dramatic poem Don Juan, as well as a novel called Prince Silver, after which three plays that formed a dramatic trilogy: Tsar Boris, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich and Death Ivan the Terrible" (years of creation of works - 1862-1869). The poems of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy in the form of a collection that summed up his poetic work were published in 1867.

After a long break, Alexey Konstantinovich returned to the ballad in the second half of the 60s and wrote a number of magnificent samples of this genre. The lyrics of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy now occupied much less space in his work than a decade ago. The late 60s and 70s also saw the production of most of his satires.

The concept of the drama "Posadnik", which tells about an episode from the history of ancient Novgorod, dates back to the early 70s. Alexey Konstantinovich was passionate about this topic. He created a significant part of the work, but, unfortunately, the author was unable to finish it. The work of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy was never replenished with this interesting work in its finished form.

Material difficulties and social contradictions in society, their reflection in the life and work of the poet

The 70s were a difficult time for this poet. Judging by the available information, Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy (his photo is presented in the article) was a very humane landowner. However, he did not manage the estates on his own; farming was carried out rather chaotically, using patriarchal methods. This led to the poet’s material affairs gradually falling into disarray. The devastation became especially noticeable towards the end of the 60s. Alexei Konstantinovich told his relatives that he would have to ask the tsar to take him back into service. All these circumstances weighed heavily on the poet.

However, it was not just a matter of ruin. Alexey Konstantinovich felt lonely in society and even called himself an “anchorite.” Tolstoy's experiences were connected with the processes in the life of Russia at that time. In the post-reform era, the existing social contradictions. The power of money grew rapidly and had a corrupting effect on the consciousness of people, and political reaction also thickened. Destruction eternal values accompanied by the collapse of former foundations.

The feeling of confusion and bewilderment, the search for a way out of this uncomfortable reality at that time was also characteristic of other contemporaries of the author (Uspensky, L.N. Tolstoy, Saltykov-Shchedrin).

At the end of his life, Tolstoy's fear of existence, of the course of history, intensified. In his poem in 1870, the poet said that the “veils have been removed” from his soul, its “living tissue” is exposed, and every touch of life is “a burning torment and evil pain.” This is what Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy wrote. The poems of many of his contemporaries reflect similar sentiments.

Last years

The poet's health has deteriorated significantly since the mid-60s. He began to suffer from asthma, neuralgia, angina pectoris, and headaches. Alexey Konstantinovich went abroad for treatment every year, but this only helped for a short time. He died in 1875, on September 28, in Krasny Rog. Nowadays there is a museum-estate of this poet (Bryansk region, Pochepsky district).

The Count spent his childhood in Krasny Rog, and also returned to these places several times in his adult years. The biography of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy is thus closely connected with Red Horn. His grave is now located here. The poet did not leave behind any children. But he had Sofya Petrovna Bakhmeteva, an adopted daughter.

This ends the biography of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy. We examined the work of this poet only briefly. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with it in more detail. Then the biography of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy will be understood more deeply. After all, the life and work of any poet and writer resonate with each other. A biography helps to better understand the works written by various authors, and autobiographical features are often reflected in poetry and prose. Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy is no exception in this regard.

6. Estate "Pustynka"– not far from the Sablino station, on the right, high and steep bank of the Tosny River, there was once the Pustynka estate, bought in 1850 by the writer’s mother Anna Alekseevna Tolstoy.
The Tolstoys built a stone manor house in the English Gothic style (architect V.Ya. Langvagen, designed by A.I. Stackenschneider). The ensemble also included an outbuilding for guests, an office, stables, a carriage house, etc., united by a unity of design. Many people often visited Tolstoy here. writers and scientists, including I.A. Goncharov, N.I. Kostomarov, I.S. Turgenev, A.A. Fet, Ya.P. Polonsky and many others. etc. After Tolstoy’s death in 1875, the estate came into the possession of S.A. Khitrovo. In 1912, a fire destroyed almost all buildings; Currently, two ponds and fragments of the park have been preserved. Modern address: Nikolskoye, Tosnensky Leningradskaya district region (

09.28.1875 (11.10). - Poet and writer Count Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy died

Count "Kozma Prutkov"

(24.8.1817–28.9.1875), count, Russian poet and writer. Born in a noble noble family, spent his early childhood in the south of Russia on the estate of his uncle A. Perovsky, a writer famous in the 1820s. under the pseudonym Pogorelsky. Received home education. In 1836 he passed the exam for the course of the verbal department in. From 1834 he served in the Moscow archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then was in diplomatic (in the Russian mission in Frankfurt) and military service; from 1843 he held various court posts. In 1855 he participated in.

Tolstoy's literary talent as a lyricist and author of ballads became noticeable in the 1840s. Many of his lyrical poems (published in the 1850s–1860s) gained wide popularity: “My little bells,” “You know the land where everything breathes abundantly,” “Where the vines bend over the pool,” etc. First publication – fantastic story"Ghoul" (1841, under the pseudonym Krasnorogsky) - was sympathetically received by V.G. Belinsky. At the end of the 1850s. collaborated in the Slavophile “Russian Conversation”, then in the “Russian Bulletin” and “Bulletin of Europe”.

IN last period Tolstoy wrote the dramatic poem "Don Juan" (1862), the fascinating historical novel "Prince Silver" (1863), the historical trilogy - the tragedies "Death" (1866), " " (1868), " " (1870). In 1867, his first collection of poems was published. In the last decade of his life he wrote ballads ("Roman Galitsky", "Borivoy", "", "Sadko", etc.), poems, lyric poems. More than 70 poems were set to music by composers A.G. Rubinstein, S.I. Taneyev and others.

Count Tolstoy was a staunch conservative and rejected all “progressive” Westernizing, democratic trends (“The Hero Stream,” “The Ballad with a Tendency,” “Sometimes in Merry May”). In this he was clearly on the side of the Slavophiles, also in their polemics with the authorities on internal political problems. That is why, despite a brilliant court career (he was an aide-de-camp, then a huntsman), Tolstoy reflected some frondier sentiments in his work, for example, in "", in "Sadko" (where the royal court is caustically ridiculed in an allegorical form), as well as in the poem “John of Damascus,” glorifying the poet’s departure from the magnificent palace of the caliph (“let me go, caliph, let me breathe and sing in freedom”).

At the same time, Tolstoy's conservatism had special features that distinguished him from the Slavophiles. The roots of Count Tolstoy’s love of freedom and opposition lie in his idealization of Kievan Rus, contrasted with the absolutism of the St. Petersburg period as a non-Russian in its core, “Tatar” principle (“Snake-Tugarin”, “Stream-Bogatyr”). Contrary to the ideas of the Slavophiles, Tolstoy did not even consider the Moscow period of history to be truly Russian. as a destroyer of aristocratic families and the creator of a bureaucratic state, he symbolizes the evil principle in Tolstoy’s eyes. Turning to Russian history, Tolstoy turned into heroes all fighters for the restoration of feudal liberties ("Prince Mikhailo Repnin", "Vasily Shibanov"), mocking the adherents of centralism not only in historical terms, but also in topical responses (such is the poem "Unity", critical).

Tolstoy's poetic creativity is, firstly, ballads from Old Russian (sometimes Old Scandinavian) life with a clearly expressed heroic theme, and secondly, a number of soulful lyrical works, mainly reflecting a craving for nature, the power of life. The hero of Tolstoy’s ballads is usually courageous, physically healthy, and shares the author’s attitude: “I love everything earthly.” The cheerful intoxication of the rage of the “joyful month of May”, under the influence of which “dragonflies sing in the meadows, streams sing in the forests”, and the prince’s daughters “can’t sew, even if you break the needles” - serves as the leitmotif of the ballad “Matchmaking”. Tolstoy’s heightened sense of earthly existence is also expressed in a deliberate reduction in style, a desire for common people in vocabulary, and in the imitation of folk songs.

Count Tolstoy also proved himself to be a talented satirist (“History of the Russian State from Gostomysl to Timashev”, “Popov’s Dream” were popular even in radical circles). Tolstoy's humorous talent was especially reflected in the creation (in collaboration with A.M. and V.M. Zhemchuzhnikov) of a literary image, whose aphorisms became part of the phraseology of the Russian language.

On September 28, 1875, during another severe attack of headache, Alexei Konstantinovich made a mistake and injected himself with too large a dose of morphine, which he was treating as prescribed by the doctor. Death followed.

Museum-estate of A.K. Tolstoy is located in Krasny Rog (now Pochepsky district, Bryansk region). The count spent his childhood here, returned to these places several times as an adult, and was buried here.

Judging me quite harshly
In my poems you find,
That there is a lot of solemnity in them
And too little simplicity.
So. Into the boundless attraction,
The invisible soul senses the world,
And more than once I heard the voice of thunder,
Perhaps he was building my psalter.
But I am not alien to life here;
Serving the mysterious fatherland,
I'm in the heat of my soul
I haven’t forgotten that it’s close.
Believe me, nature is sweet to me too
And the life of our native people -
I share his aspirations
And I love everything earthly,
All daily pictures:
Fields, and villages, and plains,
And the sound of swaying forests,
And the sound of a scythe in a dewy meadow,
And dance with stomping and whistling
Under the talk of drunken peasants;
Chumatsky overnight stays in the steppe,
And rivers spill endlessly,
And the creaking of a wandering cart,
And the sight of the waving fields;
I love the three, I’ll delete it,
And the whistle of the sleigh as I run,
A gloriously forged harness,
And a gilded arc;
I love that land where the winters are long,
But where spring is so young,
Where down the mother Volga
Burlatsky ships are coming;
And all phenomena are dear to me,
Described by you, friend,
Your civic aspirations
And honest speech has a sober sound.
But everything that is pure and worthy
What has come together harmoniously on earth,
For a person, is it really possible
In the anxiety of the eternal universe,
There is an edge to a high calling
And the final goal?
No, there are plants in every rustle
And in every trembling leaf
A different meaning is heard,
A different kind of beauty is visible!
I listen to a different voice in them
And, breathing the life of death,
I look at the earth with love,
But the soul asks higher;
And that, always enchanting her,
Calls and beckons from afar -
I can’t tell you about it
In everyday language.
(Jan. 1859)