“Felitsa” by G.R. Derzhavin
History of creation. Ode “Felitsa” (1782), the first poem that made the name of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin famous. It became a striking example of a new style in Russian poetry. The subtitle of the poem clarifies: “Ode to the wise Kyrgyz-Kaisak princess Felitsa, written by the Tatar Murza, who has long settled in Moscow, and lives on his business in St. Petersburg. Translated from Arabic." Yours unusual name This work received on behalf of the heroine "Tales of Prince Chlorus", the author of which was Catherine II herself. She is also named by this name, which in Latin means happiness, in Derzhavin’s ode, glorifying the empress and satirically characterizing her environment.
It is known that at first Derzhavin did not want to publish this poem and even hid the authorship, fearing the revenge of the influential nobles satirically depicted in it. But in 1783 it became widespread and, with the assistance of Princess Dashkova, a close associate of the Empress, was published in the magazine “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word,” in which Catherine II herself collaborated. Subsequently, Derzhavin recalled that this poem touched the empress so much that Dashkova found her in tears. Catherine II wanted to know who wrote the poem in which she so accurately depicted her. In gratitude to the author, she sent him a golden snuff box with five hundred chervonets and an expressive inscription on the package: “From Orenburg from the Kirghiz Princess to Murza Derzhavin.” From that day on I came to Derzhavin literary fame, which no Russian poet had known before.
Main themes and ideas. The poem "Felitsa", written as a humorous sketch from the life of the empress and her entourage, at the same time raises very important problems. On the one hand, in the ode “Felitsa” a completely traditional image of a “god-like princess” is created, which embodies the poet’s idea of the ideal of an enlightened monarch. Clearly idealizing the real Catherine II, Derzhavin at the same time believes in the image he painted:
Give me some advice, Felitsa:
How to live magnificently and truthfully,
How to tame passions and excitement
And be happy in the world?
On the other hand, the poet’s poems convey the idea not only of the wisdom of power, but also of the negligence of performers concerned with their own profit:
Seduction and flattery live everywhere,
Luxury oppresses everyone.
Where does virtue live?
Where does a rose without thorns grow?
This idea in itself was not new, but behind the images of nobles drawn in the ode, features clearly emerged real people:
My thoughts are spinning in chimeras:
Then I steal captivity from the Persians,
Then I direct arrows towards the Turks;
Then, having dreamed that I was a sultan,
I terrify the universe with my gaze;
Then suddenly, I was seduced by the outfit.
I'm off to the tailor for a caftan.
In these images, the poet’s contemporaries easily recognized the empress’s favorite Potemkin, her close associates Alexei Orlov, Panin, and Naryshkin. Drawing their brightly satirical portraits, Derzhavin showed great courage - after all, any of the nobles he offended could deal with the author for this. Only Catherine’s favorable attitude saved Derzhavin.
But even to the empress he dares to give advice: to follow the law to which both kings and their subjects are subject:
You alone are only decent,
Princess, create light from darkness;
Dividing Chaos into spheres harmoniously,
The union will strengthen their integrity;
From disagreement to agreement
And from fierce passions happiness
You can only create.
This favorite thought of Derzhavin sounded bold, and it was expressed in simple and understandable language.
The poem ends with the traditional praise of the Empress and wishing her all the best:
I ask for heavenly strength,
Yes, their sapphire wings spread out,
They keep you invisibly
From all illnesses, evils and boredom;
May the sounds of your deeds be heard in posterity,
Like the stars in the sky, they will shine.
Artistic originality. Classicism forbade combining high ode and satire belonging to low genres in one work, but Derzhavin does not even simply combine them in his characterization different persons, written in the ode, he does something completely unprecedented for that time. Breaking the traditions of the laudatory ode genre, Derzhavin widely introduces colloquial vocabulary and even vernacular into it, but most importantly, he does not draw ceremonial portrait the empress, but depicts her human appearance. That is why the ode contains everyday scenes and still life;
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table.
“God-like” Felitsa, like other characters in his ode, is also shown in everyday life (“Without valuing your peace, / You read, write under the cover...”). At the same time, such details do not reduce her image, but make her more real, humane, as if exactly copied from life. Reading the poem “Felitsa”, you are convinced that Derzhavin really managed to introduce into poetry the individual characters of real people, boldly taken from life or created by the imagination, shown against the backdrop of a colorfully depicted everyday environment. This makes his poems bright, memorable and understandable.
Thus, in “Felitsa” Derzhavin acted as a bold innovator, combining the style of a laudatory ode with the individualization of characters and satire, introducing elements of low styles into the high genre of ode. Subsequently, the poet himself defined the genre of “Felitsa” as a mixed ode. Derzhavin argued that, in contrast to the ode traditional for classicism, which praised government officials, military leaders, solemn events were sung, in a “mixed ode” “the poet can talk about everything.” Destroying the genre canons of classicism, with this poem he opens the way for new poetry - “real poetry™”, which received brilliant development in the work of Pushkin.
The meaning of the work.
Derzhavin himself subsequently noted that one of his main merits was that he “dared to proclaim Felitsa’s virtues in a funny Russian style.” As the researcher of the poet’s work V.F. rightly points out. Khodasevich, Derzhavin was proud “not that he discovered Catherine’s virtues, but that he was the first to speak in a “funny Russian style.” He understood that his ode was the first artistic embodiment Russian life, that she is the embryo of our romance. And, perhaps,” Khodasevich develops his thought, “if “old man Derzhavin” had lived at least to the first chapter of “Onegin,” he would have heard echoes of his ode in it.”
In a desire to please the empress, he took her as the basis for his work. own work, recently published in a small edition. Naturally, for a brightly talented poet, this story began to sparkle with richer colors, in addition to this, adding to the history of Russian versification a new style and made the poet a celebrity.
Ode Analysis
“Felitsa” has a subtitle that clarifies the purpose of writing this work. It talks about contacting to the wise princess Tatar Murza, who settled in Moscow, but is on business in St. Petersburg. The reader is also mystified by the fact that the ode was supposedly translated from Arabic. The analysis of the ode “Felitsa” must begin with a name that does not sound familiar to either Russians or Arabs.
The fact is that this is what Catherine II called her heroine in her fairy tale about Prince Chlorus. Serving as the basis for the Italian language (here you can remember someone like Cutugno with the exclamation “Felicita”), Latin translates the word “Felitsa” (Felitsa - felicitas) as happiness. Thus, Derzhavin began to praise the empress from the first line, and then could not resist satire in the descriptions of her entourage.
Artistic synthesis
An analysis of the ode “Felitsa” shows the setting for the usual solemn ode of praise for the date, which was accepted in those days. The ode is written in traditional stanzas - ten lines, and, as expected, But before Derzhavin, no one had yet dared to merge two genres that were opposite in purpose - the majestic laudatory ode and the caustic
The first was the ode "Felitsa". Derzhavin seemed to have “stepped back” in his innovation, judging by the precisely fulfilled conditions of the genre, at least in comparison with “Poems for Birth,” which are not even separated by stanzas. However, this impression disappears as soon as the reader overcomes the first few stanzas. Still, even the composition of the ode “Felitsa” represents a much broader artistic synthesis.
Fairy tale "Felitsa"
It is interesting to consider what motives prompted Derzhavin to write this “fan fiction”, what served as the primary basis and whether this topic was worthy of continuation. Apparently, she is worthy, and very much so. Catherine II wrote her fairy tale for her grandson, still small, but in the future great Alexander I. The Empress's fairy tale is about the Kiev prince Chlorus, who was visited by the Kyrgyz khan to check whether the prince was really as smart and dexterous as they say about him.
The boy agreed to take the test and find rare flower- a rose without thorns - and hit the road. On the road, having responded to the invitation of Murza Lazy ( telling name), the prince tries to resist the temptations of that luxury and idleness with which the Lazy Man seduces him. Fortunately, this Kyrgyz khan had a very good daughter, whose name was Felitsa, and an even better grandson, whose name was Reason. Felitsa sent her son with the prince, who, with the help of Reason, went to the goal of his journey.
Bridge between fairy tale and ode
In front of them was a steep mountain, without paths or stairs. Apparently, the prince himself was quite persistent, because, despite enormous work and trials, he still climbed to the top, where he decorated his life with a rose without thorns, that is, with virtue. An analysis of the ode “Felitsa” shows that, as in any fairy tale, the images here are conventionally allegorical, but in Derzhavin at the beginning of the ode they stand up very strongly, and all the odic beginnings of classical examples, where the ascent to Parnassus and communication with the muses are inevitable, fade next to with seemingly simple images of a children's fairy tale.
Even the portrait of Catherine (Felitsa) is given absolutely in in a new way, which is completely different from the traditional laudatory description. Usually in odes the honored character appears in the inexpressive image of a goddess, walking through the solemn, booming rhymes of the verse with heavy rhythmic shortness of breath. Here the poet is inspired, and - most importantly - equipped with poetic skill. The poems are not lame and are not inflated with excessive pathos. The plan of the ode “Felitsa” is such that Catherine appears before the reader as an intelligent, but simple and active Kyrgyz-Kaisat princess. It plays well into the harmony of the construction of this image and the contrast - the image of Murza, vicious and lazy, which Derzhavin uses throughout the ode. Hence the unprecedented genre diversity that distinguishes the ode “Felitsa”.
Derzhavin and the Empress
The singer’s pose here also changes in relation to the subject of the chanting, if we consider not only all previous Russian literature, but even the poems of Derzhavin himself. Sometimes a certain godlike quality of the queen still slips through the ode, but with all this and with the general respect that the ode “Felitsa” demonstrates, the content also shows a certain shortness of relationship, not familiarity, but the warmth of almost family closeness.
But in satirical lines, Derzhavin can sometimes be understood in two ways. The collective features of the image of Murza ridicule all of Catherine’s nobles in turn, and it is here that the poet does not forget himself. Self-irony is an even more rare fact in the poetry of those years. The author's “I” is not devoid of lyrics, but it is made clear that “This is how I am, Felitsa!”, “Today I rule over myself, and tomorrow I am a slave to my whims.” The appearance of such an author’s “I” in an ode is a huge fact artistic value. Lomonosov also began his odes with “I,” but as a loyal slave, while Derzhavin’s author is concrete and living.
Narration from the author
Naturally, the composition of the ode “Felitsa” would not have withstood the author’s full-fledged individuality. Derzhavin most often presents under the author's "I" a conventional image of a singer, which is usually always present in odes as well as in satires. But there is a difference: in an ode the poet plays only sacred delight, but in satire only indignation. Derzhavin combined “one-string” genres with the creation of a living human poet, with an absolutely concrete life, with a variety of feelings and experiences, with “multi-stringed” music of verse.
An analysis of the ode “Felitsa” certainly notes not only delight, but also anger, blasphemy and praise in one bottle. Along the way he manages to be disingenuous and ironic. That is, he behaves throughout the entire work as a completely normal and living person. And it should be noted that this individual personality has undoubted features of a nationality. In ode! And now such a case would be unprecedented if someone in our time wrote odic poetry.
About genres
Ode "Felitsa", the content of which is so rich in contradictions, as if warm sun rays warmed by the lungs colloquial speech from the reality of everyday life, light, simple, sometimes humorous, which directly contradicts the laws of this genre. Moreover, a genre revolution, almost a revolution, took place here.
It must be clarified that Russian classicism did not know poetry as “just poetry.” All poetry was strictly divided into genres and types, sharply demarcated, and these boundaries stood unshakable. Ode, satire, elegy and other types of poetic creativity could not be mixed with each other.
Here the traditional categories of classicism are completely broken after the organic fusion of ode and satire. This applies not only to Felitsa; Derzhavin did this both before and later. For example, the ode “To death is half elegy. Genres become polyphonic with light hand Derzhavina.
Success
This ode became a colossal success immediately after its publication: “Everyone who could read Russian found it in the hands of everyone,” according to a contemporary. At first, Derzhavin was wary of widely publishing the ode and tried to hide the authorship (probably the depicted and very recognizable nobles were vindictive), but then Princess Dashkova appeared and published “Felitsa” in the magazine “Interlocutor,” where Catherine II herself did not hesitate to collaborate.
The Empress liked the ode very much, she even cried with delight, ordered the authorship to be immediately exposed and, when this happened, she sent Derzhavin a golden snuffbox with a dedicatory inscription and five hundred ducats in it. It was after this that real fame came to the poet.
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. One more, no one famous poet praised Catherine II, but the “praise” was unheard of impudent, not traditional, and not she, but something else turned out to be the content of the ode, and this other 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 Kyrgyz 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 - collective image Catherine's nobles.
Derzhavin in “Felitsa” does not create an official, conventional and abstractly ceremonial image of the “monarch”, but paints a warm and heartfelt portrait real person- Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna, with her habits, activities, and way of 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 high genre odes. 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, had no right to miss the opportunity to take the place of 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 implemented needed by the country and the people of reform. The plan collapsed. Ode "Felitsa" remained lonely.
True, two more odes were dedicated to Catherine: “Image of Felitsa” (1789) and “Vision of Murza” ( new edition 1791, sharply different from the prosaic 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.
In 1782, the not yet very famous poet Derzhavin wrote an ode dedicated to the “Kirghiz-Kaisak princess Felitsa.” The ode was called “To Felice”. Hard 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 is one of her literary pseudonyms), which is why I immediately appreciated the artistic merits of the work. Memoirists write that, having called the poet to her, the empress generously rewarded him: she gave him a golden snuffbox filled with gold ducats.
Fame came to Derzhavin. The new literary magazine “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word,” which was edited by the Empress’s friend Princess Dashkova, and Catherine herself published in it, opened with the ode “To Felitsa.” They started talking about Derzhavin, he became a celebrity. Was it just a matter of successful and bold dedication of the ode to the empress? Of course not! The reading public and fellow writers were struck by the very form of the work. The poetic speech of the “high” odic genre sounded without exaltation and tension. Lively, imaginative, mocking speech of a person who understands well how it works real life. Of course, they spoke laudably about the empress, but also not pompously. And, perhaps, for the first time in the history of Russian poetry as about a simple woman, not a celestial being:
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table.
Strengthening the impression of simplicity and naturalness, Derzhavin dares to make bold comparisons:
Like you don't play cards,
Like me, from morning to morning.
And, moreover, he is frivolous, introducing into the ode details and scenes that were indecent by the secular standards of that time. This is how, for example, a Murza courtier, an idle lover and an atheist, spends his day:
&nbs p; Or, sitting at home, I will play a prank,
Playing fools with my wife;
Then I get along with her at the dovecote,
Sometimes we frolic in blind man's buff,
Then I’m having fun with her,
Then I look for it in my head;
I like to rummage through books,
I enlighten my mind and heart:
I read Polkan and Bova,
I sleep over the Bible, yawning.
The work was filled with funny and often sarcastic allusions. Potemkin, who loves to eat well and drink well (“I wash down my waffles with champagne / And I forget everything in the world”). On Orlov, who boasts of magnificent trips (“a magnificent train in an English, golden carriage”). About Naryshkin, who is ready to give up everything for the sake of hunting (“Leaving concern for all matters / Leaving behind all matters, I go hunting / And am amused by the barking of dogs”), etc. In the genre of a solemn laudatory ode, they have never written like this before. The poet E.I. Kostrov expressed a general opinion and at the same time slight annoyance at his successful opponent. In his poetic “Letter to the creator of an ode composed in praise of Felitsa, Princess of Kirgizkaisatskaya” there are the lines:
Frankly, it’s clear that it’s out of fashion
Soaring odes have already emerged;
You knew how to elevate yourself among us with simplicity.
The Empress brought Derzhavin closer to her. Remembering the “fighting” qualities of his nature and incorruptible honesty, she sent him to various audits, which, as a rule, ended with noisy indignation of those being inspected. The poet was appointed governor of the Olonets, then Tambov province. But he could not resist for long: he dealt with local officials too zealously and imperiously. In Tambov, things went so far that the governor of the region, Gudovich, filed a complaint to the empress in 1789 about the “arbitrariness” of the governor, who did not take anyone or anything into account. The case was transferred to the Senate Court. Derzhavin was dismissed from his post and until the end of the trial he was ordered to live in Moscow, as they would say now, under recognizance 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.”
Gavriila Romanovich Derzhavin is a real Genius, who, however, achieved success in the literary field, being already an accomplished adult. With his daring sincerity, he knew how to both conquer and destroy peace. Amazing honesty brought him to the pinnacle of fame, and then just as quickly “threw” the poet from Olympus.
A poor and humble nobleman, he served honestly and sincerely, as A.S. would later say. Pushkin in " The captain's daughter", "honestly, who do you swear allegiance to." Derzhavin went through the difficult path of a simple soldier, achieving, however, both recognition and an officer’s rank without anyone’s help. He participates in the suppression of the Pugachev uprising, and this brings him fame.
The intelligent officer, who had previously published entire collections of controversial poems written in a language unusual for that time, remained unnoticed as a writer until, conquered by the openness of Empress Catherine II, her deeds for the benefit of Russia, he created the daring ode “Felitsa”.
The names of the characters were not chosen by chance: the young poet borrowed them from an instructive tale personally composed by the empress for her grandson. This allusion would later lay the foundation for a whole cycle of odes dedicated to Felitsa, but it was with that one, the first and perhaps the most important in the poet’s work, that a colossal breakthrough in the field of poetic art was associated.
As you know, G.R. Derzhavin lived at a time when the greatest literary figures, the “Parnassian titans,” adhered to the strict framework of classicism. Only in the second half of the 18th century did M. Lomonosov, A. Maikov, M. Kheraskov and other writers begin to deviate from these traditions, but they did not do this on such a scale, with such ease, with which Derzhavin succeeded.
He owns the expression “funny Russian syllable.” Indeed, he will proclaim “the virtues of Felitsa” in the genre of ode - in a high style, resorting to the help of high spiritual matter. And at the same time, the poet will tear apart the usual canons, as if he were tearing a piece of paper.
The theme of the ode is socio-political. Derzhavin, who participated in the suppression of the uprising of Emelyan Pugachev, learned firsthand what a “senseless and merciless” Russian rebellion was; He saw and felt with his own eyes how hostile the people were towards the Russian nobility. But the poet did not call for the liberation of the peasantry - he understood that Russia would drown in blood, primarily that of the nobility, as yesterday’s slaves would begin to take revenge on their oppressors. That is why Derzhavin sees salvation in enlightened absolutism, where there is strict and strict observance of laws, a government under which there will be no arbitrariness of the authorities. This is the only way to protect the Empire from new riots, from new senseless victims. The poet finds the image of such a ruler in Catherine II. The ode “Felitsa” is not a creation of confusion for God’s chosen empress, but a lively and sincere enthusiastic response to the activities of the empress.
On the one hand, this work is plotless, since the action in it does not develop. And at the same time, there is a certain swiftness and instantaneity in it: thus, with an abundance of images of feelings, images of events are revealed in it; the poet describes in chronological order the amusements of Catherine’s courtiers, as well as the life of the empress.
The composition of the ode is inconsistent; it creates central image, the embodiment of which is the “god-like princess”, and develops throughout the entire narrative, viewed from all sides. In this case, the technique of antithesis is used: Felitsa’s virtues are contrasted with the idleness and baseness of her “Murz”.
“Felitsa” is written in iambic tetrameter with iambic feet replaced by pyrrhic. Derzhavin turns to the classic odic ten-line stanza with complex rhyming (first cross, then pairwise, then circular); the poet alternates male and female rhymes.
The expressive means of the ode are distinguished by a stunning variety of imagination. Main poetic device The antithesis mentioned above becomes, as well as allusions to Count Orlov, P. Panin, etc. Derzhavin refers to a sublime syllable, and therefore a huge place in the ode is devoted to Church Slavonic words. “Felitsa” is not rich in metaphors (“fry in ice baths”), but it is replete with epithets (“a sweet-voiced harp”, “sapphire wings”, “a despicable liar”), comparisons (“a meek angel”, a comparison of the empress with a feeder, “like a wolf of sheep” , you don’t crush people”), hyperbole (characteristic of the poetic mood of the ode as a whole). Among stylistic figures Inversion and gradation (“pleasant, sweet, useful”) stand out especially. The technique of irony, which turns into sarcasm, stands apart. They appear in the stanzas where the lyrical hero describes his own amusements, pointing out that he, the hero, is depraved, but also “the whole world is like that.” This remark allows us to emphasize the greatness and virtue of the empress, whose subjects are unworthy to serve her.
In this ode, for the first time, a mixture of styles occurs: in a solemn work, features of a “low” style - sarcasm - are suddenly revealed. In addition, this is the first ode in the history of Russian literature where the image of the author is so clearly manifested, where his personal opinion is expressed. Derzhavin portrays himself in the character lyrical hero, unworthy of the honor of serving an enlightened empress, who shuns high titles, magnificent festivities, entertainment unworthy of a noble man, luxury; Felitsa is not characterized by cruelty and injustice. The poet portrays the empress as a God-fearing ruler who is interested in the well-being of her people - it is not without reason that the ode contains a comparison with an angel sent to earth to rule the Russian state.
The daring, individual, bright praise, which Gabriel Romanovich himself defined as a “mixed ode,” was enthusiastically received by the empress. Derzhavin's innovation made it possible to discard strict and inaccessible to a wide circle readers of the framework of classicism. The originality of the work, its rich and attractive language will subsequently receive the widest distribution; the trend will be developed in the work of first V. Zhukovsky, and then the main “reformer” of the Russian literary language A.S. Pushkin. Thus, Derzhavin’s “Felitsa” anticipates the emergence of the romantic movement in Russian literature.
