Derzhavin's civil odes are addressed to persons endowed with great political power: monarchs, nobles. Their pathos is not only laudatory, but also accusatory, as a result of which Belinsky calls some of them satirical. Among the best of this cycle is "Felitsa", dedicated to Catherine II. The very image of Felitsa, the wise and virtuous Kyrgyz princess, was taken by Derzhavin from The Tale of Tsarevich Chlor, written by Catherine II. The ode was published in 1783 in the magazine Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word and was a resounding success. Previously known only to a narrow circle of friends, Derzhavin became the most popular poet in Russia. "Felitsa" continues the tradition of Lomonosov's commendable odes and at the same time differs sharply from them in a new interpretation of the image of an enlightened monarch. The ode "Felitsa" was written at the end of the 18th century. It reflects a new stage of enlightenment in Russia. Enlighteners now see in the monarch a person to whom society has entrusted the care of the welfare of citizens. Therefore, the right to be a monarch imposes numerous duties on the ruler in relation to the people. In the first place among them is legislation, on which, according to the educators, the fate of subjects primarily depends. And Derzhavin's Felitsa acts as a gracious legislator monarch. The question arises what facts Derzhavin had at his disposal, what he relied on when creating the image of his Felitsa - Catherine, whom he personally did not know in those years. The main source of this image was an extensive document written by Catherine II herself - "The order of the commission on the drafting of a new Code." Derzhavin's innovation manifested itself in "Felitsa" not only in the interpretation of the image of an enlightened monarch, but also in the bold combination of laudatory and accusatory principles, ode and satire. Previous literature did not know such works, since the rules of classicism clearly delineated these phenomena. The ideal image of Felitsa is opposed by negligent nobles (in the ode they are called "murzas"). Felitsa depicts the most influential persons at court: Prince G. A. Potemkin, Counts Orlovs, Count P. I. Panin, Prince A. A. Vyazemsky. Later, in "Explanations" to "Felitsa", Derzhavin would name each of the nobles by name, but for contemporaries there was no need for these comments. The portraits are made so expressively that the originals were easily guessed. Catherine sent separate copies of the ode to each of the nobles named above, emphasizing those lines that related to the addressee.
godlike princess
Kirghiz-Kaisatsky hordes!
Whose wisdom is incomparable
Discovered the right tracks
Tsarevich young Chlor
Climb that high mountain
Where a rose without thorns grows
Where virtue dwells,
She captivates my spirit and mind,
Let me find her advice.
Come on Felicia! instruction:
How magnificently and truthfully to live,
How to tame passions excitement
And be happy in the world?
Your son is escorting me;
But I am weak to follow them.
Reeling with the hustle and bustle of life,
Today I rule myself
And tomorrow I'm a slave to whims.
Not imitating your Murzas,
Often you walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table;
Don't value your peace
Reading, writing before laying
And all from your pen
Bliss you pour out on mortals;
Like you don't play cards
Like me, from morning to morning.
Don't like masquerades too much
And you won't even set foot in the clob;
Keeping customs, rituals,
Don't be quixotic with yourself;
You can't saddle a Parnassian horse,
You don’t enter the assembly to the spirits,
You do not go from the throne to the East;
But meekness walking the path,
Benevolent soul,
Useful days spend the current.
And I, sleeping until noon,
I smoke tobacco and drink coffee;
Transforming everyday life into a holiday
I circle my thought in chimeras:
Then I steal captivity from the Persians,
I turn arrows to the Turks;
That, having dreamed that I am a sultan,
I frighten the universe with a look;
Then suddenly, seduced by the outfit,
I'm going to the tailor on the caftan.
Or in a feast I'm rich,
Where they give me a holiday
Where the table shines with silver and gold,
Where thousands of different dishes;
There is a glorious Westphalian ham,
There are links of Astrakhan fish,
There are pilaf and pies,
I drink champagne waffles;
And I forget everything
Among wines, sweets and aroma.
Or in the midst of a beautiful grove
In the gazebo, where the fountain is noisy,
At the sound of a sweet-voiced harp,
Where the breeze barely breathes
Where everything is luxury to me,
To the pleasures of thought catches,
Tomit and revitalizes the blood;
Lying on a velvet sofa
A young girl's feelings of tenderness,
I pour love into her heart.
Or a magnificent train
In an English carriage, golden,
With a dog, a jester or a friend,
Or with some beauty
I walk under the swings;
I stop in taverns to drink honey;
Or somehow bored me
According to my inclination to change,
With a hat on one side,
I'm flying on a fast runner.
Or music and singers
Organ and bagpipes suddenly
Or fist fighters
And dance amuse my spirit;
Or, about all matters care
Leaving, I go hunting
And amuse myself with the barking of dogs;
Or over the Neva banks
I amuse myself at night with horns
And rowing daring rowers.
Or, sitting at home, I'll show you
Playing fools with my wife;
Then I get along with her on the dovecote,
Sometimes we frolic in blindfolds;
Then I have fun in a pile with her,
I look for it in my head;
Then I like to rummage through books,
I enlighten my mind and heart,
I read Polkan and Bova;
Behind the Bible, yawning, I sleep.
Such, Felitsa, I am depraved!
But the whole world looks like me.
Who, no matter how wise,
But every man is a lie.
We do not walk the paths of light,
We run debauchery for dreams.
Between the lazy and the grouch,
Between vanity and vice
Did someone find it by chance
The path of virtue is straight.
Found - but lzya eh not be mistaken
We, weak mortals, in this way,
Where does the mind itself stumble
And he must follow the passions;
Where are the ignorant scientists to us,
How is the haze of travelers, darken their eyelids?
Everywhere temptation and flattery lives,
Luxury oppresses all pashas. -
Where does virtue live?
Where does a rose without thorns grow?
You alone are only decent,
Princess! create light from darkness;
Dividing Chaos into spheres harmoniously,
Strengthen their integrity with a union;
Out of disagreement, agreement
And from ferocious passions happiness
You can only create.
So the helmsman, floating through the show,
Catching the roaring wind under sail,
Knows how to steer a ship.
Only you will not offend,
Don't offend anyone
You see foolishness through your fingers,
Only evil cannot be tolerated alone;
You correct misdeeds with indulgence,
Like a wolf of sheep, you don't crush people,
You know exactly the price of them.
They are subject to the will of kings, -
But God is more just,
Living in their laws.
You think sensibly about merits,
You honor the worthy
You don't call him a prophet
Who can only weave rhymes,
And what is this crazy fun
Caliphs good honor and glory.
You condescend to the lyre way;
Poetry is kind to you
Pleasant, sweet, useful,
Like summer lemonade.
There are rumors about your actions
That you are not at all proud;
Kind in business and in jokes,
Pleasant in friendship and firm;
What are you indifferent to misfortunes,
And in glory so generous
What renounced and be reputed to be wise.
They also say it's easy
What seems to be always possible
You and tell the truth.
Also unheard of
Worthy of you! one
What if you boldly people
About everything, both awake and at hand,
And let you know and think,
And you don't forbid yourself
And the truth and fiction to speak;
As if to the most crocodiles,
Your all graces zoila
You always tend to forgive.
Aspire to tears of pleasant rivers
From the depths of my soul.
O! as long as people are happy
There must be their own destiny,
Where is the meek angel, the peaceful angel,
Hidden in porphyry lordship,
A scepter was sent down from heaven to carry!
There you can whisper in conversations
And, without fear of execution, at dinners
Do not drink for the health of kings.
There with the name of Felitsa you can
Scrape the typo in the line,
Or a portrait carelessly
Drop her on the ground
There are no clownish weddings,
They are not fried in ice baths,
Do not click in the mustache of the nobles;
Princes don't cackle with hens,
Lovers in reality they do not laugh
And they don't stain their faces with soot.
You know, Felitsa! Rights
And men and kings;
When you enlighten morals,
You don't fool people like that;
In your rest from work
You write teachings in fairy tales,
And Chlorine in the alphabet you repeat:
"Don't do anything wrong
And the evil satyr himself
You will make a despicable liar."
You are ashamed to be known as that great
To be terrible, unloved;
Bear decently wild
Animals to tear and their blood to drink.
Without extreme distress in a fever
That lancet needs funds,
Who could do without them?
And is it nice to be that tyrant,
Great in atrocity Tamerlane,
Who is great in goodness, like God?
Felitsa glory, glory to God,
Who pacified the battles;
Which is orphaned and wretched
Covered, clothed and fed;
Who with a radiant eye
Jesters, cowards, ungrateful
And gives his light to the righteous;
Equally enlightens all mortals,
The sick rests, heals,
Doing good only for good.
who gave freedom
Jump into foreign areas
Allowed his people
Look for silver and gold;
Who allows water
And the forest does not prohibit cutting;
Orders and weave, and spin, and sew;
Untying the mind and hands,
Commands to love trades, science
And find happiness at home;
Whose law, right hand
They give both mercy and judgment. -
Tell me, wise Felitsa!
Where is the rogue different from the honest?
Where does old age not roam the world?
Does he find bread for himself?
Where revenge does not drive anyone?
Where do conscience and truth dwell?
Where do virtues shine?
Is it your throne!
But where does your throne shine in the world?
Where, heavenly branch, do you bloom?
In Baghdad, Smyrna, Cashmere?
Listen, wherever you live, -
Accepting my praises to you,
Don't think that hats or beshmetya
For them I wished from you.
Feel the goodness
Such is the wealth of the soul,
Which Croesus did not collect.
I ask the great prophet
Let me touch the dust of your feet,
Yes, your sweetest current words
And enjoy the sight!
Heavenly I ask for strength,
Yes, their outstretched safir wings,
Invisibly you are kept
From all diseases, evils and boredom;
Yes, your deeds in the offspring sounds,
Like stars in the sky, they will shine.
One of the main poems of G. R. Derzhavin is his ode "Felitsa". It is written in the form of an appeal of "a certain Murza" to the Kirghiz-Kaisak princess Felitsa. The ode for the first time forced contemporaries to speak of Derzhavin as a significant poet. The work was first published in 1789. In this poem, the reader has the opportunity to observe both praise and blame at the same time.
main character
In the analysis of the Felitsa ode, it must certainly be indicated that it was dedicated to Empress Catherine II. The work is written in iambic tetrameter. The image of the ruler in the work is quite conventional and traditional, in its spirit it resembles a portrait in the style of classicism. But it is noteworthy that Derzhavin wants to see in the empress not just a ruler, but also a living person:
“... And the food is the simplest
It happens at your table ... ".
The novelty of the work
In his work, Derzhavin portrays the virtuous Felitsa as opposed to the lazy and pampered nobles. Also in the analysis of the ode "Felitsa" it is worth noting that the poem itself is saturated with novelty. After all, the image of the main character is somewhat different compared, for example, with the works of Lomonosov. Mikhail Vasilievich's image of Elizabeth is somewhat generalized. Derzhavin, in his ode, points to the specific deeds of the ruler. He also speaks of her patronage of trade and industry: "He orders to love trading, science."
Before Derzhavin's ode was written, usually the image of the empress was built in poetry according to its own strict laws. For example, Lomonosov portrayed the ruler as an earthly deity who stepped from distant heavens to earth, a storehouse of infinite wisdom and boundless mercy. But Derzhavin dares to depart from this tradition. He shows a multifaceted and full-blooded image of the ruler - a statesman and an outstanding personality.
Entertainment of the nobles, condemned by Derzhavin
Analyzing the Felitsa ode, it is worth noting that Derzhavin condemns laziness and other vices of court nobles in a satirical style. He talks about hunting, and about playing cards, and about trips for new-fangled clothes to tailors. Gavrila Romanovich allows himself to violate the purity of the genre in his work. After all, the ode not only praises the empress, but also condemns the vices of her careless subordinates.
Personal beginning in ode
And also in the analysis of the Felitsa ode, the student can also note the fact that Derzhavin introduced a personal principle into the work. Indeed, in the ode there is also the image of Murza, who is either frank or cunning. In the form of nobles, contemporaries could easily find those close associates of Catherine, who were discussed. Derzhavin also pointedly emphasizes: “This is how I am, Felitsa, depraved! But the whole world looks like me. Auto-irony is quite rare in odes. And the description of the artistic "I" of Derzhavin is very revealing.
Who is Felitsa opposed to?
A student can discover many new facts in the process of analyzing the Felitsa ode. The poem was ahead of its time in many ways. Also, the description of the lazy nobleman anticipated the image of one of the main characters in Pushkin's work - Eugene Onegin. For example, the reader can see that after a late awakening, a courtier lazily indulges in pipe smoking and dreams of glory. His day consists only of feasts and love pleasures, hunting and racing. The nobleman spends the evening boating along the Neva, and in his warm house, as always, family joys and peaceful reading await him.
In addition to the lazy Murza, Catherine is also opposed to her late husband, Peter III, which can also be indicated in the analysis of the Felitsa ode. Briefly, this moment can be highlighted as follows: unlike her husband, she first of all thought about the good of the country. Despite the fact that the Empress was German, she writes all her decrees and works in Russian. Catherine also defiantly walked in a Russian sundress. In her attitude, she was strikingly different from her husband, who felt only contempt for everything domestic.
The nature of the empress
In his work, Derzhavin does not give portrait descriptions of the Empress. However, this shortcoming is compensated by the impression that the ruler makes on her surroundings. The poet seeks to emphasize its most important qualities. If it is necessary to make an analysis of the Felitsa ode briefly, then these features can be described as follows: it is unpretentious, simple, democratic, and also friendly.
Images in the ode
It should be noted that the image of Prince Chlor also passes through the entire poem. This character is taken from The Tale of Prince Chlorus, which was written by the Empress herself. The ode begins with a retelling of this tale, there are such images as Felitsa, Lazy, Murza, Chlorine, Rose without thorns. And the work ends, as it should be, with praise to the noble and gracious ruler. Just as it happens in mythical works, the images in the ode are conditional, allegorical. But Gavrila Romanovich presents them in a completely new manner. The poet draws the Empress not just as a goddess, but also as one who is not alien to human life.
Analysis of the ode "Felitsa" according to plan
A plan a student might use something like this:
- Author and title of the ode.
- The history of creation, to whom the work is dedicated.
- Ode composition.
- Vocabulary.
- Features of the main character.
- My attitude to ode.
Who did the author of the ode make fun of?
Those who need to make a detailed analysis of the Felitsa ode can describe those nobles whom Derzhavin ridiculed in his work. For example, this is Grigory Potemkin, who, despite his generosity, was distinguished by capriciousness and whimsicality. Also in the ode, the favorites of the ruler Alexei and Grigory Orlov, revelers and lovers of horse racing, are also ridiculed.
Count Orlov was the winner of fisticuffs, a ladies' man, a gambling hunter, and also the murderer of Peter III and the favorite of his wife. This is how he remained in the memory of his contemporaries, and this is how he was described in Derzhavin's work:
“... Or, about all matters, care
Leaving, I go hunting
And I am amused by the barking of dogs ... ".
We can also mention Semyon Naryshkin, who was the Jägermeister at the court of Catherine and was distinguished by his exorbitant love for music. And also Gavrila Romanovich puts himself in this row. He did not deny his involvement in this circle, on the contrary, he emphasized that he also belonged to the circle of the elect.
Image of nature
Derzhavin also sings of beautiful natural landscapes, with which the image of an enlightened monarch is in harmony. The landscapes he describes are in many ways similar to the scenes from the tapestries decorating the living rooms of the St. Petersburg nobility. Derzhavin, who was also fond of drawing, called poetry "talking painting" for a reason. In his ode, Derzhavin speaks of a "high mountain" and a "rose without thorns." These images help to make the image of Felitsa even more majestic.
"Felitsa" Derzhavin G.R.
History of creation. Ode "Felitsa" (1782), the first poem that made the name of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin famous. It became a vivid example of a new style in Russian poetry. The subtitle of the poem specifies: “Ode to the wise Kirghiz-Kaisak princess Felitsa, written by Tatarsky Murza, who has long settled in Moscow, and who lives on business in St. Petersburg. Translated from Arabic. This work received its unusual name from the name of the heroine of the “Tales of Tsarevich Chlorine”, the author of which was Catherine II herself. By this name, which in Latin means happiness, she is also named in Derzhavin's ode, which glorifies the empress and satirically characterizes her surroundings.
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, close empress, it was published in the journal Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word, in which Catherine II herself collaborated. Subsequently, Derzhavin recalled that this poem so touched the empress that Dashkova found her in tears. Catherine II wanted to know who wrote the poem in which she was depicted so accurately. In gratitude to the author, she sent him a golden snuffbox with five hundred chervonets and an expressive inscription on the package: "From Orenburg from the Kirghiz Princess to Murza Derzhavin." From that day on, Derzhavin gained literary fame, which no Russian poet had known before.
Main themes and ideas. The poem "Felitsa", written as a playful sketch of the life of the Empress and her entourage, at the same time raises very important issues. On the one hand, in the ode "Felitsa" a completely traditional image of a "god-like princess" is created, which embodies the poet's idea of the ideal of an enlightened monarch. Clearly idealizing the real Catherine II, Derzhavin at the same time believes in the image he painted:
Give, Felitsa, guidance:
How magnificently and truthfully to live,
How to tame passions excitement
And be happy in the world?
On the other hand, in the poet's verses, the thought sounds not only about the wisdom of power, but also about the negligence of performers who are concerned about their own benefit:
Everywhere temptation and flattery lives,
Luxury oppresses all pashas.
Where does virtue live?
Where does a rose without thorns grow?
In itself, this idea was not new, but behind the images of the nobles drawn in the ode, the features of real people clearly appeared:
I circle my thought in chimeras:
Then I steal captivity from the Persians,
I turn arrows to the Turks;
That, having dreamed that I am a sultan,
I frighten the universe with a look;
Then suddenly, he was seduced by the outfit.
I'm going to the tailor on the caftan.
In these images, the poet's contemporaries easily recognized the favorite of the Empress Potemkin, her close associates Alexei Orlov, Panin, Naryshkin. Drawing their vividly satirical portraits, Derzhavin showed great courage - after all, any of the nobles offended by him could do away with the author for this. Only the favorable attitude of Catherine saved Derzhavin.
But even to the empress, he dares to give advice: to follow the law, which is subject to both kings and their subjects:
You alone are only decent,
Princess, create light from darkness;
Dividing Chaos into spheres harmoniously,
Strengthen their integrity with a union;
From disagreement to agreement
And from ferocious 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:
Heavenly I ask for strength,
Yes, stretching their sapphire wings,
Invisibly you are kept
From all diseases, evils and boredom;
Yes, your deeds in the offspring sounds,
Like stars in the sky, they will shine.
Artistic originality. Classicism forbade combining a high ode and satire belonging to low genres in one work. But Derzhavin does not even simply combine them in characterizing different people depicted in the ode, he does something completely unprecedented for that time. Violating the traditions of the laudatory ode genre, Derzhavin widely introduces colloquial vocabulary and even vernacular into it, but most importantly, he does not draw a ceremonial portrait of the empress, but depicts her human appearance. That is why everyday scenes, a still life turn out to be in the ode;
Not imitating your Murzas,
Often you walk
And the food is the simplest
It happens at your table.
The “God-like” Felitsa, like other characters in his ode, is also shown in everyday life (“Not cherishing your peace, / You read, you write under a veil ...”). At the same time, such details do not reduce her image, but make her more real, humane, as if accurately written off from nature. 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 background of a colorfully depicted everyday environment. This makes his poems vivid, 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 the ode. Subsequently, the poet himself defined the genre of "Felitsa" as a mixed ode. Derzhavin argued that, in contrast to the traditional ode for classicism, where statesmen, military leaders were praised, solemn events were sung, in a "mixed ode" "a poet can talk about everything." Destroying the genre canons of classicism, with this poem he opens the way for a new poetry - "poetry of the real ™", which received a brilliant development in Pushkin's work.
The value 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 syllable." As rightly pointed out by the researcher of the poet V.F. Khodasevich, Derzhavin was proud "not that he had discovered the virtues of Catherine, but that he was the first to speak in a "funny Russian style." He understood that his ode was the first artistic embodiment of Russian life, that it was the germ of our novel. And, perhaps, - Khodasevich develops his thought, - had "old Derzhavin" lived at least until the first chapter of Onegin, he would have heard echoes of his ode in it.
History of creation. Ode "Felitsa" (1782), the first poem that made the name of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin famous. It became a vivid example of a new style in Russian poetry. The subtitle of the poem specifies: “Ode to the wise Kirghiz-Kaisak princess Felitsa, written by Tatarsky Murza, who has long settled in Moscow, and who lives on business in St. Petersburg. Translated from Arabic. This work received its unusual name from the name of the heroine of the “Tales of Tsarevich Chlorine”, the author of which was Catherine II herself. By this name, which in Latin means happiness, she is also named in Derzhavin's ode, which glorifies the empress and satirically characterizes her surroundings. 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, close empress, it was published in the journal Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word, in which Catherine II herself collaborated. Subsequently, Derzhavin recalled that this poem so touched the empress that Dashkova found her in tears. Catherine II wanted to know who wrote the poem in which she was depicted so accurately. In gratitude to the author, she sent him a golden snuffbox with five hundred chervonets and an expressive inscription on the package: "From Orenburg from the Kirghiz Princess to Murza Derzhavin." From that day on, Derzhavin gained literary fame, which no Russian poet had known before. Main themes and ideas. The poem "Felitsa", written as a playful sketch of the life of the Empress and her entourage, at the same time raises very important issues. On the one hand, in the ode "Felitsa" a completely traditional image of a "god-like princess" is created, which embodies the poet's idea of the ideal of an enlightened monarch. Clearly idealizing the real Catherine II, Derzhavin at the same time believes in the image he painted: On the other hand, in the poet’s verses, the thought sounds not only about the wisdom of power, but also about the negligence of performers concerned about their own benefit: This idea in itself was not new , but behind the images of the nobles drawn in the ode, the features of real people clearly appeared: In these images, the poet's contemporaries easily recognized the favorite of Empress Potemkin, her close associates Alexei Orlov, Panin, Naryshkin. Drawing their vividly satirical portraits, Derzhavin showed great courage - after all, any of the nobles offended by him could do away with the author for this. Only the favorable attitude of Catherine saved Derzhavin. But he even dares to give advice to the empress: to follow the law to which both tsars and their subjects are subject: 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: Artistic originality. Classicism forbade combining a high ode and satire belonging to low genres in one work. But Derzhavin does not even simply combine them in characterizing different people depicted in the ode, he does something completely unprecedented for that time. Violating the traditions of the genre of laudatory ode, Derzhavin widely introduces colloquial vocabulary and even vernacular into it, but most importantly, he does not draw a ceremonial portrait of the empress, but depicts her human appearance. That is why everyday scenes appear in the ode, the still life “God-like” Felitsa, like other characters in his ode, is also shown in everyday life (“Not cherishing your peace, / You read, you write under a veil ...”). At the same time, such details do not reduce her image, but make her more real, humane, as if accurately written off from nature. 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 background of a colorfully depicted everyday environment. This makes his poems vivid, memorable and understandable. The value 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 syllable." As rightly pointed out by the researcher of the poet V.F. Khodasevich, Derzhavin was proud "not that he had discovered the virtues of Catherine, but that he was the first to speak in a "funny Russian style." He understood that his ode was the first artistic embodiment of Russian life, that it was the germ of our novel. And, perhaps, - Khodasevich develops his thought, - had "old Derzhavin" lived at least until the first chapter of Onegin, he would have heard echoes of his ode in it.
History of creation
Ode "Felitsa" (1782) is the first poem that made the name of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin famous. It became a vivid example of a new style in Russian poetry. The subtitle of the poem states: "Ode to the wise Kyrgyz-Kaisak princess Felitsa, written by the Tatarsskim Murza, who has long settled in Moscow, and lives on business of his ownthem in St. Petersburg. Translated from Arabic. This work received its unusual name from the name of the heroine of the “Tales of Tsarevich Chlorine”, the author of which was Catherine II herself. This name, which in Latin means happiness, she is also named in Derzhavin's ode, which glorifies the empress and satirically characterizes her surroundings.
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, close empress, it was published in the journal Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word, in which Catherine II herself collaborated. Subsequently, Derzhavin recalled that this poem touched the empress so much that Dashkova found her in tears. Catherine II wanted to know who wrote the poem in which she was depicted so accurately. In gratitude to the author, she sent him a golden snuffbox with five hundred chervonets and an expressive inscription on the package: "From Orenburg from the Kirghiz Princess to Murza Derzhavin." From that day on, Derzhavin gained literary fame, which no Russian poet had known before.
Main themes and ideas
The poem "Felitsa", written as a playful sketch of the life of the Empress and her entourage, at the same time raises very important issues. On the one hand, in the ode "Felitsa" a completely traditional image of a "god-like princess" is created, which embodies the poet's idea of the ideal of an enlightened monarch. Clearly idealizing the real Catherine II, Derzhavin at the same time believes in the image he painted:
Come on Felicia! instruction:
How magnificently and truthfully to live,
How to tame passions excitement
And be happy in the world?
On the other hand, in the poet's verses, the thought sounds not only about the wisdom of power, but also about the negligence of performers who are concerned about their own benefit:
Everywhere temptation and flattery lives,
Luxury oppresses all pashas. -
Where does virtue live?
Where does a rose without thorns grow?
In itself, this idea was not new, but behind the images of the nobles drawn in the ode, the features of real people clearly appeared:
I circle my thought in chimeras:
Then I steal captivity from the Persians,
I turn arrows to the Turks;
That, having dreamed that I am a sultan,
I frighten the universe with a look;
Then suddenly, seduced by the outfit,
I'm going to the tailor on the caftan.
In these images, the poet's contemporaries easily recognized the favorite of the Empress Potemkin, her close associates Alexei Orlov, Panin, Naryshkin. Drawing their brightly satirical portraits, Derzhavin showed great courage - after all, any of the nobles offended by him could do away with the author for this. Only the favorable attitude of Catherine saved Derzhavin.
But even to the empress, he dares to give advice: to follow the law, which is subject to both kings and their subjects:
You alone are only decent,
Princess! create light from darkness;
Dividing Chaos into spheres harmoniously,
Strengthen their integrity with a union;
Out of disagreement, agreement
And from ferocious 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:
Heavenly I ask for strength,
Yes, stretching their sapphire wings,
Invisibly you are kept
From all diseases, evils and boredom;
Yes, your deeds in the offspring sounds,
Like stars in the sky, they will shine.
Artistic originality
Classicism forbade the combination of a high ode and satire belonging to low genres in one work. But Derzhavin does not even just combine them in the characterization of different persons, bred in the ode, he does something completely unprecedented for that time. Violating the traditions of the genre of laudatory ode, Derzhavin widely introduces colloquial vocabulary and even vernacular into it, but most importantly, he does not draw a ceremonial portrait of the empress, but depicts her human appearance. That is why everyday scenes, a still life turn out to be in the ode:
Not imitating your Murzas,
Often you walk
And the food is the simplest
It happens at your table.
The “God-like” Felitsa, like other characters in his ode, is also shown in an ordinary way (“Not cherishing your peace, / You read, write under a veil ...”). At the same time, such details do not reduce her image, but make her more real, humane, as if accurately written off from snature. 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 background of a colorfully depicted everyday environment. This makes his poems vivid, 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 the ode. Subsequently, the poet himself defined the genre of "Felitsa" as mixed ode. Derzhavin argued that, in contrast to the traditional ode for classicism, where statesmen, military leaders were praised, solemn events were sung, in a "mixed ode" "a poet can talk about everything." Destroying the genre canons of classicism, with this poem he opens the way for a new poetry - "the poetry of reality", which received a brilliant development in Pushkin's work.
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 syllable." As rightly pointed out by the researcher of the poet V.F. Khodasevich, Derzhavin was proud "not that he had discovered the virtues of Catherine, but that he was the first to speak in a "funny Russian style." He understood that his ode was the first artistic embodiment of Russian life, that it was the germ of our novel. And, perhaps, - Khodasevich develops his thought, - had "old Derzhavin" lived at least until the first chapter of Onegin, he would have heard echoes of his ode in it.
