The Silver Age of Russian poetry does not quite deserve this name. After all, the discoveries and innovations that arose at that time can rightfully be called golden. It was at that time that cinematography appeared in Russia, art reaches its highest point of dawn, the era of modernism begins - a completely new cultural phenomenon that was not understood by many, but carried wonderful ideas. Creators appeared in literature, painting and music, whose names we know today, and we study with interest the details of their lives. Despite the fact that this time was crossed out by the war and terrible revolutionary events, this does not prevent us from talking about those wonderful things that appeared then.

It is impossible to overestimate the achievements of the Silver Age. Never before in the history of culture has there been such a rich and tragic period at the same time. The life of many writers and artists was broken by the revolution, and most of them, unfortunately, could not withstand its atrocities, both morally and physically.

It all started in the 20th century, which, according to dating, coincided with the emergence of modernism. It was then that an atmosphere of incredible creative upsurge arose. At that time in Russia, people have the opportunity to get an education that has become available not only to the rich segments of the population. Many famous scientists make discoveries in the field of medicine, botany, unexplored secrets of space are discovered, round-the-world trips are made. But still, the era of the Silver Age most revealingly manifested itself in literature. It was a period when different trends arose, writers united in groups in order to create art and discuss the ripened fruits.

Naturally, it is almost impossible to single out a specific reference point for the Silver Age. At the beginning of the 20th century, authors who were still trying to maintain the spirit of realism (Chekhov, Tolstoy) maintained their strong positions and remained at the peak of popularity. But the galaxy of young writers who tried to overthrow the canons and create a new art approached with terrifying swiftness. The traditional culture had to be displaced, the classical authors eventually left the pedestal and gave way to a new trend. One can probably say that it all started in 1987, when one of the main theorists of symbolism, Soloviev, published the book Justification of the Good. It is in it that all the basic philosophical ideas that the writers of the Silver Age took as a basis are contained. But everything was not so simple. Young writers did not just appear in the cultural environment, it was a reaction to the changes that were brewing in the country. At that moment, ideas, moral values, human orientations were changing. And such a total change in all aspects of life literally forced the creative intelligentsia to talk about it.

The stages of the Silver Age can be divided into:

• -90s 19th century - the beginning of the first Russian revolution of 1905 - 1907. – there is a turn from the reaction of the 80s. to a social upsurge, accompanied by new phenomena in culture;
• -1905 - 1907, when the revolution became the most important factor in the cultural process;
• -1907 - 1917 - a time of acute ideological and artistic struggle and revision of traditional values;
• -1917 - the end of the 20s. XX century, when pre-revolutionary culture, in part, preserved the traditions of the “Silver Age. Russian emigration declares itself.

currents

The Silver Age stands out very sharply against the background of all other cultural phenomena with the presence of many currents. All of them were very different from each other, but in their essence they were related, since one came from the other. Symbolism, acmeism and futurism stood out most clearly. To understand what each of the directions carried in itself, it is worth delving into the history of their occurrence.

Symbolism

1980 - mid 19th century. What was the worldview of man at that time? He was confident in himself through knowledge. The theories of Darwin, the positivism of Auguste Comte, the so-called Eurocentrism, created solid ground under their feet. But at the same time, an era of great discoveries began. Because of this, the European man could no longer feel as confident as he used to be. New inventions and changes made him feel lost in abundance. And at this moment comes the era of denial. Decadence took possession of the minds of the cultural part of the population. Then Mallarme, Verlaine and Rimbaud became popular in France - the first poets who dared to find a different way to display the world. Russian poets will very soon learn about these most important figures and begin to follow their example.

From this moment the symbolism begins. What is the main idea behind this direction? Symbolist poets argued that with the help of a symbol, you can explore the world around you. Of course, throughout the history of the world, all writers and artists have used symbolism. But modernists looked at this phenomenon differently. A symbol for them is an indication of what is beyond human understanding. The Symbolists believed that reason and rationalism could never help in comprehending the beautiful world of art. They began to focus their attention on the mystical component of their own works.

Signs:

• The main theme of their work is religion.
• The main characters of their works are now martyrs or prophets.
• Symbolism refuses a concrete representation of reality and content. It is rather a representation of the objective world with the help of symbols.
• Symbolist poets kept their distance and did not interfere in the public and political life of society.
• Their main motto was the phrase: "We attract the elect", that is, they deliberately repelled readers so as not to be a mass cultural phenomenon.

The main symbolists include such writers as:

• Bryusov,
• Balmont,
• Merezhkovsky,
• Gippius.

The aesthetics of symbolism is the aesthetics of allusion. The author does not depict the world of things, does not express his opinion, he only writes about his associations that he has with this or that subject. That is why the Symbolists valued music so much. S. Baudelaire considered symbolism as the only possible way to display reality.

Acmeism

Acmeism is the most mysterious phenomenon of the Silver Age. It originates in 1911. But some researchers and philologists sometimes claim that there was no acmeism at all and that it is a kind of continuation of symbolism. But there are still differences in these directions. Acmeism became a new, more recent trend and appeared at a time when symbolism began to outlive itself and a split was brewing in its midst. Young poets, who initially wanted to classify themselves as symbolists, were disappointed by this event and decided to create a new grouping. In 1911, Gumilyov organized the "Poets Workshop" when he felt that he had enough experience and strength to teach others. Gorodetsky joins him. Together, they want to attach to themselves as many "motley" poets as possible. As a result, this happened: Khlebnikov, Klyuev and Burliuk visited the “Workshop”, such writers as Mandelstam and Akhmatova came out from under the wing of Gumilyov. Young poets needed a professional environment, and they got it when they joined the "Tsekha" community.

Acmeism is a beautiful word that translates as "top" or "point". What are the main differences between symbolism and acmeism?

• First of all, it consists in the fact that the works of acmeist poets were simpler and did not carry such a deep sacred meaning as those of the symbolists. The theme of religion was not so intrusive, the theme of mysticism also faded into the background. More precisely, the acmeists wrote about the earthly, but they suggested not to forget that the unreal side also exists.
• If symbolism carried the idea of ​​​​an incomprehensible mystery, then acmeism is more of a riddle that you should think about, and you will definitely find the answer.

But the acmeists were in a hurry, and the movement did not last as long as its participants wanted. Already in the first years, a manifesto of acmeism was written, which, for all its richness, did not particularly correspond to reality. The work of the poets of the "Workshop" did not always carry all the ideas of the manifesto, and critics were very unhappy with this fact. And in 1914 the war began, and acmeism was soon forgotten, without having time to blossom.

Futurism

Futurism was not an integral aesthetic school and included various trends: cubo-futurism, ego-futurism, poetry mezzanine, etc. Its name comes from the English word "future", which means "future". David Davidovich Burliuk - one of the main representatives, the "father of futurism", as he liked to call himself, hated borrowing from the language and called the futurists "budetlyans".

Signs and features:

• Futurists, unlike other trends, focused on different types of culture. The poet has formed a new role, he simultaneously became a destroyer and a creator.
• Futurism, as an avant-garde phenomenon, sought to shock the public. Marcel Duchamp, who brought a urinal to the exhibition and called it his own creation, depicting his signature on it, was the first to manage to make such a scandalous attack on the creative intelligentsia.
• Some philologists argue that acmeism and futurism are not separate movements, but only a reaction to what representatives of symbolism did in their time. Indeed, in the poems of many symbolists, for example, in Blok or Balmont, one can find lines that sound very avant-garde.
• If the Symbolists considered music to be the main art, then the Futurists, first of all, were guided by painting. No wonder many of the poets were originally artists, for example, D. Burliuk and his brother, Mayakovsky and Khlebnikov. After all, the art of futurism is the art of depiction, the words were depicted on posters or propaganda sheets so that the public could see and remember the main message of the poets.
• The Futurists proposed to finally forget traditional art. "Throw Pushkin off the ship of modernity" is their main motto. Marinetti also called for "daily spitting on the altar of art."
• Futurists paid more attention not to symbolism, but specifically to the word. They tried to modify it, sometimes not in the most understandable and aesthetic way, in order to offend the reader. They were interested in the historical basis of the word, its phonetics. This was necessary in order for the words to literally “stick out” from the text.

The origins of Futurism were greatly influenced by the activities of the Italian Futurists, in particular by the manifesto of Filippo Tomaso Marinetti, which was written in 1910.

In 1910, a group of the Burliukov brothers, Velimir Khlebnikov and the poetess Elena Guro, who, unfortunately, lived a very short life, but showed great promise as a creator, gathered. They appoint the house of David Burliuk as a place for creativity and create a collection of "Judges' Garden". They printed it on the cheapest paper (wallpaper) and came to the famous "Wednesdays" to V. Ivanov. The whole evening they sat rather quietly, but they left earlier, after stuffing the same collections into the pockets of other people's coats. It was from this unusual incident, in fact, that Russian futurism began.

In 1912, "A Slap in the Face of Public Taste" was created, which shocked readers. Half of this collection consisted of poems by V. Khlebnikov, whose work was greatly appreciated by the futurists.

Futurists called for the creation of new forms in art. The main motives of their work were:

• exaltation of one's own "I",
• fanatical worship of war and destruction,
• contempt for the bourgeoisie and weak human effeminacy.

It was important for them to attract as much attention as possible to themselves, and for this the futurists were ready for anything. They dressed in strange clothes, painted symbols on their faces, hung posters and walked around the city like that, chanting their own works. People reacted differently, someone looked admiringly, surprised at the courage of the aliens, and someone could pounce with their fists.

Imagism

Some features of this trend are very similar to futurism. The term first appeared among the English poets T. Eliot, W. Lewis, T. Hume, E. Pound and R. Aldington. They decided that poetry needed more imagery (“image” in English means “image”). They sought to create a new poetic language in which there is no place for clichéd phrases. Russian poets first learned about Imagism from Zinaida Vengerova, at that time one of the most famous literary critics. In 1915, her article "The English Futurists" was published, and then the young poets thought that they could borrow the name from the British, but at the same time create their own trend. Then the former futurist Vladimir Shershnevich in 1916 wrote the "Green Book", in which he first uses the term "Imagism" and states that the image should stand above the content of the work.

Then, in 1919, the "Declaration" of the Imagist Order was published in the Sirena magazine. It indicated the basic rules and philosophical concepts of this movement.

Imagism, like the Surrealist movement in France, was the most organized movement in existence. Its participants often held literary evenings and meetings, published a large number of collections. They published their own magazine, which was called "Hotel for travelers in the beautiful." But, despite such solidarity, the Imagist poets had completely different views on creativity. For example, the poetry of Anatoly Mariengof or Vladimir Shernevich was distinguished by decadent moods, personal feelings, and pessimism. And at the same time, Sergei Yesenin was in their circle, for whom the theme of the homeland becomes a key one in his work. In part, it was the image of a simpleton peasant boy, which he himself invented in order to become more popular. After the revolution, Yesenin will completely abandon him, but the very fact of how heterogeneous the poets of this trend were, and how they approached the creation of their works, is important here.

It was this difference that eventually led to the split of Imagism into two different groups, and later the movement broke up altogether. In their circle at that time, various kinds of polemics and disputes began to arise more often. The poets contradicted each other, expressing their thoughts, and could not find a compromise that would smooth out the conflict.

egofuturism

A kind of futuristic current. Its name carries the main idea ("Egofuturism" is translated as "I am the future"). Its history began in 1911, but this trend did not last long. Igor Severyanin became the poet who decided to independently come up with his own trend and embody his idea with the help of creativity. In St. Petersburg, he opens the "Ego" circle, from which ego-futurism began. In his collection Prologue. Egofuturism. Poetry grandos. Apotheotic notebook of the third volume” the name of the movement was heard for the first time.

Severyanin himself did not draw up any manifestos and did not write a creative program for his own movement, he wrote about him like this:

Unlike the Marinetti school, I added to this word [futurism] the prefix "ego" and in brackets "universal" ... The slogans of my ego-futurism were: 1. The soul is the only truth. 2. Self-affirmation of personality. 3. Searching for the new without rejecting the old. 4. Meaningful neologisms. 5. Bold images, epithets, assonances and dissonances. 6. The fight against "stereotypes" and "screensavers". 7. Variety of meters.

In 1912, in the same St. Petersburg, the "Academy of Egopoetry" was created, to which the young and completely inexperienced G. Ivanov, Grail-Arelsky (S. Petrov) and K. Olympov joined. The leader was still Severyanin. Actually, of all the poets named above, he became the only one whose work is still not forgotten and is actively studied by philologists.

When the very young Ivan Ignatiev joined the current of egofuturism, the “Intuitive Association of Egofuturists” was created, which included P. Shirokov, V. Gnedov and D. Kryuchkov. This is how they characterized the movement of egofuturism in their manifesto: "The incessant striving of every Egoist to achieve the possibilities of the Future in the Present through the development of egoism."

Many works of ego-futurists served not for reading, but for exclusively visual perception of the text, about which the authors themselves warned in notes to poems.

Representatives

Anna Andreevna Akhmatova (1889-1966)

A poetess, translator and literary critic, her early work is usually attributed to the current of acmeism. She was one of Gumilyov's students, whom she later married. In 1966 she was nominated for the Nobel Prize. The main tragedy of her life, of course, was the revolution. The repressions took away the most dear people from her: her first husband, Nikolai Gumilev, who was shot in 1921, after their divorce, the son of Lev Gumilev, who spent more than 10 years in prison, and, finally, the third husband, Nikolai Punin, who was arrested three times, and who died in the camp in 1953. Akhmatova put all the pain of these terrible losses into the poem "Requiem", which became the most significant work in her work.

The main motives of her poems are connected with love, which manifests itself in everything. Love for the motherland, for the family. Surprisingly, despite the temptation to join the emigration, Akhmatova decides to stay in the outraged country. To save her. And many contemporaries recall that the light in the windows of her house in Petrograd inspired hope for the best in their souls.

Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilyov (1886-1921)

Founder of the school of acmeism, prose writer, translator and literary critic. Gumilyov has always been distinguished by his fearlessness. He was not ashamed to show that he was not good at something, and this always led him to victory, even in the most hopeless situations. Very often, his figure looked rather comical, but this had a positive effect on his work. The reader could always put himself in his place and feel a certain similarity. Poetic art for Gumilyov is, first of all, a craft. He sang in his work of artists and poets who worked hard to develop their skills, because they did not believe in the triumph of a born genius. His poems are often autobiographical.

But there is a period of absolutely new poetics, when Gumilyov finds his own special style. The poem "The Lost Tram" is an emblem reminiscent of the work of C. Baudelaire. Everything earthly in the space of the poem becomes metaphysical. During this period, Gumilyov defeats himself. During the revolution, while in London, he nevertheless decides to return to Russia and, unfortunately, this decision becomes fatal for his life.

Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva (1892-1941)

Tsvetaeva really did not like the use of feminitives in her address, therefore, let's say about her this way: a poet of the Silver Age, a prose writer, a translator. She was the author who cannot be attributed to a specific course of the Silver Age. She was born into a prosperous family, and childhood was the happiest period in her life. But parting with a carefree youth becomes a real tragedy. And we can notice the echoes of these experiences in all the mature poems of Tsvetaeva. Her 1910 collection, The Red-Bound Book, just describes all those beautiful, inspiring impressions of a little girl. She writes with love about children's books, music, going to the skating rink.

In life, Tsvetaeva could be called a maximalist. She always went all the way to the end. In love, she gave all of herself to the person for whom she had feelings. And then I hated it just as much. When Marina Ivanovna realized that childhood time was gone forever, she was disappointed. With the help of the main sign of her poems - a dash, she seemed to oppose two worlds. In her late poetry there is an extreme despair, God no longer exists for her, and the words about the world have too cruel a connotation.

Sergei Mitrofanovich Gorodetsky (1884-1967)

Russian poet, prose writer, playwright, critic, publicist, artist. He began to engage in creativity after rapprochement with A.A. Block. In his first experiments, he was guided by him and Andrei Bely. But, on the other hand, the young poet became close to the ordinary peasant people during his trip to the Pskov province. There he hears many songs, jokes, epics and absorbs folklore, which later will be fully reflected in his work. He is enthusiastically received in the "tower" of Vyacheslav Ivanov, and Gorodetsky for some time becomes the main guest on the famous "Wednesdays".

But later the poet began to pay too much attention to religion, and this caused a negative reaction from the symbolists. In 1911, Gorodetsky broke off relations with them and, having enlisted the support of Gumilyov, became one of the organizers of the "Workshop of Poets". In his poems, Gorodetsky called for the development of the ability to contemplate, but he tried to show this idea without excessive philosophy. Throughout his life, he did not stop working and improving his poetic language.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky (1893-1930)

One of the most significant poets of the 20th century, who distinguished himself in the field of cinema, drama, screenwriting. He was also an artist and magazine editor. He was a representative of futurism. Mayakovsky was a rather complex figure. His works were forcibly forced to read, and therefore the intelligentsia developed a strong dislike for everything that the poet did.

He was born in a rural area, in Georgia, and this fact radically influenced his future fate. He put more effort into getting noticed, and this was reflected in his work and in the way he knew how to present it. After imprisonment, Mayakovsky retires from political life and devotes himself entirely to art. Enters the Art Academy, where he meets D. Burliuk, and this fateful meeting forever determined the nature of his occupation. Mayakovsky was a poet-orator who tried to convey new truths to the public. Not everyone understood his work, but he did not stop confessing his love to the reader and turning his ideas to him.

Osip Emilievich Mandelstam (1908-1916)

Russian poet, prose writer and translator, essayist, critic, literary critic. He belonged to the current of acmeism. Mandelstam becomes a mature writer quite early. But still, researchers are more interested in the later period of his work. It is surprising that he was not perceived as a poet for a long time, his works seemed to many empty imitations. But, having joined the "Workshop of Poets", he finally finds like-minded people.

Often Mandelstam relies on references to other works of classical poetry. Moreover, he does it quite subtly so that only a well-read and intelligent person can understand the true meaning. His poems seem a little dull to readers, since he did not like excessive exaltation. Reflections on God and the eternal is a frequent motif of his works, which is closely intertwined with the motif of loneliness. The author said about the process of creativity: "The poetic word is a bundle, and the meaning sticks out of it in different directions." It is these meanings that we can consider in each line of his poems.

Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin (1895-1925)

Russian poet, representative of the new peasant poetry and lyrics, and in a later period of creativity - Imagism. A poet who knew how to frame his work and surround his own figure with a veil of secrecy. That is why literary critics are still arguing about his personality. But one fact that all the poet's contemporaries spoke about is absolutely clear - he was an extraordinary person and creator. His early work is striking in its poetic maturity. But behind this lies a certain deception, when Yesenin collected the last collection of his poems, he realized that it was necessary to include in it the works that he wrote, being an experienced poet. It turns out that he himself substituted the necessary verses in his biography.

The appearance of Yesenin in the poetic circle became a real holiday, as if they were waiting for him. Therefore, he created for himself the image of a simple guy who can talk about life in the village. He was specifically interested in folklore in order to write folk poems. But by 1917 he was tired of this image and scandalously refuses it. Having entered the circle of imagists, he begins to play the role of a Moscow hooligan, and the motives of his work change dramatically.

Velimir Khlebnikov (1885-1922)

Russian poet and prose writer, one of the largest figures in the Russian avant-garde. He was one of the founders of Russian futurism; reformer of poetic language, experimenter in the field of word creation and zaumi, "chairman of the globe." The most interesting poet of his era. He was the main figure of Cubo-Futurism.

Despite the external image of a calm and quiet person, he was very ambitious. He tried to change the world with his poetry. Khlebnikov really wanted people to stop seeing boundaries. “Out of space and out of time” is the main motto of his life. He was trying to create a language that could bring us all together. Each of his works was an attempt to create such a language. Also, in his work, one can trace some kind of mathematics, apparently, this was influenced by the fact that he studied at the Faculty of Mathematics at Kazan University. Despite the external complexity of his poems, each one can be read between the lines and understand what exactly the poet wanted to say. Difficulties in his works are always present intentionally, so that the reader each time solves a kind of riddle while reading it.

Anatoly Borisovich Mariengof (1897-1962)

Russian poet-imaginist, art theorist, prose writer and playwright, memoirist. He wrote poetry from childhood, as he was a well-read child and was fond of Russian classics. After the appearance of the symbolists on the literary arena, he falls in love with the work of A.A. Blok. In his early works, Mariengof tried to imitate him.

But his real and full-fledged literary career began from the moment he met Yesenin. They were very friendly, their biographies literally intertwined with each other, they rented an apartment together, created together, and shared all their sorrows. After meeting Shershnevich and Ivnev, they decide to create a group of Imagists in 1919. It was a period of unprecedented creative activity in the life of Mariengof. The publication of the novels "Cynics" and "The Shaved Man" was accompanied by high-profile scandals that caused the writer a lot of inconvenience. His personality was persecuted in the USSR, his works were banned for a long time and were read only abroad. The novel "Cynics" aroused great interest among Brodsky, who wrote that this book is the best work of Russian literature.

Igor Severyanin (1887-1941)

Real name - Igor Vasilyevich Lotarev. Russian poet, representative of egofuturism. Charming and bright, even V.V. himself envied his popularity. Mayakovsky.

He was made famous by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, or, more precisely, his review of the poem, which begins with the words "Put the corkscrew into the elasticity of the cork ...". That morning at Yasnaya Polyana, everyday readings aloud were held, and when Severyanin's poem was sounded, those present noticeably perked up and began to praise the young poet. Tolstoy was amazed at this reaction and said the words that were later replicated in all the newspapers: "Around the gallows, murders, funerals, and they have a corkscrew in a traffic jam." After that, the personality and work of Severyanin were on everyone's lips. But it was hard for him to find allies in the literary environment, he rushed between different groups and movements, and as a result decided to create his own - egofuturism. Then he proclaims the greatness of his own "I" in his work and speaks of himself as a poet who changed the course of Russian literary history.

Sofia Yakovlevna Parnok (1885-1933)

Russian translator and poet. Many called her Russian Sappho, because she was the first to speak freely about same-sex love in the Soviet space. In every line of her poems, one feels a great and reverent love for women. She was not shy about talking about her inclinations, which manifested themselves quite early. In 1914, at the evening at Adelaide Gertsyk, the poetess met Marina Tsvetaeva, and at that moment both women realized that they were in love with each other. Since then, all further work of Parnok was filled with love for Tsvetaeva. Each meeting or joint trip gave both a surge of inspiration, they wrote poems to each other in which they talked about their feelings.

Unfortunately, they were visited by thoughts that sooner or later they would have to leave. Their relationship ended with the last bitter messages in verse after one major quarrel. Despite relationships with other women, Sofia Parnok believed that it was Tsvetaeva who left a deep mark on her life and work.

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The Silver Age is one of the most mysterious and unusual phenomena in Russian culture. Its boundaries are vague, the origin of the term is debatable, the very coexistence of so many bright literary trends is incomprehensible - all this was absorbed by the Silver Age. But he found his most brilliant manifestation in poetry - tragic and romantic, encrypted and ruthlessly naked.

Features of Russian poetry of the Silver Age

The boundaries of the Silver Age can be conditionally called 1880 and 1920. This era at the turn of the century was tense and painful in the history of Russia, which left its mark on all the poetry of this period, which can be briefly described as follows.

1. Modernism

In the era of the Silver Age, there were several poetic workshops that embodied the principles and ideas of a certain literary movement. However, they all developed in the same general style of modernism, the purpose of which is the creation of a new poetic culture capable of spiritually reviving a person and transforming this world.

Russian poetry of the Silver Age was characterized by somewhat decadent moods, which were precisely the result of the turn of the century, associated with the death of the world, the general world decline, doom and the end of the world. This type of consciousness was called decadence, which was clearly manifested in the poems of that time as motives of despondency, pessimism and hopelessness.

The most influential and significant trends in Russian poetry of the Silver Age were symbolism, acmeism and futurism.

Symbolism

Symbolism is one of the most striking trends in Russian poetry of the Silver Age. Symbolists tried to comprehend the secrets of the universe through certain symbols that could have several readings at once. The older symbolists perceived symbolism exclusively as a literary school, while the younger ones treated it as a whole system of religious and philosophical views of the world.

1. Senior Symbolists

Merezhkovsky Dmitry Sergeevich devoted his poems to the culture of legendary eras, tried to give his own reassessment of the world classics, was in an eternal search for the spiritual foundations of being, tried to put into practice the idea of ​​neo-Christianity.

Gippius Zinaida Nikolaevna in her poems she gravitated towards religious and philosophical problems, the search for God.

Bryusov Valery Yakovlevich tried to create a comprehensive art system that would unite all areas. His poetry is distinguished by historicism and exceptional rationalism.

Sologub Fyodor Kuzmich created his own alphabet of characters in his lyrics. Only in his poems can one find such symbols of world evil as Nedotykomka Gray, the Sun-Dragon, Likho, etc.

Balmont Konstantin Dmitrievich created truly magical poems that I wanted to sing. His images-symbols were always new, and the feelings he sang in his verses were the most subtle.

2. Junior Symbolists

Blok Alexander Alexandrovich in his poems, he was busy searching for the Eternal Femininity, which at different stages of creativity took on a variety of images: the Beautiful Stranger, the Princess, the Bride, etc.

Not all poets of the Silver Age were satisfied with symbolism as a poetic direction - new trends and schools began to appear.

Acmeism

Acmeists appeared as opponents of symbolism, who rejected any ambiguity and freedom of interpretation of the word. Their poetry was extremely realistic, clear and precise. These poets were united by the literary circle "Poets' workshop".

Gumilyov Nikolay Stepanovich contradicted his own program of acmeism, of which he was the founder. Instead of reality, his poems take readers to exotic countries, and his lyrical hero has always strived for chivalry and romance.

Akhmatova Anna Andreevna is considered a recognized master of love lyrics, a connoisseur of the female soul and feelings.

The search for new poetic expressions did not end with the creation of the school of acmeism - some poets found a new trend for themselves, which was called futurism.

Futurism

Futurism promoted itself as the art of the future, the poets of this trend tried to destroy cultural traditions and stereotypes. Instead, they offered the technique of urbanism, behind which they saw the future in poetry. Within the framework of futurism, several branches acted at once.

1. cubofuturism

Mayakovsky Vladimir Vladimirovich he created expressive and rude poems in their sound writing and rhyme, which were supposed to awaken the people, to convey the truth to them.

2. egofuturism

Severyanin Igor boldly used neologisms in his poems, but his poems had an unprecedented musicality and melodiousness, which distinguished them from the work of other futurists.

Imagism

A less well-known literary movement that created lyrical images through a whole series of metaphors. Within the framework of this poetic style, he also worked Yesenin Sergey Alexandrovich.

It is impossible to remain indifferent when reading the poems of Russian poets of the Silver Age: their drama and inexpressible sadness make the heart cry and make you seriously think about the meaning of life and why we came to this mortal world.

The emergence of new trends, trends, styles in art and literature is always associated with an understanding of the place and role of man in the world, in the universe, with a change in man's self-awareness. One of these changes occurred at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. Artists of that time advocated a new vision of reality, looking for original artistic means. The outstanding Russian philosopher N. A. Berdyaev called this short, but surprisingly bright period the Silver Age. This definition primarily refers to Russian poetry of the early twentieth century. The golden age is the age of Pushkin and Russian classics. It became the basis for revealing the talents of the poets of the Silver Age. In Anna Akhmatova's "Poem Without a Hero" we find the lines:

And the silver moon is bright
Floated over the Silver Age.

Chronologically, the Silver Age lasted one and a half to two decades, but in terms of saturation it can be safely called a century. It turned out to be possible thanks to the creative interaction of people of rare talents. The artistic picture of the Silver Age is multi-layered and contradictory. Various artistic trends, creative schools, individual non-traditional styles arose and intertwined. The art of the Silver Age paradoxically connected the old and the new, the outgoing and the emerging, turning into a harmony of opposites, forming a culture of a special kind. In that turbulent time, there was a unique overlap between the realistic traditions of the outgoing golden age and new artistic trends. A. wrote: "The sun of naive realism has set." It was a time of religious quest, fantasy and mysticism. The synthesis of the arts was recognized as the highest aesthetic ideal. Symbolist and futuristic poetry, music that claims to be philosophy, decorative painting, a new synthetic ballet, decadent theater, and the modern architectural style arose. Poets M. Kuzmin and B. composed music. Composers Scriabin, Rebikov, Stanchinsky practiced some in philosophy, some in poetry and even in prose. The development of art was accelerated, with great "heat", giving rise to hundreds of new ideas.
By the end of the 19th century, symbolist poets, who later became known as "senior" symbolists, loudly declared themselves - Z. Gippius, D. Merezhkovsky, K. Balmont, F. Sologub, N. Minsky. Later, a group of poets "Young Symbolists" arose - A. Bely, A. Blok, Vyach. Ivanov. A group of acmeist poets was formed - N., O., S. Gorodetsky, A. and others. Poetic futurism appears (A. Kruchenykh, V., V. Mayakovsky). But with all the diversity and variety of manifestations in the work of artists of that time, similar trends are observed. The change was based on common roots. The remnants of the feudal system disintegrated, there was a "fermentation of minds" in the pre-revolutionary era. This created a completely new environment for the development of culture.
In poetry, music, painting of the Silver Age, one of the main themes was the theme of the freedom of the human spirit in the face of Eternity. Artists sought to unravel the eternal mystery of the universe. Some approached this from a religious standpoint, while others admired the beauty of the world created by God. Many artists perceived death as a different existence, as a happy deliverance from the torments of a suffering human soul. The cult of love was unusually strong, intoxication with the sensual beauty of the world, the elements of nature, the joy of life. The concept of "love" was deeply suffered. Poets wrote about love for God, for Russia. In the poetry of A. Blok, Vl. Solovyov, V. Bryusov, Scythian chariots rush, pagan Russia is reflected on the canvases of N. Roerich, Petrushka dances in the ballets of I. Stravinsky, a Russian fairy tale is recreated (“Alyonushka” by V. Vasnetsov, “Leshy” by M. Vrubel).
Valery at the beginning of the twentieth century became a generally recognized theorist and leader of Russian symbolism. He was a poet, prose writer, literary critic, scientist, encyclopedically educated person. The beginning of Bryusov's creative activity was the publication of three collections "Russian Symbolists". He admired the poetry of the French Symbolists, which was reflected in the collections Masterpieces, This Is Me, The Third Guard, To the City and the World.
Bryusov showed great interest in other cultures, in ancient history, in antiquity, he created universal images. In his poems, the Assyrian king Assargadon appears as if alive, the Roman legions and the great commander Alexander the Great pass by, medieval Venice, Dante and much more are shown. Bryusov was in charge of the major Symbolist magazine Libra. Although Bryusov was considered a recognized master of symbolism, the principles of writing in this direction were more affected by early poems, such as "Creativity", "To a Young Poet".
Idealistic thinking soon gave way to earthly, objectively significant themes. Bryusov was the first to see and predict the onset of a brutal industrial age. He sang of human thought, new discoveries, was interested in aviation, predicted flights into space. For her amazing performance, she called Bryusov a "hero of labor." In the poem "Work" he formulated his life goals:

I want to know the secrets
Life is wise and simple.
All paths are extraordinary
The path of labor is like a different path.

Bryusov remained in Russia until the end of his life, in 1920 he founded the Institute of Literature and Art. Bryusov translated the works of Dante, Petrarch, Armenian poets.
Konstantin was widely known as a poet, enjoyed great popularity in the last ten years of the 19th century, and was an idol of youth. Balmont's work lasted more than 50 years and fully reflected the state of transition at the turn of the century, the fermentation of the minds of that time, the desire to withdraw into a special, fictional world. At the beginning of his career, Balmont wrote many political poems in which he created a cruel image of Tsar Nicholas II. They were secretly passed from hand to hand like leaflets.
Already in the first collection "Under the Northern Sky" the poet's poems acquire elegance of form and musicality.
The theme of the sun runs through all the work of the poet. The image of the life-giving sun for him is a symbol of life, wildlife, with which he always felt an organic connection:

I came to this world to see the sun
And blue vision.
I came to this world to see the Sun.
And the heights of the mountains.
I came to this world to see the Sea
And the lush color of the valleys.
I made worlds. in one glance,
I am the master...

In the poem "Non-verbose" Balmont ingeniously notices the special state of Russian nature:

There is a tired tenderness in Russian nature,
The silent pain of hidden sadness
Hopelessness of grief, voicelessness, boundlessness,
Cold heights, leaving gave.

The very title of the poem speaks of the absence of action, of the immersion of the human soul into a state of wise contemplation. The poet conveys various shades of sadness, which, growing, pours out tears:

And the heart forgave, but the heart froze,
And cries, and cries, and cries involuntarily.

The poets of the Silver Age were able to give capacity and depth to the content of poems with bright strokes, which reflected the flow of feelings and emotions, the complex life of the soul.

SILVER AGE OF RUSSIAN POETRY

The phenomenon that we have dubbed the "Silver Age" arose at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It covers a relatively short historical period, approximately from 1870 to 1917. It is customary for them to designate a special, new, in comparison with the previous, state of Russian poetry. The Russian religious philosopher and poet Vladimir Solovyov opens a long series of names. In his mystical poems, he called to escape from the power of material and temporal existence to the other world - the eternal and beautiful world. This idea of ​​two worlds - "two worlds" - was deeply assimilated by the entire subsequent poetic tradition. Among the writers who accepted Solovyov's ideas, the notion of the poet as a theurgist, magician, "mystery and secret creator of life" was established. They establish in their midst a rather elitist "fluent language of hints, innuendos" that is not accessible to everyone, which has become the true language of the poetry of the 20th century. The literature of this period is a heterogeneous, bright and diverse phenomenon. In it, Russian poetry has come a long way in a very short time. Theories and doctrines of various groups, schools, currents often contradicted each other, diverging from living creative skill. Just listing the names, each of which is the honor and pride of Russian literature, can take more than one page. In addition to Solovyov, these are Bryusov and Annensky, Vyach. Ivanov and Dm. Merezhkovsky, Blok and Gumilyov, Osip Mandelstam and Anna Akhmatova, Bunin and Voloshin, Sergei Yesenin, Marina Tsvetaeva, Pasternak, Mayakovsky, Khlebnikov, and so on almost ad infinitum, to the indistinct muttering of Alexei Kruchenykh, to the Cubo-Futurists Burdyukov. It seems that everything that could happen in poetry, everything that could happen in it - everything has already happened and happened in the Silver Age. It was crowded on the poetic Parnassus. Symbolists thought on the tower of Vyacheslav Ivanov: That a fallen leaf is a pure gift; That the look around is a crimson verse... And over the funeral brocade So the face of death is clear and quiet. And the white moon blooms On the ghostly firmament - so pure!.. And, like a prayer, a burning leaf flies off from the mute trees. And while Balmont and Sologub were looking for inspiration in the traditions of the past century, the futurists were hooligans, the young provincials Mayakovsky and Khlebnikov invented tricks and amused the people. "We will drag Pushkin by his icy mustache," they stated their task in culture. However, they also have an abyss of talent and poetic perfection: Winging the thinnest veins with golden writing, the Grasshopper in the body of the belly laid many coastal herbs and faiths in the body of the belly. / Kick, kick, kick! Zizever rumbled. Oh swan! Oh shine! Poetry of the future is being created before the eyes of an astonished audience. Words, stanzas, images arise from nothing, which before that could not even be conceived. Through the efforts of hundreds of poets, they are introduced into the everyday life of culture, become its flesh, the imperishable silver of its genes: I fed the flock from my hand with the key Under the flapping of wings, splashing and screaming. I stretched out my arms, I stood on my toes, The sleeve was wrapped up, the night was rubbing against my elbow. B. Pasternak This is the only way to express the miracle of music and the miracle of a musician. Poets of the Silver Age speak absolutely modern, lively, convenient Russian. They found for him some new, unusual role for him. If earlier the subject of poetry was the feelings of "whispering, gentle breathing", which was called lyrics, or the same feelings, but already directed outward, to the Motherland, to the people, which was also called lyrics, but already civil, then in the poetry of the Silver Age, poetry is aimed at herself. The Russian language itself became its object, the subject of description. The incredible happened - as if a ray of light fell on a beautiful, perfectly cut diamond. Everything lit up, began to play, and a new, hitherto unknown beauty appeared to the world - the perfection of language. The poets were stunned by the opportunity to express any hidden feeling or experience on it. A hint, a sign, and sometimes just silence, in one line give a symbol of the world, a state of mind - to express the inexpressible. The Silver Age used these opportunities to the fullest. Thus the seeds of the future were sown. I would like to believe that the thread of legends and traditions will not break and the energy of radiation will not only warm our souls and nourish our minds, but will retain itself in the next millennium. I drink the bitterness of tuberoses, the bitterness of autumn skies And in them your betrayal is a burning stream. I drink the bitterness of evenings, nights and crowded gatherings, I drink raw bitterness of the sobbing stanza. Boris Pasternak

If the Pushkin period is called the Golden Age, then the Silver Age cannot be associated with any one name. He left us irretrievably almost a century ago, but his music is still heard. This period is the boundary between the 19th and 20th centuries. The poets of the Silver Age fiercely defended their vision of the world in the struggle of different directions. Their poems were unusually lyrical and musical in their experiences and hopes for the future.

The emergence of symbolism

The history of the appearance of the name "Silver Age" is unknown. It more symbolizes the spiritual and artistic growth of the early 20th century. An extraordinary upsurge occurred in all areas relating to the spiritual life of Russia, as well as in science and technology. Poetry very subtly captured the contradictions of spiritual growth and the premonition of an approaching catastrophe.

The basis of all literary trends was modernism, the purpose of which was the transformation of the world and the spiritual rebirth of man. The most significant was symbolism, which became a social phenomenon. The poets of the Silver Age tried to penetrate the secrets of the universe through symbols that they themselves created and which had a multi-valued meaning. The existing world was recognized by them as secondary, which was a distorted reflection of the divine principle. They were looking for ways to unite these worlds through symbols.

Poets of symbolism

Alexander Blok made a significant contribution to the development of symbolism. In his youth, he considered the feminine principle to be the basis of the world, elevating it to the upper limit of perfection. In the future, he expanded the direction of symbolism, stepping beyond it. Blok's work is not only pre-revolutionary lyrics, but also the beginning of a new Soviet poetry. Feeling the contact of dreams with reality, the poet felt a sharp contradiction between them. On the one hand, he invaded the world of illusions and mysticism, but this did not lead him to the truth, to which he so aspired.

Having experienced love disappointments, Blok did not depart from romanticism, accepting the revolution as an outbreak of the people's elements. Departing from symbolism to realism, Blok again returned back, realizing that only through art can one get closer to the truth:

Know where the light is, you will understand where the darkness is.
Let everything go slowly
What is holy in the world, what is sinful in it,
Through the heat of the soul, through the coldness of the mind.

Dmitry Merezhkovsky was constantly looking for the spiritual foundations of life, trying to give his own new assessment of the classics. As a pioneer of symbolism, he developed the themes of hopelessness, loneliness and split personality:

You yourself are your God, you yourself are your neighbor,
Oh, be your own Creator,
Be a bottomless top, a bottomless bottom,
Its beginning and end.

Zinaida Gippius was looking for ways to develop Russian artistic culture through philosophical ideas and symbolism, opposing realism.

The work of Vladimir Solovyov was oriented towards symbolism, representing the existing world as a hopeless reflection of the world of ideas:

Bes-winged spirit, earth-lea-lonen,
Se-bya for-the-former and for-the-byt god ...
Only one dream - and again, ok-ry-len-ny,
You are rushing up from the su-et-nyh anxieties.

Idealism and utopia raved all the poets of the Silver Age who supported symbolism. Vyacheslav Ivanov was looking for ways to overcome the disunity of people through ideas to save the world with beauty and art:

Thoughts without re-chi and feelings without naming
Ra-dos-tno-powerful pri-battle.
Shaky on a rash on hopes and desires
Smo-lo wave blue.

Innokenty Annensky was not a symbolist, but his poetry was in line with reality. No one else could so highly artistically describe the suffering of a lonely and painful soul.

Fyodor Sologub was one of the most active participants in the symbolist movement. Despair is expressed in his poetry. Sologub's poetry is very simple, but refined and expressive:

I am the god of ta-ins-twain-no-go mi-ra,
The whole world is in one of my dreams.
Not so-in-ryu se-be ku-world
Not on earth, not in heaven.

Acmeism

Russian poets of the Silver Age were divided among themselves by different directions, the number of which gradually increased. Valery Bryusov tried to unite all currents into one artistic system through historicism and rationalism. Over time, symbolism began to lose ground. The excessive musicality of the verse deprived it of its logical meaning. The pathos of religion and mysticism could not last long and became stereotyped.

By 1910, many poets of the Silver Age had departed from symbolism. Their list has thinned significantly with the advent of acmeism, which arose as a counterbalance, based on extremely clear and realistic poetry. Nikolai Gumilyov was the founder of this literary movement, but he himself contradicted it, taking listeners with his poems into the world of romance, chivalry and exoticism. Anna Akhmatova, a master of love lyrics, was in line with this trend.

Futurism

Representatives of a new trend - futurism - sought to destroy all foundations, claiming to be the art of the future. Vladimir Mayakovsky tried to convey the truth to the people and awaken them. Igor Severyanin, using neologisms in his poetry, created extraordinary poems in which music was heard.

Sergei Yesenin did not belong to any currents, creating symbolic images with the help of metaphors. His poems captured the unity of nature and the soul of a Russian person. Yesenin's lyrical images were truly artistic: "The scarlet light of dawn was woven on the lake. Capercaillie are crying on the forest with bells ...".

Sunset of the Silver Age

Most of the poets of the Silver Age perished during the civil war and during the period of repression. Some emigrated, but the spirit of freedom, supported by the motherland, was irretrievably lost. This amazing lyrics of the past made many think about the meaning of life and took deep roots in modern life. The poetry of the Silver Age still resounds today.