Vasily Zhukovsky: biography and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Do you want to meet such a famous poet as Vasily Zhukovsky? A brief biography of him should be of interest to lovers of literature. Starting as a sentimentalist, Zhukovsky became one of the founders of Russian romanticism. His poetry is full of images of folk fantasy, melancholy dreams. Vasily Zhukovsky translated the works of J. Byron, F. Schiller, Homer's Odyssey. We invite you to learn more about his life and work.

Origin of V. A. Zhukovsky

Vasily Zhukovsky was born in with. Mishensky, Tula province, January 29, 1783. His father, A. I. Bunin, was the landowner of this village, and his mother was a captive Turkish woman. Vasily Zhukovsky received his patronymic and surname from a friend of the Bunins, Andrey Grigoryevich Zhukovsky. Shortly before the birth of the future poet, a terrible grief befell the Bunin family: in a short time, out of 11 people, six died, includingthe only son who studied at that time at the University of Leipzig. Maria Grigorievna, heartbroken, in memory of her son decided to take the newborn into her family and raise him as her own son.

Studying at a boarding school

Soon the boy became the favorite of the whole family. At the age of 14, Vasily entered the university boarding school in Moscow. He studied there for 4 years. The boarding school did not provide extensive knowledge, but under the guidance of teachers, students often gathered to read their literary experiments. The best of them were published in periodicals.

First works

Soon published his first works and Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky. His biography was marked by his debut in print in 1797. The first published work is "Thoughts at the Tomb". It was created under the impression of the death of V. A. Yushkova. During the period of study at the boarding school (from 1797 to 1801), the following works of Zhukovsky were published: in 1797 - "May Morning", in 1798 - "Virtue", in 1800 - "Peace" and "To Tibullu", in 1801 - " To the person" and others. All of them are dominated by a melancholic note. The poet is struck by the transience of everything earthly, the fragility of life, which seems to him full of suffering and tears. This mood was due mainly to the literary tastes of the time. The fact is that the first works of Vasily Andreevich appeared when many admired Karamzin's "Poor Lisa", published in 1792year. Countless imitations arose.

However, not everything was explained by fashion. The circumstances of the birth of Vasily Zhukovsky were not forgotten either by others or by himself. He had an ambiguous position in the world. The poet's childhood and youth were not happy.

First transfer, return to the village

The first translation of Zhukovsky's novel "The Boy at the Stream" by Kotzebue (1801) also belongs to the time of studying at the boarding school. Vasily Andreevich, upon completion of the course of study, entered the service, but soon decided to leave it. He settled in Mishenskoye in order to continue his education.

Creativity of 1802-1808

In 1803, Zhukovsky's story "Vadim Novgorodsky" was written and published. It shows that around this time the poet began to study the history of Ancient Russia.

During his life in the countryside (1802-1808), Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky practically did not print his works. His biography is marked by the appearance of only a few new creations. In the "Bulletin of Europe" in 1802, his famous "Rural Cemetery" was placed - an alteration or free translation from Gray. This work immediately attracted attention. Naturalness and simplicity became a new discovery of the time when grandiloquent pseudo-classicism still dominated. Around the same time, Zhukovsky created Maryina Roscha, a story written in imitation of Poor Liza.

Vasily Andreevich in 1806 responded to the general patrioticmood "Song of the bard over the coffin of the victorious Slavs". "Lyudmila" appeared in 1808. It was a reworking of Burger's Lenore. It was with the ballad "Lyudmila" that romanticism entered Russian literature. Vasily Andreevich was captured by that side of him, where he is striving deep into the Middle Ages, into the world of medieval legends and legends.

Zhukovsky was inspired by the success of "Lyudmila". Alterations and translations from that time continuously follow one after the other. Vasily Andreevich translated mainly German poets. And his most successful creations are associated with the creations of Schiller. At this time, Zhukovsky also created original works. For example, the first part of the poem "The Twelve Sleeping Maidens" under the title "Thunderbolt" appeared, as well as several prose articles.

Move to Moscow, editorial activities

At the same time, Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky became the editor of Vestnik Evropy. His brief biography is marked by moving to Moscow to fulfill this position. The editorial activity continued for two years, from 1809 to 1810. First, Vasily Andreevich worked alone, then together with Kachenovsky. Vestnik Evropy finally moved to the latter.

Zhukovskiy's Heart Drama

After that, Zhukovsky returned to his village and experienced a deep heartfelt drama here. A few years ago, he began to study with his nieces, the daughters of E. A. Protasova, the youngest daughter of the landowner Bunin. Ekaterina Afanasyevna had been widowed not long before and settled in Belev. Vasily Andreevich passionately fell in love with Maria Protasova, his eldest student. The favorite motifs of his lyrics are dreams of mutual love and family happiness. However, Zhukovsky's feelings soon took on a melancholy tone. Family ties made this love impossible in the eyes of others. The poet had to carefully hide his feelings. Only in poetic outpourings did it find a way out. However, without interfering with the scientific studies of Zhukovsky. With particular zeal, he began to study history, Russian and universal, and acquired a thorough knowledge.

"A singer in the camp of Russian soldiers" and "Svetlana"

Zhukovsky in 1812 decided to ask for the hand of Maria Protasova from her mother, but received a decisive refusal. Family relations interfered with marriage. Vasily Andreevich soon after that left for Moscow. Here Zhukovsky Vasily Andreevich joined the militia. Briefly about this experience, we can say the following. Carried away by the patriotic enthusiasm with which the Russian troops were captured, in the camp near Tarutin Zhukovsky wrote "A Singer in the Camp of Russian Warriors". This work immediately gained great popularity. It was distributed in thousands of lists throughout the army and throughout Russia. Zhukovsky's new ballad "Svetlana" also refers to 1812. Despite the Russian introduction, the motives of Burger's "Lenora" were developed in this work.

Life and work of Zhukovsky at court

Not for longthe military life of Vasily Zhukovsky continued. He contracted typhus in late 1812 and retired in January 1813. In 1814, the "Message to Emperor Alexander" appeared, after which Empress Maria Feodorovna wanted Zhukovsky to come to St. Petersburg. Maria Protasova in 1817 married Professor Mayer. In the poetry of Zhukovsky and later dreams of love will sound. However, the girl was in poor he alth and in 1823 she died. Will Vasily Zhukovsky be able to forget Maria Protasova and find a life partner? A biography of his later years will give you the answer to this question.

Basic notes of Zhukovsky's poetry

"Longing of love", "striving into the distance", "sorrow for the unknown", "languishing separation" - these are the main notes of Vasily Andreevich's poetry. Her character almost completely depended on the mystical mood of Zhukovsky, caused by unfulfilled dreams of love. Thus, the circumstances of the time, the sentimental literary tastes that prevailed in society, suited the poet's personal feelings in the best possible way. Zhukovsky, by introducing romantic content into his work, significantly expanded the sentimentalism of Russian literature, which had established itself before him. However, developing new motives in his works, he followed mainly the indications of personal feeling.

The poet Vasily Zhukovsky took from medieval romanticism only what corresponded to his own mystical dreams and aspirations. The significance of his work was that Zhukovsky's poetry, being subjective, at the same timeserved the general interests of the development of literature. His subjectivism was an important step on the path of liberating verbal creativity from the pseudo-classical coldness. Zhukovsky brought into literature the world of inner life, hitherto practically unknown to it.

The period from 1817 to 1841 - the time when Vasily Andreevich lived at court. At first he was a teacher of the Russian language. His students were Princesses Elena Pavlovna and Alexandra Feodorovna. And since 1825, Vasily Andreevich became the tutor of Alexander Nikolayevich, heir to the throne. At this time, Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky often traveled abroad. The poet went there both on official business and for treatment.

Zhukovsky's travels and new works

Zhukovsky's works appear at this time as if by accident. For example, having gone to Switzerland and Germany in the autumn of 1820, Vasily Andreevich set about translating Schiller's "Maid of Orleans" in Berlin. In 1821 he graduated from it. And under the impression of the Chillon castle, located in Switzerland, a translation of Byron's Prisoner of Chillon was created (in 1822).

Vasily Zhukovsky spent the winter of 1832-33. at Lake Geneva. A number of translations from Herder, Schiller, Uhland, fragments of the Iliad, etc. appeared at this time. Vasily Andreevich traveled in 1837 to Russia and part of Siberia together with the heir to the throne. And in 1838-39. he went with him to Western Europe. Zhukovsky in Rome became close to Gogol, which influenced the development of a mystical mood in his later work.

Marriage

Classes withheir ended in the spring of 1841. The influence that Zhukovsky had on him was beneficial. And now we will answer the question of how the personal life of Vasily Zhukovsky developed. In Düsseldorf on April 21, 1841, the marriage of Vasily Andreevich (he was already 58 years old at that time) took place with the 18-year-old daughter of the painter Reitern, his old friend. Zhukovsky spent the last 12 years of his life in Germany with his wife's family.

Vasily Zhukovsky: biography of recent years

In the first year of marriage, he wrote the fairy tales "The Tulip Tree", "Puss in Boots", "About Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf". A translation of the Odyssey (the first volume) appeared in 1848, and the second in 1849. Unfortunately, Zhukovsky Vasily Andreevich did not have time to finish the poem "The Wandering Jew". His brief biography ends in Baden-Baden in 1852, on April 7th. It was then that Vasily Andreevich died. He left his wife, daughter and son. But not only them. Zhukovsky Vasily Andreevich left us a great artistic legacy.

His work is included in the school literature curriculum. To this day, many people read the works of Vasily Andreevich, and interest in his personality does not fade away. So you got acquainted with the biography of such a great Russian poet as Vasily Zhukovsky. We have only briefly described his work, but it deserves a detailed study. It is certainly worth continuing your acquaintance with this poet.