Biography and creativity of Tsvetaeva

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

One of the most difficult realizations for readers of biographies of great people is the simple fact that they were only human. Creativity, a brilliant flight of thought - this is just one of the facets of personality. Yes, descendants will see exactly her - but still this is only one single facet. The rest may be far from ideal. Many unflattering contemporaries wrote about Pushkin, Lermontov, Dostoevsky. Marina Tsvetaeva was no exception. The life and work of this poetess were in constant deep internal contradiction.

Childhood

Tsvetaeva is a native Muscovite. It was here that on September 26, 1892, she was born. Midnight from Saturday to Sunday, the feast of St. John the Theologian. Tsvetaeva, who was always reverent about coincidences and dates, especially those that added exoticism and drama, often noted this fact, saw in it a hidden sign.

The family was quite we althy. Father is a professor, philologist and art critic. Mother is a pianist, a creative and enthusiastic woman. She always sought to see in children the sprouts of future genius, instilled a love for music and art. Noticing that Marina was constantly rhyming something, her mother wrote with delight:“Maybe a poet will grow out of her!” Admiration, admiration for art - M. Tsvetaeva grew up in such an atmosphere. Creativity, all her subsequent life bore the imprint of this upbringing.

Education and upbringing

Tsvetaeva received an excellent education, knew several languages, lived with her mother in Germany, Italy and Switzerland, where she treated consumption. Visited Paris at the age of 16 to listen to lectures on classic Old French literature.

When Marina was 14, her mother died. The father paid a lot of attention to the children: Marina,her two sisters and brother. But he was more concerned with the education of children than upbringing. Perhaps that is why Tsvetaeva's work bears the imprint of early maturity and obvious emotional infantilism.

Many family friends noted that Marina has always been an extremely amorous and enthusiastic child. Too many emotions, too much passion. Feelings overwhelmed Marina, she could not control them, and did not want to. No one taught her this, on the contrary, they encouraged her, believing it to be a sign of a creative nature. Marina did not fall in love - she deified the object of her feelings. And this ability to revel in one's own feelings, to enjoy them, using them as fuel for creativity, Marina kept forever. Love in the work of Tsvetaeva is always ex alted, dramatic, enthusiastic. Not a feeling, but admiring it.

First verses

Marina started writing poetry early, from the age of six. Already at the age of 18 she published her own collection - with her own money, wrote an enthusiastic criticalarticle dedicated to Bryusov. This was another characteristic feature of her - the ability to sincerely admire literary idols. In combination with an undoubted epistolary gift, this feature helped Marina to establish a close acquaintance with many famous poets of that time. She admired not only poems, but also authors, and wrote about her feelings so sincerely that a literary review turned into a declaration of love. Much later, Pasternak's wife, after reading her husband's correspondence with Tsvetaeva, demanded to immediately stop communication - the words of the poetess sounded too intimate and passionate.

The price of enthusiasm

But that was Marina Tsvetaeva. Creativity, emotions, delight and love were life for her, not only in poetry, but also in letters. This was her trouble - not as a poet, but as a person. She didn't just feel, she fed on emotion.

The delicate mechanism of her talent worked on love, happiness and despair, like fuel, burning them. But for any feelings, for any relationship, you need at least two. Those who came across Tsvetaeva, who fell under the influence of her dazzling, like sparklers, feelings, always eventually became unhappy, no matter how wonderful everything was at first. Tsvetaeva was also unhappy. Life and creativity in her life intertwined too closely. She hurt people, and she herself did not realize it. In fact, I thought it was natural. Just another sacrifice on the altar of Art.

Marriage

At the age of 19, Tsvetaeva met a young handsome brunette. SergeyEfron was smart, effective, enjoyed the attention of ladies. Soon Marina and Sergey became husband and wife. Many of those who knew the poetess noted that the first time of her marriage she was happy. In 1912, her daughter Ariadne was born.

But the life and work of M. Tsvetaeva could exist only at the expense of each other. Or everyday life devoured poetry, or poetry - life. The 1913 collection consisted largely of old poems, and new ones needed passion.

Marina lacked family happiness. Marital love quickly became boring, Tsvetaeva's work required new fuel, new experiences and torments - the more the better.

Difficult to say if this led to actual infidelity. Marina was carried away, flared up with emotions and wrote, wrote, wrote … Naturally, the unfortunate Sergei Efron could not help but see this. Marina did not consider it necessary to hide her hobbies. Moreover, the involvement of another person in this emotional whirlwind only added drama, increased the intensity of passions. This was the world in which Tsvetaeva lived. The themes of the poetess's work, her bright, impetuous, passionate sensuality, sounding in verses, were two parts of one whole.

Saphic bond

In 1914, Tsvetaeva learned that not only men can be loved. Sofia Parnok, a talented poetess and brilliant translator, Russian Sappho, seriously captivated Marina. She left her husband, inspired and carried away by the sudden kinship of souls, sounding in unison. This strange friendship lasted for two years, full of the delight of falling in love and tender adoration. Quiteperhaps the connection was indeed platonic. Emotions are what Marina Tsvetaeva needed. The life and work of this poetess are like an endless pursuit of the object of love - love itself. Happy or unhappy, mutual or unrequited, to a man or a woman - it doesn’t matter. It is only the ecstasy of feelings that matters. Tsvetaeva wrote poems dedicated to Parnok, which were later included in the collection "Girlfriend".

In 1916, the connection ended, Tsvetaeva returned home. The meek Efron understood and forgave everything.

Peter Efron

The next year, two events take place simultaneously: Sergei Efron goes to the front as part of the White Army, and Marina's second daughter, Irina, is born.

However, the story of Efron's patriotic impulse is not so unambiguous. Yes, he came from a noble family, was a hereditary member of the People's Will, his convictions fully corresponded to the ideals of the White movement.

But there was one more thing. In the same 1914, Tsvetaeva wrote penetrating poems dedicated to Sergei's brother, Peter. He was sick - consumption, like Tsvetaeva's mother.

And he is seriously ill. He is dying. Tsvetaeva, whose life and work is a flame of feelings, lights up with this person. It can hardly be considered a novel in the normal sense of the word - but the love is obvious. She watches with painful enthusiasm the rapid extinction of the young man. She writes to him - as she can, hotly and sensually, passionately. She goes to see him in the hospital. Intoxicated by someone else's extinction, intoxicated by their own sublime pity andthe tragedy of feelings, Marina devotes more time and soul to this person than to her husband and daughter. After all, emotions, so bright, so blinding, so dramatic - these are the main themes of Tsvetaeva's work.

Love polygon

What was Sergei Efron supposed to feel? A man who turned from a husband into an annoying nuisance. The wife rushes between a strange friend and a dying brother, writes passionate poems and brushes aside Efron.

In 1915, Efron decides to become a nurse and go to the front. He goes to courses, finds a job on an ambulance train. What was it? A conscious, persuasion-driven choice or a gesture of desperation?

Marina suffers and worries, she rushes about, does not find a place for herself. However, Tsvetaeva's work only benefits from this. The poems dedicated to her husband during this period are among the most piercing and creepy. Despair, longing and love - in these lines the whole world.

Passion, corroding the soul, spills into poetry, this is the whole Tsvetaeva. The biography and work of this poetess form each other, feelings create poems and events, and events create poems and feelings.

Irina's tragedy

When in 1917 Efron, after graduating from ensign school, leaves for the front, Marina is left alone with two children.

What happened next, Tsvetaeva's biographers try to pass over in silence. The youngest daughter of the poetess, Irina, is dying of hunger. Yes, in those days it was not uncommon. But in this case, the situation was extremely strange. Marina herself repeatedly said that she did not love the youngest child. Contemporaries say,that she beat the girl, called her crazy and a fool. Perhaps the child really had mental disorders, or maybe this was the effect of bullying on the part of the mother.

In 1919, when the food became very bad, Tsvetaeva decides to send the children to a sanatorium, for state support. The poetess never liked to deal with everyday troubles, they irritated her, caused anger and despair. Unable to bear the fuss with two sick children, she, in fact, gives them to an orphanage. And then, knowing that there is practically no food there, she carries food only to one - the eldest, beloved. The unfortunate weakened three-year-old child cannot stand the hardships and dies. At the same time, Tsvetaeva herself, obviously, eats, if not normally, then tolerably. I have enough strength for creativity, for editing what has already been written earlier. Tsvetaeva herself spoke about the tragedy that had occurred: there was not enough love for the child. There just wasn't enough love.

Life with a genius

This was Marina Tsvetaeva. Creativity, feelings, aspirations of the soul were more important for her than living people who were nearby. Everyone who was too close to the fire of Tsvetaeva's creativity was scorched.

They say that the poetess became a victim of harassment and repression, could not stand the test of poverty and deprivation. But in the light of the tragedy of 1920, it is obvious that most of the suffering and anguish that befell Tsvetaeva is her fault. Voluntary or involuntary, but her. Tsvetaeva never considered it necessary to keep her feelings and desires in check, she was a creator - and thiseverything was said. The whole world was her workshop. It is difficult to expect from the people around Marina to perceive such an attitude with enthusiasm. Genius is, of course, wonderful. But from the side. Those who believe that relatives of creators should endure indifference, cruelty and narcissism only out of respect for talent simply did not live in such conditions themselves. And they hardly have the right to judge.

Reading a book with brilliant poetry is one thing. To die of hunger when your mother does not consider it necessary to feed you, simply because she does not love you, is completely different. Yes, the works of Akhmatova and Tsvetaeva are masterpieces of Silver Age poetry. But that doesn't mean that poets were necessarily good people.

Konstantin Rodzevich

With all the features of Tsvetaeva's character, with all her everyday, practical unsuitability, Efron still loved her. Once in Europe after the war, he called his wife and daughter there. Tsvetaeva went. For some time they lived in Berlin, then for three years - near Prague. There, in the Czech Republic, Tsvetaeva had another affair - with Konstantin Rodzevich. Again the fire of passion, again poetry. Tsvetaeva's work has been enriched with two new poems.

Biographers justify this infatuation with the fatigue of the poetess, her despair and depression. Rodzevich saw a woman in Tsvetaeva, and Marina yearned for love and admiration so much. Sounds pretty convincing. If you do not think about the fact that Tsvetaeva lived in a country that was starving. Tsvetaeva, by her own admission, caused the death of her daughter. Marina was repeatedly fond of other men, and not only men,forgetting about her husband. And after all this, he made every effort to help his wife get out of the starving country. He did not leave her - although, of course, he could. Not divorced upon arrival. No. He gave her shelter, food and the opportunity to live in peace. Of course, what kind of romance is there … It's boring. Ordinarily. What a new fan.

European hobbies of Tsvetaeva

According to some contemporaries, Tsvetaeva's son Georgy is not Efron's child at all. It is believed that the boy's father could be Rodzevich. But there is no exact information on this. Those who doubted Efron's paternity did not like Marina, considered her an extremely unpleasant, difficult and unprincipled person. And consequently, from all possible explanations, they chose the most unpleasant, discrediting name of the poetess. Did they have reasons for such dislike? Maybe. Should such sources be trusted? No. Prejudice is the enemy of truthfulness.

Besides, not only Rodzevich served as an object of passion for Tsvetaeva. It was then that she carried on a scandalous correspondence with Pasternak, which was cut off by the latter's wife, finding it outrageously frank. Since 1926, Marina has been writing to Rilke, and communication lasts long enough - until the death of the legendary poet.

Life in exile Tsvetaeva is unpleasant. She yearns for Russia, wants to return, complains of disorder and loneliness. The motherland in the work of Tsvetaeva in these years becomes the leading theme. Marina became interested in prose, she writes about Voloshin, about Pushkin, about Andrei Bely.

The husband at that time became interested in the ideas of communism, revised his attitude towards the Soviet government and even decided to participate inunderground activity.

1941 - suicide

Not only Marina is sick of returning to her homeland. The daughter, Ariadne, is also eager to go home - and she is really allowed to enter the USSR. Then Efron returns to his homeland, already by that time implicated in a murder with political overtones. And in 1939, after 17 years of emigration, Tsvetaeva finally also returned. The joy was short-lived. In August of the same year, Ariadne was arrested, in November - Sergei. Efron was shot in 1941, Ariadna received 15 years in the camps on charges of espionage. Tsvetaeva could not find out anything about their fate - she simply hoped that loved ones were still alive.

In 1941, the war began, Marina with her sixteen-year-old son leaves for Yelabuga, to be evacuated. She has no money, no job, inspiration left the poetess. Devastated, disappointed, lonely Tsvetaeva could not stand it and on 1941-31-08 committed suicide - hanged herself.

She was buried at the local cemetery. The exact resting place of the poetess is unknown - only approximately the area in which there are several graves. A memorial monument was erected there many years later. There is no single point of view regarding the exact burial place of Tsvetaeva.