Fet Afanasy Afanasyevich
“Fet is the most tender singer of elusive sensations,
airy, like the edges of evening clouds,
and strangely transparent,
like the quiet, eerie waters of a deep backwater..."
K. Balmont
The poetry of A. Fet is undoubtedly one of the peaks of Russian classical poetry. It is not so broad in scope, butunusually rich in various shades of feeling and emotional states. Nature and love were the main themes of Fet's works. But in this relatively narrow area his talent manifested itself with great brilliance.A poet of great emotional power, Fet was especially skilled at conveying the nuances of feelings, vague, fugitive, barely emerging moods.
Critics noted “the poet’s ability to catch the elusive, to give an image and name to what before him was nothing more than a vague, fleeting sensation of the human soul, a sensation without image or name” (A.V. Druzhinin).
His poetry entered my perception of the world not in childhood with poems about nature, but in adolescence with poems about love with first love, hopes, first disappointments and tears. I still remember this stunning shock from the number of emotions, moods, and words of his poems, which, it seemed to me, reflected the movements of my soul, which I myself was not able to describe. He taught me to experience all shades of happiness, unhappiness, grief, fear, light sadness, sympathy, hope. And, most importantly, to be able to talk about these feelings... In my opinion, this was the time when the “soul worked” and grew, so as not to remain flat and deaf, for which there is only black and white, good and bad. This is the main merit of A. Fet’s poetry.
He rightfully took his place in Russian literature, and occupies one of the leading places in terms of frequency of citation. Remember “I came to you with greetings To tell you that the sun has risen”, “At dawn you don’t wake her, At dawn she sleeps so sweetly”, “Whispers, timid breathing, Trills of a nightingale”, “No, I haven’t changed. Until deep old age I am the same devotee, I am a slave of your love”, “Wonderful picture, How dear you are to me: White Plain, Full Moon”...
Give yourself half an hour, fifteen minutes and in silence read A. Fet’s poems out loud, together, with your loved ones or with your children. Read in a room in silence, in the alleys of quiet parks, on the edge of the forest and you will immediately feel the foggy haze, fragrant spring, the sad babble of a leaf, the growth of a midnight flower...
One cannot but agree with K. Chukovsky: “Reading Feta is sweeter than any wine... I began to read Feta, one poem after another, and still could not stop, chose my favorites and experienced such bliss that it seemed that my heart could not stand it - and I could not imagine that there are people somewhere for whom this is dead and unnecessary...”
Loving this poet, in my youth I never looked at his portrait. For me, he seemed like a beautiful, tall, slender young man with an amazing name and an amazing surname. How else could an acutely suffering and sensitive person look?
Today, looking at the portrait of A. Fet, already knowing his difficult life, I understand that two personalities lived in him, each with their own amazing world.
The poet’s fate intertwined so much incredible and tragic that, perhaps, it would have been enough for more than one person and could have become the plot for, for example, Alexandre Dumas to create another novel in the spirit of the Count of Monte Cristo.
First of all, these are two secrets - birth and death.
It all started in 1820, when a Russian landowner Afanasy Shenshin, not rich, not handsome, not in his first youth, appeared in a small German town.
It is difficult to understand why he captivated the young German Charlotte Fet, but she abandoned her husband, father, one-year-old daughter, everything near and dear and fled with Shenshin to Russia, to his estate. And on October 29, 1820, the future poet was born in the village of Novoselki, Oryol province.
When Afanasy turned 14 years old, the boy found himself “without a surname.” The authorities decided that “the said Afanasy cannot be recognized as the son of Captain Shenshin” (since Charlotte Fet married Shenshin after the birth of her son, and came to Russia 2 months before the birth of the child). The boy was deprived of the Shenshin surname, all the privileges associated with the title of nobleman, and the right to receive an inheritance. For Fet, this was a blow, the consequences of which he experienced throughout his life. From that moment on, Fet had a fixed idea to regain the title of nobleman, at any cost.
All his life Fet considered his renaming to be a grave disaster. Having carried the name Fet for thirty years and glorified it, he writes to his wife: “If you ask: what are the names of all the sufferings, all the sorrows of my life, I will answer: their name is Fet.”
Previously, in literary criticism there were several versions about the birth of A. Fet. But already in 2002, the publication of the so-called “Darmstadt documents” appeared, which shed the truth on A. Fet’s first secret. I wish the readers to figure out this purely detective story for themselves based on the article by Alexander Nikolaevich Nikolyukin (Literary Studies Magazine No. 30 Series “Literary Studies Journal”, book 30 http://www.litres.ru/pages/biblio_book/?art=10215360 Literary Studies Journal No. 30 ). I concluded that the poet’s true surname is Shenshin!
For 14 years he was the first son of a nobleman with a huge and illustrious pedigree, all privileges belonged to him. And suddenly, in an instant, the parents themselves deprive him of this in order to save the honor of his father, who was put on trial due to the illegality of the marriage. So, in the end, the boy received an “honest surname”, which became a source of dishonor and misfortune for him.
Ridicule, awkward questions, outright bullying rained down on the young man’s head at the Krummer boarding house in the town of Veero. In 1838, Fet entered the verbal department of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow University. The passion for poetry and the emerging belief in one’s own poetic recognition were, of course, the reason for choosing the faculty. Just 2 years later, his first poetry collection “Lyrical Pantheon” was published, about which V. Belinsky said: “Of the poets living in Moscow, Mr. Fet is the most talented.”
But A. Fet cannot concentrate on creativity and devote himself to poetry. He does not forget for a minute about his dream - to become a Russian nobleman. He sees its implementation through military service, because the officer rank at that time gave hereditary nobility. But here, too, disappointment awaited him; the new manifestos gave the right to confer the title of nobility only with the rank of colonel. But Fet does not dare to leave military service: his new prepared collection is considered unprofitable by publishers. And he sees no other means of livelihood. The poet's life passes among barracks drills, in spiritual isolation.
At this time, the poet meets with the daughter of a small nobleman, Maria Lazic. An amazingly poetic and at the same time tragic story, worthy of the pen of a novelist.
She was a serious, educated girl, an excellent musician, and a lover of poetry. Her pretty appearance and inner beauty captivated Fet. And she herself fell recklessly in love with someone whose poetry she considered the pinnacle of perfection. A romance ensued.Fet spent many confidential evenings with Maria Lazich, love flared up more and more each time. They needed each other. However, Fet already understood that marriage was impossible for him... “I will not marry Lazic, and she knows this, and yet she begs us not to interrupt our relationship... This is the Gordian knot of love... which the more I tighten, the tighter I tie it , but I don’t have the spirit or strength to cut it with a sword...” (from a letter). It is impossible for Fet to part with his dream of nobility. Agree, amazing determination, for the sake of which he, 28 years old, is ready to throw love into the flames of the fire!
He brutally breaks off relations with his beloved, despite her pleas.
But soon a tragedy occurs - Maria burns down in her Kherson house. Burning, she shouted: “In the name of heaven, save the letters!”... Her torment lasted for another four days. “Is it possible to suffer more than I did on the cross?” - her lips rustled. And just before her death, Maria managed to whisper her last words, largely mysterious, but in them forgiveness was sent to her loved one: “It’s not his fault, but I...”. On the fiery altar of love were laid humane happiness and life itself.
Yesterday's dowryless woman, submissive, rejected, ready to follow the poet at his first call, suddenly becomes inaccessible and regally majestic. From now on, it is she who becomes the inspirer of poetic lines filled with repentance, sadness and love. It was after the death of his beloved that motifs and images associated with fire became stable in Fetov’s lyrics, be it a blazing fire, a blazing fireplace, or a flickering candle flame.
From the poet's pen came words of love, repentance, and longing, often surprising in their fearless frankness. M. Lazic is dedicated to one of Fet’s best poems, written by him in his declining years - “Alter Ego”:
How a lily looks into a mountain stream,
You stood over my first song,
And was there a victory, and whose, -
Is it near a stream from a flower, is it near a flower from a stream?
You understood everything with your infant soul,
What did the secret power give me to say?
And although I am destined to drag out life without you,
But we are together with you, we cannot be separated.
That grass that is in the distance, on your grave,
And I know, sometimes looking at the stars,
That we looked at them like gods and you.
Love has words, those words will not die.
A special judgment awaits you and me;
He will be able to immediately distinguish us in the crowd,
And we will come together, we cannot be separated!
Fet's fate changed dramatically in 1853. He manages to go toGuards Life Ulan Regiment, and Fet gets the opportunity to visit oftenPetersburg, meet with writers. His poems are published in “Contemporary”, his name is becoming more and more famous.
In 1857, Fet married M.P. Botkina, the daughter of a large tea merchant andsister of the critic V.F. Botkin. Marya Petrovna was an educated woman,a good musician. She became her husband's assistant in both literary andeconomic affairs. But most importantly, she was heartily devoted to her husband, tied to him. Fet always felt this and could not help but be grateful. His dream has come true: he is happy, rich...
But fate still does not allow him to enjoy happiness! After attacks from critics, he flees to the village, becomes a zealous owner, and serves as a fair justice of the peace for ten years. Afanasy Fet allocated seventeen years to improve the living conditions of hundreds of peasants, to build schools and hospitals for them. During all this time - not a single poem. With old poems it’s even worse. “For 26 years, not even a thousand copies of my collection have been sold...”
In 1873, already a famous poet and wealthy landowner, without any practical need for this, he directly turned to Emperor Alexander II, and then the highest decree was issued on the “attachment of the retired guard headquarters captain Af. Af. Fet to the family of his father Shenshin, with all the rights, rank and family belonging to him.” From now on, he will sign all his letters only with Shenshin’s name, even the tagson the silverware he orders to be redone.The struggle for the return of the hereditary nobility lasted about 40 years. Many did not understand Afanasy Afanasyevich’s activity in this area. The phrase of Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev is well known: “Like Fet, you had a name; like Shenshin, you only have a surname.” (Turgenev I.S. Complete works and letters. T. 10. M. 1994. p. 339).
He thought differently.Two names corresponded to two images of this man: the hereditary Russian nobleman Shenshin, persecuted by an evil fate from a young age, and Afanasy Fet, a rootless poet who officiates in the temple of art. One of his comic messages to academician F.E. Korshu ends with these words:
I am among the crying Shenshin,
And Fet I am only among the singers.
(“Member of the Academy is sick…”, 1887)
The attitude towards Fet has always been ambiguous. For example, the following statement by D. Pisarev is known: “Over time, Mr. Fet’s works will only be used for wrapping tallow candles, Meshchera cheese and smoked fish.” And he defeated everyone. In some ways, even death itself.
The rumor was that, as soon as Repin finished the portraits of Mussorgsky, Pisemsky, Pirogov, the Italian stage master Mereya d'Argenteau, they were soon gone. Of course, it was somehow forgotten that Mussorgsky was known as a heavy drinker, Pirogov had been ill for a long time, Argento was very intemperate in the pleasures of life.The craving for mysticism and all sorts of strange mysteries, strong at all times, outweighed here too.
It got to the point that the famous collector of paintings, the creator of the Tretyakov Gallery, Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, was afraid to order a portrait of the elderly poet Tyutchev from Repin. But still I couldn’t resist - I ordered it. So what would you think? As soon as the artist took up his brush, the poet fell ill and soon died. It is not without reason that strange and mystical guesses have spread among artists: they say, “Repin has an extraordinary ability to melt the living flesh and blood of the human body into paints” (http://www.iv-obdu.ru/content/view/1009/169/)
When Repin painted that same canonical portrait of A. Fet, with a beard and squinting eyes, everyone decided that Fet would certainly be in trouble. And here he deceived everyone. No, Fet, of course, died. But only eleven years later.
On November 21, 1892, the poet solemnly drank a glass of champagne, greatly surprising his wife, and then found an excuse and sent her away from home. When Maria Petrovna left, Fet called his secretary and dictated: “I don’t understand the deliberate increase in inevitable suffering. I voluntarily go towards the inevitable.” And he signed: “November 21, Fet (Shenshin).” He then grabbed a steel stiletto used for cutting papers and tried to hit himself in the temple. But the secretary, having injured her hand, snatched the stiletto from the old man and wanted to give him a sedative. While she was pouring the mixture into a glass, Fet ran out of the room and rushed to the dining room. The old man grabbed the door of the kitchen drawer with one hand, and with the other he reached for the knife, but could not take it. The secretary found Fet lying on the floor. Leaning towards him, she could hardly make out only one word in his incoherent whisper: “Voluntarily...”. Having said this, the poet lost consciousness and died a few minutes later...Fet's funeral took place in the village of Kleimenov. The ashes of the famous Russian poet still rest here, on the Shenshin family estate. And until now, all lovers, rejoicing and sadness, read the poems of A. Fet, which teach our soul humanity, and therefore love...
Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet is a Russian lyric poet and translator of German origin. Fet was born on November 23, 1820 in the village of Novoselki in the Oryol province, and died on November 21, 1892 in Moscow. Contemporaries were always amazed by the writer's literary lyricism, successfully combined with the enterprise of a successful landowner.
Biography
The poet was born into the family of Oryol landowner Afanasy Shenshin and Charlotte-Elizabeth Becker, who left her native Germany. The young writer gained knowledge in the German private boarding house Krummer, where his love for poetry and philology first manifested itself. Fet's further education was carried out by Moscow University.
In 1845, when Afanasy graduated from the university, military service awaited him. 12 months later, the hardworking lyricist received his first military rank. In 1853, on duty, he arrived in St. Petersburg, after being transferred to the local guards regiment. A year later, the young man served in the Baltic port; memories of this period formed the basis for his further memoirs, “My Memories.” Fet retired in 1858, settling in Moscow after completing his military service. But he didn’t forget about the northern capital either - he often visited St. Petersburg, looking for inspiration and meeting friends from his youth.
In 1857, Afanasy Afanasyevich proposed to Maria Botkina, who was the sister of the famous literary critic. Subsequently, Fet acquired an estate in Mtsensk district, where he and his wife were engaged in the development of agriculture: they grew grain crops, maintained a small horse farm, kept cattle, and raised bees and birds. The profit received from the family farm was the main source of family income.
In 1867, Fet was elected to the post of justice of the peace. The writer's judicial practice lasted 11 years and ended in 1878.
The poet died of a heart attack; according to unverified information, before this he tried to take his own life by committing an unsuccessful suicide. The lyricist was buried in the village of Kleymenovo on the family estate.
Creative path
Fet's works were published in newspapers and magazines even while he was studying at the university. The first full-fledged work of the young lyricist was published in 1840 - it was a collection of poems “Lyrical Pantheon”, written in collaboration with his university friend Apollo Grigoriev. In 1842, publications were published in the magazines “Otechestvennye zapiski” and “Moskvityanin”.
During his service, Afanasy Afanasyevich does not forget about the creative component of his life. The second collection appeared in 1850, and in 1856 the third was ready. These works receive positive reviews from critics and experienced journalists. A little later, Fet will meet the editors of Sovremennik and even start friendly relations with local writers. Good reviews of his works allow the poet to gain recognition from the common population.
From 1862 to 1871, short stories, stories and essays were published, including the cycle of works “From the Village”, “Notes on Freelance Labor” and a two-volume collection of poems. Fet clearly distinguishes literary activity, considering poetry a tool for expressing romantic feelings, and prose a reflection of the real state of affairs.
Later, issues of “Evening Lights” are published. In the 90s, the book “My Memories” appeared, describing Fet’s entire life’s journey, and after his death, a second book with memoirs, “The Early Years of My Life,” was published.
In addition to creating his own works, Fet spent his entire life translating foreign literature. It is he who owns the translation of “Faust”, which came from the pen of Goethe. The poet also translated Schopenhauer and wanted to take on the works of Kant.
The future poet was born on November 23 (December 5, new style) 1820 in the village. Novoselki, Mtsensk district, Oryol province (Russian Empire).
As the son of Charlotte-Elizabeth Becker, who left Germany in 1820, Afanasy was adopted by the nobleman Shenshin. After 14 years, an unpleasant event occurred in the biography of Afanasy Fet: an error was discovered in the birth record, which deprived him of his title.
Education
In 1837, Fet graduated from Krümmer's private boarding school in the city of Verro (now Estonia). In 1838 he entered the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow University, continuing to be interested in literature. He graduated from the university in 1844.
The poet's work
In Fet’s short biography, it is worth noting that his first poems were written by him in his youth. Fet's poetry was first published in the collection "Lyrical Pantheon" in 1840. Since then, Fet's poems have been constantly published in magazines.
Trying in every possible way to regain his title of nobility, Afanasy Fet went to serve as a non-commissioned officer. Then, in 1853, Fet’s life involved a transition to the Guards Regiment. Fet's creativity, even in those times, does not stand still. His second collection was published in 1850, and his third in 1856.
In 1857, the poet married Maria Botkina. Having retired in 1858, without having achieved the return of the title, he acquired land and devoted himself to farming.
Fet's new works, published from 1862 to 1871, comprise the cycles “From the Village” and “Notes on Free Labor.” They include short stories, short stories, and essays. Afanasy Afanasievich Fet strictly distinguishes between his prose and poetry. For him, poetry is romantic, and prose is realistic.
Russian poet (real name Shenshin), corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1886). The lyrics of nature, saturated with specific signs, the fleeting moods of the human soul, musicality: “Evening Lights” (collections 1 4, 1883 91). Many poems are set to music.
Biography
Born in October or November in the village of Novoselki, Oryol province. His father was a wealthy landowner A. Shenshin, his mother was Caroline Charlotte Föth, who came from Germany. The parents were not married. The boy was registered as the son of Shenshin, but when he was 14 years old, the legal illegality of this recording was discovered, which deprived him of the privileges given to hereditary nobles. From now on he had to bear the surname Fet, the rich heir suddenly turned into a “man without a name,” the son of an unknown foreigner of dubious origin. Fet took this as a shame. Regaining his lost position became an obsession that determined his entire life path.
He studied at a German boarding school in the city of Verro (now Võru, Estonia), then at the boarding school of Professor Pogodin, a historian, writer, and journalist, where he entered to prepare for Moscow University. In 1844 he graduated from the literature department of the university's Faculty of Philosophy, where he became friends with Grigoriev, his peer and fellow poet. Gogol gave Fet his “blessing” for serious literary work, saying: “This is an undoubted talent.” Fet's first collection of poems, "Lyrical Pantheon", was published in 1840 and received Belinsky's approval, which inspired him to further work. His poems have appeared in many publications.
In order to achieve his goal of regaining the title of nobility, in 1845 he left Moscow and entered military service in one of the provincial regiments in the south. He continued to write poetry.
Only eight years later, while serving in the Life Uhlan Guards Regiment, he got the opportunity to live near St. Petersburg.
In 1850, the magazine Sovremennik, owned by Nekrasov, published Fet's poems, which aroused the admiration of critics of all directions. He was accepted among the most famous writers (Nekrasov and Turgenev, Botkin and Druzhinin, etc.), thanks to literary earnings, he improved his financial situation, which gave him the opportunity to travel around Europe. In 1857 in Paris, he married the daughter of a rich tea merchant and the sister of his admirer V. Botkin M. Botkina.
In 1858, Fet retired, settled in Moscow and energetically engaged in literary work, demanding from publishers an “unheard-of price” for his works.
A difficult life path developed in him a gloomy outlook on life and society. His heart was hardened by the blows of fate, and his desire to compensate for his social attacks made him a difficult person to communicate with. Fet almost stopped writing and became a real landowner, working on his estate; he is elected magistrate in Vorobyovka. This went on for almost 20 years.
At the end of the 1870s, Fet began to write poetry with renewed vigor. The sixty-three-year-old poet gave the collection of poems the title “Evening Lights.” (More than three hundred poems are included in five issues, four of which were published in 1883, 1885, 1888, 1891. The poet prepared the fifth issue, but did not manage to publish it.)
In 1888, in connection with the “fiftieth anniversary of his muse,” Fet managed to achieve the court rank of chamberlain; He considered the day on which this happened, the day when the surname “Shenshin” was returned to him, “one of the happiest days of his life.”
