The 19th century gave rise to a large number of Russian talented prose writers and poets. Their works quickly broke into world culture and occupied a proper position in it. Their influence was influenced by the work of many authors around the world. The general characteristics of Russian literature of the 19th century became the subject of a separate section in literary criticism. Undoubtedly, the prerequisites for such a rapid cultural rise were events in political and social life.
History
The main trends in art and literature are formed under the influence of historical events. If in the XVIII century, social life in Russia was relatively measured, then the next century included many important upheavals that influenced not only the further development of society and politics, but also the formation of new trends and trends in literature.
The vivid historical milestones of this period were the war with Turkey, the invasion of the Napoleonic army, the execution of the opposition, the abolition of serfdom, and many other events. All of them are reflected in art and culture. The general characteristic of 19th-century Russian literature cannot do without mentioning the creation of new stylistic norms. The genius of the word art was A.S. Pushkin. With his work, this great century begins.
Literary language
The main merit of the brilliant Russian poet was the creation of new poetic forms, stylistic devices and unique, previously unused plots. Pushkin managed to achieve this thanks to comprehensive development and excellent education. Once he set himself the goal of reaching all heights in enlightenment. And he reached it by his thirty-seven years. Unusual and new for that time were Pushkin's heroes. The image of Tatyana Larina combines the beauty, mind and features of the Russian soul. This literary type in our literature had no analogues before.
Answering the question: “What is the general characteristic of Russian literature of the 19th century?”, A person with at least basic philological knowledge will remember such names as Pushkin, Chekhov, Dostoevsky. But it was the author of "Eugene Onegin" who made the revolution in Russian literature.
Romanticism
This concept dates back to the Western medieval epic. But by the 19th century, it had acquired new shades. Originating in Germany, romanticism penetrated into the work of Russian authors. In prose, this direction is characterized by a desire for mystical motives and folk traditions. In poetry, there is a desire to transform life for the better and chanting folk heroes. The opposition movement of the Decembrists and their tragic end became fertile ground for poetic creativity.
The general characteristic of Russian literature of the 19th century is marked by romantic moods in the lyrics, which were quite often found in poems by Pushkin and other poets of his galaxy.
As for prose, new forms of the story appeared, among which the fantastic genre occupies an important place. Vivid examples of romantic prose are the early works of Nikolai Gogol.
Sentimentalism
With the development of this direction, Russian literature of the 19th century begins. The general characteristic of sentimental prose is sensuality and emphasis on the reader’s perception. Sentimentalism penetrated Russian literature at the end of the 18th century. The founder of the Russian tradition in this genre was Karamzin. In the XIX century, he appeared a number of followers.
Satirical prose
It was at this time that satirical and journalistic works appeared. This trend can be traced primarily in the work of Gogol. Starting his career with a description of a small homeland, this author later turned to all-Russian social topics. It is difficult to imagine today, what would Russian literature of the 19th century be without this master of satire. The general characteristic of his prose in this genre comes down not only to a critical view of the stupidity and parasitism of the landowners. The satirical writer "walked" across almost all walks of life.
A masterpiece of satirical prose was the novel "Lord Golovlev", dedicated to the theme of the poor spiritual world of landowners. Subsequently, the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin, like the books of many other satirical writers, became the starting point for the emergence of socialist realism.
Realistic romance
In the second half of the century there is the development of realistic prose. Romantic ideals turned out to be untenable. There was a need to show the world as it really is. Dostoevsky's prose is an integral part of such a concept as Russian literature of the 19th century. The general characteristic briefly presents a list of important features of this period and the prerequisites for the occurrence of certain phenomena. As for Dostoevsky’s realistic prose, it can be described as follows: the novels and novels of this author were a reaction to the mood that prevailed in society in those years. Depicting in his works prototypes of people he knew, he sought to consider and solve the most pressing issues of the society in which he revolved.
In the first decades, Mikhail Kutuzov was glorified in the country, then the Decembrist romantics. This is clearly evidenced by Russian literature in the early 19th century. The general characteristic of the end of the century fits in a few words. This is a reassessment of values. It was not the fate of the whole people that came to the fore, but its individual representatives. Hence the appearance in prose of the image of an “extra man”.
Folk poem
In the years when the realistic novel took predominant positions, poetry faded into the background. A general description of the development of Russian literature of the 19th century allows us to trace a long way from dreamy poetry to a true novel. In this atmosphere creates his brilliant work of the Nekrasov. But his work can hardly be attributed to one of the leading genres of the mentioned period. The author combined several genres in his poem: peasant, heroic, revolutionary.
End of century
At sunset of the 19th century, Chekhov became one of the most widely read authors. Despite the fact that at the beginning of his career, critics accused the writer of coldness to pressing social topics, his works received undeniable public recognition. Continuing to develop the image of the "little man" created by Pushkin, Chekhov studied the Russian soul. Various philosophical and political ideas that were developed at the end of the 19th century could not but affect the lives of individuals.
In the late literature of the 19th century, revolutionary sentiments prevailed. Among the authors, whose work was at the turn of the century, Maxim Gorky became one of the most prominent personalities.
The general characteristics of Russian classical literature of the 19th century deserve closer attention. Each major representative of this period created his own art world, whose heroes dreamed of a pipe dream, struggled with social evil or experienced their little tragedy. And the main task of their authors was to reflect the realities of a century rich in social and political events.