Literature, like any other work, allows you to express your opinion to a person, attitude to certain events, admiration or disappointment, emotions. The works of poets and writers of all times were influenced by events in society, changes of a political or economic nature. Earlier, a frequent occurrence among creative natures was the expression of protest against the arbitrariness of influential people through creativity.
19th Century Historically Important Events
Already at the beginning of the Golden Age of Russian literature, a new reform was carried out by Alexander I, the essence of which was to strengthen the feudal-absolutist policy, promoting the power of the bourgeoisie. This fact called on the creators of thought to protest through their art. Starting with Pushkin and Tsvetaeva and ending with novice writers and poets, more and more works appeared in which freedom was glorified.
After a short period of time, the State Council was created, the tasks of which included the centralization of laws and the uniformity of jurisdiction norms. And as a result, in 1861, serfdom was abolished and a course aimed at capitalism was adopted.
What is the Golden Age?
Why is the 19th century the Golden Age of Russian literature? The 19th century gained this name due to its incredible flowering and wealth of creative masterpieces. Some of the works in this time were particularly courageous and bold. At the same time, sensual romanticism was at the peak of popularity. Without fear, serious topics were raised about the problems of society and political flaws; attention was focused on value factors and aesthetic norms. Never before had poetry had such an effect on society. Each person showed interest in the works and listened to what was said. It was during this period that Russian literature was especially popular even abroad.
Written in seemingly distant times remains relevant and popular today. Therefore, the 19th century is deservedly called the “Golden Age” of Russian literature.
Features of the Golden Age
In the 19th century, literature again updated its format and style, previously little-known trends began to develop. Creative innovations include:
- The transition from sentimentalism to romanticism, closely related to political issues. Affected this direction in particular poetry. Many wonderful poems about love were born.
- Poets and writers gained the title of prophets. Thanks to works with philosophical overtones, filled with the reasoning of the creator, creativity exerted a strong influence on self-awareness and the person’s view of the world. At the same time, enormous responsibility for the role of enlighteners and teachers accepted by them lay on the people of art.
- The development of prose as a way of expressing thoughts. The prose writers were inspired by the novels of the foreign genius W. Scott and other English masterpieces and began to promote this trend in Russia. The idea was successful and took a significant place in the literature of the 19th century.
- The development of satirical works. In this way, the main shortcomings of social foundations were depicted and the emphasis was placed on human vices. Also began the use of an abstract and unusual grotesque manner in writing stories, expressed in sometimes absurd situations, a combination of incongruous, ridicule in a terrible form of certain things and phenomena.
- The significant role of realistic works during a special crisis of serfdom. It was during this period of time that terrible and cruel events that really exist were often highlighted. Public attention was focused on the problems of the poor layers of society and the lawlessness of power, the bourgeoisie.
- Decadence. After the revolution and changes in the political system, realism faded into the background. Creativity took the direction of mysticism and religiosity, touched upon the anticipated future and future changes. Over time, the works received a symbolic character.
The poetry of the Golden Age of Russian literature, which does not leave you indifferent
A variety of genres and sharp socialist themes made more than one master of words and rhyme popular. The struggle for the rights of the oppressed and offended is reflected in the work of almost every writer. Creativity inspired an increasing number of people to revolt, gave confidence to action.
Brilliant poets and prose writers of the 19th century
Due to the myriad of creative personalities in the Golden Age, the main idea of ​​the period will be considered on the example of the most famous of them.
- The genius of literature and the leader of the Golden Age of Russian literature is Alexander Pushkin. To this day, this particular poet is considered the founder of the Russian literary word. He is a lyrical innovator and a talented rhyme player. For the first time, Pushkin ventured to mix different language styles and start experimenting with genres. Thanks to his work, development received classical realism.
Masterpieces of literary genius are dedicated to the world, phenomena, events, thoughts, human philosophy. And Pushkin himself became an inspiration for many people and novice poets of the Golden Age of Russian literature.
- Evgeny Abramovich Baratynsky and Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky are known as the founders of romanticism in literature. Pushkin grew up on their work, as a poet, and other great writers.
- Mikhail Yurjevich Lermontov. The golden age of Russian literature knew him as a mystical poet with a wide soul and a deep inner world. His works are permeated with symbolism, secret implication and philosophy, imbued with the experiences of the main characters, their thoughts and aspirations. A common theme was the problem of loneliness and spiritual imbalance. The main genres used are romanticism and realism.
- Alexey Nikolaevich Plescheev. Genius in revolutionary democratic poems. Along with bold statements and calls for the fight against injustice, Pleshcheyev was a talented translator of the works of popular foreign authors and the first person who began to create literature for children in Russia.
- Ivan Zakharovich Surikov. The idea of ​​"peasant" literature is peculiar to him. The poet himself, who is a native of the people, helped to reveal creative potential to other poorly educated and poor people.
- Ivan Savvich Nikitin. His art is diverse and encompasses both social genres and lyrics. Nikitin’s poems served as the basis for the songs.
- Afanasy Afanasevich Fet - a representative of philosophical lyrics. Emotional and sensual poet, creating works filled with emotions and thoughts.
- Apollon Nikolaevich Maikov and Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy are the creators of historical masterpieces. The first of the poets devoted his work to Greece and Byzantium, and the second to Russian history.
- Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov. Unique creator of his kind, representing in his works a popular opinion.
- Fedor Ivanovich Tyutchev is a Russian poet, distinguished by the special dynamism and emotionality of his works. Despite the small volume of creations, he was able to perfectly reveal the inside of the protagonist, elevated above social concepts and foundations.
Almost forgotten but no less talented poets and prose writers of the 19th century
Surnames such as Pushkin, Tyutchev, Nekrasov, Tolstoy are always well known, studied at school and to this day are popular among lovers of classical literature. But in the 19th century no less skillful and interesting masters of the word worked, which are not particularly mentioned in the 21st century. For those wishing to expand their literary horizons, a list of Golden Age writers of Russian literature is provided, little known in modern times, but talented:
- Grigory Nedetovsky, aka O. Forgotten, little-known author of collections with themes that reveal the life of the clergy. He lived in the family of a priest, and therefore adhered to the religious genre. The most famous work is the story “Mirages”.
- Innokenty Omulevsky is the creator of the autobiographical novel Step by Step, in which important problems of 19th-century society are raised. In his works, the theme of psychology was often mentioned, which forced readers to reflect on ordinary things that were not as simple as at first glance. For his work, Innocent Omulevsky was even arrested.
- George Shilin. A writer who first publicized the topic of sick and oppressed people in public exile. The novel “Lepers" fully shows the experiences, sadness and severity of the existence of people with leprosy. His works are saturated with kindness and sympathy for the characters created on real examples.
- Ivan Kushchevsky is a Siberian author of works on “prosperous” people who are capable of any meanness and tricks to achieve goals and their own benefits. His work is aimed at revealing the psychology of hypocritical and vile people.
- Vasily Sleptsov is a writer who proved himself in the sixties of the 19th century. His works are based on his own observations and a deep psychoanalysis of the situation. In novels and stories, Sleptsov initially gives a superficial vision of what is happening, and then gradually reveals secret moments that radically change the overall picture. The story "Hard time" is one of the best brainchild of this writer.
- Vsevolod Garshin. He is the author of military-related creations, which touched on the meaninglessness of the war as a whole and its cruelty, the life of ordinary soldiers. Garshin himself also took part in several battles, after which his work calmed down and was a rare everyday tales and children's tales, such as "The Frog-traveler."
The best works of the "golden" period, which will not lose their significance for many years
The golden age of Russian culture and literature was considered a period of true writing, rich in masterpieces of creativity. Many books were studied in educational institutions, many were constantly heard. The Golden Age of Russian literature includes such masterpieces:
- The book of Leo Tolstoy “War and Peace” refers to the genre of the epic novel and describes the events taking place during the invasion of Napoleon. Many chapters and heroes, each of which has its own story, the interweaving of plot lines and the multifaceted meaning, have raised this work to the level of highest fame.
- Fedor Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment." This work belongs to the genre of socio-philosophical novels and talks about a student Rodion Raskolnikov, who for the sake of profit kills an old percent-centre. The work was based on several draft versions of the author’s stories.
- Fedor Dostoevsky "The Idiot". The author’s favorite creation of his own, which fully reflects his views on society. The novel qualitatively criticizes the mores of that time, for which the work gained popularity abroad and is on the list of the hundred best books of the book club of Norway.
- The work “Dead Souls” by Nikolai Gogol was originally planned in three volumes, but the second volume was destroyed by the author, and the third remained only in unrealized plans. The poem is written in a mockingly satirical genre and fully shows human vices.
- The list of the most popular works could not do without "Eugene Onegin" written by Alexander Pushkin. The novel in poetic form reveals the hidden aspects of the life of the noble intelligentsia. Pushkin worked on his best work of the 19th century for 7 years.
- A masterpiece and Leo Tolstoy wrote about the nobility. The novel "Anna Karenina" tells of the secret love of the main character to the attractive officer Vronsky. The work was printed in parts for 7 years.
- “The Hero of Our Time” is a classic novel with a unique plot. Mikhail Lermontov first shows the protagonist from other actors, and in another part, the emphasis is on Pechorin’s feelings and inner feelings, he is unraveled as a person.
- Actual and in our time, the topic of misunderstanding between the older and younger generations is described in the novel of Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. The protagonist - the nihilist Bazarov in the 19th century became the idol of youth and a subject to follow.
- Another example of a high-quality satirical work of the 19th century is the poetic comedy “Woe from Wit” written by Alexander Griboedov. In this creation, the life of the aristocratic elite is ridiculed.
Actual genres of literature
The 19th century is a period with a wide variety of different styles. Golden Age writers of Russian literature experimented on their works, mixed genres, and some of them were open to Russian readers for the first time. A wide choice of the direction of creativity could not fail to please even the most picky lover to spend his leisure time behind a book.
Romanticism, sentimentalism, satire, realism and folk poem
Initially, as already agreed, romanticism was in demand. The authors of this genre prioritized feelings over reason. Much attention was paid to the love experiences of the characters. This genre is clearly visible in the works of Pushkin and the early works of Gogol. Romanticism itself was originally born in Germany, and after some time, gained popularity among Russian writers.
Along with romanticism at the beginning of the 19th century - the Golden Age of Russian literature - they often wrote in the genre of sentimentalism. This style is aimed at awakening the feelings of readers and their emotional response. One of the first writers to use this genre was Karamzin. His example was inspired by many authors.
Satirical prose is an integral part of the Golden Age. In the works of Gogol, one can fully understand the whole essence of the genre. Creations of a satirical character were distinguished by criticism of stupidity and laziness, affecting all sectors of society, higher and lower, attention was drawn to the low level of spiritual development of the poor.
In the middle of the 19th century - the Golden Age of Russian literature - romanticism and sentimentalism were replaced by realism. The most vivid representative of realistic novels is Dostoevsky. The creativity of realism shows the real problems of society, as they are, and also affects the dark sides of society and individuals individually.
To a lesser, but still relevant, folk poem remained. Nekrasov in the 19th century pleased with his works in this genre. What is the poem “Who needs to live well in Russia?”, In which the unification of the revolutionary, peasant and heroic genres takes place professionally.
The end of the history of the Golden Age of Russian literature
At the end of the 19th century, a myriad of diverse works of art added to the history of literature. A variety of genres and styles of authors is interesting to read even after centuries. Despite the temporary difference in the books, which are the literature of the great creative period, the characters, their characters and deeds remind people of the current society. Conflicts, injustice, the struggle for freedom have not gone away and are also found in modern times. Written in the 19th century remained significant for an infinite period of time and has not lost its relevance to this day.