THE BIOGRAPHICAL BASIS OF A.S. PUSHKIN'S EARLY LYRICS

Abstract. This article examines the influence of biographical facts from the life of the Russian poet A.S. Pushkin on his lyrics. Thanks to the use of the biographical method, the real circumstances in which the works were created are revealed, respectively, Pushkin's life becomes closer and clearer. Two periods of his work are considered: Lyceum and St. Petersburg. The main themes and motives of his lyrics are revealed.

Keywords: literature, Pushkin, the golden age, romanticism.

The lyrics of A.S. Pushkin grew up based on the advanced traditions of both Russian and Western European poetic development. The work of A.S. Pushkin and his lyrics cannot be understood without taking into account the traditions and heritage of the XVIII century, since Russian scientists and writers of that era influenced the young Pushkin: Karamzin, Radishchev, Bogdanovich, Lomonosov, Sumarokov. From abroad: Voltaire, Byron, Dante, Shakespeare, Goethe. But, being the heir of creativity, Pushkin did not borrow anything. He became the creator of a new unique artistic system that absorbed all the achievements and experience of its predecessors, which subsequently acquired a nationwide character and significance.

In our article, we will pay special attention to the biographical basis of A.S. Pushkin's early lyrics and consider its development and diversity. First of all, it is worth noting that by the time of admission to the lyceum – Pushkin was already twelve years old at that time – his mental and spiritual development can be defined as successful for his age. The Lyceum gave Pushkin a lot. There he learned not only sciences, but also love, friendship, the ability to see the beautiful. Later he would express this in one of his poems: "In those days when in the gardens of the Lyceum..."

As mentioned above, poets of the XVIII century, including G.R. Derzhavin, left their imprint on the young Pushkin: "Old Derzhavin noticed us / And blessed us in the coffin."  [1]

These lines are Pushkin's memoirs of a public examination in the winter of 1815. Pushkin later recalled that the elderly Derzhavin was inspired by reading his "Memoirs in Tsarskoye Selo" and noted the flowering of the young poet. In the same year 1815, when the mentioned exam took place, V.A. Zhukovsky wrote to his friend, the poet P.A. Vyazemsky: "I made another pleasant acquaintance! With our young miracle worker Pushkin. I was with him for a minute in Sarskoye selo. Dear, living creation! He was glad to see me and pressed my hand tightly to his heart. This is the hope of our literature..."  [2]

Zhukovsky recognized Pushkin as a poet later, after he read him his completed poem "Ruslan and Lyudmila". Then Zhukovsky presented Pushkin with his portrait and signed: "To the victorious student from the defeated teacher..."

Undoubtedly, not only teachers-mentors exerted their influence on the formation of the young Pushkin, but also his early love interests. Pushkin's "heavenly" love at that time was Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna, whom he first saw at the opening of the lyceum in 1811. Pushkin recalled this love in the Boldinskaya autumn in 1830 in his poem "At the beginning of life ...", which echoes Dante's "Divine Comedy", where love for the young Beatrice di Portinari is sung. In the XIX century, one could dream of such love, in fact, Pushkin did it.

Of course, this is not quite like Pushkin, because all his love interests, including fleeting ones, are known. But that's what Pushkin is all about – contradictions. He consciously idolized the one he could never be with. "Without understanding this circumstance, it is impossible to understand either Pushkin's lyrics or his fate."  [3]

According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, Pushkin was extremely loving. At the age of thirteen , he writes love poems: "So it happened to me, / What kind of bird Cupid is; / A passionate heart was captivated; / I confess – and I'm in love!"  [4] At his fourteen or fifteen, he fell in love with Natalia Kochubey, then with Ekaterina Bakunina, then with someone else…

But the strict rules of the lyceum did not allow young Pushkin to realize his early love potential. He considered these years "years of imprisonment." It was the theme of the inability to fulfill his love dreams that became one of the main themes of his lyceum lyrics: "... But in my dull life there is no joy of secret pleasures; / the early color of hope has faded: / The color of life dries from torment!"  [5] Pushkin's classmate S. Komovsky did not share his love torments and in his memoirs explained his behavior: "the ardor and voluptuousness of African blood."  [6]

Speaking about Pushkin's lyrics of that time, it must be said that his poems are permeated with a sense of sadness due to the fact that his love searches did not find an answer. The poet wrote with envy about how a joyful lover visits his beloved at night: "And the virgin with a trembling hand / opened the window fearfully ... / The moon was covered with darkness. – / Lucky guy! – I said with longing: / There is only one fun waiting for you. / When will the window open for me sometimes in the evening?"  [7]

But not all the creativity of the lyceum period reflected what was really happening. Pushkin also wrote about his imaginary love victories in the spirit of French "light poetry": "And a gentle smile ran through / Beauties on fiery lips, / And here she is with longing in her eyes / Fell into the arms of the kind..."  [8]

Thus, we see that in the young Pushkin two worlds were combined: the real and the imaginary. The first existed in the strict conditions of the Lyceum, and the second was filled with love dreams.

After graduating from the lyceum, young Pushkin had already become famous among writers, but little was known about him in a wide circle of educated society. It turned out to be quite difficult for him to find his place in this society. Therefore, due to his age, he indulged in earthly pleasures: visits to noisy events with ladies of the demimonde and even visits to brothels. For example, one of the poems of that period: "It's great, youth and happiness, / A drinking cup and a brothel, / Where voluptuousness with loud laughter / Leads us drunk to bed."  [9]

However, the inspiration for Pushkin, as in the lyceum years, remained educated and talented ladies. If the girl's external beauty was combined with an astute mind, then falling in love for Pushkin was inevitable. So he fell in love with Avdotya Ivanovna Golitsyna, whom he met in St. Petersburg in the autumn of 1817. The poem "The edges of strangers inexperienced amateur" is an expression of admiration for her personality.

When interest in Galitsyna disappeared, he became interested in the actress Ekaterina Semenova. But in both cases, the development of relations was impossible, Pushkin enjoyed the courtship process itself, it inspired him.

Thus, St. Petersburg had its influence on the young Pushkin and his work. But not only love was the leading factor in the formation of the poet's personality. During his time in St. Petersburg, Pushkin became politicized. The youth of that time was a supporter of freethinking, they included everyone who was in the poet's inner circle: Pyotr Chaadaev, Nikita Muravyov, Avdotya Galitsyna, the Turgenev brothers.

Pushkin wrote epigrams on Alexander I and his closest assistant Arakcheev: "Liberty", "Village". Ivan Yakushkin wrote about this: "At that time there was no competent ensign in the army who did not know them by heart."  [10]

One of the first poems that reached the Tsar was the elegy "Village", in which the main idea – the abolition of serfdom – coincided with the views of Alexander I. And after reading it, the Tsar ordered to convey his gratitude to Pushkin. But the ode "Liberty" changed this decision.

In his ode, Pushkin dared to say what everyone was afraid to start a conversation about then – the reign of Alexander I had no legal basis. His reign began after an illegal action – the assassination of Emperor Paul, his father. Lines: "The servant of the crowned soldier, / Thank your fate: / You are worth the laurels of Herostratus / and the death of the German Kotzebue."  [11]

Arakcheev's humiliation was not as important as the fact that Pushkin calls Alexander I a "crowned soldier". The Tsar's anger was aimed at sending Pushkin to Siberia or Solovki, but Pushkin had influential defenders: Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna and historian Karamzin. It was decided to send Pushkin on a five-month vacation to travel to the Crimea together with General N.N. Rayevsky and his family, because in the era of the reign of Alexander I there was a principle: not to punish, but to educate. On May 6, 1820, Pushkin left St. Petersburg.

Thus, analyzing the biographical facts of Pushkin's life, comparing them with each other, we can see that the formation of the young Pushkin as a great Russian poet of the XIX century was influenced by many factors. We have considered two periods of A.S. Pushkin's creativity: Lyceum and St. Petersburg. The first helped the poet to get deeper into the ideas of romanticism, the concept of friendship, political ideas, love dreams. The second period was the realization of his political beliefs and love dreams.

Studying at the Lyceum, love searches, socio-political position – those factors from which the lyrics of A.S. Pushkin sprouted, they contributed to his formation as a poet. In his early works, Pushkin focused mainly on French literature (Voltaire, Guys). He tries himself in different genres (poems, fairy tales, elegies, epistles, anacreontic poems, romances, ballads, epigrams, etc.). Pushkin, assimilating the achievements of Russian and European writers and poets, has developed his own artistic style, which will be admired, studied and equaled for many centuries.