The history of the creation of the ode “Felitsa” is interesting because Gabriel Derzhavin, in his desire to please the Empress, took as the basis for his work her own work, which had recently been published in a small edition. Naturally, for the brightly talented poet, this story began to sparkle with richer colors, in addition, introducing a new style into the history of Russian versification and making the poet a celebrity.
Ode Analysis
“Felitsa” has a subtitle that clarifies the purpose of writing this work. It talks about an appeal to the wise princess of the Tatar Murza, who settled in Moscow, but is on business in St. Petersburg. The reader is also mystified by the fact that the ode was supposedly translated from Arabic. The analysis of the ode “Felitsa” must begin with a name that does not sound familiar to either Russians or Arabs.
The fact is that this is what Catherine II called her heroine in her fairy tale about Prince Chlorus. Serving as the basis for the Italian language (here you can remember someone like Cutugno with the exclamation “Felicita”), Latin translates the word “Felitsa” (Felitsa - felicitas) as happiness. Thus, Derzhavin began to praise the empress from the first line, and then could not resist satire in the descriptions of her entourage.
Analysis of the ode “Felitsa” by Derzhavin
The news has reached our days that Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin became famous thanks to a work that he initially did not even want to publish. The ode “Felitsa,” written in 1782 in honor of the Great Empress Catherine II, brought love and fame to the poet. However, it cannot be said that it was the praise of the Most Serene Empress that ensured the devotion of readers to the work, because the ode’s content and a verified set of expressive means helped maintain the reputation of a classic and valuable work from an artistic point of view.
Artistic synthesis
Analysis of the ode “Felitsa” shows the orientation towards the usual, solemn ode of praise for the date, accepted in those days. Written in traditional ode stanzas - ten lines, and, as expected, iambic tetrameter. But before Derzhavin, no one had yet dared to merge two genres that were opposite in purpose - a majestic laudatory ode and caustic political satire.
The first was the ode “Felitsa”. Derzhavin seemed to have “stepped back” in his innovation, judging by the precisely fulfilled conditions of the genre, at least in comparison with “Birthday Poems,” which are not even separated by stanzas. However, this impression disappears as soon as the reader gets through the first few stanzas. Still, even the composition of the ode “Felitsa” represents a much broader artistic synthesis.
Fairy tale "Felitsa"
It is interesting to consider what motives prompted Derzhavin to write this “fan fiction”, what served as the primary basis and whether this topic was worthy of continuation. Apparently, she is worthy, and very much so. Catherine II wrote her fairy tale for her grandson, still small, but in the future great Alexander I. The Empress's fairy tale is about the Kiev prince Chlorus, who was visited by the Kyrgyz khan to check whether the prince was really as smart and dexterous as they say about him.
The boy agreed to take the test and find the rarest flower - a rose without thorns - and set off on his journey. On the road, having responded to the invitation of Murza Lazy Guy (a telling name), the prince tries to resist the temptations of that luxury and idleness with which Lazy Guy seduces him. Fortunately, this Kyrgyz khan had a very good daughter, whose name was Felitsa, and an even better grandson, whose name was Reason. Felitsa sent her son with the prince, who, with the help of Reason, went to the goal of his journey.
Bridge between fairy tale and ode
In front of them was a steep mountain, without paths or stairs. Apparently, the prince himself was quite persistent, because, despite enormous work and trials, he still climbed to the top, where he decorated his life with a rose without thorns, that is, with virtue. An analysis of the ode “Felitsa” shows that, as in any fairy tale, the images here are conventionally allegorical, but in Derzhavin at the beginning of the ode they stand up very strongly, and all the odic beginnings of classical examples, where the ascent to Parnassus and communication with the muses are sure to fade next to with seemingly simple images of a children's fairy tale.
Even the portrait of Catherine (Felitsa) is given in a completely new manner, which is completely different from the traditional laudatory description. Usually in odes the honored character appears in the inexpressive image of a goddess, walking through the solemn, booming rhymes of the verse with heavy rhythmic shortness of breath. Here the poet is inspired, and - most importantly - equipped with poetic skill. The poems are not lame and are not inflated with excessive pathos. The plan of the ode “Felitsa” is such that Catherine appears before the reader as an intelligent, but simple and active Kyrgyz-Kaisat princess. The contrast in the structure of this image plays well with the image of Murza, vicious and lazy, which Derzhavin uses throughout the ode. Hence the unprecedented genre diversity that distinguishes the ode “Felitsa”.
Derzhavin and the Empress
The singer’s pose here also changes in relation to the subject of the chanting, if we consider not only all previous Russian literature, but even the poems of Derzhavin himself. Sometimes a certain godlike quality of the queen still slips through the ode, but with all this and with the general respect that the ode “Felitsa” demonstrates, the content also shows a certain shortness of relationship, not familiarity, but the warmth of almost family closeness.
But in satirical lines, Derzhavin can sometimes be understood in two ways. The collective features of the image of Murza ridicule all of Catherine’s nobles in turn, and it is here that the poet does not forget himself. Self-irony is an even more rare fact in the poetry of those years. The author’s “I” is not devoid of lyrics, but it is made clear that “This is how I am, Felitsa!”, “Today I rule over myself, and tomorrow I am a slave to my whims.” The appearance of such an author’s “I” in an ode is a fact of enormous artistic significance. Lomonosov also began his odes with “I,” but as a loyal slave, while Derzhavin’s author is concrete and living.
Gabriel Derzhavin - God-like princess (Felitsa)
God-like princess of the Kirghiz-Kaisak horde! Whose wisdom is incomparable No. 4 Opened the right tracks for the young Prince Chlorus to climb that high mountain, Where a rose grows without thorns, No. 8 Where virtue dwells: She captivates my spirit and mind, Let me find her advice.
Bring it on, Felitsa! instruction: No. 12 How to live magnificently and truthfully, How to tame the excitement of passions and be happy in the world? Your voice excites me, No. 16 Your son accompanies me; But I am weak to follow them. Troubled by the vanity of life, Today I rule over myself, No. 20 And tomorrow I am a slave to my whims.
Without imitating your Murzas, You often walk on foot, And the food is the simplest No. 24 Happens at your table; Without valuing your peace, You read, write in front of the lectern, And from your pen No. 28 You shed Bliss to mortals; You don’t play cards like me, from morning to morning.
You don’t like masquerades too much, No. 32 And you won’t even set foot in a club; By preserving customs and rituals, you do not become quixotic with yourself; You don’t saddle the horse of Parnassus, No. 36 You don’t ride into the assembly of spirits, You don’t go from the throne to the East, - But walking the path of meekness, With a benevolent soul No. 40 You spend useful days.
And I, having slept until noon, smoke tobacco and drink coffee; Transforming everyday life into a holiday, No. 44 My thoughts spin in chimeras: Now I steal captivity from the Persians, Now I turn arrows towards the Turks; Then, having dreamed that I am a sultan, No. 48 I frighten the Universe with my gaze; Then suddenly, seduced by the outfit, I gallop to the tailor wearing a caftan.
Or at a rich feast, No. 52 Where they give me a feast, Where the table glitters with silver and gold, Where there are thousands of different dishes: There is a delicious Westphalian ham, No. 56 There are links of Astrakhan fish, There are pilaf and pies; I wash down the waffles with champagne And I forget everything in the world No. 60 Among the wine, sweets and aroma.
Or in the middle of a beautiful grove In the gazebo, where the fountain is noisy, With the ringing of a sweet-voiced harp, No. 64 Where the breeze barely breathes, Where everything presents me with luxury, It catches thoughts for the pleasures, It languishes and revives the blood, No. 68 Lying on a velvet sofa, A young maiden feels tender feelings , I pour love into her heart.
Or in a magnificent train No. 72 In an English carriage, golden, With a dog, a jester, or a friend, Or with such a beauty I am walking under a swing; No. 76 I stop at a tavern to drink honey; Or, somehow I get bored, Due to my inclination to change, Having my hat on one side, No. 80 I fly on a frisky runner.
Or music and singers, Organ and bagpipes suddenly, Or fist fighters No. 84 And I make my spirit happy with dancing; Or, Leaving worries about all matters, I go hunting and amuse myself with the barking of dogs; No. 88 Or over the Neva banks I amuse myself at night with the horns And the rowing of daring oarsmen.
Or, sitting at home, I will play a prank, No. 92 Playing fools with my wife; Those with her go to the dovecote, sometimes we frolic in blind man's buff; Now I’m having fun with her, No. 96 Now I’m looking for her in my head; I love to rummage through books, I enlighten my mind and heart, I read Polkan and Bova; No. 100 While reading the Bible, yawning, I sleep.
That's it, Felitsa, I'm depraved! But the whole world looks like me. Whoever knows how much wisdom, No. 104 But every person is a lie. We do not follow the paths of light, We run after dreams of debauchery. Between the lazy and the grouch, No. 108 Between vanity and vice Someone found it perhaps by accident. The path of virtue is straight.
I found it - but how can we not be mistaken No. 112 For us, weak mortals, on this path, Where reason itself stumbles And must follow the passions; Where are the learned ignoramuses for us, No. 116 Like darkness among travelers, do the ignoramuses linger? Temptation and flattery live everywhere; Luxury oppresses everyone. Where does virtue live? No. 120 Where does a rose without thorns grow? It’s only decent for you, Princess! create light from darkness; Dividing Chaos into spheres harmoniously, No. 124 The Union strengthens their integrity.
Out of disagreement - harmony And out of fierce passions, you can only create happiness. No. 128 So the helmsman, sailing across the pontoon, catching the roaring wind under sail, knows how to steer the ship.
You just don’t offend one, No. 132 You don’t offend anyone, You see through foolishness, Only you don’t tolerate evil; You rule over misdeeds with leniency, No. 136 Like a wolf over sheep, you don’t crush people, You know their value directly. They are subject to the will of kings, - But to God is more just, No. 140 Who lives in their laws.
You think sensibly about merit, You give honor to the worthy; You don’t consider him a prophet, No. 144 Who can only weave rhymes, And what is this mind-bending fun - Honor and glory to the good Caliphs. Do you indulge in the lyrical mode: No. 148 Poetry is dear to you, Pleasant, sweet, useful, Like delicious lemonade in the summer.
There is a rumor about your actions, No. 152 That you are not at all proud; Kind in business and in jokes, pleasant in friendship and firm; That you are indifferent in adversity, No. 156 And in glory you are so generous, That you even refused to be considered wise. They also say it’s not false, That it’s always possible No. 160 To tell you the truth.
It’s also an unheard of thing, worthy of you alone, that you boldly No. 164 tell the people about everything, both at hand and at hand, and allow you to know and think, and don’t forbid them to talk about yourself, both true and false; No. 168 It’s as if the crocodiles themselves, all your mercies to the zoils, are always inclined to forgive.
Pleasant rivers rush to tears No. 172 From the depths of my soul. ABOUT! since people are happy There should be their destiny, Where a meek angel, a peaceful angel, No. 176 Hidden in purple lightness, A scepter was sent down from heaven to wear! There you can whisper in conversations And, without fear of execution, at dinners No. 180 Don’t drink to the health of kings.
There, with the name of Felitsa, you can scrape off a typo in a line, or carelessly drop the portrait No. 184 on the ground. They don't have clownish weddings there, They don't fry them in ice baths, They don't flick the mustaches of nobles; No. 188 Princes don’t cluck as hens, their favorites don’t make them laugh, and they don’t smear their faces with soot.
You know, Felitsa! are right No. 192 Both men and kings; When you enlighten morals, You don't fool people like that; In your rest from work No. 196 You write teachings in fairy tales And repeat to Chlorus in the alphabet: “Do nothing bad, And you will make the evil satire No. 200 A despicable liar.”
You are ashamed to be considered great, so as to be terrible and unloved; It is fitting for a bear to be wild No. 204 Tearing animals and drinking their blood. Without extreme distress in the heat of the moment, does he need lancets? Who could do without them? No. 208 And is it glorious to be a tyrant, Tamerlane, great in atrocity, Who is great in goodness, like God?
Felitsa's glory is the glory of God, No. 212 Who pacified the battle; Who covered the poor and the poor, clothed and fed them; Who with a radiant eye No. 216 Gives his light to jesters, cowards, the ungrateful and the righteous; Equally enlightens all mortals, gives rest to the sick, heals, No. 220 Does good only for good.
Who granted freedom to ride into foreign regions, Allowed his people No. 224 to seek silver and gold; Who allows water and does not forbid cutting down forests; Orders to weave, and spin, and sew; No. 228 Untying the mind and hands, They are told to love trading, science, and find happiness at home.
Whose law, right hand No. 232 Gives both mercy and judgment. - Prophecy, wise Felitsa! Where is a rogue different from the honest? Where does old age not wander around the world? No. 236 Does merit find its own bread? Where does revenge not drive anyone? Where do conscience and truth live? Where do virtues shine? — No. 240 Isn’t it yours at the throne!
But where does your throne shine in the world? Where, branch of heaven, do you bloom? In Baghdad? Smyrna? Cashmere? — No. 244 Listen, wherever you live: I have noticed my praises for you, Don’t think that I wanted hats or beshtas for them.
No. 248 To feel the good pleasure Such is the soul’s “wealth, Which Croesus did not collect. I ask the great prophet, No. 252 May I touch the dust of your feet, May your words be the sweetest current And the sight of “I will enjoy you!” I ask for heavenly strength, No. 256 May their sapphire wings spread out, Invisibly keeping you from all illnesses, evils and boredom; May the sounds of your deeds shine in your descendants, No. 260 Like the stars in the sky, they will shine.
Narration from the author
Naturally, the composition of the ode “Felitsa” would not have withstood the author’s full-fledged individuality. Derzhavin most often presents under the author’s “I” a conventional image of a singer, which is usually always present in odes as well as in satires. But there is a difference: in an ode the poet plays only sacred delight, but in satire only indignation. Derzhavin combined “one-string” genres with the creation of a living human poet, with an absolutely concrete life, with a variety of feelings and experiences, with “multi-stringed” music of verse.
An analysis of the ode “Felitsa” certainly notes not only delight, but also anger, blasphemy and praise in one bottle. Along the way he manages to be disingenuous and ironic. That is, he behaves throughout the entire work as a completely normal and living person. And it should be noted that this individual personality has undoubted features of a nationality. In ode! And now such a case would be unprecedented if someone in our time wrote odic poetry.
main character
In the analysis of the ode “Felitsa” it is imperative to indicate that it was dedicated to Empress Catherine II. The work is written in iambic tetrameter. The image of the ruler in the work is quite conventional and traditional, reminiscent in its spirit of a portrait in the style of classicism. But what is noteworthy is that Derzhavin wants to see in the empress not just a ruler, but also a living person:
“...And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table...”
About genres
The ode “Felitsa”, the content of which is so rich in contradictions, is warmed as if by the warm rays of the sun with light colloquial speech from the reality of everyday life, light, simple, sometimes humorous, which directly contradicts the laws of this genre. Moreover, a genre revolution, almost a revolution, took place here.
It must be clarified that Russian classicism did not know poetry as “just poetry.” All poetry was strictly divided into genres and types, sharply demarcated, and these boundaries stood unshakable. Ode, satire, elegy and other types of poetic creativity could not be mixed with each other.
Here the traditional categories of classicism are completely broken after the organic fusion of ode and satire. This applies not only to Felitsa; Derzhavin did this both before and later. For example, the ode “On the Death of Prince Meshchersky” is half elegy. Genres become polyphonic with the light hand of Derzhavin.
Success
This ode became a colossal success immediately after its publication: “Everyone who could read Russian found it in the hands of everyone,” according to a contemporary. At first, Derzhavin was wary of widely publishing the ode and tried to hide the authorship (probably the depicted and very recognizable nobles were vindictive), but then Princess Dashkova appeared and published “Felitsa” in the magazine “Interlocutor,” where Catherine II herself did not hesitate to collaborate.
The Empress liked the ode very much, she even cried with delight, ordered the authorship to be immediately exposed and, when this happened, she sent Derzhavin a golden snuffbox with a dedicatory inscription and five hundred chervonets in it. It was after this that real fame came to the poet.
Brief history of creation
“Felitsa” by Derzhavin was written in 1782 and became a striking example of the new style of Russian poetry. Of course, now the text is quite difficult to perceive, but for those times it was a real discovery, because before Derzhavin, poets used even more stilted vocabulary and outdated syntactic structures. The ode became a fresh trend.
The full title of the work is “Ode to the wise Kyrgyz-Kaisak princess Felitsa, written by the Tatar Murza, who has long settled in Moscow, and lives on his business in St. Petersburg. Translated from Arabic." Such an unusual name is due to the fact that Empress Catherine the Second wrote a fairy tale, the main character of which was a princess named Felitsa (the emphasis is on the second syllable). Under this anthroponym, unusual for the Russian reader, Derzhavin in his poem brought out the image of the royal person.
It is known that in translation from Latin “Felitsa” means happiness . That is why Catherine herself is glorified in the text, and some nobles from her inner circle are ridiculed with harsh mercilessness. Researchers of the poet’s work note that he initially did not want to publish the ode under his own name, fearing the revenge of those whom he depicted in an unseemly image. However, the poem became widely known in 1783 and even moved the empress to tears, who definitely wanted to meet the author of the lines.
In gratitude for the kind words addressed to her, Catherine sent the poet a golden snuffbox filled with money, and later gave him her patronage.
