{"id":599,"date":"2010-03-29T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-03-29T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=599"},"modified":"2014-07-16T19:50:16","modified_gmt":"2014-07-16T19:50:16","slug":"russian-poetry-for-real-russians-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/russian-poetry-for-real-russians-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian Poetry for Real Russians – Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

We, Russians, are very proud of our literary heritage and justifiably so. After all, Russia \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0430 <\/strong>\u043c\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u0443<\/strong>\u00bb [gave the world a gift of] \u201cWar and Peace\u201d, \u201cCrime and Punishment\u201d, \u201cMaster and Margarita\u201d\u2026<\/em> And then there are the poets.<\/p>\n

Back during the \u00ab<\/strong>\u0417\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u043a <\/strong>\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u044d<\/span>\u0437\u0438\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [Golden Age of Russian poetry] there were \u00a0Pushkin, Lermontov, Tyutchev. \u00ab<\/strong>\u0421\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u0440\u044f\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [Silver Age] saw Bunin, Block, Tsvetayeva, among others. And contemporary poets, such as Leonid Aronzon, Elena Shvartz, and Petr Cheigin, are a part of the post-Brodsky \u00ab<\/strong>\u0411\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0437\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [Bronze Age].<\/p>\n

So do you think \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044b<\/span>\u0435 <\/strong>\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [regular Russian people] have the love of written word\u00a0instilled in them from early childhood? And if so, maybe it can be replicated through careful \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u0441\u043f\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [nurture] and\u00a0\u00ab\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0437\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [education].<\/p>\n

It is true that from a very young age Russian children are enveloped in the \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u0438\u0442\u043c\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0445\u0438<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [lilting rhymes]. Starting \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441 <\/strong>\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [at around pre-school age], Russian children are expected to \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u0438\u0437\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [memorize] some of these poems.<\/p>\n

It all starts with simple nursery rhymes about broken toys and balls thrown into streams. So far, so good – the rhymes are simple, short and, if told to an adoring \u00ab<\/strong>\u0431\u0430<\/span>\u0431\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [grandmother] at dinner or, say, to \u00ab<\/strong>\u0414\u0435\u0434 <\/strong>\u041c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u00bb<\/strong> [Father Frost] at \u00ab<\/strong>\u0443<\/span><\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0438\u043a\u00bb <\/strong>[children\u2019s party] can earn one a treat.<\/p>\n

Yes, children are (or at least were until recently) expected to recite poetry at special events, holiday parties, and birthdays. Frankly, I don\u2019t remember getting anything more than a pat on the head for all my efforts, but my classmates supposedly got candy and even \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0433\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [toys].<\/p>\n

So if you want to \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u043a\u0443\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [immerse yourself] in Russian poetry, you have to start with something very basic. And what can be more basic than Agniya Barto\u2019s poems for children:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00ab\u0423\u0440\u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u043c\u0438<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0443 \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043b,<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u041e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u043c\u0438<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0435 \u043b\u0430<\/span>\u043f\u0443…\u00bb <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0[Teddy bear was dropped\u00a0on the floor<\/p>\n

Someone tore off teddy bear\u2019s paw\u2026]<\/p>\n

\u00a0From this, you can move on to S. Marshak, B. Zahoder and the grandfather of children\u2019s poetry, K. Chukovsky.<\/p>\n

\u00a0As you feel more and more comfortable, you can leave the kindergarten and first grade\u00a0rhymes behind and tackle select poetry by Bunin (3rd<\/sup> grade reading requirement), Ahmatova and Blok (6th<\/sup> grade), or Lermontov (9th<\/sup> grade).<\/p>\n

\u00a0And once you\u2019re ok with memorizing poetry, it\u2019s time to commit paragraph-long abstracts of prose to memory as well, starting with Turgenev\u2019s famous<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00ab\u0412\u043e \u0434\u043d\u0438 \u0441\u043e\u043c\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0439, \u0432\u043e \u0434\u043d\u0438 \u0442\u044f<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0434\u0443<\/span>\u043c\u0438\u0439 \u043e \u0441\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u044c\u0431\u0430\u0445 \u043c\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u0439 \u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u043d\u044b,- \u0442\u044b \u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043d \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0436\u043a\u0430 \u0438 \u043e\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0430, \u043e \u0432\u0435\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u043a\u0438\u0439, \u043c\u043e\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u0439, \u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u0438 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u044f\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u043a!\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0[In times of doubt, in times of painful reflections on the fates of my motherland, you are my only support and reliance, the grand, mighty, truthful and free Russian language!]<\/p>\n

\u00a0All this is supposed to be memorized and recited \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441 <\/strong>\u0432\u044b\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [with feelings], in front of one\u2019s entire class.<\/p>\n

\u00a0By the time Russian students enter college their heads are full of bits and pieces of poems and snippets of prose that they can recall at the drop of a hat. How does it help in the daily life of average Russians? Stay tuned\u2026<\/p>\n

\u00a0P.S.<\/strong> If you are pressed for time, remember these three simple bits:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u043a\u0438\u0439, <\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u044f\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u043a\u00bb <\/strong>[the grand, mighty Russian language] – Turgenev\u2019s poem in prose on the beauty of Russian language.<\/li>\n
  2. \u00ab<\/strong>\u0443\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u043c <\/strong>\u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u044e <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u044c!\u00bb <\/strong>[Russian can\u2019t be understood with the mind alone] – Tyutchev\u2019s famous line evoked every time Russians discuss Russia\u2019s unique fate<\/li>\n
  3. \u00ab\u043a\u043e\u043d\u044f<\/span> \u043d\u0430 \u0441\u043a\u0430\u043a\u0443<\/span> \u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u0442, \u0432 \u0433\u043e\u0440\u044f<\/span>\u0449\u0443\u044e \u0438<\/span>\u0437\u0431\u0443 \u0432\u043e\u0439\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0442!\u00bb <\/strong>[will stop a galloping horse, will enter a burning izba] – Nekrasov\u2019s description of the strength and endurance, physical and spiritual,of Russian women.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Used appropriately around dinner table, these just might get you a pat on the back and a designation of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0432\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043a!\u00bb<\/strong> [one of our own people].<\/p>\n

    P.P.S. If you are really interested, this is a great electronic library <\/a>with links to Russian literary classics and full texts of their works (all in Russian).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"Russian

    We, Russians, are very proud of our literary heritage and justifiably so. After all, Russia \u00ab\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0440\u0438\u043b\u0430 \u043c\u0438\u0440\u0443\u00bb [gave the world a gift of] \u201cWar and Peace\u201d, \u201cCrime and Punishment\u201d, \u201cMaster and Margarita\u201d\u2026 And then there are the poets. Back during the \u00ab\u0417\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u0435\u043a \u0440\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u044d\u0437\u0438\u0438\u00bb [Golden Age of Russian poetry] there were \u00a0Pushkin, Lermontov, Tyutchev…<\/p>\n

    Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":601,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,7827],"tags":[7881,1250,1263],"class_list":["post-599","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-russian-life","tag-russian-childrens-poetry","tag-russian-literature","tag-russian-poetry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t