Ivan Kozlov - Russian poet, who worked in the eraromanticism. Ivan did not receive such wide popularity as his friend Vasily Zhukovsky, but Kozlov’s works also belong to Russian classical literature. Ivan Kozlov was not appreciated during his lifetime, but left an unforgettable mark on literature. Today he is honored and remembered as the most talented poet of the golden age of Russian classical literature.
The poet was born on April 22, 1779 in Moscow.
By origin, Ivan Kozlov was a nobleman whose roots go deep into the past.
The father of the future poet was high rankingpublic servants, and the mother was an aunt of the Cossack chieftain. In addition, the mother of Ivan Kozlov had good mental abilities and a wide range of knowledge. This allowed her to give a good education to her son.
The family had a large fortune that couldprovide Ivan in the future. It was this that saved the poet, a patient with paralysis, who took away from Ivan Ivanovich not only the ability to walk, but also the ability to work. However, the family fortune was enough for only a few years, despite the fact that the poet himself was responsible for the money, “not wasting” it unnecessarily.
Будучи ребенком, российский поэт и переводчик уже he was enrolled in the army and received the rank of sergeant. At that time, Kozlov was only six years old. Already at sixteen, Ivan received the title of ensign. For three years Kozlov served in the Life Guards, after which he resigned and began civil service as secretary of the province.
After nearly fifteen years, Ivan Kozlov was transferred to collegiate assessors, he was sent to the office of Prosecutor General Peter Lopukhin.
В 1799 году Иван начал службу в герольдии.It was there that the poet had the opportunity to work in the office of the provincial commander Tutolmin. For his service, Kozlov received the rank of court counselor. This rank served in the future for the poet as a good chance to climb further up the career ladder.
In 1809, the poet and translator Kozlov tied hislife with a beautiful girl - Sophia Davydova. Soon the young couple had two children. Nothing is known about the future life of the son and daughter of one of the famous poets of the golden age of literature.
Летом 1812 года Козлов занимал хорошую должность in the committee that was responsible for all the military power of the Moscow province. Together with other well-known officials of the time, Ivan went into dismissal just three days before Napoleon Bonaparte launched an offensive against Moscow. Together with his family, the poet left the capital and went to a small village with his mother’s relatives.
After the Russian Empire wonvictory, the poet decided not to return to Moscow burned to the ground. Instead, Ivan, talking with his wife, decided to try to settle in St. Petersburg. There he also began working in government.
In 1818, Ivan Kozlov could no longer walk:paralysis, which was impossible to cure, became the cause of paralyzed limbs. A year later, the poet began to lose his sight, and by 1821 he was completely blind. It was at this time that Ivan Ivanovich began to engage in literary activity. He became interested in poetry. In addition, Kozlov translated from Italian, German, French and English.
It is important to emphasize that Italian and FrenchIvan knew languages since childhood, but he learned English and German during his illness on his own. Speaking about the poet's work, it should be noted that there are several works in the writer's archive that were originally written in French, because this language was, one might say, native to Ivan.
Literary activity, like a poet, KozlovHe began to study not only because he had talent, but also because of a difficult financial situation - during the years of his illness Ivan Ivanovich lost his ability to work, and all the money was spent on household items necessary for life. Acquainted with Vasily Zhukovsky, who began to provide continued support to the patient, Ivan Kozlov began to write his legendary poems.
Creativity Zhukovsky, of course, hada strong influence on the works of Kozlov. But it’s impossible to call Ivan a copy of Vasily. In the work of talented poets there are significant differences. If Zhukovsky became a bright representative of romanticism, then Kozlov became the pioneer of such a trend as “real romanticism”. His works differed in how the author reliably described the inner experiences of his lyrical heroes.
In 1821, Ivan’s poems appear for the first time in print.Kozlov. The work of the poet "To Svetlana" was dedicated to Ivan's girlfriend, who, despite his illness, still remained close and provided all kinds of support.
Speaking about this poem, I want to emphasizethe way Ivan managed to convey all the tenderness and warmth that prevailed in his soul. The work is filled with comparisons, avatars, which helps to recreate that magnificent image of a girl about whom the poet wrote.
Looking at the kind of love the author brought in the linesdevoted to his girlfriend, you might think that Svetlana was his lover. However, we know that Ivan was happily married to Sophia. Svetlana was Vasily Zhukovsky’s own niece, the girl’s real name was Alexander. Being engaged in literary and publicistic activities, the girl took a pseudonym.
A little later, a poem is issued — the message “ToZhukovsky ", with whom they worked at about the same time. The poem "Byron" was printed simultaneously with the message to the future teacher Pushkin. Already after the first poems fame came to the poet.
In 1824, Ivan the poem Chernets was published. This work pleased the readers so much that Kozlov immediately joined the ranks of the most famous and widely read poets of the nineteenth century.
Speaking of the activities of the poet astranslator, it is important to say that he translated the works of such famous authors as George Byron, Walter Scott, Dante Alighieri, Thomas Moore, Charles Wolf and many others.
His translation of Moore's “Evening Bells”became a classic of Russian folk songs. Another famous translation that Kozlov accomplished was Wolf’s work “Do not beat the drum under a vague regiment ...”.
Disease severely crippled the poet.But despite the fact that Ivan himself was practically unable to move, he was caring for himself as best he could. There was no that carelessness, which is inherent in seriously ill. Kozlov was distinguished by a bright and expressive speech. In addition, the poet did not give rest to his brain: he was constantly learning the poems of European poets, and from memory, Ivan could tell them in several languages.
Looking at how the poet behaved among friends and loved ones, no one ever guessed that Ivan endlessly suffered from terrible and painful pains.
The first poem "To Svetlana", as it was alreadysaid above, it became triumphant for Ivan Kozlov. After the publication of this work and his other poems, such famous and talented people as Ivan Turgenev, Alexander Pushkin and even Vasily Zhukovsky themselves wanted to meet the poet.
Poem Kozlov "Chernets" greatly influencedthe manner of writing Michael Lermontov. As Mikhail Yuryevich himself said, this is evident from the poem Mtsyri. It was in this work that something new was reflected, which was created under the influence of the work “Chernets”.
The Russian poet Ivan Kozlov died on February 11, 1840 at the age of 60. Ivan Ivanovich was buried in the cultural capital of Russia - in St. Petersburg.
Today, the poet’s tomb can be seen at the Tikhvin cemetery in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Not far from Kozlov, another great writer is buried - Karamzin.
