Pushkin Poet Extraordinaire

Pushkin was one of Russia’s finest poets and his words reverberate through time and the hearts of millions. Alexander Pushkin was born on May 26, 1799 (June 6th new style) in Moscow to a relatively well to do family, whose ancestors punctuate the pages of Russian history. It is noteworthy Pushkin had African blood running though his veins: on his mother’s side, Pushkin descended from the Russian General Gannibal (Hannibal), an African prince who was brought to Russia as a gift to Peter the Great.


Pushkin’s love of reading was ignited in his father’s library where he discovered a wealth of both Russian and French literature. He spent many sleepless nights devouring book after book and it appears that he was a child prodigy. At the age of eight Pushkin’s passion for poetry was ignited and grew: he began composing mini-comedies and witty epigrams (poems) about his teachers.


In 1811, Pushkin was accepted to the lyceum in St. Petersburg and began his studies in earnest over a period of six years, years that were filled with historical events such as the War of 1812 with Napoleon. He also associated with Karamzin and Zhukovsky, famous poets, Turgenev, Glinka, Krivkov, and took an active role in the literary and theatrical life of St. Petersburg.


Pushkin’s poetic genius took root and flourished as he began to compose folktales, epic poems, and plays. Amongst the most well known are Ruslan and Lyudmila, Eugene Onegin, The Stone Guest, The Queen of Spades, The Captain’s daughter and a series of folktales in The Golden Cockerel. Many Russian operas are based on these masterpieces.


Pushkin wrote hundreds of poems and “I Loved You” reflects sentiments that all can relate to about love lost. Although some (as an example, Nabokov) are of the opinion that the gender of the person who wrote the poem should be one and the same as that of the translator, I disagree. Here is my translation:


I loved you: my love perhaps still exists,
In my soul it hasn’t been extinguished
But don’t allow my love to trouble you
I don’t wish to cause you pain
I loved you wordlessly, hopelessly
At times jealously, at times timidly
I loved you truly, tenderly
May God grant you another love like mine.


Pushkin was a liberal and became involved in the political intrigues of the day; suffice it to say that his sentiments and cynicism are reflected in his writing.


Sadly, this romantic muse and master of the written word died tragically in a duel defending his wife’s, Natalia Goncharova’s, honor on January 29, 1837 (February 10th ). Russia lost her beloved poet, and father of modern Russian literature.


Pushkin’s words, however, are immortal.