Derzhavin’s authorial myth

Abstract

The article characterizes the concept of G. Derzhavin’s personality, which he constructs in his poetry. This concept is considered as an authorial myth, an author’s myth-making. In his poetry, Derzhavin creates an image that directly correlates with his life and personality. When creating many poems, he associated them with specific biographical facts; thus, in the artistic context and the author’s interpretation, the image of the lyrical hero in Derzhavin poetry acquires certain mythological features. The purpose of the study is to identify the key texts and cross–cutting principles that form the basis of G. Derzhavin’s authorial myth. The article analyzes his poems “Felica”, “Philosophers. Drunk and Sober”, “God”, “Monument”, “To Tonchiy”, “Freedom”, “To Myself”, “To Eugene. Zvanskaya's Life”, “Recognition”. As a result, the main aspects of G. Derzhavin’s authorial myth are revealed, in which Derzhavin appears to the reader as a statesman, poet, philosopher, landowner and an ordinary person with his inherent weaknesses. This myth is based on a moral position defined by such qualities as candor, truth and virtue. Derzhavin’s personality is represented in his authorial myth as the embodiment of a Russian person’s national qualities.