Russian literature XVIII century, like many other cultural phenomena in Russia of that time, a great and hard way intensive development. It is associated with the best traditions of ancient Russian literature: its patriotism, reliance on folk art, growing interest in human personality, accusatory orientation. The reform activities of Peter I, the renewal and Europeanization of Russia, the extensive state building, the transformation of the country into a strong world power under the cruelty of the feudal system - all this was reflected in the literature of that time. Classicism became the leading literary trend of the 18th century.

Classicism (from Latin classicus - exemplary) is a literary trend that has developed in European literature XVII century and appeared in Russia in the XVIII century. It turned to the ancient heritage as a norm and an ideal model. It is characterized by civic issues and educational tasks. The works of classical writers reflected the ideas of a strong independent state with the absolute power of the monarch, and the education of a citizen was considered main task. Therefore, the main conflict in the works of classicism is the conflict between duty and feeling. The aesthetics of classicism is based on the principle of rationality and strict normativity (hierarchy of genres, clear plot and compositional organization, division of heroes into positive and negative, schematism in their depiction, etc.). material from the site

Classicism is a pan-European phenomenon. But in different countries he had his own characteristics. Russian classicism was closely connected with the ideas European Enlightenment about the need for fair laws, education, recognition of the value of the human person, the development of science and philosophy, revealing the secrets of the universe. At the same time, the enlightened monarch, whose ideal Russian classicists saw in Peter I, played a decisive role in transforming the state on such a basis. But in modern times they did not find such a person, because great importance in their works was given to the public and moral education autocrats: an explanation of their duties in relation to subjects, a reminder of their duty to the state, etc. On the other hand, the negative phenomena of the Russian reality of this era were subjected to satirical ridicule and exposure, which further strengthened the connection of Russian classicism with modernity and gave it a satirical sharpness. Unlike European, Russian classicism is more closely connected with folk traditions and oral folk art. He often uses material from Russian history rather than antiquity. The ideal of Russian classicists is a citizen and a patriot, striving to work for the good of the Fatherland. He must become active creative personality, fight against social vices and, in the name of duty, give up personal happiness.

The achievements of Russian classicism are associated with poetic activity and theoretical works M.V. Lomonosov, poems by G.R. Derzhavin, fables by I.A. Krylov, comedies by D.I. Fonvizin and others. But already in the last quarter XVIII centuries, the canons of classicism were largely shaken by the classicist writers themselves, such as I.A. Krylov, D.I. Fonvizin and especially G.R. Derzhavin.

"Chelyabinsk State Pedagogical University

Essay

on the topic of:Features of 18th century literature

Performed:

4th year student

faculty of training

UNK, c. 41

Chelyabinsk

1. Features of foreign literature of the 18th century……………………3

2. General characteristics literary process in Russia……….5

2.1. ……………………………………….………...9

2.2. …………………………………………………..12

2.3. …………………………………………………..14

2.4. Conclusion………………………………………………………….17

2.5. Literature……………………………………………………….18

Features of foreign literature of the 18th century

The most significant cultural phenomenon of the 18th century, which gave its name to the era, is the Enlightenment. The term denotes a broad ideological movement. “Enlightenment is a person’s exit from the state of his minority, in which he is of his own free will,” wrote German philosopher I. Kant.

Enlightenment is distinguished by activity, a critical attitude to reality, combined with a positive program of reorganization. All institutions of society were criticized.

The biggest event of the era was the publication in France of the first volume of the Encyclopedia. It contained a complete set of knowledge and educational ideas about nature, society, science and art, which had developed by the 18th century. In the French Enlightenment, the main trends of the general European educational thought were most clearly manifested.

Enlightenment literature reflects the trends associated with the development of enlightenment philosophy and science. The combination of scientific thinking and artistic creativity- a characteristic feature of the culture of the era, inherent in Defoe and Pope, Montesquieu and Voltaire, Diderot and Rousseau, Lessing and Goethe, who created a whole system of genres that realized this feature: a treatise novel, philosophical tale, philosophical poem, etc.

In the first half of the century, major achievements in art are associated with enlightenment classicism, primarily with the genre of tragedy, to which Voltaire, Addison, Gottsched paid tribute. What is new lies primarily in the fact that enlightenment classicism, without rejecting the anthropocentric attitude to the world, focuses not on the individual, but on society.

Along with this, the enlighteners reject the principle of the tragic, putting in its place the optimistic principle. In tragedy, under the influence of a resurgent interest in Shakespeare, direct demonstration of the action is used more widely, it becomes more picturesque, the action is often transferred to the East, full of colors unfamiliar to Europeans. The East attracts not only with its exoticism. Pictures of Eastern despotism and religious fanaticism emphasize the significance and social significance of the enlightenment ideals.

The tragedy is becoming more and more philosophical. This is manifested in its structure: the place and time of the action become completely arbitrary. The main thing for the authors of new tragedies is to develop a certain philosophical thesis, and not to describe the character or any particular era. Therefore, the principle of modernization of the material used was widely applied.

Genuine masterpieces were created in the comedy genre
(Goldoni, Gozzi, Beaumarchais). Gets development new type comedy - "tearful comedy", which contributed to the emergence of the genre of drama (Didero, Lessing).

important cultural event era was the development of the genre of the novel, breaking the fetters of classical aesthetics. The most advanced positions here were occupied English writers– Defoe, Swift, Richardson, Fielding.

The establishment of harmony in the culture of Europe was possible only if there was some alternative, in parallel with the cult of Reason, which became the cult of Feeling. There are conditions for the formation of sentimentalism. Sentimentalists developed the concept of Feeling enlightened by Reason. Feelings in sentimentalism are described as "natural feelings" of a "natural person", passions are ennobled by reason. (1)

General characteristics of the literary process in Russia

In the domestic literature of the 18th century, the following periods are distinguished:

1st period - literature of the time of Peter the Great. It is still transitional. Its peculiarity is the replacement of religious literature with secular literature.

2nd period () years. characterized by the formation of classicism, the creation of a new genre system, in-depth development literary language.

3rd period (1760 - the first half of the 70s) - the further evolution of classicism, the flowering of satire, the emergence of prerequisites for the emergence of sentimentalism.

4th period (last quarter of a century) - the beginning of the crisis of classicism, the formation of sentimentalism, the strengthening of realistic tendencies.

The main lawlessness that Truten fought against was police arbitrariness. Without encroaching on the foundations of the monarchy and the very institution of serf relations, Novikov sharply opposed the abuse of serfdom, openly declaring his sympathy for the peasants.

The last decades of the 18th century were marked by remarkable artistic achievements in our literature, romanticism and realism were rapidly preparing in it. Greatest Success will achieve Fonvizin, Derzhavin and Radishchev. Their work is the result of further development the best national traditions, and at the same time they will take into account the new achievements of European aesthetics (Voltaire, Diderot, Lessing, Mercier, etc.) (3)

LOMONOSOV, MIKHAIL VASILIEVICH

LOMONOSOV (1711-1765), Russian educator, scientist-encyclopedist, poet, translator. He was born on November 8 (19), 1711 in the village of Denisovka (now the village of Lomonosovo) near Kholmogory, Arkhangelsk Province. in a Pomor peasant family.

In January 1731, Lomonosov, posing as a noble son, entered the Moscow Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, where he received good training in ancient languages ​​and other humanities. Latin language knew perfectly, was later recognized as one of the best Latinists in Europe.

At the beginning of 1736, as one of the best students, Lomonosov was sent to the university at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, and in the autumn of the same year - to Germany, to the University of Marburg, where he studied natural and humanities. In 1739 he went to Freiburg, where he studied chemistry and mining at the Mining Academy. His first poetic and literary-theoretical experiments date back to this time.

In 1741 Lomonosov returned to Russia. In 1742 he was appointed adjunct of the Physics class, and in 1745 - professor of chemistry (academician) of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. He immediately led the fight against the “enemies of Russian sciences” from among foreigners. Lomonosov's work was exceptionally versatile. Almost all branches of contemporary natural science, mining and metallurgy, mathematics, history, philology, linguistics, art, and literature were covered in his works.

In 1742, Lomonosov, for the first time in Russia, began to give public lectures in Russian at the Academy of Sciences. In 1755, on the initiative of Lomonosov and according to his project, Moscow University was founded, "open to all persons capable of science," and not only to the nobility. Lomonosov acted as the organizer of many scientific, technical and cultural initiatives that played a huge role in the development of Russia. In 1758 he was entrusted with the "supervision" of the Geographical Department, the Historical Collection, the university and the gymnasium at the Academy of Sciences.

The first work of Lomonosov, concerning the problems of language, was written in Germany Letter on the rules of Russian poetry(1739, published in 1778), where he substantiates the applicability of syllabic-tonic versification to the Russian language.

Lomonosov's main work on language was Russian grammar, written in 1755 and withstood 14 editions. It was the first widely known grammar of the Russian language, created in Russia. Using a number of ideas from the Old Slavonic grammar of Melety Smotrytsky (c. 1578–1633), Lomonosov expressed a number original ideas. While retaining some archaic ideas (for example, the scheme of parts of speech dating back to the Latin standard), he approached many issues in a new way, in particular, separating sounds from letters and considering the physiological and acoustic properties of sounds. IN Grammar the first classification of the main dialects (dialects) of the Russian language is given. The Russian and Church Slavonic languages ​​are clearly demarcated, their main differences in different levels organization of the sound system.

The stylistic standardization of the Russian language carried out by Lomonosov was of great importance. Ideas about the styles of the Russian language were first expressed by Lomonosov in A short guide to eloquence...(1748); later wrote about it in Russian grammar and more details in essay. On the benefits of church books in Russian language (1758). Here Lomonosov creates the widely known concept of the "three calms" of the Russian language, designed to justify the possibility and necessity, and at the same time codify the use of the Russian language in all functional styles of language communication.

According to Lomonosov, each literary genre should be written in a certain "calm": "high calm" is "required" for heroic poems, odes, "prosaic speeches about important matters"; middle - for poetic messages, elegies, satires, descriptive prose, etc .; low - for comedies, epigrams, songs, "writings of ordinary affairs." "Shtils" were ordered primarily in the field of vocabulary, depending on the ratio of neutral (common to Russian and Church Slavonic languages), Church Slavonic and Russian colloquial words. “High calm” is characterized by a combination of Slavic words with neutral words, “middle calm” is built on the basis of neutral vocabulary with the addition of a certain number of Slavic words and colloquial words, “low calm” combines neutral and colloquial words. Such a program made it possible to overcome the Russian-Church Slavonic diglossia, which was still noticeable in the first half of the 18th century, and to create a single stylistically differentiated literary language. The theory of "three calms" had a significant impact on the development of the Russian literary language in the second half of the 18th century. up to the activities of the school (since the 1790s), which set a course for the convergence of the Russian literary language with the spoken language.

The poetic heritage of Lomonosov includes solemn odes, philosophical odes-reflections Morning reflection on God's majesty(1743) and Evening reflection on God's majesty(1743), poetic transcriptions of the psalms and adjoining them Ode chosen from Job(1751), didactic Letter on the benefits of glass(1752), unfinished heroic poem Peter the Great(1756–1761), satirical poems ( Anthem to the beard, 1756–1757 and others), philosophical Conversation with Anacreon(translation of Anacreontic odes in conjunction with their own answers to them; 1757-1761), heroic idyll Polydor(1750), two tragedies, numerous poems on the occasion of various festivities, epigrams, parables, translated verses.

pinnacle poetic creativity Lomonosov are his odes, written "on occasion" - in connection with significant events in the life of the state, for example, to the accession to the throne of Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine II. Lomonosov used solemn occasions to create vivid and majestic pictures of the universe. The odes are replete with metaphors, hyperbole, allegories, rhetorical questions, and other tropes that create internal dynamics and sound richness of the verse, imbued with patriotic pathos, reflections on the future of Russia. IN Ode on the day of the accession to the All-Russian throne of Elizabeth Petrovna(1747) he wrote: “Sciences nourish young men, / They give joy to the old, / In happy life decorate, / Protect in an accident. As a poet, Lomonosov sang about what he worked on as a scientist: “the great northern lights”, “the benefits of glass”, “the superiority of the newly invented artillery over the old”, etc. At the same time, he did not turn his poems into rhyming treatises. They are full of majestic images - for example, the poet called the sun the “Eternally Burning Ocean”, about the night sky he said: “The abyss of stars has opened full; / There is no number of stars, the bottom of the abyss. The peculiarity of Lomonosov's poetic worldview was later noticed by Gogol: "The power of delight turned the naturalist into a poet."

FONVIZIN, DENIS IVANOVICH

FONVIZIN, (1745-1792) - playwright, publicist, translator.

Born April 3 (14), 1745 in Moscow. Descended from the old noble family(the Livonian knight von Vizin was taken prisoner under John IV, then began to serve the Russian Tsar). Since 1755, Denis Fonvizin was enrolled in the gymnasium at Moscow University, where he successfully studied Latin, German and French and spoke at ceremonial acts with speeches in Russian and German. In 1760, among the best students, Fonvizin was taken to St. Petersburg to be presented to the curator of the university and "produced into students." He made his debut in the literary field as a translator: he translated from German a collection of popular in Europe Danish writer Ludwig Golberg Moral Fables (1761). Several small translations of Fonvizin appeared in university publications in 1761-1762 (including in the journal Useful Entertainment, which also published poems by Fonvizin's older brother, Pavel); the translation of Voltaire's tragedy Alzire (1762) was not published at the time, but was widely circulated in lists (published in 1894). At the same time, he began to translate the lengthy, in four volumes, adventurous and didactic novel by Abbé Jean Terrason Heroic Virtue, or the Life of Seth, King of Egypt, from mysterious testimonies ancient egypt taken (1762–1768).

In 1762, Fonvizin left the university and became a translator at the Collegium of Foreign Affairs.

His comedy Brigadier (1768-1769, post. 1772, publ. 1786) became a completely original and innovative work. This is the first “comedy of manners” in Russian literature, in contrast to the satirical “comedy of characters” that prevailed earlier, when personified vices (“stinginess”, “bragging”, etc.) were brought onto the stage. In the Brigadier, vices, features of speech and behavior actors socially conditioned. This is achieved with the help of "word masks". minus speech characteristics there are no other, individual human features»(). "Speaking" in comedy prevails over "action": on the stage they drink tea, play cards, discuss which books are needed for education, etc.

In the 1760s, during the era of the Commission for the preparation of the New Code (1767), Fonvizin also spoke out on the issue of the rights and privileges of the nobility that worried everyone.

Fonvizin's activity as a translator of fiction was crowned by the translation of Paul Jeremy Bitobe's story on the biblical story Joseph (1769): this is a sentimental narrative imbued with lyricism, performed in rhythmic prose. Later, Fonvizin proudly wrote that this story “served me to extract tears from sensitive people. For I know many who, reading Joseph, translated by me, shed tears.

Glory and universal recognition Fonvizin was delivered by the comedy Undergrowth (1779–1781, posted in September 1782, published in 1783). The extraordinary success of the play when it was first staged on the court stage in the Tsaritsyn Meadow was evidenced by unknown author"Dramatic Dictionary" (1787): "The theater was incomparably filled, and the audience applauded the play by throwing purses." This is a "comedy of manners", depicting the domestic life of a wild and dark family of provincial landowners. In the center of the comedy is the image of Mrs. Prostakova, a tyrant and a despot in own family and even more so among their peasants. Her cruelty in dealing with others is compensated by her unreasonable and ardent tenderness for her son Mitrofanushka, who, thanks to such maternal upbringing, grows up spoiled, rude, ignorant and completely unsuitable for any business. Prostakova is sure that she can do what she wants, because a decree was given on this "freedom of the nobility." Opposed to her and her relatives, Starodum, Pravdin, Sofya and Milon believe that the freedom of a nobleman lies in the right to study and then serve society with his mind and knowledge, which justifies the nobility of the noble title. In the finale, retribution comes: Prostakova is estranged from her estate and abandoned by her own son (the theme of a cruel, indulging in his passions and ruining subjects of a tyrant brings Fonvizin's comedy closer to tragedies).

In recent years, Fonvizin's health has deteriorated greatly (in 1784-1785 he traveled with his wife to Italy for treatment), and at the same time his religious and repentant moods increased. They were reflected in an autobiographical essay written "in the footsteps" of the Confessions of J.-J. Rousseau, - sincere confession in my deeds and thoughts (1791). His last comedy, The Choice of a Tutor (between 1790 and 1792), which has survived incompletely, is devoted, as in many respects to Undergrowth, to issues of education, but is much inferior to the latter in artistic terms.

Fonvizin died on December 1 (12), 1792 in St. Petersburg after an evening spent visiting, where, according to those present, he was cheerful and playful. He was buried at the Lazarevsky cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. (5)

Derzhavin, Gavrila Romanovich

His works - majestic, energetic and completely unexpected for the second half of the eighteenth century - had and continue to influence the development of Russian poetry to this day.

Derzhavin came from a poor but ancient family, which traced its origins to the Tatar Murza Bagrim. He had a brother Andrei and a sister Anna, who died in infancy.

Derzhavin was born so frail and weak that folk custom it was baked in bread, that is, kept in a kind of incubator. ancient folk remedy helped. The child survived. And not only survived, but also lived a long, eventful life.

By the end of the 70s. Derzhavin was already quite well known in literary circles like a poet. However real glory came to him only after the publication in 1783 of his ode "Felitsa", dedicated to Catherine 2.

The first collection of poems was published in 1776. titled "Odes translated and composed at Mount Chitalagay". In all these works, a strong influence is felt, although even here the satirical boldness characteristic of the mature Derzhavin, the sharpness of expressions, the aphoristic clarity and completeness of individual verses, were already manifested. Such, for example, is the famous quatrain from the ode "To nobility"

But soon Derzhavin begins to free himself from the influence of Lomonosov, to develop his own "handwriting". He refuses in some works from the usual genre of laudatory ode in iambic tetrameter. So for his ode "On the birth of a porphyry child in the North" he chooses poetic size- four-foot trochee. (2)

The works that made Derzhavin famous, such as Ode on the Death of Prince Meshchersky, Ode to Felice, God, Waterfall were written in an unusual language for that time.

Derzhavin's language is surprisingly sonorous. So, Ode to death book. Meshchersky from the very first lines, it strikes with booming and ringing lines, as if reproducing the ringing of a pendulum, measuring the irretrievably passing time: Verb of time! metal ringing! .. Your terrible voice confuses me ...

The images created by the poet are unusually passionate and emotional for the calm and rational era of classicism, for example: Already death gnashes its teeth ... And days mine, like cereal, flogs.

No less unexpected is the ending of the ode. The traditional classicist system of values ​​has always placed public and state interests above personal ones. The very genre of the solemn ode, it would seem, did not imply any intimate revelations. Derzhavin, however, ends his sublime reflections on the frailty of earthly life with surprisingly personal lines coming from the depths of his soul:

Life is heaven's instant gift;

Set her to rest,

And with your pure soul

Bless fate blow.

In an ode God, with sublime and solemn stanzas praising divine majesty, there is a description of the author's personal experiences and thoughts:

Part of the whole universe,

Delivered, it seems to me, in a venerable

In the middle of nature I am the one

Where did you end up bodily creatures,

Where did you start the spirits of heaven,

And the chain of beings has bound everyone by me.

The new features that appeared in Derazhavin's work in the 1970s and 1980s became much stronger in recent decades his life. The poet refuses od, in his later works the lyrical element clearly prevails. Among the poems created by Derzhavin at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries. - friendly messages, comic poems, love lyrics- genres that were placed in the classicist hierarchy much lower than odic poetry. The aging poet, who became almost a classic during his lifetime, is not embarrassed at all, since it is in this way that he can express his individuality in poetry. He sings simple life with its joys, friendship, love, mourns its short duration, mourns for departed loved ones.

His poem is filled with sincere and mournful feeling. Martin, dedicated to memory early deceased first wife:

O homely swallow!

Oh sweet little bird!…

Despite the innovative nature of Derzhavin's work, at the end of his life his literary circle consisted mainly of supporters of the preservation of the old Russian language and opponents of that light and elegant style, which Karamzin, and then Pushkin, began to write at the beginning of the 19th century. From 1811 Derzhavin was a member of literary society"Conversation of lovers of Russian literature", which defended the archaic literary style.

This did not prevent Derzhavin from understanding and highly appreciating the talent of the young Pushkin, whose poems he heard at the exam at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. symbolic meaning of this event will become clear only later - the literary genius and innovator welcomed his younger successor.

Conclusion

For a century, Russian literature has passed a long and difficult path of development. Reflecting the main stages of the steady process of the formation of the Russian nation and statehood, directly intervening in the decisions of current political, social and moral issues of its time, Russian literature, throwing off its religious shell, became a powerful tool further growth national culture and self-awareness the most important factor ideological impact on society.

She achieved great success by the middle of the 18th century, by the time the formation of classicism was completed. These successes were the result of an organic synthesis of creatively reworked achievements of foreign aesthetics with the best achievements domestic literature. The literature of Russian classicism, in its satirical and anti-clerical orientation, relied to a large extent on the previous tradition.

The literature of classicism has become a new stage in the development of Russian literature. Responding to the requirements of the era, she created the image of a new person - a citizen and patriot, convinced that "for the benefit of society, if it is joyful to work"

The major mood that had developed in poetry by the middle of the century was associated with the desire of writers to give their reader an example of serving the fatherland, worthy of imitation.

The great conquest of the literature of the 18th century was the assertion of the extra-estate value of man, the resolute struggle against the abuse of serfdom, and the protection of the interests of the broad masses. (3)

Literature

1. Foreign literature from the origins to the present day: Proc. allowance for students. higher textbook institutions / Vladimir Andreevich Lukov. - 2nd ed., Rev. - M.: Publishing Center "Academy", 2005. - 512 p.

2. Russian writers, 19th century: Biobibliogr. words. / , and etc.; Comp. . - M.: Enlightenment, 2002. - 224 p., 2l. Il.

3. History of Russian literature of the 19th century: A textbook for ped students. in-t on spec. No. 000 “Rus. lang. or T." - M.: Enlightenment, 1982. - 335s.\

4.http://www. *****

http://www. *****/id/english/18vek/

In Russian literature of the 18th century, the first independent trend began to take shape - classicism. Classicism developed on the basis of patterns ancient literature and Renaissance art. The development of Russian literature in the 18th century was greatly influenced by the reforms of Peter the Great, as well as the school of European enlightenment.

A significant contribution to the development of literature of the 18th century was made by Vasily Kirillovich Trediakovsky. He was a remarkable poet and philologist of his time. He formulated the basic principles of versification in Russian.

His principle of syllabic-tonic versification was the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line. The syllabo-tonic principle of versification, formulated back in the 18th century, is still the main method of versification in the Russian language.

Trediakovsky was a great connoisseur of European poetry and translated foreign authors. Thanks to him, the first fiction novel, exclusively secular subjects. It was a translation of the work "Riding to the city of love", French author Talman fields.

A.P. Sumarokov was also a big man of the 18th century. The genres of tragedy and comedy were developed in his work. Dramaturgy Sumarokov, contributed to the awakening in people human dignity and higher moral ideals. IN satirical works Russian literature of the 18th century was marked by Antioch Kantemir. He was a wonderful satirist, ridiculed the nobles, drunkenness and self-interest. In the second half of the 18th century, the search for new forms began. Classicism ceased to meet the needs of society.

The greatest poet in Russian literature of the 18th century was Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin. His work destroyed the framework of classicism, and brought a lively colloquial speech into literary language. Derzhavin was a wonderful poet, thinking person, poet and philosopher.

At the end of the 18th century, there is such literary direction like sentimentalism. Sentimentalism - directed towards exploration inner world human, personality psychology, experiences and emotions. The flourishing of Russian sentimentalism in Russian literature of the 18th century was the works of Radishchev and Karamzin. Karamzin, in the story " Poor Lisa”said interesting things that became a bold revelation for Russian society in the 18th century.

Literature and literary works- this is an opportunity to express one's attitude to what is happening, to ridicule or sing of the current events, which is what the writers did different centuries. So was ancient Russian literature, it was replaced by the medieval, and it was replaced by new literature and today we have to make a characterization of Russian literature of the 18th century.

Brief description of Russian literature of the 18th and 19th centuries

Working on the characteristics of the literature of the 18th and 19th centuries, it should be noted that the development of literature is associated with the activities of Peter the Great. Now, making a characterization of the literature of the 18th century in grade 9, it should be noted that among literary works scientific books and non-fiction books began to appear. In the literature, they began to use foreign words, and most importantly, now literature and works are written not in Church Slavonic, but in common consumer Russian. Now the Age of Enlightenment begins.

Doing general literature 18th century, I will say that in the eighteenth century writers continue to use such genres as drama, poetry of the Virsch form, the story, that is, those genres that existed in the 17th century, but such genres are added to this list, for example, love lyrics.

At the beginning of the 18th century, writers were mainly engaged in translations, and a little later they began to appear own works writers of that time. The writers' works were written in the spirit of classicism, where the genres were subdivided into low ones, among which one can single out a fable, satire, and comedy. Here the works are written in simple vernacular. The literature is also divided into high genres where odes, tragedies, heroic songs, which, unlike low genres, where the work is devoted to life ordinary people or the bourgeoisie, they praise the state, the upper strata of society.

All works of the 18th century had clear boundaries and were written according to the rule of three unities, that is, the work had one plot, mostly the events described take place within one day, and in one place. In the literature of the 18th century, one can clearly distinguish positive and bad guys, all heroes wear speaking surnames, for example, Starodum, Prostakova. The literature of the 18th century touches on such issues as the problem of education, and the works themselves have a simple plot, easy to understand and perceive. Who is the representative of classicism? Here it is worth recalling Krylov, Fonvizin, Derzhavin and other writers.

But classicism was not eternal, and here it is replaced by sentimentalism, where in the works the writers began to stop and focus on the feelings of the characters. Here we can distinguish such writers as Kamenev, Karamzin, Zhukovsky.