ISOS-4 2 ) . An eminent Russian lyric poet. lie was the son of a Voronezh cattle-dealer and re ceived little education. The first verses that came to his hands he sang to improvised tunes, positive as he was that all verse was song. The study of Lomonosoff, Derzhavin, Zhukofski, and Pushkin had as its immediate result a number of imita tions, which were severely criticised by Sere bryanski, himself a gifted young poet. The latter was Koltsoff's real instructor in literature. When about twenty he passed through an unfortunate love affair with the serf Dunyasha. whom his father immediately sold to a Cossack for fear of a misalliance. In 1831 his first published poems brought him many admirers. About this time he visited Saint Petersburg and Moscow and met the great writers of the period. In 1837 Zhu kofski introduced him to Nicholas I. as a poet with a national reputation. After 1838 he was under the immediate guidance and protection of the celebrated Byelinski, who thought him su perior even to Pushkin in sonic respects. After another love affair Koltsolf fell sick and (lied in 1842. Aside from his first imitative lyrics, his work was entirely original. His songs of the second group, though simple in form, tone, and language, describe with wonderful art the beauti ful southern nature of the steppes and the hard life of the Russian peasant. The themes and the
facts are the same as in the 'popular' songs, but the treatment is different ; there is always felt the strong individuality of the poet. The Demos ti1editations1—forming the third group—which deal with questions of faith. the universe. science, man and his moral destiny, are inferior to these of the preceding group. Though displaying the same external qualities and the same earnestness and depth of feeling, raise all these great questions only to leave them un solved, as the poet had very little philosophieal training.
A complete edition of his poems. with a biog raphy of the author. was published by llyelinski in 1846 ( ttli ed. 1863) : the latest (second) edi tion of his works is by Ars. Ovedyenski (Saint Petersburg. 1895), with letters to various people.
Consult the Fortnightly Review (September 15, 1s66) and Wcsiminster Review (July, 1880). Excellent German translations of most of his poems ( Fiedler's) appeared in 1885 (I'nicersal bibliothek. No. 1971), and Slichclson's com ment at Saint Petersburg in 1891.