Boris Pasternak
Boris Pasternak: A Literary Luminary
Full Name and Common Aliases
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak, commonly known simply as Boris Pasternak, was a towering figure in Russian literature. His name is synonymous with poetic brilliance and the enduring power of the written word.
Birth and Death Dates
Boris Pasternak was born on February 10, 1890, and he passed away on May 30, 1960. His life spanned a period of immense change and upheaval in Russia, which deeply influenced his work.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Pasternak was a Russian national, and his professional life was dedicated to literature. He was a poet, novelist, and translator, whose works have left an indelible mark on both Russian and world literature.
Early Life and Background
Boris Pasternak was born in Moscow into a highly cultured and artistic family. His father, Leonid Pasternak, was a renowned painter, and his mother, Rosa Kaufman, was a talented concert pianist. This artistic environment nurtured Pasternak's early interest in the arts. Initially, he pursued music, studying composition at the Moscow Conservatory. However, he eventually shifted his focus to philosophy and literature, studying at the University of Marburg in Germany. This diverse educational background enriched his literary voice, blending philosophical depth with lyrical beauty.
Major Accomplishments
Pasternak's literary career began with poetry, and he quickly gained recognition for his unique style and profound themes. His early collections, such as "My Sister, Life" (1917), established him as a leading poet of his generation. However, it was his novel "Doctor Zhivago" that brought him international fame. Despite being banned in the Soviet Union, the novel was smuggled to the West and published in 1957. It was a sweeping epic that explored the tumultuous period of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath through the eyes of its protagonist, Yuri Zhivago.
In 1958, Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for "Doctor Zhivago," a recognition that underscored his global impact. However, the Soviet government forced him to decline the prize, a testament to the political tensions surrounding his work.
Notable Works or Actions
"Doctor Zhivago" remains Pasternak's most famous work, celebrated for its rich character development and exploration of themes such as love, individuality, and the conflict between personal desires and societal pressures. His poetry, too, is highly regarded, with collections like "Themes and Variations" (1923) and "Second Birth" (1932) showcasing his mastery of language and form.
Pasternak was also a gifted translator, bringing the works of Shakespeare, Goethe, and others to Russian audiences. His translations are praised for their fidelity to the original texts while capturing the nuances of the Russian language.
Impact and Legacy
Boris Pasternak's impact on literature is profound. His works have been translated into numerous languages, influencing writers and readers worldwide. "Doctor Zhivago" is considered a classic of 20th-century literature, and his poetry continues to be studied and admired for its emotional depth and technical skill.
Pasternak's legacy is also marked by his courage in the face of political oppression. His refusal to conform to Soviet ideological demands and his commitment to artistic integrity have made him a symbol of intellectual resistance.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Boris Pasternak is widely quoted and remembered for his ability to capture the human experience with sensitivity and insight. His works resonate with universal themes of love, freedom, and the search for meaning, making them timeless. Quotes from "Doctor Zhivago" and his poetry often reflect on the beauty and complexity of life, offering wisdom and solace to readers.
Pasternak's life and work exemplify the power of literature to transcend political boundaries and speak to the shared experiences of humanity. His words continue to inspire and provoke thought, ensuring his place in the pantheon of great literary figures.
Quotes by Boris Pasternak
Boris Pasternak's insights on:
You fall into my arms. You are the good gift of destruction's path, When life sickens more than disease. And boldness is the root of beauty. Which draws us together.
Orioles kept making their clear three-note calls, stopping each time just long enough to let the countryside suck in the moist fluting sounds down to the last vibration.
Through its inborn faculty of hearing, poetry seeks the melody of nature amid the noise of the dictionary, then, picking it out like picking out a tune, it gives itself up to improvisation on that theme.
No genuine book has a first page. Like the rustling of a forest, it is begotten God knows where, and it grows and it rolls, arousing the dense wilds of the forest until suddenly, in the very darkest, most stunned and panicked moment, it rolls to its end and begins to speak with all the treetops at once.
The trains either don’t run at all or come so full that it is impossible to get on them.
Language, the home and dwelling of beauty and meaning, itself begins to think and speak for man and turns wholly into music, not in the sense of outward audible sounds but by virtue of the power and momentum of its inward flow.
I think a little philosophy should be added to life and art by way of seasoning, but to make it one’s speciality seems to me as strange as eating nothing but horseradish.
You come out; it is still dark. The door creaks, or perhaps you sneeze, or the snow crunches under your foot, and hares start up from the far cabbage patch and leap away, leaving the snow criss-crossed with tracks. In the distance dogs begin to howl and it takes a long time before the quieten down. The cocks have finished their crowing and have nothing left to say. Then dawn breaks.
As it fantasizes, poetry comes across nature. The real, living world is the only project of the imagination which has once succeeded and which still goes on being endlessly successful. Look at it continuing, moment after moment a success. It is still real, still deep, utterly absorbing. It is not something you are disappointed in next morning. It serves the poet as example, even more than a sitter or a model.