Lessons 36–37 · 2 lessons · M. E. Rozhnova, U. T. Yaminova. Russian Language, Grade 8 (textbook for general secondary schools with Uzbek and other languages of instruction), 2nd revised edition. “Uzbekistan” Publishing and Printing Creative House, Tashkent, 2019
37
Yu. Ya. Yakovlev: life. The story «Письмо к Петрарке»
Textbook: pp. 136–141
GoalLearn about Yu. Ya. Yakovlev; retell the story «Письмо к Петрарке»; explain the hero’s feelings and the likeness to Petrarch.
New words
письмо · maktubробость · uyatchanlikлюбовь · sevgiклятва · qasam
Explanation
Yu. Ya. Yakovlev was a writer, screenwriter and author of books for children and teenagers. He was born in Leningrad in 1922 and began with poems as a boy. Called up in 1940, he was in the war a military correspondent of the newspaper «Тревога». He graduated from the Gorky Literary Institute in 1952; his first children’s book «Наш адрес» appeared in 1949. He wrote scripts for films such as «Умка», «Умка ищет друга» and «Зимородок». His main themes are war, the memory of heroes, search parties, school life, friendship between man and animal, and gratitude to a teacher. His heroes are real people who love and cannot bear injustice or deceit. Yakovlev died in St Petersburg in 1996.
Worked examples
Part I: the boy wants to write to Petrarch because only he would understand. Petrarch saw Laura in a church in Avignon; the boy, carrying a globe of the starry sky along a school corridor, met an unknown girl, lost his breath and said nothing. The deputy head sent him off to class. Afterwards he often went up to the third floor to find her, but she did not come.
Part II: when they meet a month later, he asks, “Do you have gloves?” and she laughs and runs, he running after her. At the fence he lies: “I kiss all girls!” and at once regrets it. The maths teacher Olga Ivanovna takes the girl (her daughter) away. The girl leaves with her parents. The boy recalls Petrarch’s Laura and says that he will invent a machine, save a person or fly into space, so that she will hear of him.
Class activity
“The letter”. Write a short letter to Petrarch (in the hero’s role): in 4–5 sentences say what happened and what mistake you made.
Practice
1
Why is the story called «Письмо к Петрарке»?
The boy tells Petrarch of his love and mistake; their fates are alike.
2
Where did the hero first see the girl?
In the school corridor on the third floor, carrying a globe.
3
Why did the boy lie and what did he regret?
His claim to kiss all girls was a lie, and he was ashamed of it.
4
What did the hero decide to do?
To invent a machine, save someone or fly into space, so that she hears of him.