Poems of spring and morning: Tyutchev, Fet, Nikitin

Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet (1820–1892) was born on 5 December 1820 at the Novoselki estate in Oryol province into a rich landowner’s family; in 1844 he finished the philology department of the philosophy faculty of Moscow University. His first collection came out in 1840. Fet is a subtle lyric poet who expresses delight in the beauty of native nature. The poem «Я пришёл к тебе с приветом...» paints a warm spring morning: the sun has risen, the forest has woken, every branch and bird has stirred, and the poet feels a song ripening. Ivan Savvich Nikitin (1824–1861) was born on 3 October 1824 in Voronezh; when his father went bankrupt he could not continue his education, and in 1859 he opened a bookshop and library in his town. «Утро» describes a summer morning: stars fade, dew glitters, fishermen wake, the sun rises, and a ploughman sets out with his plough, singing.