I lived from 1907-1989. I was from Russia, and am in the Asian category.
Arseny Aleksandrovich Tarkovsky was born on June 25, 1907 in Elisavetgrad into the family of a Narodnik (a revolutionary-minded person). As Tarkovsky put it himself, he started writing poetry “from the potty”. In the Tarkovskys family poetry was a natural form of communication. They used to write each other rhymed letters and notes and versify the family doings. Arseny Aleksandrovich kept that habit till the end of his life.
After finishing school he moved to Moscow. There the up-and-coming poet attended Higher State Literary Courses attached to the All-Russian Union of Poets. Upon the recommendation of Georgy Shengeli, his first poetic guru, Tarkovsky was employed in the newspaper Gudok. At the same time Arseny got acquainted with Osip Mandelstam and Marina Tsvetaeva, the latter just back from emigration.
The year 1932 saw the first publications of Arseny Tarkovsky’s translations. In 1940 he became a member of the Writers’ Union.
World War Two broke into the poet’s life making him volunteer to the front, first as a war correspondent in the army newspaper Battle Alarm, then as a soldier in the battles near Moscow, and later in the Western, Bryansk, the 2nd Byelorussian and 1st Baltic fronts. After being badly wounded and having one leg amputated Tarkovsky had to be discharged. By that time he was already a captain.
After finishing school he moved to Moscow. There the up-and-coming poet attended Higher State Literary Courses attached to the All-Russian Union of Poets. Upon the recommendation of Georgy Shengeli, his first poetic guru, Tarkovsky was employed in the newspaper Gudok. At the same time Arseny got acquainted with Osip Mandelstam and Marina Tsvetaeva, the latter just back from emigration.
The year 1932 saw the first publications of Arseny Tarkovsky’s translations. In 1940 he became a member of the Writers’ Union.
World War Two broke into the poet’s life making him volunteer to the front, first as a war correspondent in the army newspaper Battle Alarm, then as a soldier in the battles near Moscow, and later in the Western, Bryansk, the 2nd Byelorussian and 1st Baltic fronts. After being badly wounded and having one leg amputated Tarkovsky had to be discharged. By that time he was already a captain.
Links of interest include http://russia-ic.com/culture_art/literature/429/
My poetry
- I don't believe in omens or fear
Forebodings. I flee from neither slander47 lines, 1 comment - And this I dreamt, and this I dream,
And some time this I will dream again,14 lines, 1 comment - I waited for you yesterday since morning,
They guessed you wouldn't come,9 lines, 2 comments - The last leaves' embers in total immolation
Rise into the sky; this whole forest16 lines
