The Image of Tvardovsky in Russian Poetry: Sketches toward a Literary Reputation

The article presents the results of a study of the image of A. T. Tvardovsky in Russian poetry. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate that a writer’s literary reputation can be formed not only on the basis of memoirs, documents, and critical reviews, but also through a collective artistic image of the writer that has become a subject of poetic reflection. Results. The poems written during Tvardovsky’s lifetime reflect the author’s creative and human connections with Tvardovsky or responses to his serious illness at the end of his life. Most of the texts were created after the poet’s death, in memory of him. They give an assessment of Tvardovsky’s personality, his civic position, highlighting the most significant creative achievements. Tvardovsky is shown mainly in the image of a mighty hero, a front-line soldier, and in peacetime, as editor-in-chief of the Novy Mir magazine, who continued to fight for freedom of speech. Among his own main creative successes, his long poems stand out, Vasily Terkin holding an exceptional place. The image of its title character has become, in the public consciousness, an embodiment of the Russian national character and its creator is recognized as a connoisseur of the living Russian language. In contrast to the strength and power of Tvardovsky’s personality, his image has been built in recent years, when he was removed from the leadership of the magazine and struck down by a serious illness. Conclusion. Tvardovsky is shown in poetry as a tragic hero of Russian literature.