The directory «Plots»

Marshak (Маршак) Samuil Yakovlevich
(1887–1964)
Poems for poems

Samuil Marshak was a Russian writer, translator and children's poet. Among his Russian translations are William Shakespeare's sonnets, poems of William Blake and Robert Burns, and Rudyard Kipling's stories.

Samuil was born in Voronezh, his father was a foreman on a chemical plant. He got good home education and studied in a gymnasium (secondary school) of Ostrogozhsk (a suburb of Voronezh) town. Samuil started to write poetry during his childhood years in Voronezh.
In 1902 the Marshak's family moved to Saint Petersburg. There was a complication: as a Jew, Marshak could not legally live outside the Pale of Settlement, thus he could not attend schools while living in the city. Marshak's parents arranged a meeting with the influential critic Vladimir Stasov who was so impressed by literary talent of the schoolboy that he arranged an exception from the Pale laws for Samuil and his family. He also introduced Marshak to Maxim Gorky and Feodor Chaliapin.

In 1904 Samuil was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He could not continue to live in the cold climate of Saint Petersburg. Maxim Gorky arranged for Samuil to live with his family in the Black Sea resort town of Yalta (1904-1907). Gorky and Chalyapin also paid for his education and therapy.

In 1904 he got his first publications in magazines «Jewish Life» and «Young Judea». In 1907 he returned to Saint Petersburg, published a lot in the popular magazine «Satyricon».
In 1912 he moved to England and studied philosophy at the University of London. In his senior years at University of London he published in Russia his translations from William Blake, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth. Shortly before World War I, in 1914 he returned to Russia and devoted himself to translations.

In 1917 Marshak worked with children of Jewish refugees. This was his first experience working with children. In the summer of 1917 he and a group of enthusiasts organized «Children's town» that included children's theater, library, and studios. For that theater he wrote plays that later became the book «Plays for Children».

From writing children's fiction he moved on to writing poetry for children. Starting from 1922 he worked with the publishing house «Raduga» («Rainbow») where he published: «Kids in the cage», «Fire») (1923), «Tale of a little mouseling», «Blue bird», «Circus», «Ice-cream», «Yesterday and today» (1925), «Luggage» (1926), «Poodle», «Post» (1927), «Such an absent-minded» (1930), that became very popular.

In 1937 Marshak moved to Moscow, where he worked on children's books and translations. During World War II he published satires against the Nazis. After the war he continued to publish children's books: «Multicolored book» (1948), «All year round» (1948), «Quiet tale» (1956).

The last years he wrote aphoristic verses that he named lyrical epigrams. They were published in his last book «Selected Lyrics» (1963). He also published three tale plays: «Twelve months» (1943), «Afraid of troubles - cannot have luck» (1962) and «Smart things» (1964). He translated Gianni Rodari, William Blake, Edward Lear, Rudyard Kipling. Many of his translations became native for Russian culture, so it was often said that Marshak was not a translator but a co-author of them.

Samuil Marshak died on June 4, 1964 and was buried in Moscow.

USSR, 1987, Samuil Marshak

USSR, 1988, Poste

USSR, 1987.03.11, Moskow. Birth Centenary of Marshak

Russia, 2012, Samuil Marshak

USSR, 1967, Samuil Marshak

USSR, 1987, Samuil Marshak

USSR, 1961, Teremok

USSR, 1962.06.08, Teremok