Kosta Khetagurov - Philosophy

Philosophy

There are poetic similarities between poets. There is a brand of poetry that is about the ordinary and good among the people. Kosta is in this brand. Similarly branded in philosophy are considered Mikhail Lermontov, Nikolai Nekrasov, Robert Burns, Taras Shevchenko according to those who know the poets.

Themes in common in this philosophy are those of social and justice concerns. There is emphasis on truth and progress of man, a them of what is called "humanism" in his efforts. He writes:

"To the truths radiance
Boldly go treading.
Cowards and lay-abouts,
Clear off, no meddling!"

There is a constant theme in the work of Kosta that plays to the gap between the money and life enjoyed by the rich, and the money and life enjoyed by the poor. Kosta spent many harsh and unforgiving on the people who were well off and rich at the expense of others. Even the rich who were not possessing their money from other peoples misfortunes felt the sting of Kosta's pen. To the people "who eat well and are happy" there comes this translation, not expertly rendered due to difficulty of the script:

"Your happiness -I don't require it –
No happiness for the people
there...
In brilliant mansions I'm expiring,
Fainting and blinded by their
glare...
For ages built by slavedom tor-
tured,
In them the groans of orphans
choke,
In them the wine with tears is wa-
tered-
No, by yourselves enjoy good
fortune,
Where so unfortunate is the folk!"

There has been much talk of the patriotism of the poet Kosta. True, the significance of Kosta is most felt in Ossetia and not too many places outside. But, at the time he was a man who people had knowledge of around the world. Kosta, too, had knowledge of those who knew him elsewhere. Therefore, to call Kosta a regional poet is not fully accurate. The Caucasus mountains have sung Kosta's praises across many national borders. One example of Kosta's international poetry follows:

"The world's my shrine, and
love's my sacred treasure,
The universe is fatherland
for me...."

As for the roots of this philosophy, it is the current of revolutionary thought that was boiling in the Russian lands. These voices talked to Kosta throughout his development. Yet, nor is Kosta a solely Russian poet by far. The aspects of the Ossetian culture and traditions are so strong in the poetry of Kosta and so embedded in his philosophy that it is no surprise that Kosta is so revered in Ossetia.