What Was Joseph Brodsky's Accomplishments

846 Words4 Pages

Joseph Brodsky, Nobel Prize for Literature recipient and American Poet Laureate, is recognized as one of the greatest Russian literary figures in history. He is known for his courage, his beautiful poetry, and his charming accent. Brodsky entails many of his lifelong struggles throughout his works. Joseph Brodsky’s life story and enchanting poetry inspired and continues to inspire people throughout the world. Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky was born on May 24, 1940, into a Jewish family in Leningrad. Brodsky’s writing reflects much on his childhood, which included much pain, suffering, and adversity because he grew up in the Soviet Union. He and family faced persecution because of their Jewish faith. For example, his father was expelled from the …show more content…

At a young age Brodsky survived the siege of Leningrad, a nine-hundred day blockade of the city by Nazi forces resulting in over one million civilian deaths, one of which was his aunt. Dropping out of school while only fifteen years old and failing to be admitted to the School of Submarines, Brodsky worked many jobs as he educated himself by learning English and Polish. He also acquired a deep interest in classical philosophy, religion, and mythology, as well as English and American poetry. Since he had no true occupation, in 1964 Brodsky was charged with parasitism, a political charge used to intimidate dissenters. Soviet authorities claimed he was “useless” to society. He was sentenced to five years of punishment labor in the Archangelsk region; luckily, he only served eighteen months because prominent Russian and foreign literary figures protested on