Fate's Duality: The Unpredictable Dance of Fortune

In this captivating meditation on poetry, fate appears as something unpredictable and multifaceted – simultaneously acting as a benefactor and a treacherous destroyer. The poet portrays fate through vivid contrasts: on one hand, it is capable of bestowing upon an individual the happiness that seemed to be the fruit of effort and determination, while on the other, it condemns them to endless trials and failures, marked by cruelty and randomness. Here, the tension between the idea of happiness—as an achievement born of conscious choice and an active life stance—and fate—as an inevitable fortune that defies logic and understanding—is distinctly revealed. By choosing this path, the author inspires us to reflect on how much is determined by our decisions and how much by the mysterious force that governs our lives. In conclusion, fate is depicted not so much as the result of labor but as an inevitability we strive to comprehend and accept, all the while hoping that fortune will always be on our side.

What is implied by the concept of "Fate" in the poem and why does it seem incompatible with the idea of happiness? In the poem, fate is presented as something unpredictable and dualistic—a source of both happiness and suffering, independent of one’s own efforts. Fate is described through numerous contrasts: on one hand, it is capable of granting a person luck ("Happiness fell to me… Happiness was given to me…"), and on the other, it condemns one to misfortune ("A bad share was allotted to him," "an unfortunate man," "failures pursued him throughout his life"). Thus, fate appears not as the outcome of conscious work or inner strength, but as an unknown fortune whose true nature remains beyond human understanding.

The incompatibility between fate and the notion of happiness arises precisely from this difference: in the poetic representation, happiness is an achievement—the result of effort and a proactive life—whereas fate is seen as something externally imposed, arbitrary, and often cruel. In other words, while happiness is linked to conscious choice and deliberate actions, fate is associated with predetermined luck or misfortune, from which a person is often powerless.

Supporting citation(s):
"It can be happy, or it can be worse, bad, or evil: 'A bad share was allotted to them' (by Lermontov), 'an unfortunate man,' 'tragedy of misfortune,' 'my evil fate,' 'failures pursued him throughout his life.' Even the most industrious people, who achieved everything through their own labor, still say: 'Happiness fell to me... Happiness was given to me...'. Happiness is fortune, fate—about which we know nothing—and if it is absent, they say: 'Such is my fate,' 'Seems to be written in my destiny.' And when we say: 'May the children be happy,' it is as if we are wishing them a fortunate journey through life—may fate be kind to them, may nothing bad happen, may they succeed in everything, may they be fortunate." (source: link , page: 22)