Modern Period
Stefan
Resenting the orientation on the past and nostalgia for what is lost of the romanticists in the Late Feudal Period of Georgian literature, young writers chose more realistic themes and a modern style of writing, reflecting a new objectivity and serenity towards the societal conditions in the peaceful, economically growing
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The Georgian Language Universe
Resenting the orientation on the past and nostalgia for what is lost of the romanticists in the Late Feudal Period of Georgian literature, young writers chose more realistic themes and a modern style of writing, reflecting a new objectivity and serenity towards the societal conditions in the peaceful, economically growing yet Russian-occupied Georgia of the mid 19th century - the advent of Realism and the Modern Period of Georgian Literature.

This new approach to litarature resulted in the new epoch Realism. It came to Georgia via young writers who had studied in St. Petersburg in Russia and who became known in Georgia as "The Terek Drinkers" (თერგდალეული), since they had to cross the mountains and the river Terek on their way to St. Petersburg. With them they brought the new ideas of realism and applied them to the Georgian situation. They advocated an orientation towards the future, developing of a civil attitude, activating the Georgian society and political independence, ridding the society of serfdom and the antique feudalism - and started by reforming the Georgian language. Important new themes of this period came from the growing economy and ca2pitalism during the 19th century in Georgia, often contrasted by the authors with the deteriorating Georgian nobility. The Georgian realists focussed more on prosa compared to the prominent poetry of the romanticists before them.

Prominent figures of the early Georgian Realism are Dimitri Kipiani (დიმიტრი ყიფიანი), Giorgi Eristavi (გიორგი ერისთავი), Lavrent Ardasiani (ლავრენტი არდაზიანი), Daniel Tshonkadze (დანიელ ჭონქაძე), Aleksandre Orbeliani (ალექსანდრე ორბელიანი), Melania Mamatsashvili-Badridse (მელანია მამაცაშვილ-ბადრიძე), Grigol Rtsheulishvili (გრიგოლ რჩეულიშვილი), Barbare Jorjadze (ბარბარე ერისთავი-ჯორჯაძე).

The most prominent figures of Georgian Realism, Ilia Tshavtshavadze (ილია ჭავჭავაძე) and Akaki Zereteli (აკაკი წერეთელი), are known as the founders of the new Georgian literature languge in the second half of the 19th century and due to their fame most Georgians speak about them using only their first names. Ilia was a known realistic writer, literature critic and intellectual. His works mostly focus on humanism, societal progress, and Russian oppression, e.g. his "Letters of a Traveller" (მგზავრის წერილები), "Is this a human?!" (კაცია ადამიანი?!). Some of his works are explicitly dedicated to the life of the common layperson, e.g. "Otar's Widow" (ოთარაანთ ქვრივი) and "Tale of a poor Man". Besides the narratives, he also wrote epics, dramatic works and poems.

Ilia's friend and fellow writer, Akaki Zereteli, wrote on an equally high level and about the same political topics as Ilia, mostly poems like the "Secret Letter" (საიდუმლო ბარათი), the famous "Suliko" (სულიკო) or the historical "Tornike Eristavi" (თორნიკე ერისთავი). His prose is of equally high acclaim, for example "Bashi-Achuki" (ბაში-აჩუკი) or "The Story of my Life" (ჩემი თავგადასავალი). He was also active as a publisher, e.g. his "Akaki's Monthly Collection" (აკაკის თვიური კრებული) or the journal "Ciskari" (ცისკარი).

Ilia and Akaki inspired other writers, like Rapiel Eristavi (რაფიელ ერისთავი), Anton Purtseladze (ანტონ ფურცელაძე), Niko Nikoladze (ნიკო ნიკოლაძე), Iakob Gogebashvili (იაკობ გოგებაშვილი), Giorgi Zereteli (გიორგი წერეთელი).

In the late 19th century some writers focused the settings and themes on the mountainous regions of Georgia and gave rise to an influential mountain literature, with close links to the traditional folk poetry of the mountain tribes. Among its famous writers is Alexander Kazbegi (ალექსანდრე ყაზბეგი), who authored the popular "The People from Khevi and their Life" (მოხევეები და მათი ცხოვრება) and "Elguja" (ელგუჯა). Even more popular and influential to the literature of Georgia (and abroad) became Vazha Pshavela (ვაჯა ფშაველა), thematizing man's struggle with nature and society in mountain-village settings using a harsh and original language (in mountain dialects). Among his famous poems are "Aluda Ketelauri" (ალუდა ქეთელაური), "Khevsur's Homeland" (სამშობლო ხევსურისა), "Host and Guest" (სტუმარ-მასპინძელი) and "Snake Eater" (გველის მჭამელი).