The poem was written in 1825 when the poet was exiled in Odessa, southern Russia, and after a conflict with the local governor, he was sent to his father's territory Mikhailovskoye village for confinement. From August 1824 to September 1826, this was an extremely lonely life. Faced with the violent social turmoil before and after the December Party uprising, Pushkin was not only isolated from the fiery struggle, but also separated from many close friends and relatives. Fortunately, at night, he was accompanied by his lifelong love nurse, who told him stories to relieve his sorrow; during the day, he went to the market, made friends with simple farmers, talked to them, and listened to their singing. In the loneliness, in addition to reading and writing, the Osipova family in the neighboring manor also brought warmth and comfort to the poet's melancholy confinement life. This poem was written for Osipova's 15-year-old daughter Jiji and was inscribed in her memorial album.