Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of the genesis and features of the development of “kara olen” (poem), an ancient genre of Kazakh literature. We are talking about the environment of chanting, the area of distribution of “kara olen”, which conveys the way of life, culture and literature of the Kazakh people. The opinions of scientists on the nature and definition of the genre are considered. It is known that "Kara olen" was studied by Sh. Ualikhanov, M. Auyezov, K. Zhumaliev, E. Ismailov, B. Kenzhebaev, B. Uakatov, Z. Akhmetov, G. Doskenov and other famous scientists. Examples from the statements of several of these scientists are given. It also tells about the work of the country's famous poet Orazakin Askar on the collection of quatrains “kara olen”. The poems of akyns and zhyrau were taken into account and analyzed. The nature, specificity of the content, and the theme of “kara olen” differ, which takes its place in Kazakh poetry. The specificity of the genre lies in the fact that four stanzas in it attach great philosophical importance, various phenomena of life manifest themselves. The people leading the country conveyed their wise thoughts to the general public through “kara olen”. The meaning of those stanzas that have come down to us is discussed in the article. Both the creator and the distributor of the poem are the people themselves. These stanzas were passed from mouth to mouth and even sounded in the song. At weddings, at various events, young people competed in quatrains, sang songs to the accompaniment of dombra. The article explores the type, character and specificity of the genre.