The creative history of "Anoush" spans more than three decades (1890-1922), often with major interruptions. During that time, several finished and unfinished, printed and handwritten versions of the poem were created, many draft sections, only a part of which survived.
The first mention of "Anoush" appeared in July 6, 1890 letter to Anoushavan Abovyan, where the poet wrote: "My notebook has already been sent to Moscow for publishing … I will sent you some of my new writings later (after the notebook), in addition to others there is a poem with the title "Anoush", from the life in Lori".
On November 1, 1890 Toumanian wrote a letter to Anoushavan Abovyan where he putted a memory about "Anoush" as an already completed work, and informed that the poem is "after a sweet friend’s name"* (i.e to Anoushavan Abovyan). A few months later, on February 8, 1891, Toumanian informed his friend: "Anoush", which is bigger and more successful than my other poems, may be sent to "Murch", what do you think? I wanted to write the prelude to "Anush" here, which is an ode to a friend to whom "Anush" is dedicated, but there is no space: later."
The poem "Anoush" was not published in the "Murch" magazine. Perhaps Toumanian backed away from that intention, following Anoushavan Abovyan's advice, who wrote on March 12, 1891 to the poet: "Having made a more or less possible idea from the first chapters of your poem "Anoush", if you listen to me, I do not advise you to print it in "Murch" or any other magazine. In my opinion, such a beautiful poem, which will make a magnificent ornament for the second volume of your "Poems", will certainly lose its richness if printed in a magazine... Other small poems or something like that you have, you can sometimes publish in "Murch", and I have nothing against it."
Toumanian's rapid creative and ideological development in the 90s soon brought him to the conviction that it is necessary to radically rework his poems written about the patriarchal countryside, to deepen the psychological reasoning of events and characters, to refuse exaggerations, to strive for the integrity and unity of the structure, language and style of the works. Apparently, the plan to completely transform "Anoush" originated in the middle of 1890s, after publishing the reworked "Loretsi Sako" in a separate booklet (1896).
The radical revision works of the poem took place a bit later in 1901-1902.
However, the main work of the poem’s transformation was done a few months later, in the summer and autumn months of 1902, when the poet was in Beli Kluch and then Abastuma summer houses, where he was preparing a new collection of his verses while recovering. On July 29, he wrote a letter to Philip Vardazaryan from Beli Kluch and jokingly stated that he was doing "pachinka" (fixing up) his "Anush". Years later, on July 18, 1909, in his letter addressed to Mariam Toumanian, he remembered with bliss the great creative upsurge he experienced during the "Autumn of Abastuman" in 1902, and wrote: "So many memories and unforgettable moments are connected with this or that small, peaceful, quiet corner of Abastuman. I dreamed there a lot and wrote several good things of mine. That's where I developed "Anush", that's where I wrote "Parvana" and other things – o՛h yes, "The capture of the Fortress of Tmuk".
The decade between the first (1892) and second (1903) editions of "Anoush" was a period of Toumanian's intense creative maturation, comprehensive deepening and enrichment of the principles of populism and realism, and this was apparently expressed in the new version of the poem. Keeping the same plot course of events – about the unfortunate love and destruction of rural youth – Toumanian created a poem with much deeper vital-psychological and ideological content, which condenses the best aspects of the poet's worldview, artistic method and mastery.
* In Armenian “anoush” means sweet. It is also the short version for the name Anoushavan.
Prelude
(On Ascension Night)
PERCHED upon the slender rays of the moon
Flying upon the wing of the breeze
The fairies forgathered by night
At the head of yonder mountain.