One of Russias most celebrated poets of all times, Michael Lermontov was born in Moscow in the family of a nobleman. He spent his childhood and youth at Tarckany, his grandmothers estate in the province of Penza. In 1830 Lermontov entered the Moscow University, but very soon had to leave it. Then he entered St. Petersburg School of Cavalry Cadets. He finished it in 1834 and served in the Hussar Regiment of the Imperial Guard. Lermontov began writing when he was very young. One of his first writing* to be published was his verse tale «Hadji Abrek». But he won fame as a poet after his poem on Pushkins death was published. Lermontovs poems «Demon», «Mtsyri» and «Lay of the Merchant Kalashnikov», his innumerable lyrics, his great novel «АHero of Our Time» and his play «Masquerade» are masterpieces of Russian literature. William Shakespeare is the greatest of all playwrights and poets of all times. Not much is known of his life. He was probably the son of a businessman and was born in 1564 in Stradford-upon-Avon. He probably attended the local grammar school and got a classical education. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway and had three children. Little is known of his life before 1592, when he appeared as a playwright in London. Soon he became an actor playing supporting roles like the 154 ghost in «Hamlet», n 1599 Shakespeare became a part owner of the Globe Theatre in London. Shakespeares work as a playwright is subdivided into three periods. Written in the first period, Shakespeares plays are mostly history plays like «Henry VI», and comedies with strong elements of farce («The Comedy of Errors»). His masterpiece of this period is «Romeo and Juliet». In the second period Shakespeare wrote a number of comedies where he moved away from farce towards romance («As You like It»). In the third period, after 1600, appeared his major tragedies - «Hamlet», «Othello». They presented a clear opposition of order to chaos, good to evil. Mass media (that is, the press, the radio and television) play an important role in the life of society. They inform, educate and entertain people. They also influence the way people look at the world and make them change their views. Mass media mould public opinion. Millions of people in their spare time watch TV and read newspapers. Everybody can find there something interesting for him. On the radio one can hear music, plays, news and various discussions or commentaries of current events. Multiple radio or TV games and films attract a large audience. Newspapers are used in different ways, but basically they are read. There is a lot of advertisment on mass media. Some of the TV and radio stations and newspapers are owned by different corporations. The owners can advertise whatever they choose. But it is hardly fair to say that mass media do not try to raise cultural level of the people or to develop their artistic taste. Mass media brings to millions of homes not only entertaiment and news but also cultural and educational programs. Edgar Рое one of the most brilliant and original writers and poets in American literature. He was born in Boston in 1809 in a family of artists. When he was two years old, his mother and father died. His godfather and his wife raised him. He entered the University of Virginia but didnt stay there long. Edgar Poe published his first book of poems, «Tamerlane and other poems» Edgar Poe became the editor of a literary journal, but soon lost his position because ofhis drinking. His short stories, such as «The Masque of the Red Death» and «The Fall of the House of Usher», create a world which is real and fantastic. He is considered the father of modern detective story. One of his most popular stories of this kind is «Murders in the Rue Morgue». His book «The Raven and Other Poems» His poems («The Raven», «The Bells» and «Annabel Lee») Though Edgar Poe was more famous as a short-story writer, his poems are popular all over the world and have been translated into many languages.