Analysis of the poem "Elegy", Nekrasov. Theme of the poem "Elegy" by Nekrasov

Analysis of the poem

1. The history of the creation of the work.

2. Characteristics of a work of the lyrical genre (type of lyrics, artistic method, genre).

3. Analysis of the content of the work (analysis of the plot, characteristics of the lyrical hero, motives and tonality).

4. Features of the composition of the work.

5. Analysis of funds artistic expression and versification (the presence of tropes and stylistic figures, rhythm, meter, rhyme, stanza).

6. The meaning of the poem for the poet’s entire work.

The poem “Elegy” was written by N.A. Nekrasov in 1874. It is dedicated to A.N. Erakov, a friend of the poet, who became the husband of his beloved sister, Anna Alekseevna Butkevich. A.N. Erakov was a communications engineer. He was a kind, sympathetic person with great artistic taste. The poem “Recent Time” is dedicated to him. Nekrasov sent him “Elegy” on his name day along with a letter that said: “I am sending you poems. Since these are the most sincere and beloved ones I have written in Lately, then I dedicate them to you, my dearest friend.” The reason for writing the work was the speech of the literary historian O.F. Miller, in which he argued that the poet began to repeat that “Nekrasov’s direct description of the suffering of the people has been exhausted.”

The genre of the work is indicated in the title - elegy. Its theme is the position of the Russian people and the role of the poet in society. Thus, Nekrasov introduces social issues into the genre of elegy, the traditional motives of which are love, sadness, spiritual reflection and reflections on life. We can classify the poem as civil poetry. His style is realistic.

The poem begins with the thought of the “Russian people.” Opposing the critics, the lyrical hero reflects on how relevant and important this topic is for poetry. The first four lines represent the beginning, the definition of the topic:

Let changing fashion tell us,
That the topic is old - “the suffering of the people”
And that poetry should forget her, -
Don't believe it, boys! she doesn't age.

And here Nekrasov is already an innovator. The elegy opens not with a motive of melancholy or analysis own feelings, as we noted above, but by appealing to youth. And here we hear the intonations of sermons, testaments, and open calls.

We then see the theme develop. The lyrical hero comes to the conclusion that there is no subject more worthy and significant, that the poet is obliged to “Remind the crowd that the people are in poverty”, “Arouse attention to the people powerful of the world" The muse, according to the hero, should become a constant companion of the people's destiny:

Alas! bye peoples
They languish in poverty, submitting to the whips,
Like skinny herds across mown meadows,
The muse will mourn their fate, the muse will serve them,
And there is no stronger, more beautiful union in the world!..

The tone of speech here becomes solemn and excitedly pathetic. Nekrasov’s poem echoes Pushkin’s “Village,” where the poet mourns the plight of the peasant:

Leaning on an alien plow, submitting to the scourge,
Here skinny slavery drags along the reins...

With this reminiscence, Nekrasov seems to make it clear that since the time of Pushkin, little has changed in people’s life, that this topic is still very important. Analyzing his life path, the hero exclaims:

I dedicated the lyre to my people,
Perhaps I will die unknown to him,
But I served him - and my heart is calm...
Let not every warrior harm the enemy,
But everyone go into battle! And fate will decide the battle...

Next, he turns to specific facts, recalling the event of which he became a contemporary - the abolition of serfdom. However, did this liberation make the Russian people happy? We do not find an answer to this question:

I saw a red day: there is no slave in Russia!
And I shed sweet tears in tenderness...
“It’s enough to rejoice in naive enthusiasm,”
The muse whispered to me, “it’s time to move forward:
The people are liberated, but are the people happy?..”

In the third part, the tone of the lyrical hero becomes calm, the narrative takes on an idyllic-elegiac character. He notes with sadness that the reform did not bring relief to the people. Rhetorical questions convey his sorrowful thoughts:

I'm looking for answers to secret questions,
Boiling in the mind: "In recent years
Have you become more bearable, peasant suffering?
And the long slavery that replaced it,
Has freedom finally brought a change?
In people's destinies? into the tunes of rural maidens?
Or is their discordant melody just as sad?..”

The last stanza of the elegy reveals thoughts about creative inspiration and the people. The poet's call and his questions remain unanswered. Only in nature does he find a response to the call of his soul:

And my song is loud!.. The valleys and fields echo it,
And the echo of distant mountains sends her feedback,
And the forest responded... Nature listens to me,
But the one about whom I sing in the evening silence,
To whom are the poet’s dreams dedicated?
Alas! he does not heed and does not give an answer...

Here is a reminiscence from Pushkin’s poem “Echo”:

You listen to the roar of thunder,
And the voice of the storm and the waves,
And the crowing of rural roosters -
And you send an answer;
You don’t have any feedback... That’s it
And you, poet!

The thought of both poets is similar: their work cannot find a response among the people. Nature here is opposed to people.

In this poem, the image of the lyrical hero appears quite clearly before us. This is a middle-aged man who has chosen his own path and is walking along it when many have left it. This is a person of integrity, although he is also aware of hesitations and mistakes, the naivety of his hobbies, and not too much confidence in his abilities (“Perhaps I will die unknown to him...”). This is a wise and courageous man (“...everyone go into battle! And fate will decide the battle...”). He is not indifferent to the fate of youth - the future of Russia. This is a talented poet who creates out of free inspiration (“And the song composes itself in the mind...”). He is confident that it is possible to live honestly only in selfless service to the people (“To arouse the attention of the mighty of the world to the people – What could the lyre serve more worthily?”).

Compositionally, the work is divided into three parts. The first part is the beginning, an appeal to youth. The second part is the development of the theme, the proclamation of the civil service of poetry to the Fatherland, the analysis of one’s own creative path. The third part is the ending, reflections on the Russian people. The poem begins and ends with the same motive - the suffering of the people. In the finale, the lyrical hero does not speak about this directly, but the people do not heed his calls, the people “keep silent.” This motif of silence is associated with the theme of moral suffering. Thus, we can talk about a ring composition.

The poem is written in iambic hexameter with pyrrhic rhymes, and the rhyme pattern is cross. The poet uses various means artistic expressiveness: epithets (“sweet tears”, “red day”), metaphor (“the muse will serve them”), personification (“And the forest responded…”), comparison (“Like skinny herds across mown meadows…”), anaphora (“And the echo of the distant mountains sends her feedback, And the forest responded...”), rhetorical question (“What could the lyre serve more worthily?”), rhetorical exclamation (“But everyone go into battle!”), alliteration (“What is the theme old - “the suffering of the people”, “And I shed sweet tears in tenderness...”), phraseological unit (“to arouse the attention of the powerful of the world...”). The poet uses “high” vocabulary: “heeds”, “drag”, “rock”, “lyre”, “I listen”, “dev”.

Thus, Nekrasov viewed poetic creativity as a civil service to the Fatherland, to the Russian people. His muse was the muse of revenge and sadness, the muse cut with a whip. Denying “art for art’s sake,” the poet “understood the meaning of his calling and served it invariably, without deviating to the sides, without making any concessions and without being carried away by false, albeit brilliant, ghosts. Many people can be blamed for such hobbies, but not Nekrasov, who understood that “as long as the sun is not visible from anywhere,” then a poet with a similar mood is “ashamed to sleep” and

It’s even more shameful in a time of grief
The beauty of the valleys, skies and sea
And sing of sweet affection.”

True nationality lies not in the description of the sundress, but in the very spirit of the people.
V.G. Belinsky
ON THE. Nekrasov is a famous Russian poet of the 19th century, editor of the magazines Sovremennik and Otechestvennye zapiski. Despite the fact that the poet grew up in a rich family, he was worried about the fate of the common people. The heroes of his poems and poems are simple peasants, townspeople, the poor, and the disadvantaged. This was Nekrasov’s innovation as a poet. After all, neither Pushkin, nor Lermontov, nor Gogol will see ordinary people the main characters of the works. Nikolai Alekseevich not only created in his poems vivid images peasants, townspeople, but also worried about the fate of the poorest sections of society. The poet speaks about this in the poem “Elegy,” written in 1874, 13 years after the abolition of serfdom.
Elegy is a special genre that many romantic poets turned to: Zhukovsky, Baratynsky, Batyushkov. Elegy, translated from ancient Greek as “complaint,” conveyed sad experiences, mainly about unhappy love. Nekrasov changed the genre, giving his elegy a social overtone. This is a sad poem-meditation about the fate of the people after the reform of 1861 and the establishment of high life ideals. The elegy is written in iambic hexameter with missing accents (a line traditional for elegies).
The first part begins with an appeal to the younger generation of readers:
Let changing fashion tell us,
That the theme is old - “the suffering of the people”,
And that poetry should forget her, -
Don't believe it, boys! She doesn't age.
The poet tries to start a conversation by defining the theme of his work in general and this work in particular - “the suffering of the people.” This is what interests him most. He seeks to convince the reader that he is right, using vivid comparisons and epithets:
"Alas! While the peoples
They wallow in poverty, submitting to the gods,
Like skinny herds across mown meadows.
The antithesis heightens the urgency of the question:
Remind the crowd that the people are in poverty,
While she rejoices and sings...
The poet uses exclamatory sentences, rhetorical questions, and omissions in the elegy, which brings the style closer to journalistic. Exclamation:
The muse will mourn their fate, the muse will serve them,
And there is no stronger, more beautiful union in the world!
echoes the rhetorical question asked at the end:
To arouse the attention of the powerful of the world to the people -
What better service could the lyre serve? ...
For Nekrasov, the muse and creativity are obliged to serve the people; a true poet, a citizen, cannot help but worry about his fate:
I dedicated the lyre to my people...
This line is the leitmotif of Nekrasov’s entire work.
In the second part, which begins with these words, the poet reflects on the reform of 1861. For him, this decree is a great joy. But the author’s irony is also felt in these lines:
I saw a red day: There is no slave in Russia!
And I shed sweet tears in emotion...
But then the antithesis sounds again:
Enough to rejoice in naive enthusiasm, -
The muse whispered to me...
And again the poet-publicist asks a question related to the theme of the poem: The people are liberated, but are the people happy? We will find the answer to this further.
An elegy traditionally contains a descriptive part. In the third and fourth parts, Nekrasov uses vivid epithets and metaphors to paint a picture of life after the reform village; he observes the peasants and admires their work:
Do I listen to the songs of the reapers over the golden harvest;
Is the old man slowly walking behind the plow,
Does he run through the meadow, playing and whistling,
Are the sickles sparkling, are the scythes ringing together...
And again at the end of the stanza, like a shot - rhetorical questions:
Have you become more bearable, peasant suffering?
And long slavery came to replace
Has freedom finally brought a change?
In people's destinies? into the tunes of rural maidens?
Or is their discordant melody also sad?
And now the author is already alone with nature, he reflects, admiring the magnificent beauty after a working peasant day:
Evening is coming. Excited by dreams
Through the fields, through the meadows filled with haystacks,
I wander thoughtfully in the cool semi-darkness...
The author’s thoughts are heard by the landscape around him; Nekrasov uses the technique of personification):
... The valleys and fields echo her,
And the echo of distant mountains sends her feedback
And the forest responded...
What about the people? The one whose fate the poet is so worried about? We will find the answer to this question at the end of the poem:
Alas! He does not heed and does not give an answer...
It is no coincidence that the author uses silence not only after rhetorical questions and exclamations, but also at the end of the poem: The people do not hear the poet’s questions, they do not want a better life for themselves. Nekrasov is outraged by the long-suffering of the peasantry. People are so accustomed to being dependent on the landowners that they continue to carry out labor duties out of habit and do not see any other fate for themselves. Liberation from serfdom did not bring the expected changes in peasant life. This is the idea of Nekrasov’s “Elegy”. And the answers to the questions posed must be given by the readers, the younger generation to whom the poet addresses.

Analysis of the poem “Elegy” by N. A. Nekrasov
N. A. Nekrasov is one of those Russian poets who, with all their creativity, seemed to be arguing with the previous literary tradition and at the same time themselves creating a new tradition that characterizes the time in which they worked. N. A. Nekrasov completely rethinks the idea of poetry, the role of the poet in the life of society. But in order to argue with tradition, it was necessary to establish a connection with it. Therefore, a number of poems by N. A. Nekrasov are clearly polemical in nature. This becomes one of the best, in my opinion, poems of the poet - “Elegy”.
The poem “Elegy” was written in 1874 and became N. A. Nekrasov’s response to statements made by many critics about the poet.

One of them wrote: “What was his (Nekrasov’s) favorite topic - a direct description of the suffering of the people and the poor in general - has already been exhausted by him, not because such a topic in itself could ever be completely exhausted, but because Our poet somehow begins to repeat himself when he takes on this topic.” Another critic suggested that after 1861 the topic itself seemed outdated and untenable. It is precisely through polemics with such statements that, in my opinion, the beginning of the poem can be explained:
Let changing fashion tell us,
That the topic is old - “the suffering of the people”
And that poetry should forget her, -
Don't believe it, boys! she doesn't age.

For his poem, N. A. Nekrasov chooses iambic hexameter with a paired imphovka, that is, Alexandrian verse - the solemn size of the era of classicism. This immediately sets the orientation towards high level verse and, in addition, a connection with Pushkin’s “Village”. There are also lexical connections between the two poems. Let’s compare with N.A. Nekrasov:
…Alas! bye peoples
They languish in poverty, submitting to the whips,
Like skinny herds across mown meadows... -

and from Pushkin:
Leaning on an alien plow, submitting to the scourge,
Here skinny slavery drags along the reins...

This comparison is intended to once again emphasize the importance of the topic and establish a connection between the two.
N. A. Nekrasov proves the urgency of addressing this topic by introducing into “Elegy” a description of the life of the people and showing the complete failure of the reform. And therefore, the poem becomes a kind of declaration of N. A. Nekrasov’s attitude to the topic of poetry and understanding of the role of the poet: the poet must have one goal - serving the people - until the people are happy. Nekrasov affirms civic poetry, social poetry. The choice of genre here is not accidental: elegy is a traditional lyrical genre, the content of which is the love experiences of the lyrical hero. The place of N. A. Nekrasov’s beloved is taken by the people, the poet’s thoughts are directed to them. However, this love remains unrequited, and this is where the tragedy inherent in the sound of the poem arises:
I dedicated the lyre to my people.
Perhaps I will die unknown to him,
But I served him - and my heart is calm...

These phrases again show a connection with A.S. Pushkin, this time with the poem “Echo”:
For every sound there is a response in the empty air
You will give birth suddenly.
You don't have any feedback... So are you, poet!
The only difference is that N. A. Nekrasov connects this topic directly with the people, and the very meaning of the comparison is concretized:
...But the one about whom I sing in the evening silence,
To whom are the poet’s dreams dedicated?
Alas! He doesn’t listen and doesn’t give an answer...
“Does not give an answer” is a clear focus on the lyrical digression from the final part of Gogol’s poem “ Dead Souls" Not only the people - but all of Rus' - this is the unchanging beloved of N. A. Nekrasov, to whom they are dedicated best works poet.

Let changing fashion tell us,
That the old theme is “the suffering of the people”
And that poetry should forget her.
Don't believe it, boys! she doesn't age.
Oh, if only years could age her!
God's world would flourish!... Alas! bye peoples
They languish in poverty, submitting to the whips,
Like skinny herds across mown meadows,
The muse will mourn their fate, the muse will serve them,
And there is no stronger, more beautiful union in the world!…
Remind the crowd that the people are in poverty,
While she rejoices and sings,
To arouse the attention of the powerful of the world to the people -
What could a lyre serve more worthily?...

I dedicated the lyre to my people.
Perhaps I will die unknown to him,
But I served him - and my heart is calm...
Let not every warrior harm the enemy,
But everyone go into battle! And fate will decide the battle...
I saw a red day: there is no slave in Russia!
And I shed sweet tears in tenderness...
“It’s enough to rejoice in naive enthusiasm,”
The Muse whispered to me. “It’s time to go forward.”
The people are liberated, but are the people happy?..

Do I listen to the songs of the reapers over the golden harvest,
Is the old man slowly walking behind the plow?
Does he run through the meadow, playing and whistling,
Happy child with his father's breakfast,
Are the sickles sparkling, are the scythes ringing together -
I'm looking for answers to secret questions,
Boiling in the mind: “In recent years
Have you become more bearable, peasant suffering?
And long slavery came to replace
Has freedom finally brought a change?
In people's destinies? into the tunes of rural maidens?
Or is their discordant melody just as sad?..”

Evening is coming. Excited by dreams
Through the fields, through the meadows filled with haystacks,
I wander thoughtfully in the cool semi-darkness,
And the song composes itself in the mind,
Recent, secret thoughts are a living embodiment:
I call for blessings on rural labors,
I promise curses to the people's enemy,
And I pray to my friend in heaven for power,
And my song is loud!.. The valleys and fields echo it,
And the echo of distant mountains sends her feedback,
And the forest responded... Nature listens to me,
But the one about whom I sing in the evening silence,
To whom are the poet’s dreams dedicated?
Alas! He doesn’t heed and doesn’t give an answer...
___________________
Date of writing: August 15-17, 1874

Analysis of the poem “Elegy” by Nekrasov

The poem “Elegy” is Nekrasov’s ironic response to the constant attacks of reactionary figures. He was constantly accused of humiliating the proud title of poet with his poems, describing the life of the dark and always drunken peasantry. The attacks intensified after the abolition of serfdom. The “most merciful granting” of freedom to those who do not deserve it provoked protests from inveterate serf owners. They were outraged that even after such an unheard of act, there were people who continued to speak out about the plight of the peasants. Without retreating from civil lyrics, Nekrasov wrote a poem in the genre of elegy in 1874. In it, he described his thoughts on the Manifesto of 1861 and clearly expressed his views on the true calling of the poet.

According to Nekrasov, the duty of any citizen, and especially a poet, is to strive to make his country happier and more prosperous. The situation in which “peoples are languishing in poverty” should not leave anyone indifferent. “The suffering of the people” is the most pressing topic for creativity. You can’t turn a blind eye to it and describe the brilliance and senseless wasting of life by high society. The concept of “pure” art was absolutely unacceptable to Nekrasov. He was a realist and based his works on the practical benefits.

Nekrasov proudly declares: “I dedicated the lyre to my people.” He has the right to make such a statement. The poet's poems caused a wide public response and generally contributed to a change in attitudes towards the common people. Nekrasov does not expect recognition for his services; he is glad that he has made at least some contribution to improving the situation of the peasants.

The poet proceeds to analyze the consequences of the abolition of serfdom. He solemnly calls the adoption of the decree a “red day.” But years have passed. Has it changed to better life peasant? Nekrasov invites the reader to answer this question honestly. In fact, the situation of the common people has remained virtually unchanged. The abolition of personal dependence was replaced by financial dependence (redemption payments).

The description of an imaginary idyll in the genre of elegy (“songs of the reapers,” “contented child”) is Nekrasov’s irony about his hopes for the abolition of slavery. He never makes an author’s assessment of the event of 1861, ending the verse with the sad remark that the people “do not heed... and do not give an answer.”

This work is a monologue; it reflects many personal words that describe inner world hero. Therefore, the image of the lyrical hero is one with the image of the author himself. In the poem the poet addresses himself. But then the poetic confession turns into a kind of original testament addressed to friends and descendants.

The elegy consists of two interconnected parts. In the first, the lyrical hero is presented as very depressed. He thinks about the past, creates disturbing images - vague premonitions, grief and tries to look into the future, but for him it is dull and gloomy.

The past youth, awareness of his mistakes and lost time, makes the hero feel sadness, melancholy and spiritual heaviness. But the uncertainty of the future, in which the hero sees “work and sorrow,” also frightens him. Labor is the poet’s creativity, grief is his inspiration and imagination. Thinking is what is important for him, this is the desire for development, and therefore for perfection. But despite this, the author wants to convey to us that life is beautiful even if you have to face trials and sorrows.

In the second part of the poem, the hero experiences harmony and pleasure, creative impulses, love, and the hope that he can still be happy does not leave him. The poet wants to live life to the fullest, feel and enjoy all its diversity.

The poem is given contrast and brightness by the epithets used by the author: “faded fun”, “crazy years”. At the phonetic level, the poem is smooth and mellifluous. The author also uses Slavic words: “promises”, “future”. This gives the poem grace and lightness. Many words are used to convey the movement of the soul: “suffer”, “think”, “live”, “die”.

The poems of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin leave a bright light in the soul, make you think and inspire with their art, and this work shows us a good and vivid example that nothing, neither trials nor difficulties, should break and plunge a person into despondency.

Analysis of the poem Pushkin's Elegy option 2

The poet has several poems with this title. After all, calling an elegy (lyric poem) is almost like calling it a “verse.”

Crazy years...

Probably the most popular of these poems is “Crazy Years...”. The work is understandable to everyone. Here we are talking about life with all its worries and difficulties. The poet feels like a hangover the crazy years of his youth, and sees grief and work in the future. Time will not heal sad thoughts; they will overcome you more and more. But in the second stanza there is a contrast to this sad picture. No, not a more joyful fantasy, but simply positive attitude. Despite all the troubles, I want to live. Although suffering cannot be avoided, the poet nevertheless understands that the line will not be forever black, there will also be bright spots - joy. For a poet, he admits, happiness lies in inspiration and invention. And there is always the possibility of love... This work was written by the famous Boldinskaya autumn.

I'm yours again

The elegy “I’m Yours Again”, addressed to the friends of youth, is full of contradictory feelings. Here youth is represented not as a hangover, but as a joyful ball. At that time, friends were most dear to the poet... But years passed, he and his friends changed, matured. The poet yearns for the naivety of those years, says that he “hates joy,” and rejects the lyre. This is a moment of sadness, because it seems to Pushkin that his poetic muse has forgotten him.

Happy is who...

In the elegy “Happy is he who...”, naturally, sad motives prevail. The reason for sadness is that the poet understands that youth is gone. Such a wonderful feeling as love left him with her. And happy is the one who has hope. Life seems dull to Pushkin, its flower has withered. But even in the saddest lines, the poet finds a shade of joy. Here he smiles at least with tears for his past love.

Love has gone out

“Love has gone out” is another of Alexander Sergeevich’s elegies. Here he calls love an evil passion, a sad captivity, a deceptive dream, poison and bondage. Pushkin hopes that it has gone out forever in his heart. He drives away the winged Cupid and demands the return of his peace... Now the poet prefers the reliability of friendship. And he himself (without falling in love), it turns out, cannot play the poetic lyre. Without love, a person does not feel young, there is no inspiration in him. The conclusion is paradoxical: it’s hard in love, but it’s worse without it. It is better to dream of freedom in her shackles than to be free without love.

The sadness that is expressed in these various elegies of Pushkin is a very bright, inspiring feeling. There is no need to strive for constant joy, because sadness elevates, allows you to comprehend... and shades happiness.

Analysis of the poem Elegy according to plan