Analysis of Pushkin's poem "The Village": ideological content, composition, expressiveness

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Poems about Russia occupy a rather extensive niche in the work of A. S. Pushkin. The poet paid special attention to the village, the life of the peasants, the beauty of Russian nature. Pushkin's work "The Village" is an example of this kind of lyrics. In it, the author touches on many contemporary problems.

History of Creation

As you know, Pushkin was friendly with the Decembrists. He attended secret circles and meetings, the most active participants of which were Chaadaev, Bestuzhev, Pushchin. This passion could cost Pushkin exile in Siberia. However, the author paid for his freedom-loving lyrics only by being sent to the Caucasus (to the Southern exile), and later by settling in his native estate Mikhailovskoye. The verse "Village" was written by Pushkin even before his exile, when in 1819 he came from St. Petersburg to visit Mikhailovskoye. It clearly sounds one of the most important themes of the leading authors of that time - the abolition of serfdom, the oppression of royal power.

Themes, problems, ideological content

AnalysisPushkin's poem "The Village" shows that its meaning is multilayered. The verse is quite large in volume, thanks to this Pushkin was able to reveal several topics in it at once.

First, he talks about the beauty of the Russian countryside. The author wants to show how beautiful and picturesque the expanses of our country are. He, without hiding, also admires the people, their way of life.

Secondly, the author talks about privacy and its benefits. According to Pushkin, it is better to write and create in the village, because it even breathes more freely there. Pushkin admires the fact that in Mikhailovsky he can completely immerse himself in thoughts and creativity, because there is no running around, fuss, murmuring.

Thirdly, the poet raises the problem of serfdom. Nobility, poverty, the humiliated position of the peasants - that's what else Pushkin saw in the countryside. "The Village" is a poem built on contrast.

Composition of the work

Analysis of Pushkin's poem "The Village" will not be completely complete without considering its construction. Logically, the text is divided into two parts. In the first, Pushkin rejoices that he has finally found himself in a "shelter of tranquility, work and inspiration." In the second, he is indignant at the fact that "wild nobility, without feeling, without law" reigns in him. Thus, the verse is built on an antithesis that allows the author to express his main idea. Russia is a beautiful country that has everything, but there is no correct political and social system in which every person would have the right to development, education and a decent existence.

We can meet similar thoughts in many poets. For example, in Lermontov: "I love the Fatherland, but with a strange love …". Here Lermontov also expresses his love for the Motherland, for its expanses and beauties, but he is dejected by what is happening in the state. We see the same thing in Blok's poem "Russia", where the author openly calls the country a beggar.

Analysis of Pushkin's poem "The Village" in parts

It is necessary to trace how the mood of the work changes from one part to another, what poetic means the author uses.

Part one

So, the first part of the work is very lyrical. In order to convey the beauty of rural nature, the author resorts to various means of expression. In the very first lines we see a paraphrase. After all, Pushkin never used the word "village", calling it a "quiet corner". We see the paraphrase later. The author called secular life in St. Petersburg, balls and salons "the vicious court of Circe." By this, Pushkin continues the tradition of the 18th century, in which it was customary to draw images from ancient mythology. Using such a comparison, the author demonstrates that secular, urban life easily lures people into its networks, time flies there quickly, as in the castle of Circe, a person does not even notice how useless his life is. Describing the landscape, the author resorts to such epithets as "bright", "azure", "winged". It can be seen with what tenderness Pushkin treats all the details. "Village" -a poem that contains only what, in his opinion, is characteristic of our country. And these are gardens, meadows, barns and mills, fields, fields and hills.

But already in the first part, the idea is that the author is not just happy with solitude, that his creative thoughts are not dormant, he longs for action, he wants to convey the idea to readers, wants to draw attention to the problem that will be discussed in the second part of the verse.

Part Two

"Terrible" thought does not allow the lyrical hero to enjoy all the beauty and tranquility. The idea that this land is not just secluded, but it is also abandoned, wild, ignorant. Nobility reigns here. However, an analysis of Pushkin's poem "The Village" allows us to say that slavery is also masked behind this word, which the poet will talk about two lines below. Pushkin is not particularly afraid of persecution and persecution, because the work sounds very sharp and sharp. The author talks about everything: about labor without rights and privileges, about tyranny, about malice, calling the nobles "villains", hinting at the fact that many peasant girls became victims of immoral landowners, about cruelty.

The meaning of the final lines

But does Pushkin believe that Russia has no chance for a brighter future and that it is doomed to eternal inequality? At the end, the poet directly addresses his people. He regrets that he fails to "ignite" people's hearts, that his gift is wasted in vain. The ending of the poem sounds very emotional and bright. Rhetorical questions andexclamations set the tone, creating the necessary atmosphere. Pushkin does not position his poem "The Village" as an open call for revolution. He believes that slavery will be overthrown "at the mania of the king." This is the peculiarity of the author's lyrics, who did not want the violent destruction of the existing system, did not want devastation to begin in the country (as happened at the beginning of the 20th century). He appealed first of all to the wisdom of the ruler, for which he was sent into exile.

So, serfdom is one of the main topics addressed by A. S. Pushkin. "The Village" (year of writing - 1819) is an example of freedom-loving lyrics in which the poet expresses his dissatisfaction with the oppressed state of the people. But at the same time, he is proud of his homeland, which boasts beauty and we alth, traditions and history, strength and spiritual perfection of the people.