The image of the Demon in the poem "The Demon" by Lermontov

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

The image of the Demon in the poem "The Demon" is a lonely hero who has transgressed the laws of goodness. He has contempt for the limitations of human existence. M. Yu. Lermontov worked on his creation for a long time. And this topic worried him throughout his life.

Image of the Demon in art

Images of evil spirits, the other world have long excited the hearts of artists. The fiend of Hell has many names: Demon, Devil, Lucifer, Satan. Each person must remember that evil has many faces, so you should always be extremely careful. After all, insidious tempters constantly provoke people to commit sinful deeds so that their souls go to hell. But the forces of good that protect and protect a person from the evil one are God and the Angels.

The image of the Demon in the literature of the early 19th century is not only villains, but also "tyrant-fighters" who oppose God. Such characters were found in the works of many writers and poets of that era.

If we talk about this image in music, then in 1871-1872. A. G. Rubinshtein wrote the opera "The Demon".

M. A. Vrubel created excellent canvases depicting the fiend of hell. These are the paintings "Flying Demon", "Seated Demon", "Defeated Demon".

Lermontov's hero

The image of the Demon in the poem "The Demon" is drawn from the biblical myth about the exile from paradise. Lermontov reworked the content in his own way. The protagonist's punishment is that he is forced to wander forever all alone. The image of the Demon in the poem "Demon" is the source of evil, destroying everything in its path. However, it is in close interaction with the opposite principle. Since the Demon is a transformed angel, he remembers the old days well. He seems to take revenge on the whole world for his punishment. It is important to pay attention to the fact that the image of the Demon in Lermontov's poem is different from Satan or Lucifer. This is the subjective vision of a Russian poet.

Demon Characteristics

The poem is based on the idea of the Demon's desire for reincarnation. He is dissatisfied with the fact that he is destined to sow evil. Unexpectedly, he falls in love with the Georgian Tamara, an earthly woman. He seeks in this way to overcome God's judgment.

The image of the Demon in Lermontov's poem is characterized by two main features. This is heavenly charm and alluring mystery. An earthly woman is unable to resist them. The demon is not just a figment of the imagination. In Tamara's perception, he materializes in visible and tangible forms. He comes to her in dreams.

He is like the element of air and is inspired through voice and breath. Missing descriptionDemon appearance. In Tamara's perception, it "looks like a clear evening", "shines quietly like a star", "glides without a sound or a trace". The girl is excited by his charming voice, he beckons her. After the Demon killed Tamara's fiancé, he comes to her and casts "golden dreams", freeing her from earthly experiences. The image of the Demon in the poem "The Demon" is embodied through a lullaby. It traces the poeticization of the night world, so characteristic of the romantic tradition.

His songs infect her soul and gradually poison Tamara's heart with longing for a world that does not exist. Everything earthly becomes hateful to her. Believing her seducer, she dies. But this death only aggravates the situation of the Demon. He realizes his inadequacy, which brings him to the pinnacle of despair.

Author's attitude to the hero

Lermontov's position on the image of the Demon is ambiguous. On the one hand, there is an author-narrator in the poem, who recounts the "oriental legend" of the past. His point of view differs from the opinions of the characters and is characterized by objectivity. The text contains the author's commentary on the fate of the Demon.

On the other hand, the Demon is a purely personal image of the poet. Most of the meditations of the main character of the poem are closely connected with the author's lyrics and are imbued with his intonations. The image of the Demon in the work of Lermontov turned out to be consonant not only with the author himself, but also with the younger generation of the 30s. The main character reflected the feelings and aspirations inherent in people of art: philosophical doubts about the correctness of being, great longing for lost ideals, the eternal search for absolute freedom. Lermontov subtly felt and even experienced many aspects of evil as a certain type of personality behavior and worldview. He recognized the demonic nature of the rebellious attitude towards the universe with the moral impossibility of accepting its inferiority. Lermontov was able to understand the dangers lurking in creativity, because of which a person can plunge into a fictional world, paying for it with indifference to everything earthly. Many researchers note that the Demon in Lermontov's poem will forever remain a mystery.

The image of the Caucasus in the poem "Demon"

The theme of the Caucasus occupies a special place in the work of Mikhail Lermontov. Initially, the action of the poem "The Demon" was supposed to take place in Spain. However, the poet transfers him to the Caucasus after he returned from the Caucasian exile. Thanks to landscape sketches, the writer managed to recreate a certain philosophical thought in a variety of poetic images.

The world over which the Demon flies is described in a very surprising way. Kazbek is compared to a facet of a diamond that shone with eternal snows. "Deep down" the blackening Daryal is characterized as the home of a serpent. The green banks of the Aragva, the Kaishauri valley, the gloomy Gud-mountain are the perfect setting for Lermontov's poem. Carefully chosen epithets emphasize the wildness and power of nature.

Then the earthly beauties of magnificent Georgia are depicted. The poet focuses the reader's attention on the "earthly land" seen by the Demon from the height of his flight. It is in this fragment of the text that the lines are filled with life. Various sounds and voices appear here. Further, from the world of the heavenly spheres, the reader is transferred to the world of people. The change of angles occurs gradually. The general shot is replaced by a close-up.

In the second part of the picture of nature are transmitted through the eyes of Tamara. The contrast of the two parts emphasizes the diversity of the nature of the Caucasus. She can be both violent and serene and calm.

Tamara's characteristic

It's hard to say that the image of Tamara in the poem "The Demon" is much more realistic than the Demon himself. Her appearance is described by generalized concepts: a deep gaze, a divine leg, and others. In the poem, the emphasis is on the incorporeality of the manifestations of her image: the smile is “elusive”, the leg “floats”. Tamara is characterized as a naive girl, in which the motives of childhood insecurity are traced. Her soul is also described as pure and beautiful. All the qualities of Tamara (feminine charm, spiritual harmony, inexperience) paint an image of a romantic nature.

So, the image of the Demon occupies a special place in the work of Lermontov. This topic was of interest not only to him, but also to other artists: A. G. Rubinshtein (composer), M. A. Vrubel (artist) and many others.