A brief analysis of the poem "To Chaadaev"

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

A. S. Pushkin created many worthy works and became a great poet because he was able to solve two historically important tasks: he made literature a mirror of reality and raised it to a truly artistic height with the art of the word. In practice, he showed that creativity is not an “innocent toy”, not a pleasant pastime “during leisure hours”, but a “craft”, which should perform an important function - “burn people’s hearts with a verb.”

A new round in the poet's work came after he moved to St. Petersburg. This is inextricably linked with new acquaintances in the circles of freedom-loving youth. Poems and poems written during this period attract attention with their extraordinary lightness, sharp assessment of reality and perfect command of the word. The freedom-loving works: “Liberty”, “Tales. Noel", "To Chaadaev". The latter will be discussed in this article.

About Chaadaev and Pushkin

It is customary to start analyzing a poem according to a plan from the date and history of creation. To understand the depthPushkin's lines, it is necessary to tell a little about the friendship of great people: Chaadaev and Pushkin. P. Ya. Chaadaev is a Russian philosopher and publicist. In 1836, Teleskop published his letter, in which Chaadaev sharply criticized the Russian past and present. The authorities declared him insane and forbade him to write. But the letter did its job, as Herzen wrote, it "shook all thinking Russia." Pushkin and Chaadaev met in 1816, long before this publication.

They met at Karamzin's house in Tsarskoye Selo. Serious, exceptionally intelligent and well-educated Pyotr Yakovlevich had a huge impact on the moral development of Pushkin. The famous lines of “hope” and “quiet glory” are dedicated to this person. When Pushkin was threatened with exile to Solovki, Chaadaev persuaded Karamzin to stand up for the poet. In Mikhailovsky exile, the poet corresponded with Chaadaev and dedicated his works to him. Two more poems by Pushkin are addressed to him. Undoubtedly, the personality of Chaadaev also influenced the creation of Onegin.

History of writing

Continuing the analysis of the poem "To Chaadaev", we will briefly consider the history of its creation. The poem has about seventy variants and discrepancies. The manuscript of the great poet has not been preserved, but no one thought to challenge Pushkin's authorship. Often, this dedication is attributed to 1818 and is associated with the speech of Alexander I. Pushkin did not believe the tsarist liberal promises, which he wrote about. The verse was first published in 1829 in the Northern Star without the consent of the author and in a heavily distortedform. Pushkin expressed his dissatisfaction about this.

Theme of the work

The poem refers to freedom-loving lyrics, it speaks of a lofty desire to liberate the "fatherland" from the "oppression" of fatal power. This message is a call in which ideals are embodied. The poem combines intonations inherent in close friendship and the formulation of the author's civic position. This combination is quite unusual for lyric poetry, and it inspires the reader's confidence, who perceives the work as an appeal to him personally.

Continuing the analysis of the poem "To Chaadaev", it should be noted that the author develops the traditions of civil romanticism. Criticism of the system and the program of the lyrical hero are not specific, but this can be considered the norm within the framework of romanticism. “Waiting with delight”, “wonderful impulses”, “star of captivating happiness” - these are romantic images that create an atmosphere of serving the ideals of justice. The author provided clarity, purity of intonation and ease of perception. And the sincerity and civil position of the young poet cannot but attract the reader.

Main idea

The central theme of Pushkin's work is the expectation of a "saint's moment of liberty". There are 21 lines in the poem, and it is the 10th line that takes center stage. Even a superficial analysis of the poem "To Chaadaev" shows that the poet addresses his message to a like-minded person, so it is not required to state his position in detail. Citizenship is revealed in the form of a friendly message. Hero of the poemshares his experiences. Behind the psychological specifics lies a general animation that reflects the worldview of an entire generation.

Thus, the antithesis of personal and public good, characteristic of sentimentalism and classicism, is overcome. And the thirst for freedom in the poem appears not as a duty, but as a quivering feeling. The desire for freedom lies in the very heart of the hero and makes up the meaning of his existence, because a free person is happy only in a free society. Therefore, the civic feeling here is likened to love, which gives it an excitingly personal character. The comparison of a young freedom-loving man with an impatient lover weaves the public and private into one knot and reflects the main idea of the poem.

Hero of the poem

Let's continue the analysis of Pushkin's poem "To Chaadaev" and consider the image of the lyrical hero. In the message, he is not alone - "the deceit does not live on us", he hopes that they will understand him - "the desire is still burning", support him - "we are waiting", and respond to "wonderful impulses". His task is to strengthen the faith of the friend to whom he addresses - "comrade, believe" that the time of "captivating happiness" will come; do not doubt their choice, because they are still “burning with desire” and waiting for freedom, and these are not empty words, they themselves are ready to fulfill their civic duty “as long as their hearts” are “alive”, their struggle against “autocracy” will not be forgotten and “write names.”

This message embodies a view of human feelings as something changeable and impermanent. Even a civic position appears as a transient state - "while we are burning" with freedom. Consequently,the ecstasy of freedom passes just like love, and one cannot miss "the soul's wonderful impulses." All this determines the mood of this message: impatience, a passionate desire for a better future, a call for immediate action for the good of the fatherland. This is how Pushkin's lyrics define the features inherent in the romantic worldview: an impatient desire for the ideal of freedom, an interest in the contradictions of the human soul.

Is it possible, in the context of Pushkin's freedom-loving lyrics, to replace the concept of "hero" with the word "author"? Of course. The attitude outlined in the message was typical for the representatives of that generation, because the purpose of their life was to fight social trends that were unacceptable to them, to support the oppressed. The autobiographical nature of the message is also obvious because the poem is addressed to a specific person - Pushkin's close friend P. Ya. Chaadaev.

Composition of the poem

The content of the poem "To Chaadaev", the analysis of which interests us, can be divided into two parts. In one, the first quatrain with cross-rhyming, memories of the happiness of "love, hope." They filled the soul, "unlived" the imagination, like a "dream", but dispelled with the advent of adulthood. Illusions of youth are deceptive, but thanks to them, the soul began to “burn” with ideals and live with enduring values. The word "listen" from "listen" - to listen, to absorb what was heard, to listen carefully.

In the second part, the author affirms his attitude to the misfortunes of his homeland, speaks of the need to intervene in the course of history andcorrect errors by influencing the course of events. Tension and intensity of feelings are conveyed with the help of hyperbole and comparison. The hero is languishing - “waiting with languor”, like a “young lover” in anticipation of a “minute of liberty”. He has no doubt that this will be a “true date”, that is, it will definitely come, so he calls on hope and not give up trying to bring it to life. The impulses of the soul will not go unnoticed, as they are like a fire.

Message Rhythm

We continue the analysis of Pushkin's poem "To Chaadaev". Let us briefly dwell on the rhythm and meter of the message. It is written in iambic tetrameter, and there is no division into stanzas in it. This unity of the text creates the impression that the hero's monologue is moving towards confirmation of the timeless significance of "hope", "burning", "impulses", which are caused by the desire to be freed "from the yoke of power". The thirst for freedom is not expressed here as a rational demand, but becomes the content of spiritual life. Youthful hobbies were replaced by love for the motherland, to which the hero longs to devote himself: “the fatherland heeds the invocation.”

The opposing conjunction “but” not only communicates two periods of life, but also separates two parts of the message: “but more burns in us …”. This is the fifth line of the poem, it is very important, and the sound correspondence with it is not only in this quatrain, in the 8th line, but also in the 9th line (“we are waiting for … hope”), and in the 12th (“minutes … goodbye ), being, as it were, a reminder of the main idea.

Artistic media

We continue the analysis of the poem"To Chaadaev" according to the plan proposed below. Hyperbole (exaggeration) arises in the poem due to the fact that the author focuses on civic feelings that require self-sacrifice: impatience should become “burning”, and the high goal should turn life into life “for honor”. The call to dedicate "beautiful impulses" to the fatherland is a continuation of the love for her of a mature person who has abandoned youthful "fun". Along with hyperbole, there are metaphors and stylistic turns in the poem.

In the metaphor “we are burning with freedom”, two planes are visible: objective in the form of a flame and figurative, like animation. They are matched in one image. And this comparison introduces new shades of meaning. It conveys not only a tangible impression of the spiritual world of the hero and his peers, but also the aesthetic value that is important for them, their ideals. The reflections of the fire are beautiful, and the author likens them to the impulses of the soul, and, on the contrary, high feelings resemble flames reaching for the sky.

The closeness of these two phenomena has been noted for a long time, which is known to many by the metaphor "fiery feelings". But in Pushkin's message it is concretized and characterizes political aspirations. Here the motive of sacrifice is introduced. The tragic reflection of the flame falls on the present, and therefore like-minded people and friends are perceived as people who consciously chose their path and foresaw that for the fighters against "autocracy" only memory would be a reward. They should be encouraged by the realization that they are awakening the homeland from an age-old sleep. That their actions bring closer the rise of the “star”, the ray of which will destroy autocracy, and their special giftis the ability to perceive one's tragic fate as true happiness.

Poetic means

The last statement "on the ruins of autocracy … our names" is highlighted by two features: ascending intonation and through rhyme, consonant with the rhyme of the previous quatrain: "she will rise … wake up from sleep." The fifth line here is like a continuation, which gives rise to a transfer effect. Attention is drawn to the significance of the opposing side, the enemy of which is autocracy, hated by the lyrical hero. Analyzing the poem "To Chaadaev", it should be noted once again how much importance Pushkin attached to his friendship with Chaadaev, speaking of it in his personal diaries as "happiness".

In this regard, it is no coincidence that he is addressed in the message as a person whose name will be on a par with representatives of the generation “burning” with freedom. They are connected by emotional factors, the main of which is the delight from the realization that the fate of the heroes awaits them, their activities on the road of "honor" will bring them glory. Everything that they learned in their youth pales before the struggle with fate itself, the struggle for freedom. They "burn" the desire to prove their love for the fatherland by sacrificial service to it. Hope becomes "languishing hope" that their names will not be forgotten by descendants. And all this is not a deception of youth, but a reality, dangerous, cruel, but accepted by them, by their "impatient soul" in anticipation of a "faithful date".

Earlylyrics by Pushkin

Let's continue the analysis of Pushkin's poem "To Chaadaev". In the 9th grade of a comprehensive school, Pushkin's lyrics are studied in more detail. The message "To Chaadaev" is an excellent example of early lyrics. The poetic means used by the author in the poem made it possible to single out the dominant idea. It is important both for characterizing the message itself, its figurative structure, and for characterizing the hero. Freedom for a poet is an indispensable condition for life, despite the fact that it is difficult to reach it, like a star. And no matter how far these ideal aspirations are from everyday life, a person is evaluated by the ability to devote his life to lofty goals, to bring himself to the common cause.

For Pushkin's lyrical hero, a person with all the uniqueness of his feelings is important, who makes efforts to overcome imperfection, which he feels as the dominance of darkness. He seeks to bring happiness to people, opening the way to a star that will “rise” above them, like the sun. And Pushkin's hero is ready to prove the inevitability of this to those who are unsure. He finds ways to show what has befallen them: it is not only loss, suffering, sacrifice, but also the meaning of life - “captivating happiness.”

Poem plan

In educational institutions, starting from the 5th grade, students are offered to analyze the poem. This is necessary in order to:

• Introduce them to the main stages of the author's work.
• Reveal the most important goals and principles of the artist.
• Apply what you have learned anddetermine the leading theme and genre of the work, plot, problematics, compositional structure, rhythm, the prevailing mood of the author.
• Independently characterize the hero and determine his correlation with the author.

There is no universal plan, but, in the 7th grade, the analysis of the poem "To Chaadaev" will be something like this:

• title and author of the poem;
• theme, idea (what is the verse about?);
• main idea (what did the author want to say?);
• what does the poet paint a picture in his poem? (drawing details, their colors; words that suggested the features of the image);
• feelings and mood of the poet (whether they change from beginning to end);
• main images (as related to the author; the author himself or on behalf of the hero of the story);
• expressive means (epithets, metaphors, comparisons);
• own attitude (how does the poem make you feel?).

In grade 9, in the analysis of the poem "To Chaadaev", it is additionally required to determine:

• does the author belong to any literary group (acmeist, symbolist, futurist);
• rhythm, poetic size (anapaest, dactyl, trochee, iambic, etc.);
• rhyme (ring, pair, cross);
• stylistic figures (anaphora, antithesis, epiphora, etc.);
• author's vocabulary (household, literary, journalistic; archaisms, neologisms);
• autobiographical poem or prototypes and addressees;
• characteristic of the lyrical hero;
• evolution of images in the work of the author.