The theme of war in the work of Lermontov. Lermontov's works about the war

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

The theme of war in the work of Lermontov occupies one of the main places. Speaking about the reasons for the poet's appeal to her, one cannot fail to note the circumstances of his personal life, as well as historical events that influenced his worldview and found a response in his works.

Important events from the biography

Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov was born in 1814, when the Russians finally defeated Napoleon's troops. At the age of eleven, he witnesses the Decembrist uprising on Senate Square. Some fifty years separated him from the Pugachev rebellion. The year 1830 marked the French Revolution, and peasant unrest began in Russia. The future poet and prose writer at that time was sixteen years old. It is not surprising that two wars - the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Pugachev uprising - were deposited deep in the memory of not only Lermontov, but also many of his contemporaries.

The war with Napoleon especially worried the poet for many reasons. First of all, of course, she showed all the strength and power of the Russian people. Also a description of the war of 1812years was a kind of complaint against the modern generation living in infamy. Moreover, Lermontov's father took part in it, and the poet's beloved grandfathers - Afanasy and Dmitry Stolypin - became the heroes of Borodin. Therefore, it is not surprising that the topic of war was constantly discussed at home. Lermontov absorbed these conversations like a sponge.

War Poems

They talked about the war both at Moscow University and at the School of Guards Ensigns and Cavalry Junkers, where Lermontov studied. He began writing poems about the war of 1812 quite early, as a teenager.

“The Field of Borodin”

One of the first works dedicated to the battle of Borodino was the poem "The Field of Borodino". He wrote it at the age of seventeen. In this youthful poem, Lermontov demonstrates the determination to fight for the Motherland to the end. The narration is in the first person, so it is difficult for the reader to understand with whom he is talking - with a simple soldier, officer, infantryman or artilleryman. The image of the hero does not pretend to be a historical documentary, because the young Lermontov has not yet got rid of romantic worldviews. His speech is still far from folk, he uses bookish words inspired by Zhukovsky's lyrics. For example: "sons of midnight", "grave canopy", "fatal night".

“The Field of Borodin” is very different from everything that has been written about the battle before. And it's not even that the poem perfectly combines the author's fiction and the real events of the battle. Lermontov's hero is full of life, he does not have that detachment,which was inherent in the heroes of the aforementioned Zhukovsky.

Two Giants

The military theme is one of the main topics that young Lermontov wrote about. The war of 1812 is also touched upon in the poem "Two Giants". In it, the poet allegorically depicts Russia's victory over Napoleon. He uses colloquial expressions, song motifs and fairy tale formulas, epic images of "Russian knights" triumphing over evil.

Especially striking is the laconic rivalry between the “daring” alien and the wise “Russian giant”. In these two opponents we see the allegorical confrontation between Russia and France, Kutuzov and Napoleon, two armies, two peoples. One - "the old Russian giant" - shows all the strength and unshakable will of the Russian people, and the other - "the three-week-old daring man" - self-confidently and boldly, in a Napoleonic way, believes that, having taken Moscow, he will win.

The Russian knight is absolutely calm, as if he knew that he would not lose. The second giant lives in dreams of a solemn victory, his mind is clouded by past victories. In this we see his recklessness, and even insolence, even if he was brave, bold, strong. Lermontov about the war was just such an opinion: the Frenchman was conceited. Therefore, the poem did not show the battle, because it could not have happened at all.

Borodino

When analyzing Lermontov's works about the war, it is impossible not to say a few words about the poet's most famous poem, Borodino, written in 1837, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812.

To schoolFor years we have learned these fiery lines by heart. For the first time in literature, war is described from the point of view of an ordinary artillery soldier. In The Field of Borodino, Lermontov already tried to show the battle as a mass battle, but it was in Borodino that he managed to paint a truly epic picture: the outcome of the duel depended entirely on the actions of the people, their unity and cohesion. The soldiers were ready to achieve victory at the cost of their lives: “we will stand with our heads for our homeland.”

The hero from "Borodino" is simpler, "more popular" than his romantic predecessor. Lermontov manages to show us through colloquial words the psychology of a hero, an ordinary warrior: “ears on top”, “morning lit up the guns”, “big field”. Lermontov wrote Borodino based on facts. This time he abandoned the author's fiction, recreating the picture of the battle from reliable sources. Despite the small volume, "Borodino" has become a whole poem about the Napoleonic War.

Caucasian War

The theme of war in Lermontov's work is unlikely to be fully covered without mentioning the Caucasus. He certainly occupies a special place in the heart of the poet. Here he lived, fell in love for the first time, fought and died.

For the first time, Lermontov came to the Caucasus as a six-year-old child, when his grandmother Elizaveta Arsenyeva brought him to receive medical treatment. At the age of eleven, the young poet experienced for the first time a deep feeling of love, which he remembered for the rest of his life.

In 1837, the unknown Lermontov, shocked by the unexpected news of Pushkin's death, wrote the poem "The Death of a Poet". ATovernight he becomes famous, but coupled with fame, he also receives a link to the Caucasus. True, thanks to the efforts of the grandmother, it lasted only a few months.

In 1840, after a duel with Ernest Barant, Lermontov was again sent to the Caucasus. The second link was very different from the first, which was more like a scenic journey. This time, Nicholas was the first to demand that Lermontov also take part in the battles. The war in the Caucasus in these years was aggravated by the uprising of the highlanders.

In battle, the poet distinguished himself as a brave and cold-blooded warrior. He was not at all afraid of being killed, so he could ride alone near the positions where the enemies were. It is known that the highlanders themselves respected the poet for fearlessness. It should be assumed that it was in the Caucasus that Lermontov's attitude to the war was formed.

The poet has been drawing since childhood. Often in the paintings he depicted the Caucasus, its picturesque landscapes, battles in which he participated. Thanks to these paintings, we can learn a lot about the military events experienced by Lermontov. The poet was struck by the beauty of the high mountains, the rites and customs of the local peoples. Most likely, Lermontov's colorful literature originated from here.

Valerik

During the references to the Caucasus, the theme of war in Lermontov's work was replenished with new works. One of them was the poem "Valerik". Participating in military battles, Lermontov kept a journal, which formed the basis of Valerik. The poem is named after the river flowing in the Caucasus. Comparing "Valerik" with reports from the magazine, you can seethat they match not only the facts, but also the style of writing, and even entire lines.

The beginning of the poem is a love letter addressed to Varvara Lopukhina, whose feelings the poet carried through many years. However, against the backdrop of a bloody massacre, love seems childish to him. Moreover, he understands that his beloved does not love him, and finally he is ready to say goodbye to her. The description of the battles is necessary for the poet to show all the ugliness, the cruelty of war, its senselessness.

Conclusion

The theme of war in Lermontov's work runs like a red thread through all his works. The Patriotic War of 1812, the Decembrist uprising, the Caucasian War - a difficult time fell on those 27 years that Lermontov lived. Poems about the war came out from under his pen surprisingly "folk", patriotic and heartfelt. The poet showed us the strength, courage, courage, power of the Russian people, all those qualities that were not alien to him himself.