Vladimir Mayakovsky. "Ode to Revolution"

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

The greatest event in the history of Russia of the twentieth century, which radically changed its existence, could not but be reflected in the work of any significant artists who lived in this critical era. But for some of them, this topic has become dominant.

Singer of the Revolution

Many cultural figures have their own well-established image in the public mind. According to the tradition that was formed in the Soviet period of history, the name of the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky is inextricably linked with the image of the Russian revolution. And there are very good reasons for such a relationship. The author of the poem "Ode to the Revolution" devoted his entire conscious life to its chanting. He did it furiously and selflessly. And unlike many of his colleagues in the literary workshop, Mayakovsky did not prevaricate. The creations that came out from under his pen came from a pure heart. It was written with talent, like everything that Mayakovsky created. "Ode to Revolution" is one of his early works. But it is by no means a student, the poet showed himself in it as an already formed master. He has his own style, his own imagery and his own expression.

What did Mayakovsky see?"Ode to Revolution" - horror or delight?

This poem was written in 1918 in hot pursuit of revolutionary events. And only at first glance it seems unequivocally enthusiastic. Yes, the poet wholeheartedly accepts the accomplished revolution. He felt and predicted its inevitability even in his very first literary experiments. But even a superficial analysis of Mayakovsky's poem "Ode to the Revolution" does not allow one to ignore the screaming contradictions that the author sees in the whirlwind of current events. The grandiosity of the ongoing reorganization of the world is only emphasized by the seemingly completely inappropriate adjectives that Mayakovsky rewards the ongoing revolution - "bestial", "childish", "penny", but at the same time, no doubt, "great". The ecstasy before the process of the birth of a new world in no way cancels the horrors and abominations that occur at the same time. Reading Mayakovsky, it is hard not to recall the well-known saying of the leader of the world proletariat that "revolutions are not made with white gloves." Lenin knew what he was talking about. And the poet knew what he was writing about. He drew his images not from romantic dreams, but from the surrounding reality.

Vladimir Mayakovsky, "Ode to the Revolution". Analysis stylistic features

The first thing that attracts the attention of this work is a ragged poetic rhythm and a seemingly chaotic flow of images. Hereonly in such compositional constructions there is neither chaos nor chance. Everything that passes before the mind's eye harmoniously obeys poetic logic. This poem illustrates well what the early Mayakovsky became famous for. "Ode to the Revolution" is one of his program works. It is generally accepted that Mayakovsky borrowed many characteristic stylistic devices from European futurist poets of the beginning of the century. But even if we agree with this statement, one cannot fail to give it its due in the virtuoso brilliance with which this set of borrowed features is applied in Russian poetry. Before Mayakovsky appeared in it, such a synthesis seemed simply impossible.

From futurism to socialist realism

Did Mayakovsky write about the events of 1917 in his work? "Ode to the Revolution" gives us grounds for a broader interpretation of this poem. It also has an obvious philosophical meaning. It tells about changes in society and the cost of these changes. Reading the works of this poet, it is quite easy to notice the simple fact that almost no one wrote like this before him. In Russian literature, Vladimir Mayakovsky is a poet-innovator and poet-revolutionary. His figurative system, poetic thinking and expressive means opened the main path of development not only for Russian poetry of the twentieth century, but also for many aesthetic areas not directly related to it. The influence of Mayakovsky's work is easy to trace and detect in many works of art, from painting and drawing to cinema, inclusive. Even when in the thirtiesFor years, the Soviet government burned with a red-hot iron everything that deviated from the general line of the party, including futurism and all other "-isms", no one could question the significance of Mayakovsky's creative heritage. He was attributed to the classics of socialist realism. The poet could no longer object to this due to his absence from this world.

The death of a poet

It has been said many times that "the revolution devours its children". This is exactly what happened to Mayakovsky. It is difficult to find another creator who would so selflessly devote himself to one topic, "stepping on the throat of his own song." "Ode to the Revolution" was far from the only work of the poet about her. But after the victory of the uprising, Mayakovsky turned out to be completely out of place and unclaimed by the new government. He summed up his life with one bullet.