Creativity Lermontov briefly. The works of M. Yu. Lermontov

One of the most famous Russian poets, the "prophet" of the first half of the nineteenth century, who lived only twenty-seven years ... But in this short period of time he was able to convey in the verse all that raged in his soul.

In this article, we will consider the work of Lermontov. Let's briefly touch upon the periodization of the author's development, and also talk about the main motives of his works.

M. Yu. Lermontov

It is difficult to talk about the work of Lermontov briefly. It is a giant, along with Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.

The most fruitful time for Mikhail Yuryevich fell on the thirties of the nineteenth century. This is the period of the history of the Russian Empire, when the society has reached a stage of depression and disappointment. After the defeat of the Decembrist uprising, it was necessary to seek new answers to the age-old question: "What should I do?"

In the literature, this trend is expressed in the strengthening of realistic motives, the assertion of unacceptability of the events taking place. However, Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov went completely different way (photo of his self-portrait is presented below).

The poet was faithful to Romanticism for the rest of his life, but he was able to masterfully combine it with realism in his poetry, drama and prose.

Next, we'll talk about two periods of creativity of this great man. But through all events the red line will pass his desire for the sublime, the struggle, Byronic's ideal of freedom.

Youth creativity

Researchers and literary critics divide Lermontov's works into two periods. In short, this is a lyrical stage of formation, which lasted from 1828 to 1836, and maturity. The border between them was the death of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin and the work "The Death of a Poet."

So, the boy's first attempts to express thoughts in the form of poems refer to fourteen years. At that time, a "war" broke out between his father in the family, who saw his son's talent and supported him in every possible way, and as a grandmother who strove to make a nanny for herself from the child.

The first poems are permeated with despair, youthful maximalism, heroic motives of struggle. This includes the sketches of the Demon and Monolog, which later took shape in the Duma.

In addition to problems on the family front, the mood of the young poet is strongly influenced by the defeat of the Decembrists and the oppressed atmosphere prevailing in the society.

During the lyrical period, the young man gets acquainted with Western European literature, especially taking a great interest in Byron's work. Therefore, Lermontov's poetry creates images of romantic heroes with a restless soul. They are independent, crave for freedom, despise the environment and are in a state of eternal struggle with oneself.

Mature stage

The turning point is Pushkin's death. It is this event that fundamentally changes the work of Lermontov. Briefly express this in one word - he has awakened.

Now Mikhail Yurievich realizes his destiny as a prophet and a poet. Burn people's hearts with a verb. Show the society the real situation that has developed throughout the Russian Empire.

To this end, Lermontov leaves for the Caucasus, away from the emperor and his "servants". The free and rebellious spirit of the poet resists the current situation. He puts his experiences in the verses of the Prophet, Death of the Poet, Borodino, Motherland and others.

It was at the end of life that the "civilian" Lermontov was born. The photo of the poet in the Caucasus demonstrates his disappointment, loneliness, reflects deep thoughts and accepted mission.

Until his death, the poet develops social and political ideas of Pushkin, Belinsky, Chaadaev. In the creative work of the mature period raises questions about the fate of the generation, the tragedy of love, tries to comprehend the place of poetry in the history of mankind.

The motive of the struggle

As we said earlier, Lermontov's poetry is permeated through with romantic motifs, ideas, images. The influence of Lord Byron on the young man survived for the rest of his life.

The very first poems of M. Yu. Lermontov are permeated with heroism, the absence of half-tones, suffering from imperfections in the real world and the incomprehensibility of the poet's aspirations.

Especially full of mood and experience of the young man are transferred in three works - "The Captive Knight", "The Prisoner" and "The Sail".

They are dominated by landscape-symbolic images. For example, in "Sails" we see a reflection of internal events in the soul of the poet, who tries to portray them with the help of a lost ship in the sea.

The poem "The Prisoner" reflects not just the stay of Lermontov behind bars due to the seditious "Death of the Poet." To a greater extent, this is the young man's thoughts about his place in the Russian Empire under the current regime.

This topic continues in the "Captive Knight". It is also written in the conclusion that followed the duel with Barant. In the work we observe a gradually unfolding conflict between society and the individual.

Thus, such stanzas reflect Mikhail Yuryevich's reluctance to surrender under the onslaught of social framework and conventions.

Fate generation

According to reviews of contemporaries, Lermontov's poetry expresses the deepest aspirations of the intelligentsia, of which most are afraid even to think.

The main work, which is fully permeated with the motive of uncertainty and indignation from public inaction and cowardice, is the satire-elegy "Duma". In its genre, it resembles the poem "The Death of a Poet." But, unlike the first, here the whole intelligentsia is branded, and not the court nobility.

Mikhail Yurievich in the lines of the poem condemns contemporaries for cowardice and escape from the political struggle for a better future. Together with this, the poet calls them to moral and spiritual renewal. Lermontov's ideas completely resonate with Rileyev's thoughts in Citizen.

Critics of the time, Herzen and Belinsky, very positively perceived the appearance of this work. In it, they saw the deepest expression of the reason for the feeling of indifference and apathy that struck society in the thirties of the nineteenth century.

Disappointment

Like many other poems by M.Yu. Lermontov relating to the last years of life, the works "In a minute of life difficult ...", "I walk out alone on the road ..." and "And bored and sad" are permeated with calm and sadness.

The poet is tired of an endless and senseless battle with contemporaries who do not want to hear his voice and wake up from the deadly oblivion. The rushing and active nature of the young man gradually calms down in the fetters of a deceitful and cowardly society.

Each line of the above poems shows the desire to escape from the cage, which Lermontov considered his life. He, like in his early youth, is still absent-minded, as if he was born completely out of his time.

Like many other poems by Lermontov, these poems are connected with the landscapes and the author's inner feelings. In the three above-mentioned works, we see the sadness and endless loneliness of a man who laid down his life to awaken the generation, but remained unheeded.

This is high art

Not only Lermontov's poems reflect the attitude toward the stagnant events of the thirties. The Master could express his deepest thoughts in just a few words. Any line can be full of hidden meaning.

If we try to analyze two of his works ("The Prophet" and "The Poet"), we will see that endless pain that Mikhail Yuryevich felt. The first of these was written a few weeks before the genius died. In it, a twenty-seven-year-old man portrays a hero in the image of an abandoned and misunderstood prophet. He is forced to live in the desert and endure ridicule from the narrow-minded philistines.

The second work is characterized by an amazing comparative series. In it, the author compares the activity of a powerful poet with the essence of the existence of a combat dagger as such. In the beginning, when he was in need, he tore the mail and fulfilled his purpose. After - it's just an empty gold toy, dusting on the shelf.

Civil position

The later works of M. Yu. Lermontov more express the realist's attitude to events in society, and do not oppose the rebel crowd.

Thus, the poet's civil position is most vividly shown in such poems as "Farewell, unwashed Russia", "The Death of a Poet" and "How often, surrounded by a motley crowd ...".

In them we see suppressed bitterness and anger at the spiritual emptiness of society. Particularly strong is the last work of the above. In it, Lermontov demonstrates the stale face of the emperor and his retinue under masks, comparing them with dreams of rural mornings from childhood. This poem was written after visiting the New Year carnival in St. Petersburg, in the winter of 1840.

The hero who fled and died in the Caucasian mountains against the background of his short and stormy life shows the stagnation of his contemporaries. Later critics lamented how much literature had lost. Lermontov had managed, within twenty-seven years, to plant a grain of rebelliousness in the soul of the public, to raise him from his knees after the defeat of the Decembrists.

Love

M. Lermontov's works not only reflect the struggle of a proud single person with society, the stormy sea or a masked crowd. In some of his creations we also encounter love experiences. However, the eternal feeling of doom and tragedy experienced by the poet does not leave us there either.

Thus, in this article, we have become acquainted with the stages and basic ideas expressed in the work of the great Russian poet.

Good luck to you, dear friends!