"Liberty" (Pushkin): a detailed analysis of the ode. Alexander Pushkin - Liberty: Verse
At the same time, there is no doubt that A.S. Pushkin's religiosity is of a Christian nature and is tinged with confessions. Researchers note the inextricable link between the work of the great Russian poet and Orthodoxy. Already F.M. Dostoevsky in his famous speech said that the universality, all-humanity of Pushkin’s genius is connected with the fact that Christ “came out in a slave form, blessing” our Russian land. V.N. Katasonov says that the artistic solution to the problem of freedom and mercy in “ Captain's daughter” is due to “deep reception of traditional Orthodox spirituality” . The Orthodox presentation of such important concepts as conscience, freedom, truth, bliss is revealed in the works of many authors. In particular, they point to numerous biblical motifs in the works of A.S. Pushkin. “Modern researchers have repeatedly noted,” a modern researcher writes, “that in certain periods of A. Pushkin’s life, the images of the Holy Scripture seemed to haunt him. Dominating in the mind of the poet, they became the leitmotif of his philosophical reflections, left their mark on his work. So it was, for example, with the book of Job and the poems “A gift in vain, a gift random”, “In the hours of fun or idle boredom”, “Remembrance”, “Do I wander along the noisy streets” ”. Small tragedies are compared with apocalyptic motifs: the numerical and color images of tragedies, and in particular the nature of their content, allow us to talk about this.
There is no doubt that biblical images occupy one of the leading directions in the poetry of the mature Pushkin. A.S. Pushkin deepens into reading the Book of Books while in Mikhailovsky. It is at this time that the "Prophet" appears. However, biblical stories and images appear much earlier, already in the early lyrics of the great poet. The famous and well-known work of A.S. Pushkin “Liberty”, written when the poet was 19 years old, stops our attention.
Domineering villain!
I hate you, your throne
Your death, the death of children
With cruel joy I see.
Read on your forehead
The seal of the curse of the nations,
You are the horror of the world, the shame of nature, -
Reproach you to God on earth.
Here it is impossible not to see a similarity with the so-called cursing psalms of King David, especially with Psalm 108, which, according to the patristic interpretation, refers to Judas, the betrayer of the Lord:
"The head of the choir. Psalm of David. God of my praise! do not be silent, 2 for the mouth of the ungodly and the lips of deceit have been opened upon me; speak to me with a lying tongue; 3 They surround me with words of hatred from everywhere, they arm themselves against me without reason; 4 because of my love they fight against me, but I pray; 5 They repay me for good with evil, for my love with hatred. 6 Set a wicked man over him, and let the devil stand at his right hand. 7 When he is judged, let him come out guilty, and let his prayer be a sin; 8 let his days be short, and let another take his dignity; 9 let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow; 10 let his children wander and beg, and beg for bread from their ruins; 11 let the lender seize all that he has, and let strangers plunder his labor; 12 Let there be no one who sympathizes with him, let there be no one who has mercy on his orphans; 13 let his offspring be destroyed, and let their name be blotted out in the next generation; 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and the sin of his mother not be blotted out. 15 may they always be in the sight of the Lord, and may he destroy their memory from the earth, 16 because he did not think to show mercy, but persecuted a poor and needy and brokenhearted man to kill him; 17 He loved a curse, and it will come upon him; he did not desire a blessing, - it will also move away from him; 18 Let it be covered with a curse like a garment, and let it enter like water into his bowels, and like oil into his bones. 19 let it be to him, as the garment with which he puts on, and as the girdle with which he always girds himself. 20 Such is the recompense of the Lord to my enemies and to those who speak evil against my soul! 21 But with me, Lord, Lord, do for the sake of your name, for your mercy is good; save me, 22 for I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded in me. 23 I disappear like a fading shadow; chase me like locusts. 24 My knees were weary from fasting, and my body was devoid of fat. 25 I have become a laughingstock to them; when they see me, they nod their heads. 26 Help me, O Lord my God, save me according to your mercy, 27 let them know that this is your hand, and that you, Lord, have done it. 28 They curse, but you bless; they rise up, but let them be put to shame; but let thy servant rejoice. 29 Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor, and be covered with their shame as with a garment. 30 And I will loudly praise the Lord with my mouth, and glorify him in the midst of multitudes, 31 for he stands at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who judge his soul.”(Ps. 108).
Almost textual similarity and feeling, equal in strength, reveal to us the image of a righteous retribution for a sinner. The image of the sinner in both Pslam 108 and the ode "Liberty" is drawn extremely brightly. In Pushkin, this is an autocratic villain, he has the seal of a curse on his forehead, the world is horrified by his deeds, nature itself is ashamed of its creation, he is like a reproach to God that the Creator allowed the existence of such scary person. In the psalm, the image of the sinner is just as repulsive: he desired a curse, did not want a blessing, showed the height of ingratitude, responding with hatred for love. Such a person is no longer worthy of mercy or compassion, but only of just punishment.
God is not only Love and the merciful Giver of Life, but also the Righteous Judge, impartially repaying sin. God is holy, and therefore nothing sinful can be near God. God intercedes for the suffering righteous and stops sin. Here the curse is understood in the direct biblical sense: King David calls for the righteous judgment of God over sin and its bearer - an unrepentant sinner. Evil must be destroyed, because it is already incorrigible. And therefore, both the sinner himself, unable to correct himself, and the sinful roots growing from him - his children - are destroyed.
The theme of vengeance, also associated with the death of the children of a stubborn sinner, is also recognized in Psalm 136, which describes the suffering of the Jews taken to the Babylonian captivity from the destroyed Jerusalem:
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion; 2 on the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. 3 There those who captivated us demanded from us words of song, and our oppressors demanded joy: "Sing to us from the songs of Zion." 4 How can we sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, Jerusalem, forget me, my right hand; 6 Stick my tongue to my throat, if I do not remember you, if I do not make Jerusalem the head of my joy. 7 Remember, O Lord, to the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, when they said, "Tear down, tear down to its foundations." 8 Daughter of Babylon, despoiler! blessed is he who will repay you for what you have done to us! 9 Blessed is he who takes and smashes your babies against a stone!
The last verse of the psalm echoes Pushkin's lines. It also expresses the idea of the righteous Judgment of God, which is carried out not only in heaven, but also on earth. The terrible image of the death of babies, which has always been understood both in the Jewish tradition and in the Christian one, exclusively spiritually, is taken from Pushkin in all its terrible clarity, in a strictly literally, visibly and materially.
At the same time, in the lines of the ode under consideration, there is also a consciousness of the illegality, the criminality of such joy: with cruel joy I see. The poet understands that despite the justice of his desires, despite the righteous desire to punish the sinner, his joy is cruel, i.e. not devoid of sinfulness, since it does not come from a righteous person, but from an ordinary sinful person. And the poet is aware of the earthliness of his desires, sincerely speaks about the whole palette of his feelings and experiences, does not embellish, but exposes himself, as if from the outside evaluating his - natural for a person - feelings from the point of view of biblical morality.
Another important theme of Pushkin's ode "Liberty" is the attitude towards royal power. At first glance, the poet contradicts himself: he hates autocratic Napoleon, calling him villain, he speaks of Emperor Paul as crowned villain. In general, it turns out that the image of the supreme ruler of the state is negative. At the same time, Pushkin does not stay on the side of the murderers, but also denounces them as criminals ( criminal hand), as villains who have lost their human form ( evil janissaries, how animals).
A.S. Pushkin’s attitude to the royal power is ambiguous. Now he sings of the kings, then he denounces them for their vices and iniquities.
The attitude of A.S. Pushkin to the royal power also lies in the field biblical understanding her nature.
Firstly, this is its divine origin: the power of the kings is given from above, they are not the primary sources of their power, but the Law ruling over them. Here is the thought of the holy apostle Paul:
Let every soul be submissive to the highest authorities, for there is no authority except from God; the existing authorities are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists God's ordinance. And those who oppose themselves will bring condemnation upon themselves. 3 For those who are in authority are not terrible to good works, but to evil ones. Do you want to not be afraid of power? Do good, and you will receive praise from her, 4 for [the boss] is God's servant, it's good for you. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain: he is God's servant, the avenger in punishment for the one who does evil. 5 And therefore it is necessary to obey, not only out of [fear of] punishment, but also according to conscience. 6 For this, you pay taxes, for they are God's servants, constantly busy with this. 7 Therefore give to everyone what is due: to whom to give, to give; to whom dues, dues; to whom fear, fear; to whom honor, honor. 8 Do not remain indebted to anyone for anything but mutual love; for he who loves another has fulfilled the law(Rom.13).
And the holy apostle Peter:
Therefore, be submissive to every human authority, for the Lord: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 whether to rulers, as sent from him to punish criminals and to encourage those who do good - 15 for this is the will of God, that we, doing good, stop our mouths ignorance of foolish people, 16 as free, not as using freedom to cover up evil, but as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. 18 Servants, obey your masters with all fear, not only the good and the meek, but also the severe. 19 For it is pleasing to God if anyone, thinking of God, endures sorrows, suffering unjustly. 20 For what is it to be praised if you endure being beaten for your transgressions? But if, while doing good and suffering, endure, this is pleasing to God. 21 For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example to follow in His footsteps. (1 Peter, ch. 2).
But power cannot be in itself, but entirely in the hands of the Lord:
Woe to those who draw upon themselves iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as with chariot straps; 19 who say, "Let him make haste and hasten his work, that we may see; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come to pass, that we may know!" 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who call darkness light and light darkness, who call bitter sweet and sweet bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own eyes! 22 Woe to those who are brave to drink wine and are able to cook strong drink 23 who, for gifts, justify the guilty and deprive the righteous of what is right! 24 For as the fire consumes the straw, and the flame destroys the hay, so their root will rot, and their color will scatter like dust; because they rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 Therefore the Lord's wrath will be kindled against his people, and he will stretch out his hand against them and smite them, so that the mountains will tremble, and their corpses will be like dung in the streets. And for all this, His anger will not be turned away, and His hand will still be stretched out.
At the same time, we read in the Bible:
Praise the Lord; call upon his name; proclaim his works among the nations; 2 sing to him and sing to him; tell of all His wonders. 3 Boast in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. 4 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. 5 Remember his wonders which he did, his signs and the judgments of his mouth, 6 you seed of Abraham, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. 7 He is the Lord our God: His judgments are in all the earth. 8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word [which] he commanded to a thousand generations, 9 which he bequeathed to Abraham, and his oath to Isaac, 10 and made it to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, 11 saying, “I will give you the land of Canaan for an inheritance your his". 12 When they were still few in number, very few, and they were strangers in it 13 and passed from people to people, from kingdom to another tribe, 14 did not allow anyone to offend them and rebuked the kings about them: 15 "Do not touch my anointed and do no harm to my prophets"(Ps. 104).
Finally, at the very end of the ode, the artistic image of the Law appears. It's about, of course, not about specific state legislation, which is changeable and depends on the era, but Pushkin takes the first - and dominant - place Law, Law with capital letter, i.e. The law is true, righteous, just, saving.
“The concept of the “Divine Law,” writes T. Kassner, “acts as a unity of the Old and New Testaments ... The law enables all people to step on the path of Truth.”
At the same time, the presentation of biblical material can in no way be attributed to general Christian education. This is not about Catholic, not about Protestant, but about the church, Orthodox knowledge of A.S. Pushkin of the Holy Scriptures. This is evidenced as separate quotes, where the attitude of A.S. Pushkin to others slips Christian denominations- Latins and Protestants. This is evidenced by the nature of the use of biblical material.
Thus, we can conclude: A.S. Pushkin drew expressiveness and poetic inspiration from Holy Scripture, and in its Orthodox interpretation. The abundance of the biblical vocabulary of A.S. Pushkin, the presentation of this material, traditional for Orthodoxy, largely determined the beauty, sublimity and strength of the poetic images of the Russian poet. It is fair to consider Pushkin's poetry a model for all poets. They rightly see in Pushkin's poetry the universality, the applicability of his images, feelings and the way they are expressed to all times and to many peoples. This universality is connected precisely with the biblical imagery of the great Russian poet, with his biblical language, with which he realizes his poetic goals. We can safely say that the study of the Bible, its language and imagery is one of those sources from which the genius of Russian poetry drew its inspiration. Without a doubt, the Bible is still such a model and source. Therefore, following Pushkin, modern poets should study well and use both biblical images, both biblical vocabulary, and ways of artistic expression of thoughts and feelings that open up when reading the Book of Books.
Pavel V. Gerasimov, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy of Religion, Philosophical Theology, Anthropology and Philosophy of Consciousness, RPU
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Comments 13
Comments
13.
_Olga_
:
11. Alexanders.
2013-02-03 at 01:51
Regarding the "exalted Gaul", I "got excited" - I take my words back. This is someone from well-known representatives France, who left a "noble mark" in history. There is a version on the Internet that this is Andre Chenier.
12.
Alexanders.
:
Reply to 8., Adrian Rome:
2013-02-03 at 01:01
And here, please, look at the opinions about the Tsar Martyr Louis 16 respected people(not me). Including Orthodox priests. You can also type in the search for the right one.
Archpriest Gennady Belovolov: “This event European history has a Christian meaning
11.
Alexanders.
:
Answer to 6., T.V.:
2013-02-03 at 00:41
If the "exalted Gaul", in your opinion, is Napoleon, and this eulogy is addressed to him:
Reveal me a noble trail
That exalted gall,
To whom herself in the midst of glorious troubles
You inspired bold hymns.
How does the poet say about him below:
Domineering Villain!
I hate you, your throne
Your death, the death of children
With cruel joy I see.
Read on your forehead
The seal of the curse of the nations,
You are the horror of the world, the shame of nature,
Reproach you to God on earth.
Doesn't fit, however. And the revolutionary threat of dizziness is directed to all kings. Except for the "exalted gall" (as you correctly noted). He (the Gaul) is for Pushkin the liberator of the world from tyrants, read, kings, but in reality, just this godless satanic head. And the revolutionary spirit of the young Pushkin can be seen in many of his early works. And even at the end of life:
And for a long time I will be kind to the people,
That I aroused good feelings with lyre,
That in my cruel age I glorified Freedom
And he called for mercy on the fallen.
And in the drafts: "After Radishchev, I glorified freedom" - further in the text. You see what courtesy the poet expects from the people - to be remembered as a revolutionary and king fighter Radishchev.
Also see the following:
In the depths of Siberian ores
Keep proud patience
Your mournful work will not be lost
And doom high aspiration.
Unfortunately faithful sister,
Hope in the dark dungeon
Wake up cheerfulness and fun,
The desired time will come:
Love and friendship up to you
They will reach through the gloomy gates,
Like in your hard labor holes
My free voice is coming.
Heavy chains will fall
The dungeons will collapse - and freedom
You will be gladly received at the entrance,
And the brothers will give you the sword.
Who do you think has a "doom high aspiration" that should not be lost?
"...Cythera is a weak queen!" - I think Catherine.
10.
Anna Fedorovna
:
Answer to 1., Yenisei:
2013-02-02 at 23:02
who is really the "autocratic villain"
I apologize for the unsolicited answer - I'm not an expert. But, if you carefully read the ode, you can pay attention to these lines:
"Lords! you crown and throne
Gives the Law - not nature;
You stand above the people
But the eternal law is higher than you."
That is, the poet says that the power (crown and throne) gives the Kings the Law (God, as I understand it). Hence, the definition of "autocratic" may refer to someone who usurped power for himself, trampling the law, in particular - Napoleon.
9.
Rodelena
:
2013-02-02 at 22:30
The genius differs from the layman in that it never becomes personal without a specific indication. Today - Tsar Alexander, tomorrow - Tsar Ivan, in a century - Tsar Vitalik, and then Moshiach - and also - he will be called the king. Which of them did the poet Pushkin specifically mean? All who on the throne will serve not God, but another.
"I want ... to strike vice on the thrones" - who knows, maybe it will strike later. After all, we are not saying goodbye to the planet yet, everything is still ahead. And thrones and vice.
8.
Adrian Rome
:
Re: Ode of A.S. Pushkin "Liberty" and its biblical parallels
2013-02-02 at 22:05
It doesn’t matter which tsars Pushkin addresses, but his bold, chaste and fair pathos urges them not to forget that they are autocratic only by the will of the Supreme Power over everything and over them - God. Therefore, it is not correct to consider this ode as anti-royal.
Everyone is also aware of the abuses of power by the French Louis, who squandered the people's money on balls, countless mistresses, voluntarist projects, etc.
And our nobility was no better - having fun in " high society"and the people worked for her.
It is unreasonable to idealize tsarist times. But also to justify the destructive "revolution".
Pushkin, in his ode, calls for justice, against the enslavement of some people by others:
Bow down first head
Under the safe shadow of the Law,
And become the eternal guardian of the throne
Peoples freedom and peace.
Those. no one will overthrow the authorities (regime) if they (he) follow the Highest Law of God's Justice.
The head is Christ, the body is the Church. So it should be in the state: the head is an imitator of Christ, the people are the Church.
Everything is interdependent.
7.
grandfather pensioner
:
4. Alexanders. :
2013-02-02 at 20:02
Well, who is Alexanders - obviously.
6.
_Olga_
:
4. Alexanders.
2013-02-02 at 19:47
Pushkin's Cythera is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, on which a temple was built in honor of the goddess of love Aphrodite. I think Pushkin wanted to say that in this ode he leaves his love lyrics, but wants to "sing Freedom to the world."
"Exalted Gaul" - Napoleon. Gaul is the former name of France.
You should not pull out a separate line from the ode “Autocratic Villain”, you need to think about what is written before and after it (Louis, Gauls). It's all so obvious. It's strange that this has to be explained.
5.
Descendant of subjects of Emperor Nicholas II
:
Answer to 4., Alexandrs.:
2013-02-02 at 18:46
It's just amazingly turned upside down.
It's just that Pushkin, thank God, is not a Cheburashka, so he did not receive protection from literary "hanging" ("revolutionary" though). I said - Alexanders has a great Talmudic potential as a provocateur.
4.
Alexanders.
:
Pushkin, of course, is a genius, but why break history...
2013-02-02 at 18:04
The article is pretentious and subjective. The desire to "shield" the poet and present him as such "ours", Orthodox. He no longer needs it, and neither does anyone else. Opinion about Napoleon from which only the ceiling is taken. The verse is simply revolutionary and anti-autocratic (it is not for nothing that Soviet times in schools they studied so thoroughly and loved to study). And even without studying, any unbiased reader can see that white is white (but you can always prove that black).
Reveal me a noble trail
That exalted gall,
To whom herself in the midst of glorious troubles
You inspired bold hymns.
Pets of the windy Fate,
Tyrants of the world! tremble!
And you, be of good cheer and listen,
Arise, fallen slaves!
A very royal line. What do you think (question to the author of the article), who is this "exalted Gaul"? And who is this: "Cythera is a weak queen"? Yes, and all the other lines ... It's just amazingly turned everything upside down.
2.
_Olga_
:
1. yenisei
2013-02-02 at 11:37
Dear Sergey! To dispel doubts, I advise you to look into the PSS A.S. Pushkin, where there are other options for writing Pushkin's works.
I repeat the link given yesterday on the next branch:
147. T.V. : 142. Priest George Selin
2013-02-01 at 21:20
In addition to my comment. 145.
To the line “And this is a villainous porphyry” (in another version - “Like an autocratic porphyry”), Pushkin made a footnote in the manuscript: “Napoleon's porphyry ... Note for V.L.P. my uncle (native).
See Pushkin. PSS, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1949 (reissued in 1994), v.2, p.472.
1.
Yenisei
:
Who is the "autocratic villain"?
2013-02-02 at 08:54
P. Gerasimov wrote:
One of the most expressive lines of the ode is addressed to Napoleon:
Domineering villain!
I hate you, your throne
Your death, the death of children
With cruel joy I see.
Read on your forehead
The seal of the curse of the nations,
You are the horror of the world, the shame of nature, -
Reproach you to God on earth.
Sic! Are these lines addressed to Napoleon? Bonaparte at that time was a prisoner of the British on the island of St. Helena for the 4th year. Therefore, he did not have any throne. He did not have "children", only units. son from Marie-Louise (one legitimate, for certain known - an unfortunate child who had no rights to the French throne). I have always been sure that here we are talking about Alexander 1, against whom the then unrestrained young man Pushkin desperately opposed. In general, Pushkin was unfair to Alexander Pavlovich (however, as well as to the most noble Count Vorontsov, many others). To Our Poet's credit, he later repented of this. From memory: "Hurrah, our king! So let's drink to the king! ... He took Paris, he founded the Lyceum." And in this spirit. In one of my poems about Pushkin, describing his mood on the first day of Mikhailov's exile, I addressed him with the following words:
Pushkin, be grateful to fate
And do not reproach the king for exile.
This wise Russia is a test
Sending with love to you.
Both Pushkin and all of us should thank Tsar Alexander that, having presented the zealous, ardent young man with the Southern exile, then "Mikhailovskoye imprisonment", the autocrat thereby saved a unique talent from corrupting Petersburg, from idle killing of days in the secular bustle and objectively created conditions for him to in-depth literary works. So let's drink to the king!
I turn to experts with a request to explain who the "autocratic villain" is in reality, whom the 19-year-old Pushkin meant.
SERGEY SOKUROV
Graduated in 1817. Lyceum and enrolled in the service of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs, Pushkin settled in St. Petersburg. After a six-year lyceum "imprisonment", he is actively involved in literary and public life capital Cities. He attends meetings of Arzamas, of which he practically becomes a member, joins the literary and friendly association Green Lamp. One of his favorite, and, perhaps, his most important hobbies is the theater. Pushkin was a recognized connoisseur of actors, a fan of actresses: E.S. Semenova, A.I. Kolosova, E.I. Istomina. In the secret society, which Pushkin guessed, he was not accepted. His ardent disposition and rapprochement "with unreliable people" frightened the members of the secret society. Pushkin was in the big world, but he persistently rushed out of there. Alexander Sergeevich was suffocating in an atmosphere of court hypocrisy, obscurantism, tyranny, cringing, flattery.
However, secular noise and theatrical hobbies were only the outer side of his stormy and difficult life, he never for a moment ceased to be a poet, writer, worker. In 1817 Pushkin wrote many political, freedom-loving poems. The young poet entered Russian literature as a singer of advanced revolutionary-minded circles of society:
I want to sing freedom to the world
On thrones to strike vice.
Pushkin, as a poet, thought deeper than many of the Decembrists, he was their political leader. By this time, a protest against serfdom and autocratic arbitrariness was growing in the country.
Pushkin, having experienced the influence of early Decembrist views, was imbued with them. In his poems there were features of Russian civil love of freedom - hope for the law, protest against serfdom:
Alas! Wherever I look,
Everywhere scourges, glands everywhere,
Laws disastrous shame,
Bondage weak tears;
Unrighteous Power Everywhere
In the condensed haze of prejudice
Sat down - Slavery formidable Genius
And Glory's fatal passion.
Increasingly, the word "freedom" appeared in Pushkin's poems. Moreover, in the poet's mouth, this word became ambiguous, began to glow and cast different meanings. freedom is not only personal independence, but also a free way of life - civil liberty, the freedom of an enslaved people.
Pushkin became a singer of lofty ideals. He said that he was the successor of Radishchev's ideas. This is true, because in his poems "Liberty" and "Village" the poet raises the main themes of Radishchev - against autocracy and serfdom. But their paths were different: Radishchev wanted to come to freedom through a people's revolution, while Pushkin had hopes for the law:
Only there above the royal head
The peoples did not lay down suffering,
Where is strong with Liberty saint
Laws of powerful combinations ...
The poet, who vigorously advocated limiting the power of the king by laws, did not rule out violence against emperors if they did not bow before the law, so some lines of the ode sound like appeals:
… Tyrants of the world! tremble!
And you, be of good cheer and listen,
Arise fallen slaves!
But Pushkin still called on the kings:
Bow down first head
Under the safe shadow of the Law,
And become the eternal guardian of the throne
Peoples freedom and peace.
In his ode, Pushkin condemns the execution by the people of the French King Louis XVI:
... O martyr of glorious mistakes,
For ancestors in the noise of recent storms
Laid down the king's head.
Louis rises to death...
The law is silent - the people are silent,
The criminal ax will fall...
He also condemns the assassination of Paul I by the nobles, but at the same time advocates limiting the autocracy by the constitution.
The sharply political "winged words" that Pushkin uttered in the theater and in other public places enjoyed great popularity. It was in them, in these emerging epigrams, that Pushkin's mood was expressed and at the same time his well-aimed and merciless wit was manifested - the ability to “nail the enemy to the pillory” in a few lines.
The Decembrists warmly accepted the ode "Liberty", as they saw in it a reflection of their thoughts. Pushkin's poetry was the causative agent of revolutionary energy, dissatisfaction with the policy of tsarist rule.
/ / / The history of the creation of Pushkin's poem "Liberty"
The poem was written by A.S. Pushkin in 1817 (Petersburg period of the poet's life). At that time, he was barely 18 years old. Alexander Sergeevich had just graduated from the Lyceum in Tsarskoe Selo, but had already managed to try his hand at poetic art. He knew for sure that he would devote his life to poetry. The young poet was careless about creativity, not thinking about the fact that literature in tsarist Russia is under the close supervision of censorship. His early work filled with rebellious ideas, motives for freedom and struggle for it. The ode "Liberty" is no exception. Its name, according to literary critics, is the table of contents of all the works written by Pushkin after the Lyceum.
The poem appeared from the pen of St. Petersburg in the apartment of the Turgenevs. The windows of the dwelling overlooked the Mikhailovsky Castle, in which Emperor Paul I was once killed. Rich story of this place and inspired Pushkin to create a work with a historical plot.
The circumstances of the writing of "Liberty" became known from the memoirs of F.F. Vigel. He said that Alexander Sergeevich often visited the Turgenev brothers. In their house, he met freethinkers who gathered at Nikolai's. One of the young people joked, suggesting that the poet write poems about the Mikhailovsky Castle. Pushkin took the joke seriously, immediately jumped up on a long table by the window and began to cheerfully work on the work.
N.I. Turgenev also recalled this incident, confirming Vigell's words. He also said that in his apartment the young poet wrote only part of the ode, and completed the work at home at night. The next day, Pushkin brought the full text to Turgenev.
ME AND. Saburov told Pushkin's biographer P.V. Annenkov a slightly different version of the history of the creation of the ode. He claimed that the poet was inspired by N.I. Turgenev. In addition, Alexander Sergeevich was aware of political events, took part in the conversations and polemics of freethinkers, which also influenced the ode. For example, researchers of the poet's work believe that the ideas of the poem are the same as the slogans of the Union of Salvation. Pushkin also spoke with members of this society at the Turgenevs. Do not forget that the work was created in a period when the rumor about the Great french revolution, therefore, the author takes plots from Russian and French history to implement the idea of \u200b\u200bthe poem.
The autograph of the poem “Liberty” is still kept in Turgenev’s archive, the poet drew a caricature of Paul I for it. “Liberty” was not published during the poet’s lifetime, but fell into the hands of censorship in 1820. The poem became one of the main reasons for the southern exile of Alexander Sergeevich.
The poem first saw the world in London, where Herzen published it in the collection Polar Star in 1856. "Liberty" quickly became popular. Researchers claim that it had a noticeable impact on the 1917 revolution.
"Liberty" Alexander Pushkin
Run, hide from the eyes
Cythera is a weak queen!
Where are you, where are you, thunder of kings,
Freedom proud singer?
Come, pluck the wreath from me
Break the pampered lyre...
I want to sing freedom to the world,
On thrones to strike vice.Reveal me a noble trail
That sublime Gallus*,
To whom herself in the midst of glorious troubles
You inspired bold hymns.
Pets of the windy Fate,
Tyrants of the world! tremble!
And you, be of good cheer and listen,
Arise, fallen slaves!Alas! wherever I look
Everywhere scourges, glands everywhere,
Laws disastrous shame,
Bondage weak tears;
Unrighteous Power Everywhere
In the condensed haze of prejudice
Sat down - Slavery formidable Genius
And Glory's fatal passion.Only there above the royal head
The peoples did not lay down suffering,
Where is strong with Liberty saint
Powerful combination laws;
Where their solid shield is stretched out to everyone,
Where clenched by faithful hands
Citizens over equal heads
Their sword slips without choiceAnd crime from above
It strikes with a righteous scope;
Where their hand is not bribe
Neither greedy stinginess, nor fear.
Masters! you crown and throne
Gives the Law - not nature;
You stand above the people
But the eternal Law is above you.And woe, woe to the tribes,
Where he carelessly slumbers
Where either to the people, or to the kings
It is possible to rule by law!
I call you as a witness
O martyr of glorious mistakes,
For ancestors in the noise of recent storms
Laid down the king's head.Ascends to death Louis
In view of the silent offspring,
The head of the debunked prinik
To the bloody chopping block of Perfidy.
The law is silent - the people are silent,
The criminal ax will fall...
And behold - villainous porphyry
On galls chained lies.Domineering villain!
I hate you, your throne
Your death, the death of children
With cruel joy I see.
Read on your forehead
The seal of the curse of the nations,
You are the horror of the world, the shame of nature,
Reproach you to God on earth.When on the gloomy Neva
The star of midnight sparkles
And a carefree head
Restful sleep burdens,
The pensive singer looks
On menacingly sleeping in the mist
Desert monument of a tyrant,
Oblivion abandoned palace ** -And Klia hears a terrible voice
Behind these terrible walls,
Caligula last hour
He sees vividly before his eyes,
He sees - in ribbons and stars,
Intoxicated with wine and malice,
The killers are coming in secret,
Insolence on the faces, fear in the heart.The unfaithful sentry is silent,
The drawbridge was lowered silently,
The gates are open in the darkness of the night
The hand of treachery hired ...
O shame! oh the horror of our days!
Like animals, the Janissaries invaded! ..
Infamous blows will fall...
The crowned villain died.And today learn, O kings:
No punishment, no reward
Neither the roof of the dungeons, nor the altars
Fences that are not true for you.
Bow down first head
Under the safe shadow of the Law,
And become the eternal guardian of the throne
Peoples freedom and peace.* Gall - refers to the French poet A. Chenier.
** Palace - Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg. The following describes the assassination of Paul I.
Analysis of Pushkin's poem "Liberty"
in the works of this author, capable of conveying the whole range of feelings experienced by the poet. Since the time of his lyceum youth, Pushkin sincerely believed that every person is initially born free. However, it is society that dooms him to change his principles and observe the conventions that burden any sane person.
The freedom-loving views of the poet can be clearly seen in the works early period creativity, when Pushkin does not yet know about the existence of censorship and firmly believes that he can openly express his thoughts. These poems include the ode "Liberty", which was written by the poet in 1817 immediately after graduating from the Lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo. By that time, Pushkin had already tasted the first fruits of literary glory and had no doubt what exactly he would devote his life to. However, he had a higher ideal, which was universal freedom. It is she who he calls on in the first lines of his work, and is even ready to sacrifice his talent for this. “Come, tear off my crown, break the pampered lyre,” the poet conjures.
It is in this work that Pushkin determines his fate as a poet and citizen. He is convinced that if the heavens were pleased to endow him with a literary gift, then you should not spend it on trifles. Therefore, the author decides not to waste money on trifles, his goal is noble and simple. "Tyrants of the world! Tremble! And you, take heart and listen, rise up, fallen slaves! ”, The author calls.
Meanwhile, in his incomplete 18 years, Pushkin already understands that it will not be easy for him to change the world for the better. He notes with regret that “the disastrous disgrace of laws” reigns everywhere, with which all classes of society have to put up with. But if those in power take it for granted, then for the common people serfdom, corvee and dues are akin to the shackles of convicts. Glory and slavery - these, according to the poet, are the two main driving forces Russian society the first half of the 19th century. Yes, the Russians are a valiant people who managed to glorify their homeland with feats of arms and victories. But reverse side of this medal are poverty and slavery. Therefore, the poet asks the question: what would become modern society, be it truly free. To understand this, the poet turns to history and recalls the Zaporizhzhya Sich, where “the laws of powerful combinations are firmly combined with the Liberty of the Holy”. Arguing on the theme of freedom of choice and the destiny of each person, the poet comes to the conclusion that power cannot be inherited, it must be transferred according to the law to those who are most deserving of it. Thus, Pushkin openly opposes autocracy, considering it a manifestation of the denseness and obedience of the Russian people. Moreover, the author emphasizes that “shameful silence” is typical not only for his contemporaries. That's how they behaved simple people in Europe, Rome and Ancient Greece when the rulers various countries they did lawlessness. But, at the same time, the author predicts that the times will come when powerful rulers will still have to live by the law, when “liberty and peace will become the eternal guardians of the throne of peoples.”
The ode "Liberty" was never published during the life of the poet, since Pushkin understood the utopianism of the views and ideas set forth in this work. Nevertheless, the author continued to believe until the end of his life that someday the world would change so much that justice, equality and real freedom. It was with this work that Pushkin predicted the appearance secret societies future Decembrists, who were destined to shake the social foundations.
Run, hide from the eyes
Cythera is a weak queen!
Where are you, where are you, thunder of kings,
Freedom proud singer?
Come, pluck the wreath from me
Break the pampered lyre...
I want to sing freedom to the world,
On thrones to strike vice.
Reveal me a noble trail
That sublime Gallus*,
To whom herself in the midst of glorious troubles
You inspired bold hymns.
Pets of the windy Fate,
Tyrants of the world! tremble!
And you, be of good cheer and listen,
Arise, fallen slaves!
Alas! wherever I look
Everywhere scourges, glands everywhere,
Laws disastrous shame,
Bondage weak tears;
Unrighteous Power Everywhere
In the condensed haze of prejudice
Sat down - Slavery formidable Genius
And Glory's fatal passion.
Only there above the royal head
The peoples did not lay down suffering,
Where is strong with Liberty saint
Powerful combination laws;
Where their solid shield is stretched out to everyone,
Where clenched by faithful hands
Citizens over equal heads
Their sword slips without choice
And crime from above
It strikes with a righteous scope;
Where their hand is not bribe
Neither greedy stinginess, nor fear.
Masters! you crown and throne
Gives the Law - not nature;
You stand above the people
But the eternal Law is above you.
And woe, woe to the tribes,
Where he carelessly slumbers
Where either to the people, or to the kings
It is possible to rule by law!
I call you as a witness
O martyr of glorious mistakes,
For ancestors in the noise of recent storms
Laid down the king's head.
Ascends to death Louis
In view of the silent offspring,
The head of the debunked prinik
To the bloody chopping block of Perfidy.
The law is silent - the people are silent,
The criminal ax will fall...
And behold - villainous porphyry
On galls chained lies.
Domineering villain!
I hate you, your throne
Your death, the death of children
With cruel joy I see.
Read on your forehead
The seal of the curse of the nations,
You are the horror of the world, the shame of nature,
Reproach you to God on earth.
When on the gloomy Neva
The star of midnight sparkles
And a carefree head
Restful sleep burdens,
The pensive singer looks
On menacingly sleeping in the mist
Desert monument of a tyrant,
Oblivion abandoned palace ** -
And Klia hears a terrible voice
Behind these terrible walls,
Caligula last hour
He sees vividly before his eyes,
He sees - in ribbons and stars,
Intoxicated with wine and malice,
The killers are coming in secret,
Insolence on the faces, fear in the heart.
The unfaithful sentry is silent,
The drawbridge was lowered silently,
The gates are open in the darkness of the night
The hand of treachery hired ...
O shame! oh the horror of our days!
Like animals, the Janissaries invaded! ..
Infamous blows will fall...
The crowned villain died.
And today learn, O kings:
No punishment, no reward
Neither the roof of the dungeons, nor the altars
Fences that are not true for you.
Bow down first head
Under the safe shadow of the Law,
And become the eternal guardian of the throne
Peoples freedom and peace.
____________________
* Gall - refers to the French poet A. Chenier.
** Palace - Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg. The following describes the assassination of Paul I.
Analysis of the ode "Liberty" by Pushkin
Pushkin became the author of a number of poems that had a huge impact on future Decembrists. One of them was the work "Liberty", written by the poet in 1817, immediately after graduation. Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. It spread very quickly on the lists.
The author himself designated the genre of his poem - ode. It is written in a solemn style, replete with sublime words and phrases. The work has a clearly defined civic orientation. The young poet was an ardent supporter of the idea of universal equality and fraternity and openly expressed his views.
Pushkin, already in his youth, felt and appreciated the power of his poetic gift. He wanted to use it not to glorify great deeds or describe refined feelings (“break the pampered lyre”), but to affirm highest value- Freedom. The poet sees his civic duty in condemning tyranny. With his works, he seeks to awaken the dormant spirit of just resistance among the people.
Pushkin understands that his task is incredibly difficult. The whole world is entangled in the chains of slavery, the higher laws are trampled on by the "unrighteous Power". Rare exceptions are states where the rulers are subject to the "Liberty of the Saint." Their power is based not on arbitrariness, but on respect and recognition of laws that are equally equal for all citizens. In such a society there is no place for injustice and deceit, since the harsh but fair hand of justice will overtake any criminal, regardless of his nobility or wealth.
Pushkin's political views are still quite naive. He recognizes the existence of some higher Law. The poet takes a negative view of unlimited power people, and to absolute monarchy. Both forms, in his opinion, lead to an arbitrary interpretation of all laws.
Pushkin brings two clear examples: the execution of Louis XVI and Paul I. Both monarchs did not reckon with the laws and ruled the states individually. At some point, this overflowed the cup of people's patience. Retribution again went beyond the legal framework and took on the character of ordinary lynching. Pushkin does not in the least justify tyrants, he describes them with the words: “autocratic”, “crowned villain”. But the massacre of the people is also subject to condemnation. The execution of Louis is associated with the images of the "block of treachery" and the "criminal ax", and the murder of Paul is committed low people who were "drunk with wine and evil" and invaded "like beasts".
In these examples, Pushkin gives all tsars and rulers an object lesson. He is confident that respect for the Supreme Law will lead to the common good. A people who feel that they are governed in strict accordance with justice will never raise their hands against their monarch. According to the poet, this is the key to the happy existence of the whole world.