poem "Farewell, unwashed Russia ..." Lermontov wrote in the last year of his life prematurely interrupted.At the same time flourishing literary talent.These simple eight lines are hardly the most recognizable passage among the rich literary heritage of the poet.And it was not in some special sense, beauty or perfection syllable poem.Just these two verses for decades were part of the school curriculum and memorize each new generation of students by heart.
As the poet wanted to say this octave?What circumstances led him to write the poem "Farewell, unwashed Russia ..."?How deep meaning hidden within, at first glance, simple lines?
historical background
virtually impossible to properly understand any work, when viewed outside the context of the historical background.In particular, this statement applies to poetry.After all, the product of the volumetric type of novel or story allows to draw this same background, which affects our perception and the short verse often serves as a kind of manifestation of emotion caused by the surrounding environment, and in need of explanation.
poem "Farewell, unwashed Russia ..." (Lermontov), the analysis of which will be carried out, dates back to 1841.At this time, stretching for half a century of war in the Caucasus was in full swing.Russia has sought to annex the mountain territory and to strengthen the border and freedom-loving mountaineers every effort to preserve their freedom.
While translating a soldier or an officer acting in the Caucasus was part synonymous link to the ticket in one direction.Especially if after the person followed the appropriate order, which encouraged use of the above in the most brave battles hot spots.
Personality writer
By 1841, Mikhail Lermontov has turned 26 years of age (prior to the day of his birth this year, he did not survive).He had already gained fame as a poet, but as a person in the community did not like him.And the attitude is, admittedly, it was well deserved.Writer deliberately trying to acquire a reputation as a buffoon and hanged.And his jokes were more caustic and bold than the good-natured.Lyrics Lermontov and his personal qualities noisy frequenter of secular salons so strikingly failed to meet each other, that most readers felt experience, reflected in poetry, a solid game imagination.Just beautiful words, do not have him very close bearing on.
However, according to his few friends, Michael wore a mask is on people, but on paper he poured out the hidden songs tormented by the callousness of the world soul.
But the fact that the one who wrote "Farewell, unwashed Russia ..." was a real patriot, no one doubted.Love for the motherland was expressed not only in the elevated rhythms, but also in military affairs.When the time came to take part in hostilities, Mikhail is not ashamed of his honor an ancient noble family.In fairness it should be noted that a military career is absolutely relish Michael.He even struggled to resign, to be able to do literary work without distractions, but did not dare disappoint raised by his grandmother, who wanted to see the only successful military grandson.
circumstances of life
In 1837, for the poem "Death of a Poet" Lermontov was convicted and sent to the first reference to the Caucasus.Due to the request of the grandmother Elizabeth Alexeyevna Arsenyev, who had connections at court, he stayed there a short time - just a few months.And stay it was a treasure trove for the poet rather pleasant experience rather than a real danger.
At the beginning of 1840 Lermontov got into a duel, for which he was sentenced to a second reference to the war zone.This time the order was attached to the order of the emperor of the need to constantly engage convicted in the first line of attack.
In connection with these events, and it was written the poem "Farewell, unwashed Russia ...".Lermontov expressed in its attitude to the then existing order.He throws bold replica, which shows through unspeakable bitterness that his beloved Fatherland practice of arbitrariness, and all the people slavishly supports the established order.
This poem, no doubt, was written off the cuff, in one fell swoop.In it he poured all his anger and the desire to leave behind the pain of the doers of injustice.He hoped to find solace far from home, in the vast expanses of the Caucasus.
Literally every phrase in these two verses contain a serious meaning.It should be given a bit of time to understand the significance Lermontov had used images for the people who lived at the end of the XIX century rapid.Only in this case the force and beauty, encased in this octave, will appear before you in all its splendor.
«Goodbye»
word "goodbye" first does not cause any particular problems.The author goes into a war zone, and such treatment is quite appropriate.However, even in this, at first glance, it is obvious and indisputable concept lies something more.In fact, not just a poet tends to his beloved homeland, and to the existing unacceptable to a social order.
It is a gesture, almost bordering on despair.Chest full of the poet's resentment spills out short "Goodbye."Though he defeated the system, but not broken in spirit.
«Unwashed Russia»
first and quite legitimate question that arises in everyone at least a little familiar with the works of Mikhail, is the following: why do so use the phrase "unwashed Russia"?Lermontov has in mind here is not physical uncleanness of their fellow citizens.
Firstly, Lermontov's verses show that for him to humiliate ordinary Russian people was simply unthinkable.Love and respect for them permeates all his work.Poet provocatively challenging lifestyle of the nobility, but a life of simple peasants, he absorbs as organically as the severe beauty of Russian nature.
And secondly, historically, that for centuries in Russia was held in high esteem maintaining cleanliness.In the most impoverished villages existed baths, and the peasants were not washed at least once a week.What can not be said of the "enlightened" Europe, where sophisticated noble ladies taking a bath - at best - two or three times a year.Their cavaliers gallons used perfume and cologne in order to kill the stench of unwashed bodies.
Thus, the expression "Farewell, unwashed Russia" Lermontov, whose poems on the customs of the time had to scatter for the noble salons, even if not published, just wanted to express my contempt constitution.It was a hurtful remark, which, incidentally, could only hurt when the Russian people.
«country of slaves»
Even a cursory analysis of the poem "Farewell, unwashed Russia ..." no reason to believe that the word "slaves" the author somehow implies serfs.No, here he points to the servility of the upper class.For, in fact, the lawlessness of each of them in the face of the powerful.
«country gentlemen»
word "Lord" here carries a clear negative connotation.It is akin to the concept of "petty tyrants" - commits violence in its sole discretion.The discontent of the young poet can understand.After the duel, for which he was convicted was just childish.When the opponent Lermontov, who was the initiator of the duel by shooting, missed, Michael just emptied his pistol shot to the side - and he was not going to harm caused it to Ernest de Barentin.
However, the punishment had to suffer it to Michael, after Ernest de Barante was the son of the French ambassador, and his participation in the unseemly incident simply hushed up.Perhaps that is why the poem "Farewell, unwashed Russia ...", history of which is closely associated with not quite a fair trial, imbued with such bitterness.
«And you, blue uniforms ...»
Blue Guards in the Russian Empire were the representatives of the gendarmerie, which are especially popular among the common people either, nor the military did not enjoy.A poem "Farewell, unwashed Russia ..." and does not draws them as a force to maintain order, but as the king's henchmen existing arbitrariness.
«And you, his faithful people»
people, loyal secret police?Yes never happened!There Lermontov says not so much about the people as people, but about the political system in general.The author believes that Russia lagged behind the great neighboring powers in Europe in terms of development of the state apparatus.And this situation is only possible because people in general without complaint supports the existing order.
«Perhaps hid behind the wall of the Caucasus»
desire to hide from something else in the combat zone might not seem logical.However, Lermontov Caucasus was a truly special place.For the first time he visited him while he was still a little boy, and vivid impressions of this period, he carried through his life.
During the first reference Mikhail travel more than fighting.He admired the majestic nature and felt very comfortable away from secular squabbles.With that in mind these circumstances, is easier to understand the poet's desire to hide it in the Caucasus.
«... from your pashas»
But the word "Pasha" looks somewhat organically applied to the authorities in the Russian Empire.Why Lermontov uses the title of commanders of the Ottoman Empire to describe the Russian gendarmes?
Some editors put in this place the word "kings" or "leaders."However, it is difficult to accept the fact that these options originally used Lermontov."Farewell, unwashed Russia ..." - a verse in which the author opposes the existing specific order in which the king played a key role.But the king as the leader in the country can only be one.Use these titles in the plural in this case would simply be wrong.
contemporaries Lermontov phrase is uniquely rezanulo ears.Imagine that in the news announcer says something like: "Today, the president of our country ...".Something like the phrase "escape from the Kings" would sound to readers in the XIX century.
Literally, throughout the history of the Turks for the Russian people were bitter enemies.And until now, the identification with that nationality is used for offensive nicknames.The verse "Farewell, unwashed Russia ..." was written at a time when Turkey to Russian society firmly associated with rigid autocratic state.Therefore, representatives of the top gendarmes sometimes called pashas to emphasize the attitude towards them of the common people.Apparently, it is this sense to invest the great Russian poet in his poem.
«all-seeing" and "Hearing»
ill-fated duel Mikhail Lermontov Ernest de Barant wore, of course, entirely private.The quarrel between the young people took place in the house of a certain Countess Laval, which gave a ball.Itself a duel took place two days later all the unwritten rules - in a secluded place in the presence of the seconds on both sides.
Despite the fact that there were no unpleasant consequences of this clash had no less than three weeks, Lermontov was taken into custody.The guilt he is charged with an article on "misprision."No second, or his opponent to justice were not involved.
reason was the beginning of the investigation is not any concrete denunciation of one of the direct participants, and rumors of a duel that has spread among the young officers.Therefore, the poet and applies the epithet "all-seeing" and "Hearing", describing the work of the secret police.
However, some version of the poem "Farewell, unwashed Russia ..." give diametrically opposite reading of the last two lines.In them the author complains about "not seeing eyes" and "ears that hear not," speaking of the blindness and partiality of the proceedings.
Well, this theory has a right to exist.However, where so many variations?In the end, Lermontov's verses - this is not the product of thousands of years ago, that archaeologists have to restore the crumbs.And at the time of writing this poem the author was already famous to its creation in the blink of an eye shattered among the intelligentsia, thereby leaving a trail of tens or hundreds of copies.Such discrepancies have caused many to begin to doubt even that this verse at all Lermontov wrote."Farewell, unwashed Russia ..." suffered a crushing attack critics.
doubts about the authorship
main argument, which leads to doubt that the author of this poem is the Mikhail Lermontov - is the time of publication of the work.Since the death of the poet managed to go almost half a century - 46 years.A copy of the earliest extant manuscript dates from the beginning of the lists of the 70s of the last century.This implies a gap in the three decades between writing the original and a copy.
No sketch or draft, made the hand of Lermontov, it does not exist.However, Bartne (historian, who showed the light previously unknown poem) in personal letters refers to the existence of the original written by the pen of Lermontov, but apart from him the document because no one ever saw.
even greater confusion among literary critics is the nature of the poem "Farewell, unwashed Russia ...".An analysis of the author's relationship to the releasing their country leaves no doubt not only in disappointment, and even, in some way, in disregard for the country, which previously Lermontov never showed.
But some precipitating lovers of spectacular revelations, it is worth noting that his famous "Farewell!" Lermontov throws is not the motherland, and the imperfect state apparatus.And with that, everyone agrees literary critics and biographers of the poet.
Another argument used by critics - a comparative analysis of two poems: "Motherland" and "Farewell, unwashed Russia ...".They were painted with a difference in expectation months.However, one imbued with reverence for the Fatherland, and the second is full of unflattering epithets of the same motherland.
Could so dramatically change the mood of the poet?Is not it so?Notes of the bitterness of loneliness are common to most of Lermontov.They just simply expressed more expressive, we find in the verse "Farewell, unwashed Russia ...".There is no disdain for their native land, to which persist in trying to specify the criticism.There is the pain of the poet would like to see their country prosperous and progressive, but is forced to come to terms with the fact that these aspirations stifled the existing regime.
But, ultimately, everyone decides for himself, what he believed.Arguments enough as the one and the other side.Whoever was the author of this poem is actually, it is firmly rooted in Russian literature and definitely can tell a lot about the situation prevailing in the middle of the XIX century.
And for fans of Mikhail Lermontov quite works the author of which is undoubtedly a poet.By the way, the one who during his lifetime was called the successor of Pushkin!His literary legacy, no doubt, can be compared with a scattering of precious stones in the treasury of Russian literature.
