AS Pushkin, "From Pindemonty": an analysis of the poem. History of creation

In 1836, Alexander Sergeevich worked on the stone-and-stone cycle, published only after his death. M. Yu. Lotman believes that several poems from this series can be considered the pinnacle of Pushkin's creativity and his poetic testament. In the cycle there are at least 6 works (exact membership of some others is not established). Of these, 4 poems are marked with Roman numerals. The work we are interested in, "From Pindemonty" (genre - poem), is just entering this cycle. The other three are "Worldly Power," "Imitation of the Italians" and "The Fathers are desolate and wives are undefiled." In all these works there are many religious and Christian symbols. However, they are absent in the verse "From Pindemonty".

History of creation of the work

It will help us shed light on its meaning. What can we say about the work of interest to us? The poem "From Pindemonti", the analysis of which we will conduct today, refers to the late work of the author. His idea arose when the poet was at the dacha near St. Petersburg, in 1836. In the same year he designed his idea for the completed poem. However, it was not until 1855 that the work From the Pindemonty was published. An analysis of this date shows that Alexander Sergeevich was no longer alive at this time (he died in 1837). Thus, this work was published after his death. And it was not because Pushkin did not want to print it. On the contrary, he did his best to make sure that the censorship missed the work "From Pindemonty". The analysis carried out by the researchers after his death allows us to assert that Alexander Sergeevich for this even changed the name of his creation.

The mystification of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin

Most literary scholars of our day tend to believe that the title of the work we are interested in is a hoax. It has nothing to do with the plot of the verse itself, the idea of "From Pindemonty." The analysis showed that the text was originally called "From Alfred Musset", but Pushkin decided to change this name, because he wanted to see the work published. The censorship of that time would not have missed the mention of the great romantic writer from France. The reason is the July revolution, which took place in 1830. Nicholas I did not want to be informed about it on the territory of the country. As a result, Alexander Sergeevich decided to change the old name somewhat, instead of the name of the French writer, using the name of Ippolito Pindemont, the Italian poet.

Many believe that this choice was made not by accident. Two of these authors meet the theme of freedom of love. In addition, they talk about confronting a person with social reality. However, Ippolito Pindemont was not known to the Russian public, so Pushkin decided to use his name in the work "From Pindemonte". The story with hoax, however, is not so unambiguous. It should also be said that such ideas (love of freedom, confrontation) are typical for a literary trend, like Romanticism. Some researchers believe that both the Italian and the Frenchman do not have significant similarities with Alexander Sergeevich. They note that the fact of the deliberate misleading of the reading public is a false reference.

Composition of the work

The poem can be divided into 2 parts (some singles out 3), which are contrasted with one another. The lyrical hero "From Pindemonte" and in both of them tells about the system of his life values. Before the reader first passes a series of denials of social roles and political institutions. We are talking about censorship, wars, taxes. This gives the poem a classic touch. The principle that Pushkin uses here is called "exhaustive division".

The principle of exhaustive division

Its essence lies in the fact that the motive or theme is divided into the maximum possible number of variants, which are listed in a series of homogeneous constructions. This principle in poetry is characteristic of the classical style, but it is genetically related to ancient lyric poetry. It was assimilated by Russian poets in Pushkin's era, but it retained its classical coloration. The principle of exhaustive division is applied not only in the first part. All the poem of interest to us is almost completely built on it. Of the four such "divisions" is the whole text. First, Pushkin lists what he does not complain about, then - from whom he does not want to depend. Further, Alexander Sergeyevich said that no one is going to give a report, "only to himself."

The second part of the poem

Values perceived positively are presented in the second part. In addition, one of the main thoughts of the poem is also expressed here. Pushkin says that one should not "bend neither conscience, nor thoughts, nor neck for livery," "for power."

Alexander Sergeyevich argues that every person has the right to physical and spiritual freedom, which can not be taken away from him either by other people or the state. All other rights without this are meaningless and fictitious. The highest happiness of the lyric hero is to be a person to admire works of art, to "marvel" "nature's beauties."

Associations with antiquity

According to S. A. Kibalnik, a well-known literary critic, in the work "From Pindemonti" Pushkin clearly used the classical basis. Both at the content level and at the level of form (Alexandrian verse) associations with antiquity are born. However, this could remain only at the level of shades, if from the very content of the work there were no ancient associations. Alexander Sergeyevich defends the right of every person to external and internal freedom. He extols the enjoyment of art, communication with nature. All this is opposed to the desire for power, an ambitious desire to devote his life to public service. In the works of Horace, an ancient Roman poet, there are similar ideas.

Appeal of Pushkin to creativity of Horace

His works were of interest to Pushkin in the years of study at the Lyceum. All of the motives listed above have analogues in Russian poetry of 1800-1810. It is, in particular, about lyceum poems by Alexander Sergeevich, such as "Dreamer", "Town", "Message to Yudin." Pushkin in the early period of his work created the image of an epicuretic poet, rather conditional. The tradition of conditional poetry Horace was rejected by him rather quickly. Pushkin in the 1830s often turned directly to the achievements of antiquity. He switched from conventional Roman and ancient Greek symbols to living images, from French-made imitations of Horace to his own poetry.

The evolution of Pushkin in mastering the creative heritage of Horace

Motives close to the work of this author, express in the work "From Pindemonti" the immediate feelings of Alexander Sergeevich. The character of the verse is very far from conventionality, so much that it is impossible to imagine a return to this tradition, long overdone. However, for the creative work of Alexander Sergeevich in the 1830s, it is much more characteristic to address directly to the ancient lyric poetry (although this applies mainly to translations) than the mastering of its motives and images through the prism of modern poetry. Pushkin's evolution in mastering the creative legacy of the great Roman poet comes from ancient conventional symbols to concrete living images, from imitations of Horace in the French style to the author himself. Indeed, Alexander Sergeyevich wrote "I erected a monument to myself ..." only 1.5 months after the creation of the poem of interest to us. A translation of the ode of the Roman poet "To Pompey Varu" refers to 1835. Even earlier, in 1833, Alexander Sergeevich worked on the translation of another ode to Horace - "To Maecenas." However, the last of the listed works was not finished. Pushkin translated only eight verses out of 36. Nevertheless, and according to this small passage, one can trace some general similarity of this work with the poem "From Pindemonty".

The similarity of the verse "From Pindemonti" with the ode to Horace "To Maecenas"

In accordance with the beginning of the work of Horace (in the translation "Kings descendant, Maecenas ...") we are talking about human aspirations, which are alien to the poet. We see the same in the poem "From Pindemonty". Pushkin speaks about human rights, to which he does not aspire and which he does not value at all.

Another interesting coincidence can be noted. In Horace, the desire to become the chosen one of the inconstant crowd is joined by: the habit of farmer's work, the propensity to quiet life, the hobby of hunting, the desire for feats on the battlefield, the desire for distant sea voyages. In the finale, we see the opposition of his philosophy of life characteristic of the creativity of this author to others.

Compositional features of works by Pushkin and Horace

Undoubtedly, it can be noted that the composition of the poem "From Pindemonty" has a similarity with the composition of the ode written by Horace. In the Roman poet, the first part of the work, like that of Alexander Sergeevich, was created on the principle of exhaustive division. In it, Horatius talks about the desire of other people. Alexander Sergeevich also talks about rights, but about those to which he, not others, aspires, about those, from which not one head is spinning. The author of the poem "From Pindemonti" develops only one motive from those that Horace has: state activity, power. The Roman poet immediately turns to the declaration of his own aspirations. Alexander Sergeevich is preceded by the announcement of indifference to "loud rights". In the final, "positive" part of the work we are interested in, one can find the similarity of the motives for enjoying art and nature.

The difference between Pushkin's work from the Horace Ode

As for the general idea, in Pushkin it is somewhat different. In contrast to the many human aspirations, Horace believed that the only way in which he personally can find happiness is poetic creativity. However, Alexander Sergeevich "happiness" is freedom. He wants not to give "no one a report", "to serve and please" only to himself. All this proves that both the figurative system and the composition of Horace's Ode to Maecenas were used by Alexander Sergeevich in his work From the Pindemonty. Pushkin, however, hardly ever turned to the creation of the Roman poet. Most likely, the composition and images of ode since 1833 have been preserved in his memory (while working on the translation).

The reference to "Hamlet"

In addition to Horace, the poem "From Pindemonty" sends us to Shakespeare's "Hamlet." It is a question of a threefold repetition of the "word" in the poem of Pushkin. Alexander Sergeyevich uses it when he makes a comment about how power relates to the activity of literary men. However, empty words are actually occupied by kings, as well as uneducated people.

"From Pindemonty": the idea

The meaning of Pushkin's work consists in expressing love for freedom, in opposing the pressure exerted by various public institutions. In verse "From Pindemonti" the whole set of the life values of Alexander Sergeevich is presented. "People" and "power", as low-lying entities, are opposed to the great creations of art and the beauty of nature. The poet does not want to serve the state and announces this in his poem "From Pindemonty", the meaning of which was extremely clear to everyone, including the tsar. Pushkin does not understand why a person should serve the state. Naturally, the poem in which such a thought was expressed, and even openly, simply could not miss censorship. Even the change of name did not help Pushkin, only the change of the ruler played in his favor. In 1855, Alexander II ascended the throne. The poem "From Pindemonti", the year of its publication - 1855, was immediately presented to the public.

Not about the "French" confrontation of political and personal freedom, and even less about the "Italian" is in the poem of interest to us. Its content forms a Russian theme, which has long occupied one of the main places in the work of Alexander Sergeevich. This is the theme of the departure of the lyrical hero from the realm of arbitrariness and lack of rights, that is, denunciation and denial of this kingdom.

"From Pindemonty" and "Worldly Power"

If we turn to one fact, the outlines of this thought are even more pronounced. In addition to "From Pindemonti," July 5, 1936 Pushkin was completed "Worldly power." This work is one of the most important in Alexander Sergeevich from poetic publicism. Attention of the author drew seemingly one insignificant fact. In the church, which is probably in the aristocratic part of the Russian capital, the authorities ordered two sentries with a gun to be placed at the crucifixion. It was necessary to do this in order to avoid confusion. However, Pushkin saw in this quite different - a symbolic expression of cynicism and hypocrisy of the royal power, which fences off the people of the Lord even during religious rites.

Two of these poems, created simultaneously, complement each other. In different forms Alexander Sergeevich denounces the social and political system that prevailed at that time. Pushkin continues his struggle for freedom under the guise of censorship, in the spirit of his "anthems of the past." He defends both public and personal independence. Pushkin understands freedom as a universal idea.

The syntax of the work

As for the syntax, we note that short statements, characteristic for the beginning of the work, differ from the three-dimensional constructions presented at its end. That is why the enigmatic sounds of the enumeration of the sides of life close to Pushkin, and the list of enemies of freedom, on the contrary, roughly and mundane.

The work "From Pindemonti", the theme of which is always relevant, is liked by many, especially the younger generation. After all, young people are more like a desire for freedom, denial of authority. The poem "From Pindemonty" is included in the compulsory school curriculum. It teaches the younger generation of independence and true values.