Time of creation of the poem. Plot basis and time of action. Subjects
A.S. Pushkin wrote the poem “The Bronze Horseman” in October 1833 in Boldin.
The plot basis of the work is St. Petersburg flood of 1824. Pushkin emphasizes the strict historical accuracy of the events described in the poem. Thus, in the author’s preface to the work, he notes: “The incident described in this story is based on the truth.”
The time frame of the poem is wider than its plot action. The poet commits excursion into the era of Peter I, talks about the grandiose the autocrat's plan. He then talks about the changes that took place a hundred years later. The author describes the flood of 1824 and the events immediately following it. The most important theme of the work also becomes the fate of the “little man”.
Issues
The main problem posed in The Bronze Horseman is personalityand the state. Pushkin comprehends the deep contradiction between the personality of the “little man” and autocratic power. In the context of this problem, Pushkin reveals the historical inconsistency of the activities of Peter I. On the one hand, the reforms he implemented strengthened the Russian State. The city, built on the Neva, became a symbol of the greatness and glory of Russia. On the other hand, this city turned out to be the cause of misfortune, suffering, and death of the “little man.”
Another important problem of the work is human and nature. In the natural elements, Pushkin showed the formidable Divine power, disobedient to man, not subject to the will of the kings.
Ideological orientation
The ideological meaning of the poem is ambiguous.
On the one side, Pushkin glorifies the deeds of Peter, admires the beautiful city on the Neva, admires the greatness and glory of Russia.
On the other side, the poet deeply sympathizes, has compassion for the “little man”, who became an involuntary victim of Peter's reforms.
Genre originality
"The Bronze Horseman" is lyric poem. It combines the narration of events and characters with the lyrical self-expression of the author. For example, the introduction to the poem includes an excited monologue of the poet praising St. Petersburg.
Pushkin also gives his own genre definition to “The Bronze Horseman”. In the subtitle he calls the work "Petersburg story". With his work, Pushkin affirms a new genre in Russian literature, the St. Petersburg story about a poor official, a “little man.” Subsequently (already in prose form) this genre will be developed in the works of N.V. Gogol, F.M. Dostoevsky, and other Russian writers.
Composition: plot structure, main images
The poem includes introduction And two parts.
Introduction contains exposition image of Peter I. The Tsar appears here as an outstanding statesman who has set himself the task of transforming Russia, making it a great state, and opening a “window to Europe.”
Although the king is described in the introduction as a real historical figure, he already looks monumental here 1 . The majestic figure of the autocrat is shown against the backdrop of wild, pristine nature:
On the shore of desert waves
stood He, full of great thoughts,
And he looked into the distance.
The poet talks about Peter's grandiose plan:
And he thought:
From here we will threaten the Swede,
The city will be founded here
To spite an arrogant neighbor.
Nature destined us here
Open a window to Europe,
Stand with a firm foot by the sea.
Here on new waves
All the flags will visit us,
A hundred years have passed, and the young city,
There is beauty and wonder in full countries,
From the darkness of the forests, from the swamps of blat
He ascended magnificently, proudly...
Pushkin does not hide his admiration for Peter's creation. Hence the high style, use Slavicisms(“young city”, “beauty and wonder of full countries”, “from the swamp of blat”).
Then follows lyrical monologue poet, where he talks about his love for St. Petersburg. The poet admires the architecture of the city, the majestic flow of the Neva, the beauty of the white nights:
I love you, Petra's creation,
I love your strict, slender appearance,
Neva sovereign current,
Its coastal granite,
Your fences have a cast iron pattern,
of your thoughtful nights
Transparent twilight, moonless shine...
Pushkin glorifies military power Russia:
I love the warlike liveliness
Amusing Fields of Mars,
Infantry troops and horses
Uniform beauty
In their harmoniously unsteady system
The shreds of these victorious banners,
The shine of these copper caps,
Shot through and through in battle.
These lines reminded Pushkin’s contemporaries of the glorious victory of Russia in the War of 1812.
The poet especially notes the significance of such solemn moments in the life of the Russian Empire as birth of the heir to the throne And victory over the enemy, and the jubilation caused by these events turns out to be akin to the joy of contemplating the spring awakening of the Neva:
I love you, military capital,
Your stronghold is smoke and thunder,
When the queen is full
Gives a son to the royal house,
Or victory over the enemy
Russia triumphs again
Or, breaking your blue ice,
The Neva carries him to the seas
And, sensing the days of spring, he rejoices.
Thus, Pushkin’s St. Petersburg is a symbol of a new, transformed Russia.
Meanwhile, Peter’s reform activities, according to the poet’s conviction, brought Russia and its people not only greatness, but also severe suffering. “My story will be sad,” the poet notes at the end of the introduction, preparing the reader for the sorrowful events described in the first and second parts of the poem.
First part“The Bronze Horseman” opens with a gloomy picture of autumn nature. Neva is compared to a sick person:
Over darkened Petrograd
November breathed the autumn chill.
Splashing with a noisy wave
To the edges of your slender fence,
Neva was tossing around like a sick person
At that time from the guests home
Young Evgeniy came...
Exposition the image of the central character occupies first half of the first part poems. The poet explains why he chose the name “Eugene” for his hero:
We will be our hero
Call by this name. It
Sounds nice; been with him for a long time
My pen is also friendly.
Eugene comes from an ancient aristocratic family. However, in the era in which the poem takes place, his name no longer means anything to anyone:
We don't need his nickname.
Although in times gone by
Perhaps it shone,
And under the pen of Karamzin
In native legends it sounded,
But now with light and rumor
It's forgotten...
Evgeniy is typical petty official, “little man”:
Our hero
Lives in Kolomna, serves somewhere,
He shies away from the nobles and does not bother
Not about deceased relatives,
Not about forgotten antiquities.
Let us note that “little people” are the product of Peter’s reforms, which turned Russia into a state of officials.
We should not forget that the gallery of “little people” in Russian literature dates back to Pushkin. Samson Vyrin from The Station Agent is the first in their row, the second is Evgeniy from The Bronze Horseman. Later, Russian literature will include the heroes of Gogol (for example, Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin from “The Overcoat”), writers of the “natural school,” and Dostoevsky.
ABOUT worldview"little man" can be judged by his dreams:
What was he thinking about? About,
That he was poor, that he worked hard
He had to deliver to himself
And independence and honor...
Marry? Well... why not?
It's hard, of course.
But well, he's young and healthy,
Ready to work day and night;
He'll arrange something for himself
Shelter humble and simple
And it will calm Parasha.
Eugene, unlike the tsar-autocrat, is not concerned about grandiose plans of a state scale, but about pressing matters: he dreams of family happiness, of raising children.
It is also important that Evgeniy’s beloved is not an aristocratic lady, but a simple girl, Parasha, with whom he is going to share a modest and difficult family life.
The poet's poems express sympathy"little man", sincere attention to his concerns.
When creating the images of Peter and Evgeny, Pushkin resorted to antithesis, which emerges already in the introduction to the poem and in its first part. The majestic figure of Peter against the backdrop of the deserted, calm Neva is contrasted with Eugene, immersed in the bustle of everyday life - a “small” and by government standards insignificant man, returning home near a restless, restless river, instilling fear in the hero for loved ones.
Second half of the first part the poem is dedicated to describing floods. Raging Neva acts as a merciless natural element that takes revenge on man for trying to limit her freedom by chaining her in granite. When describing a natural disaster, Pushkin uses extensive personifications, comparisons, and colorful epithets. The Neva appears before us as a terrible beast, destroying everything around:
The Neva swelled and roared,
A cauldron bubbling and swirling,
And suddenly, like a wild beast,
She rushed to the city...
It is no coincidence that Alexander I, at the end of whose reign the flood of 1824 occurred, utters significant words: “Tsars cannot cope with God’s elements.” The forces of nature here symbolize God's wrath towards people who decide to subjugate the elements, and here even the king turns out to be powerless. Nature takes revenge on man for his tyranny over her.
It is significant that Pushkin emphasizes the inextricable connection between the disasters caused by the flood and Peter's long-standing decision to build a city in this very place - contrary to the laws of nature. As a result, the terrible suffering of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg, especially the “little people,” turned out to be a consequence of Peter’s activities in the previous century.
Not by chance at the end of the first part of the poem there are images of Peter I and Eugene again opposed, only the autocrat appears here no longer as a historical figure, but as a statue, an “idol.” Eugene, fleeing the flood, sits “astride a marble beast” and sees in front of him a motionless statue of Peter. At the same time, the monument turns out to have its “back turned to him”: it turns out that the desperate “little man” cannot count on help:
And with my back turned to him,
In unshakable heights
Above the indignant Neva
Stands with outstretched hand
Idol on a bronze horse.
In the second part the poem talks about death of Parasha, O Evgeniy's madness, about him riot against the authorities, finally about his own death.
Death of Parasha acquires a symbolic meaning in the poem: this is a sign misfortunes everyone ordinary people - residents of St. Petersburg , who found themselves hostage to Peter's reforms. The death of the bride also became the reason for Eugene's madness. His consciousness could not withstand severe tests:
But my poor, poor Evgeniy...
Alas! His confused mind
Against terrible shocks
Couldn't resist...
Let us note that the motive of madness in connection with the theme of St. Petersburg is widely covered in subsequent Russian literature. Let us recall, for example, Gogol’s “Notes of a Madman,” Raskolnikov’s dreams and nightmares in Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.”
The second part of the poem also contains climax- story about riot a hero against the power that the statue of Peter represents. The author prepares the reader in advance for this new confrontation between Eugene and the Bronze Horseman. The details of their first meeting, which occurred during the flood, are repeated again:
Evgeny shuddered. cleared up
The thoughts in it are scary. He found out
And the place where the flood played,
Where the waves of predators crowded,
Rioting angrily around him,
And lions, and the square, and that,
Who stood motionless
In the darkness with a copper head...
Poet in lyrical monologue turns to the statue of Peter - a symbol of autocratic power:
Where are you galloping, proud horse?
And where will you put your hooves?
O mighty lord of fate!
Aren't you above the very abyss,
At the height, with an iron bridle
Raised Russia on its hind legs?
Pushkin emphasizes here the grandeur of Peter’s appearance. Meanwhile, the figure of Eugene at the moment of his rebellion against his idol becomes majestic in its own way. It is no coincidence that the poet, in his depiction of the “little man,” as in the description of the statue of the autocrat, uses high-style vocabulary 1 :
Around the foot of the idol
The poor madman walked around
And brought wild glances
The face of the ruler of half the world.
His chest felt tight. Chelo
It lay against the cold grate...
The two opponents are stylistically “equalized”: the “ruler of half the world” has a “face”, the rebel has a “brow”. The hero, in a frenzy, utters words filled with anger:
Welcome, miraculous builder!
Already for you!
The riot ends nightmare Evgenia. The Bronze Horseman pursues his prey.
In a peculiar epilogue, not titled by the author, but highlighted textually, talks about of death unfortunate Evgenia, unable to withstand the battle with cruel fate:
They found my madman,
And then his cold corpse
Buried for God's sake.
Play an important role in the work images-symbols. Image St. Petersburg carries the idea of a new, transformed Russia with its greatness and glory. At the same time, St. Petersburg is a symbol of misfortune and suffering of ordinary people.
Raging Neva- a symbol of God’s wrath falling on a person who decided to subjugate the natural elements.
Finally, Bronze Horseman- the personification of autocratic power in its tragic confrontation with the people. The Horse is the Russian people, the Horseman is the autocrat who raised his subjects “on their hind legs.”
Questions and tasks
1. Where and when did Pushkin write the poem “The Bronze Horseman”? What is the plot of the work? Outline the time frame of the events described in the poem. Name the main themes of the work.
2. What problems does the poet comprehend in “The Bronze Horseman”? What is unique about the author’s interpretation of such a problem as the individual and the state?
3. Describe the ideological orientation of the poem. Why can’t the author’s position be called unambiguous?
4. Why is “The Bronze Horseman” a lyric epic work? What genre definition did Pushkin himself give to the poem? What is unique about The Bronze Horseman as a St. Petersburg story? Which other Russian writers created works in this genre?
5. What parts does Pushkin’s poem consist of? What compositional elements does the introduction include? How does Peter I appear before us in his introduction? What does the poet say about Peter’s plan? How Pushkin depicts Petersburg a hundred years after its founding. Describe the author's lyrical monologue. What exactly fascinates him about “Peter’s work”?
6. What can you say about the exposure of the image of Eugene at the beginning of the first part of the poem? How does the author describe the Neva? How does he introduce the central character to the reader? What does Pushkin write about the hero’s first and last name, about his origin, activities, dreams, ideals? What can you say about Eugene’s beloved? Why can Evgeny be called a “little man”? When and for what reasons did this socio-historical type of people arise? Which Russian writer first discovered it? What other characters - Pushkin himself and other authors - can be classified as this literary type?
What is the meaning of the antithesis “Peter - Eugene”?
7. How does Pushkin depict the raging elements? What artistic techniques does he use here? What is the meaning of the words of Alexander I quoted by the poet? How is the theme of the flood of 1824 related to the theme of Peter the Great's reforms? Reveal the meaning of the episode of the confrontation between Eugene and the statue of Peter during the flood.
8. Name the main events of the second part of the poem. Why do the death of Parasha and Eugene’s madness acquire symbolic meaning in the work?
9. Describe the climax of the poem? Why can we say that the images of Eugene and Peter at the moment of the hero’s rebellion are stylistically equal? What does the hero's rebellion lead to? What is the symbolic meaning of Eugene’s death? What description serves as an epilogue in the poem?
10. Summarize the meaning of image-symbols in the poem. Why is the symbolic image of St. Petersburg interpreted ambiguously? How can one interpret the meaning of the image of the raging Neva? Comment on Pushkin's interpretation of the image of the Bronze Horseman.
11. Make an outline and prepare an oral report
Without love for the city, without love for the native country and its history, it was impossible to create such a work, in which every line breathes jubilation, love or admiration. This is A.S. Pushkina.
The poem describes the largest and most destructive flood in the entire history of St. Petersburg. The poet himself was in Mikhailovskoye during the flood, and could only know about the devastating disaster from journals and letters from witnesses to this disaster. And if we remember that in 1824 there were no cameras, much less video cameras, then one can only admire the authenticity and accuracy with which the poet describes the raging elements.
He began writing the poem in 1833, during his stay in Boldino. The entire poem consists of three parts:
- Introduction.
- First part.
- Second part.
The composition of the poem is based on oppositions:
- The power of nature, and therefore of God, over all people - from kings to the last merchant or fisherman.
- The power of kings and others like them is over little people.
We must not forget that by the age of 34, when this poem was written, Pushkin had parted with his youthful maximalism, and freedom acquired for him a slightly different meaning than simply the overthrow of the autocracy. And although the censors found lines in the poem that threatened the security of the state, there was not even half a hint of the overthrow of the tsarist power.
The introduction is an enthusiastic ode dedicated to St. Petersburg and its creator -. It uses the archaisms and sublime words inherent in the ode: great thoughts, city,
full countries, beauty and wonder, from the swamps of blat, porphyry-bearing.
This part of the poem is a short excursion into the history of St. Petersburg. A.S. Pushkin briefly describes the history of the city. This poem contains words that have become popular and define the policy of Emperor Peter I:
And he thought:
From here we will threaten the Swede,
The city will be founded here
To spite an arrogant neighbor.
Nature destined us here
Open a window to Europe,
Stand with a firm foot by the sea.
Here on new waves
All the flags will visit us,
And we’ll record it in the open air.
Pushkin was interested in Russian history, and in particular, the personality of the first reformer, his transformations, methods of government, and attitude towards people, which were reflected in his decrees. The poet could not help but pay attention to the fact that state reforms, even progressive ones, which awakened sleepy Russia, broke the fate of ordinary people. Thousands of people were brought to the construction of the city, which the poet so admired, separating them from their relatives and friends. Others died on the fields of the Swedish and Turkish wars.
In the first chapter, the poem begins with exposition. In it, the reader meets the main character of the poem - Eugene, a poor nobleman who has to serve in order to
deliver to yourself
And independence and honor;
The solemn style of the ode gives way to an ordinary narrative. Evgeniy comes home from work, completely tired, lies down on his bed and dreams of the future. For the plot of the poem, it is completely unimportant where Eugene serves, in what rank and how old he is. Because he is one of many. A little man from the crowd.
Evgeniy has a fiancée, and he imagines marrying a girl. Over time, children will appear, then grandchildren, whom they will raise, and who will then bury him. The weather was violent outside the window, the rain was knocking on the windows, and Evgeniy understood that because of the violent weather he would not get to the other side.
Through the reflections and dreams of the main character, the poet shows what kind of person he is. A petty employee, a little jealous of the idle lucky ones, the short-sighted, lazy people, for whom life is so much easier! Ingenuous and honest Evgeniy dreams of a family and career.
The next morning the Neva overflowed its banks and flooded the city. The description of the elements is an admiration for the power of nature. The riot of nature from an expositional description at night turns into a defining part of the plot, in which the Neva comes to life and represents a threatening force.
The poems describing the flood are great. In them, the Neva is represented as a revived beast that attacked the city. The poet compares her to thieves who climb through windows. To describe the elements, Pushkin used epithets: violent, enraged, angry, seething. The poems are full of verbs: tore, unable to overcome, flooded, became furious, swelled, roared.
Eugene himself, fleeing the violence of the water, climbed onto the palace lion. Sitting on the king of beasts, he worried about the people dear to him - Parasha and her mother, completely not noticing how the water was licking his feet.
Not far from him stood the Bronze Horseman - a famous monument to Emperor Peter I. The monument stands unshakable, and even the waves of the raging elements cannot shake it.
In this episode, the reader sees the confrontation between the unshakable Bronze Horseman and the little man, capable of falling off the lion at any moment into the muddy, seething elements.
“The picture of the flood is painted by Pushkin with colors that a poet of the last century, obsessed with the idea of writing the epic poem Flood, would be willing to buy at the cost of his life... Here you don’t know what to be more amazed at, whether the enormous grandeur of the description or its almost prosaic simplicity, which taken together comes to greatest poetry,” this is how V. Belinsky described the flood paintings.
The second chapter describes the consequences of the flood and how Eugene’s life turned out. As soon as
satiated with destruction
And tired of insolent violence,
The Neva was drawn back,
within the limits of his shores, Eugene, concerned about the fate of his beloved, found a boatman who agreed to transport him to the other shore. Here Pushkin again compares the river with a gang of villains. The river has not yet completely calmed down, the boat is bouncing on the waves, but this does not bother Evgeniy.
Arriving at the street where his Parasha lived, he discovered that neither the house nor the gate were in the same place. This struck the unfortunate young man so deeply that he lost his mind. Parasha and her mother were the only people dear to him. Having lost them, he lost the meaning of life. The little man also turned out to be too weak to withstand the misfortune that befell him.
He did not return to his home, and a few days later the owner rented out his apartment to the “poor poet.” Evgeniy wandered around the city for days on end, seeing nothing in front of him. Sometimes people, out of pity, gave him a piece of bread, and the coachmen mercilessly whipped him with a whip when he climbed under the horses' hooves.
But one day, passing by Copper Peter, Eugene shook his fist at him. And it seemed to him that the expression on the emperor’s face changed, and he himself heard the clatter of hooves of a galloping horseman behind him. After this event, Evgeniy tried to walk past the monument with his head down. Of course, neither mystically nor realistically, the rider did not leave his place. With this episode, the poet shows how upset his hero’s psyche was.
One fine day, Eugene’s lifeless body was found on a small, deserted island. Thus ended the young man's life. This is where the poem ends.
Standing on the balcony, Alexander is the first to bitterly admit:
"With God's element
Kings cannot control.”
The Bronze Horseman, personifying Tsar Peter, is contrasted with the little man. By this, Pushkin himself wants to show that tsars can control a lot. They can command people, force them to build a city, influence other countries. Little people cannot always arrange their own destiny the way they want. But neither kings nor ordinary people have power over the forces of nature, over the elements of God.
Not domineering. But unlike little people living in dilapidated houses and basements, kings are better protected. Alexander I stands on the balcony of a palace built by little people. The Bronze Horseman is mounted on a stone, which was also brought here by ordinary peasants. Kings command, but history is moved and cities are built by the most defenseless little people.
Alexandrova Ekaterina
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MBOU secondary school No. 51
Research work on the topic:
The image of the elements and its role in the artistic structure of A.S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman”
Work completed:
10th grade student
Alexandrova Ekaterina Romanovna
Supervisor:
Dmitrieva Elena Yurievna
Introduction
Petersburg, an eccentric, artificial city, was built as a challenge to all the elements of nature, since it was created on a place unsuitable for living by a large number of people, at the cost of unprecedented efforts and sacrifices. In the poem “The Bronze Horseman” A.S. Pushkin calls St. Petersburg the creation of Peter, because the city was built against all odds. However, the natural elements do not obey even kings.
In my research work, I tried to study in more detail the question: what is the role of the elements in A.S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman”? It’s not without reason that A.S. Pushkin draws our attention to natural phenomena. According to my data, the nature of the image of the elements in “The Bronze Horseman” was addressed by many scientists at different times, since it acts as the nerve of the work, one of the keys to understanding its essence. In this series we will name the studies of D. Merezhkovsky, G. Fedotov, N. Antsiferov, B. Tomashevsky, B. Meilakh, G. Makogonenko, Yu. Borev and others, of the latter - I. Almi, G. Zotov, Yu. Sugino, M. Novikova, S. Denisenko. Let us turn to the definition, which establishes the versatility of the phenomenon of the elements, its main properties and contributes to the development of a systematic approach to its implementation in the “Petersburg Tale”. Element - (Greek stoicheion - original element) - 1) one of the main elements of nature (water, earth, air and fire) in ancient philosophy; 2) natural phenomena appearing as a powerful destructive force; 3) in a figurative meaning - an unorganized force operating in a social environment; familiar environment. This modern understanding of the range of realities covered by the concept of “element” becomes the starting point in this work.
When studying the poem “The Bronze Horseman,” the water element is most often considered, but I would like to get acquainted with not one, but four elements. As I learned, in the work of Yu. Sugino, for the first time it was said about the manifestation in Pushkin’s work of the main four elements of nature - water, earth, air and fire. “In the poem,” the researcher believes, “these elements, with their diverse forms, are effectively depicted in each of the key plot episodes and express various phenomena of elemental forces.”
The “Petersburg Tale,” in which Pushkin embodied the artistic model of the universe in its dialectics, is often called “the poem of water and stone.” Water plays a dominant role in the poem and appears in various states. Here its feminine, maternal natural principle is manifested, generating life on its shores. The very flow of the river symbolizes the eternal flow of existence - “The river rushed.”
The water element in the poem “The Bronze Horseman” appears before us in two images. In one, the author uses sublime vocabulary, the Neva is solemn and regal, dressed in granite and framed by metal fences - as a symbol of submission to the will of the Tsar - “.. The Neva is a sovereign current, its coastal granite, your fences have a cast iron pattern...”. In another, it appears as a rebellious abyss, chaos, ready to swallow all things. A.S. Pushkin compares it with a gang of robbers who are freedom-loving and happy with their “brazen riot.” The Neva takes away the spoils, leaving behind only “screams, howls and gnashing” - “Well, having had enough of destruction and tired of the brazen riot, the Neva returns was drawn away, admiring her indignation and carelessly leaving her prey.”
Fire is interpreted by mythological consciousness “as a formidable and dangerous element,” and at the same time as a symbol of life - warmth, home, family, when it is in the sphere of the hearth. In the author's interpretation, it is like a destructive element in the depiction of the merciless rebellious Neva. The poet uses personification here - (“But, the victories are full of triumph, / The waves were still boiling angrily, / As if a fire was smoldering under them,” emphasizing its destructive aggression.
The element of air (one of the four main elements) appears in the poem “The Bronze Horseman” in a swirling state, in the form of a heavy wind, which “itself is associated in mythologies with brute chaotic forces.” Sound writing (assonance and alliteration) is used here to convey the atmosphere that reigns in the poem at the moment of the riot of the elements. Alliteration - the repetition of “e”, “s” and “a” conveys the roar of the wind, the howl and all the chaos that reigns around - “The weather became even more ferocious, / The Neva swelled and roared.. There was a storm howling, / Debris was rushing there.. Like the wind howling wildly.” The author also uses assonance - when repeating “z”, “d”, “r” and “h”, a feeling is created that we hear noise, the gurgle of water driven by the wind, the same roar of the storm - “The Neva swelled and roared, / Bubbling and swirling like a cauldron... Like the rain lashing his face.”
The peculiarity of Pushkin’s work is that stone acts as the primary element of earth, creating a special semantic field. The stone in the poem embodies hardness and reliability, “the petrified music of creation.” Stone is the building material of the city, its “palaces and towers”; it fetters and captivates the water element, provoking its rebellion. In this regard, it paradoxically contains a destructive force - “The Neva all night / Tore to the sea against the storm.. But with the force of the winds from the bay / The blocked Neva / Walked back, angry, seething / And flooded the islands”
There is also color painting. This is an indispensable black haze - “Over the darkened Petrograd”, “the haze of a stormy night”, “The night haze / Came down on the trembling city.” The color black is used to show the chaos and horror that reigns in the darkness.
According to the observations of G. Makogonenko, “the rebellion of the water element is translated into a different, social plane - Pushkin compares the revolt of the “indignant” Neva with a real popular revolt, a spontaneous rebellion.”
Pushkin's thought is connected with the fact that Peter was unable to find the key to natural and people's Russia. One can largely agree with the Japanese Pushkinist Yu. Sugino in understanding the associative connection between the natural elements in “The Bronze Horseman” and a wide range of crisis social phenomena in Russian history. This is the Pugachev rebellion, and the rebellion of the wild mountain people in the Caucasus, cholera and the cholera riots of 1830-1831, the Decembrist uprising in a very distant association. There is a logic to this.
In 1833, during the creation of The Bronze Horseman, he worked on both The Captain's Daughter and The History of Pugachev. It seems to me that the comparison of the Neva with a “gang of robbers” appeared in A.S. Pushkin under the impression of the image of Emelyan Pugachev. “Evil waves, like thieves, climb through the windows,” “tired of insolent violence,” “So the villain, / With his fierce gang, / Bursts into the village, breaks, cuts, / Destroys and robs; screams, grinding, / “Violence, abuse, anxiety, howl!.. / And, burdened with robbery, / Fearing pursuit, tired, / The robbers hurry home, / Dropping their prey on the way” - this rough colloquial vocabulary is characteristic of the people and therefore becomes It is obvious that the image of the Neva created by the poet is similar to a “gang of robbers.” And lack of union gives dynamics to the text, creates anxiety and restlessness.
According to the observations of S.V. Denisenko, “Pushkin connects the manifestation of the spontaneous principle in nature, first of all, with the image of the beast and, in particular, the horse (horse).”
In the poem “The Bronze Horseman”, through the beast, which in Pushkin’s view embodies the aggression of the elements, the moment of the Neva’s attack on the city is conveyed - “And suddenly, like a frenzied beast, / It rushed at the city” - personification with the help of which the author depicts the destructive force. Considering that The Neva appears here in both direct and symbolic meaning, and the absence of a divide between the natural and popular elements becomes clearly visible. This moment of “revival” by the author of the elements in the text (“the wind howled”, “the rain knocked less angrily”) was subtly noted by S. A. Fomichev. The main thing about it is destructive, ruthless, spontaneous force.
The image of the defeated element, the Neva, is parallel to Russia in the image of a horse rearing up. Russia, conveyed through the metaphor of a bridled horse, and Russia, represented in the metaphor of a river - this is the artistic way of comprehending it in “The Bronze Horseman”.
Conclusion
So, the image of the elements in Pushkin’s story “The Bronze Horseman” helps readers understand the meaning of these works and ideas that are important to the author. The “senseless and merciless” rebellion of the people, the angry water element is a punishment sent by God to both the rulers and the people themselves for turning into tyrants and slaves.
Used Books:
1. Bulyko A. N. Large dictionary of foreign words. - M., 2004. - 704 p.
2. Sugino Yu. On the issue of the theme of the elements in Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman” // Boldino Readings / Ed. N. M. Fortunatova - N. Novgorod, 2002.-P. 15-27.
3. Pushkin A. S. Collected works: In 10 volumes - L.: Nauka, 1977-1979.
4. Tokarev S.A. Fire // Myths of the peoples of the world: Encyclopedia: In 2 volumes. T. 2. - M., 1991. - P.239-240.
5. Kerlot H. E. Dictionary of symbols. - M., 1994. - 608 p.
6. Makogonenko G.P. The work of A.S. Pushkin in the 1830s (1833-1836). - L., 1982. - 464 p.
7. Denisenko S.V. The conflict between man and the elements in A.S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman” // Philology = Philologica - Krasnodar. - 1993. - No. 1. - P. 42-45.
8. Fomichev S. A. Pushkin’s poetry. Creative evolution. - L., 1986. - 304 p.
The most severe flood in the history of St. Petersburg occurred on November 7 (November 22, new style) 1824. On this day, the maximum water rise level reached 410 cm above normal.
Plaque on the Raskolnikov House
Already the day before - November 6 - a strong wind was blowing from the bay. By evening the weather became even worse and the water began to rise. At night a real storm broke out. Early in the morning, signal lights were lit on the Admiralty Tower, warning city residents about the threat of flooding.
Eyewitnesses recall that careless St. Petersburg residents, waking up and seeing the water rising in the canals, hurried to the banks of the Neva to admire the elements. But even when the residents of the Admiralty part of the city did not yet expect a great misfortune, the low-lying areas located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland were already flooded. A few hours later, the Neva, as well as other rivers and canals, overflowed their banks even where there were high embankments. The entire city, with the exception of the Foundry and Rozhdestvenskaya parts, was flooded with water almost as tall as a person.
Carousel Square (modern Teatralnaya Square)
during the flood of 1824
People fled from the raging disaster as best they could. Low wooden houses suffered especially, as they were simply carried away by the pressure of the water. Someone climbed onto the roof, onto high bridges, someone swam on gates, logs, grabbing onto the manes of horses. Many, rushing to save their property in the basements, died. At about two o'clock in the afternoon, the Governor-General of St. Petersburg, Count M. Miloradovich, appeared on Nevsky Prospect on a large boat, trying to cheer up the residents and provide them with at least some help. Another eyewitness to the flood left the following memories about it: “It is impossible to describe this spectacle. The Winter Palace stood like a rock in the middle of a stormy sea, withstanding the onslaught of waves from all sides, crashing with a roar against its strong walls and watering them with splashes almost to the top floor; on the Neva, the water boiled as if in a cauldron, and with incredible force reversed the flow of the river; two heavy dinghies landed on the granite parapet opposite the Summer Garden, barges and other ships rushed like chips up the river... On the square opposite the palace - another picture: under the almost black sky, dark greenish water was spinning as if in a huge whirlpool; wide sheets of iron, torn from the roof of the new building of the General Staff building, were rushing through the air, the storm played with them like fluff..."
By three o'clock in the afternoon the water began to subside, and at night the streets were completely cleared of water. It was difficult to calculate the exact number of flood victims; different figures were given: from 400 to 4 thousand people. Material damage was estimated at many millions of rubles.
The disaster once again made us think about the need to protect St. Petersburg from rising waters. Various projects appeared: some involved turning the Neva Bay into an artificial lake, which would be separated from the Gulf of Finland by a dam with holes for the passage of ships. According to others, the creation of protective structures was envisaged at the mouth of the Neva. But none of the projects were implemented.
The development of science has made it possible to more accurately determine the cause of sudden Neva floods. Now no one seriously discussed the hypothesis that the rise of water was caused by its influx from Lake Ladoga. Data accumulated over many years have led to the conclusion that the real cause of floods is the waves formed in the Gulf of Finland. In a wide bay this wave is invisible, but as the bay narrows towards the confluence of the Neva, the wave becomes higher. If a strong wind from the bay is added to this, then the water rises to a critical level, and it is in such cases that the Neva overflows its banks.
After the flood of 1824, the city experienced many more large rises in water, but the level of 1824 remained a record.
The St. Petersburg floods even became a unique phenomenon of Russian culture. M.Yu. wrote about them, especially about the flood of 1824. Lermontov, A.S. Griboyedov, A.I. Odoevsky. But first of all, when talking about floods in St. Petersburg, we remember, of course, A. S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman.” This poem by Pushkin, of course, became one of the pinnacles of his entire work, and at the same time it is interesting to pay attention to how accurately the poet described all the circumstances accompanying a large rise of water:
Illustrations for the poem by A.S. Pushkin "The Bronze Horseman"
Longing for the sea against the storm,
Without overcoming their violent foolishness...
And she couldn’t bear to argue...
In the morning over its banks
There were crowds of people crowded together,
Admiring the splashes, mountains
And the foam of angry waters.
But the strength of the winds from the bay
Blocked Neva
She walked back, angry, seething
And flooded the islands.
The Neva swelled and roared,
A cauldron bubbling and swirling,
And suddenly, like a wild beast,
She rushed towards the city. In front of her
Everything ran; all around
Suddenly it was empty - suddenly there was water
Flowed into underground cellars,
Channels poured into the gratings,
And Petropol surfaced like Triton,
Waist-deep in water."
Text prepared by Galina Dregulas
For those who want to know more:
1. Nezhikhovsky R.A. Neva River and Neva Bay. L., 1981
2. Pylyaev M.I. Old Petersburg. Reprint edition. L., 1990.
Integrated lesson. Literature + life safety + history.
Topic: The image of the elements in the poem “The Bronze Horseman”.
· Introduce the history of the construction of St. Petersburg.
· Develop analytical thinking, expressive reading, cognitive interest.
· Cultivate a love of poetry, literature, and art.
During the classes:
I. Organizational moment.
Teacher. Hello guys! Today we will get acquainted with the amazing poem “The Bronze Horseman”. This is a story about St. Petersburg, about the tragedy of a little man who lost his beloved, about Peter I. But this poem is also surprising because one of the main characters in it is the elements.
Topic of our lesson:
“The image of the elements in the poem “The Bronze Horseman.”
(slide 1)
Peter I planned to build a majestic city, northern Venice, a city that would become a formidable fortress and a center of culture and trade. Historians will tell us how St. Petersburg was built.
(Historians talk about the construction of St. Petersburg.)
Historian In 1703, Peter I begins to build the city of St. Petersburg. Peasants brought from the Russian land regions look with horror at the sea capital. Is it ever seen: to build palaces at the bottom of the sea! In 1714, the Tsar issued a decree: each cart traveling to the city must hand over 3 stones weighing 5 pounds each at the outpost, and a ship entering the harbor must hand over 30 stones weighing 10 pounds each. The fine for each undelivered stone is hryvnia. Peter I ordered to add earth and raise the city so high that the waves would not reach it. All projects are from the 18th – 19th centuries. turned out to be useless. Only in the 20th century. the city was dressed in granite. In 1957, a dam was built in the Gulf of Finland, which protects the city from floods.
-Let's turn to Pushkin and listen to the introduction to the poem “The Bronze Horseman.”
Student 1.(reads the excerpt On the shore of desert waves... And we lock ourselves in the open space )
(slide 2)
Analysis of the passage (introduction).
- What mood and feeling is the introduction filled with?
(solemnity, greatness, admiration, pride, admiration, patriotism)
- Find the dates that reflect the sovereignty of Peter I’s plans.
(he stood full of great thoughts...)
( I looked into the distance, the river rushed wide, muddy muddy banks, the forest was noisy.)
- How Peter 1 appears in Pushkin’s poem will be answered by writers.
Writer.
Peter appears here as the founder and future builder of the city, fulfilling the will of nature itself. Pushkin uses epic methods of depicting a historical figure; a broad view of the world also enlarges the personality of the hero, given against the backdrop of a vast space that has to be conquered.
- How do you understand these lines?
(from now on we will threaten the Swede...
Stand with a firm foot by the sea)
(metaphor)
(the construction of a new city on the banks of the Neva provides an opportunity to establish connections with Europe)
St. Petersburg is a majestic city, built by a great man. This city is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. loved St. Petersburg. The poem “The Bronze Horseman” became the hymn of his love for St. Petersburg. In this poem, or as the author himself called it in the “Petersburg Tale,” we encounter a wonderful description of St. Petersburg, full of admiration and admiration for the city. Let's listen to Pushkin himself:
Student 2. (reads the passage)
“A hundred years have passed...
To golden skies."
(Demonstration of the “Petersburg” slide show.)
- We have a magnificent panorama in front of us. It is impossible not to feel delighted when looking at her. The Neva, the bridges over it, cathedrals, the Peter and Paul Fortress - everything creates a feeling of splendor, eternity, strength.
(Work with text.)
- What intonations predominate in this part?
(sublime, solemn. This is a hymn.)
- What genre does Pushkin use in the introduction?(Oh yeah)
- With the help of what artistic and expressive means does he achieve this?
(epithets– strict slender appearance; transparent twilight; immeasurable brilliance; monotonous beauty; golden skies;
Personifications– Neva dressed in granite
Metonymy – all the flags will visit us.
Anaphora– I love you, Petra’s creation, slender appearance; Neva sovereign current)
- How do you understand the phrase?
And in front of the younger capital
Old Moscow has faded.
(Peter’s dreams came true, Petersburg is a magnificent city, the pride of Russia)
(slide 4)
But not everything is as prosperous in this city as it seems at first glance. We have already heard how difficult it was to build this city.
Was man able to subjugate nature or does it still remind us that we are only guests in this world? Historians will answer this question for us.
People managed to defeat nature, they managed to build a majestic city among the swamps, they managed to pacify the Neva. However, sometimes she rebels against the violence done to her. Every autumn, the threat of a natural disaster hovers over St. Petersburg. The beautiful Neva is preparing to attack the city. Floods often occur in St. Petersburg.
(slide 5)
- What is a flood? Rescuers prepared the answer to this question.
Rescuers.
Flood is the inundation of a large area with water as a result of rising water levels during periods of rainfall, snowmelt, and congestion.
(slide 6 )
- What are the causes of flooding?
Causes of flooding:
Intense downpours
Rapid snow melting
Destruction of dams and dams
Underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
How many times throughout its existence has St. Petersburg fallen victim to the elements of water? Historians will answer this question.
Historians.
Over the 300 years that St. Petersburg has stood, it has become a victim of raging water elements more than 300 times. Already in the year the city was founded, 1703, the first flood in eyewitness memory occurred; the water rose by more than 2 meters in a few hours. However, most of the disasters the city has experienced are nothing compared to the flood.
1777 – 3.4 m.
1824 – 4.26 m.
1924 – 3.8m.
The losses were huge. Many old-timers remember these troubled days.
- The largest flood in the entire history of S.P. occurred on November 7, 1824. This flood is what Pushkin describes in his poem.
- Watch a short fragment of the film and listen to how Pushkin describes it.
Watching a movie.
Student reading passage
(The Neva was rushing to the sea all night...
Floating through the streets)
- What new associations and images emerged after viewing this passage?
- It seems to me that the words of B. Pasternak are most accurate.
The clouds, like hair, stood on end
Above the smoky and pale Neva
Who are you, O who are you?
Whoever you are, the City is my imagination.
Pushkin vividly describes the flood, we seem to imagine these pictures in front of us. Through what means of expression is this achieved?
(exclamation- Siege! Attack!
Comparisons- and suddenly, like an animal, going berserk.
Kr. Forms of adj and parable. – angry, seething, submerged.
Verb piling up- flooded, became furious, swelled, rushed)
- Find images that characterize the image of the raging Neva.
(the foam of the angry waters, angry, seething, swollen, roared like a frantic beast, rushed to the city, siege, attack, evil waves, like thieves climbing through the windows, the waves rose there and were angry, satiated with destruction, admiring their indignation.
The most visible image is that of the boats hitting their sterns from a running start and coffins from a washed-out cemetery floating through the streets.)
- What does this water element symbolize? Question for writers.
(Flood is a rebellion of an untamed element and it is directed with indignation at the granite of the foot of Peter. Then the rebellion of the water element is translated into another social plane - a popular revolt.)
- Did people manage to pacify the elements?
(No. The element leaves undefeated, admiring its indignation.)
- What to do if you find yourself in a flood zone?
Rescuers introduce the memo.
- Our lesson is coming to an end, it’s time to draw conclusions.
Conclusions.
Rescuers. Water is a formidable element, a potential source of many emergency situations, a ruthless killer. You should always remember the rules of behavior during a flood.
Historians. Since ancient times, people have perceived floods as the worst natural disaster and have come up with different ways to protect themselves from it.
Writers. The flood in Pushkin's poem is bad. An image, a riot of the elements. The consequences of such a rebellion are terrible: destroyed houses, hunger, death of people, and broken human destinies.
Yes, indeed, the revolt of the elements is one of the culminating centers of the poem. The revolt of the water element is translated into a different, social plane - Pushkin compares the revolt of the indignant Neva with a popular revolt. According to Pushkin, both the flood and the popular revolt are a manifestation of God’s wrath, which so far has fallen on the city in the form of a natural disaster.