Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky is one of the most famous poets of the Silver Age. His works have long become classics and have been included in the school curriculum. An analysis of Mayakovsky’s poem “About rubbish”, which is also included in the curriculum, will be carried out in this article.
Mayakovsky
A common feature of the entire poetic heritage of Mayakovsky is a constant satirical orientation. It is no accident that in the early stages of his work the poet was published in the journal Satyricon.
Themes and vices gradually changed and transformed, but retained their relevance and fully reflected the spirit of the era. The merciless, mocking laugh of the poet invariably hit the mark. Mayakovsky had an incredible ability to notice all the ulcers and imperfections of reality and to display them in an unsightly and ironic form. The poet himself took to heart the flaws of his country and considered it his duty to loudly declare them.
The analysis of Mayakovsky’s poem “About rubbish” is an excellent illustration of the poet’s satirical talent.
General analysis plan
Any poem is analyzed according to the traditional general plan, which will be given below:
- Theme and idea - the main idea of the work is determined.
- Compositional originality - the structure of the work, plot, structure.
- Images of the main characters.
- In addition to the above points, expressive means may be considered.
Thus, it is possible to analyze Mayakovsky’s poem "About rubbish" according to plan.
Poem Analysis
The poem in question undoubtedly refers to satire. It was written in 1921 and is Mayakovsky’s angry protest against the philistines. This category of people was able not only to survive the revolution, but also to settle down well under the new regime, without changing either their values or ideas about the world. As a civilian poet and a loyal supporter of the revolution, Mayakovsky cannot calmly look at a similar ulcer formed in the recently created better and bright world. It was this outrage of the poet that formed the basis of the poem.
So, how to analyze Mayakovsky’s poem “About rubbish” according to plan? Below we present the analysis of the work performed according to the structure indicated above.
Theme and idea of the poem
As noted above, the bourgeoisie is at the center of the story. One of their main flaws is materialism, that is, the desire to possess beautiful and expensive objects. Mayakovsky, with his idealism, cannot allow himself to think that in a Soviet country people will only appreciate coziness, comfort, prosperity and satiety, neglecting public duty and serving the new government. The denunciation of philistinism takes place in a rude, harsh and even cruel form.
The analysis of Mayakovsky’s poem “About rubbish” can be started from the very first lines of the work, where the poet makes it clear that the bourgeoisie, as an estate, does not arouse his dislike: “You can’t catch me by the word, I’m not at all against the philistine estate. To the philistines, without distinction of classes and estates, my praise. ” Another thing is petty bourgeois thinking and lifestyle, consisting in caring only about one’s prosperity and well-being. It is this type of people that the poet called "rubbish." They quickly adapted to new conditions, “changing the plumage”, settled well, occupying high posts “in various institutions”. At the same time, there is no benefit from them, since they do not work, they just wipe their asses.
The poet cannot reconcile himself to this state of affairs; he angrily and aptly denounces the petty bourgeois desire for wealth, their adaptability. Such people can deprive all changes of meaning by burying ideas about fraternity and equality under heaps of things and a sense of self-worth. That is why notes of resentment and irritation of the poet are heard in the poem.
Heroes of the poem
The analysis of Mayakovsky’s poem “About rubbish” can be briefly begun just with a description of the characters. As such, there is no lyrical hero in the work, its place is occupied by insignificant and petty bourgeois. Outwardly, these people give the impression that they live according to the laws of the new system. Their life is filled with Soviet symbols and attributes: a picture of Marx, a sickle and a hammer on clothes. Even addressing each other is a comrade. However, this is only the external side of their life. The main thing for them is not political ideas and the desire to create something new and perfect, but to collect as many things as possible. It is material wealth and prosperity that are of value to the philistines. They think only of themselves. But their main danger is not even in their unworthy aspirations, but in how such people easily adapt to new conditions and continue, like an illness, to erode the
social system.These philistines vulgarize the ideas of revolution and impede the development of communism. The poet does not accept this. That is why a fantastic picture arises at the end of the poem: unable to tolerate the conversations of the bourgeois anymore, Marx in the portrait comes to life and calls to curl their necks.
The composition of the poem and visual expressive means
Analysis of Mayakovsky’s poem “About rubbish” from the point of view of composition includes an assessment of the methods of presentation and construction. Of great importance in the poem are the dialogues of the philistines, reflecting their values and outlook on the world.
Fine and expressive means are also important. For example, the frequent use of diminutive suffixes ("ceilings", "bedroom"), which indicates irony. The poem has many harsh, rude words: “scum”, “rubbish”, “backsides”. Often, the poet resorts to hyperbolization, creating absurd paintings.
Conclusion
The analysis of Mayakovsky’s poem “About rubbish” can be briefly reduced to the presentation of the main idea of the work. It lies in the poet’s desire to eradicate philistine values that can undermine the basic principles of communism.