Theme of war in the works of Lermontov. Lermontov's works about the war

The theme of war in the works of Lermontov occupies one of the main places. Speaking about the reasons for the poet’s appeal to her, one cannot but note the circumstances of his personal life, as well as historical events that influenced his worldview and found a response in the works.

Important events from the biography

Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov was born in 1814, when the Russians finally defeated Napoleon’s troops. At the age of eleven, he witnesses the Decembrist uprising on Senate Square. He was separated from the Pugachev riot for some fifty years. The year 1830 marked the French Revolution; peasant unrest began in Russia. The future poet and prose writer at that time was sixteen years old. It is not surprising that the two wars - the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Pugachev Uprising - were deeply remembered not only by Lermontov, but also by many of his contemporaries.

The war with Napoleon especially worried the poet for many reasons. First of all, she, of course, showed all the strength and power of the Russian people. Also, the description of the war of 1812 was a kind of complaint against the modern generation living in dishonor. Moreover, Lermontov’s father took part in it, and the poet’s favorite grandfathers - Athanasius and Dmitry Stolypin - became the heroes of Borodin. Therefore, it is not surprising that the topic of war was constantly discussed at home. Lermontov, like a sponge, absorbed these conversations.

Poems about war

They talked about the war both at Moscow University, and at the School of Guard Ensigns and Cavalry Junkers, where Lermontov studied. He began to write poems about the war of 1812 quite early, while still a teenager.

"Borodin Field"

One of the first works on the Battle of Borodino was the poem "Field of Borodin." He wrote it at seventeen. In this youthful poem, Lermontov demonstrates his determination to fight for his homeland to the end. The narration is conducted in the first person, so it is difficult for the reader to understand with whom he is conducting a dialogue - with a simple soldier, officer, infantryman or artilleryman. The image of the hero does not pretend to be historical documentary, because the young Lermontov has not yet got rid of romantic worldviews. His speech is still far from popular, he uses book words inspired by Zhukovsky’s lyrics. For example: “sons of midnight”, “grave canopy”, “fateful night”.

"Borodin Field" is very different from everything that has been written about the battle before. And the point is not even that the poem perfectly combines author's fiction and the real events of the battle. The Lermontov hero is full of life, he does not have that detachment that was inherent in the heroes of the aforementioned Zhukovsky.

“Two Giants”

The military theme is one of the main topics on which young Lermontov wrote. The war of 1812 is also affected in the poem Two Giants. In it, the poet allegorically depicts Russia's victory over Napoleon. He uses colloquial expressions, song motifs and fairy-tale formulas, epic images of "Russian knights" defeating evil.

Particularly striking is the laconic rivalry of the “impudent” alien and the wise “Russian giant”. In these two opponents we see the allegorical confrontation between Russia and France, Kutuzov and Napoleon, two armies, two peoples. One - the "old Russian giant" - shows all the strength and unwavering will of the Russian people, and the other - a "three-week bastard" - self-confidently and boldly, in Napoleonic style, believes that by taking Moscow he will win.

The Russian hero is absolutely calm, as if he knew that he would not lose. The second giant is in a dream of a triumphant victory, his mind is clouded by past victories. In this we see his recklessness, and even insolence, even if he was brave, courageous, strong. Lermontov had such an opinion about the war: the Frenchman was arrogant. Therefore, the battle was not shown in the poem, because it might not have been at all.

Borodino

Analyzing Lermontov ’s works about the war, it’s impossible not to say a few words about the poet’s famous poem - Borodino, written in 1837, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812.

In school years, we memorized these fiery lines. For the first time in literature, war is described from the perspective of an ordinary artillery soldier. In “Borodino Field” Lermontov was already trying to show the battle as a mass battle, however, it was in “Borodino” that he managed to paint a truly epic picture: the outcome of the match completely and completely depended on the actions of the people, their unity and solidarity. The soldiers were ready, at the cost of their lives, to achieve victory: "we will stand with our heads for our homeland."

The hero from Borodino is simpler, more popular than his romantic predecessor. Lermontov manages to show us through the vernacular words the psychology of the hero, ordinary warriors: "ears on the top", "morning lighted guns", "large field". Lermontov wrote Borodino based on facts. This time he abandoned the author’s fiction, recreating the picture of the battle according to reliable sources. Despite the small volume, Borodino became a whole poem about the Napoleonic war.

Caucasian war

The theme of the war in the works of Lermontov is unlikely to be fully covered without mentioning the Caucasus. He certainly holds a special place in the heart of the poet. Here he lived, fell in love for the first time, fought and died.

For the first time, Lermontov came to the Caucasus as a six-year-old child, when his grandmother Elizabeth Arsenyeva brought him to be treated. At eleven years old, the young poet first experienced a deep sense of love, which he remembered throughout his life.

In 1837, the obscure Lermontov, shocked by the unexpected news of Pushkin’s death, wrote the poem Death of a Poet. Overnight, he becomes famous, but coupled with fame gets a link to the Caucasus. True, thanks to the efforts of her grandmother, she lasted only a few months.

In 1840, after a duel with Ernest Barant, Lermontov was again sent to the Caucasus. The second link was very different from the first, which was more like a trip to picturesque places. This time, Nicholas the first demanded that Lermontov take part in the battles. The war in the Caucasus during these years was exacerbated by the uprising of the highlanders.

In battle, the poet distinguished himself as a brave and cold-blooded warrior. He was not at all afraid to be killed, so he could ride alone near the positions where the enemies were. It is known that the highlanders themselves respected the poet for fearlessness. It is believed that it was in the Caucasus that Lermontov’s attitude to the war was formed.

The poet painted since childhood. Often in the paintings he depicted the Caucasus, its picturesque landscapes, battles in which he participated. Thanks to these paintings, we can learn a lot about the Lermontov’s military events. The poet was struck by the beauty of the high mountains, the rites and customs of local peoples. Most likely, this is where the colorful literature of Lermontov originates from.

Valerik

During references to the Caucasus, the theme of the war in Lermontov’s work was replenished with new works. One of them was the poem "Valerik". Participating in military battles, Lermontov kept a journal, which formed the basis of "Valerika". The poem is named for the river flowing in the Caucasus. Comparing “Valerik” with the summaries from the magazine, you can see that they coincide not only with facts, but also with the writing style, and even whole lines.

The poem begins with a love message addressed to Varvara Lopukhina, feelings for which the poet carried through many years. However, against the backdrop of a bloody massacre, love seems to him childish. Moreover, he understands that his beloved does not love him, and finally he is ready to say goodbye to her. A description of the battles is necessary for the poet to show all the ugliness, cruelty of the war, its meaninglessness.

Conclusion

The theme of the war in the works of Lermontov runs a red thread through all his works. The Patriotic War of 1812, the uprising of the Decembrists, the Caucasian War - a difficult time fell on those 27 years that Lermontov lived. Poems about the war came out of his pen surprisingly "folk", patriotic and soulful. The poet showed us the strength, courage, courage, power of a Russian person, all those qualities that were not alien to himself.