Love ... It occupies, perhaps, one of the dominant places in the work of every artist. No exception - poetry. âOur everything,â A.S. Pushkin, was no exception. Each of his poems is a piece of the soul, which he exposes to the readers and, of course, to his Fair Lady. Consider how the theme of love is revealed in the lyrics of Pushkin. To do this, we present the most vivid and emotional poems.
The place of love in Pushkinâs work
Speaking about how the theme of love is revealed in Pushkin's lyrics, it is worth saying that it is very rich in images, many-sided. Indeed, in addition to his writing talent, he had one more thing - to love, and not just, but to appreciate this feeling, to admire him.
It is worth saying that Pushkin is the founder of Russian original love poetry (before that, the reader had to be content with only translated literature or imitations of European poets). V. Belinsky himself noted that the poet has this high feeling is not limited only to experiences, his other qualities embodied here, as an artist and artist.
The poet's innovation in a love theme
To begin with, we will examine how the theme of love and friendship in Pushkinâs lyrics has changed, unlike its predecessors.
One of the most important innovations is that he freed his works from submission to any genre. In the framework of one poem, we can meet the message, and elegy, and romance. Such are his works âK ***â or âI Loved Youâ. The content is now at the forefront, and the form of expression is already dedicated to it.
And Pushkinâs poems about love are different, different in themes. As you know, before he arrived at the Olympics of poetry, romanticism prevailed there with his inherent rebel hero, overcome by passions, cursing circumstances and the subject of sighing, always suffering from unrequited love. This feeling was a real tragedy for a romantic hero. What is Alexander Sergeevich doing?
The theme of love and friendship in Pushkinâs lyrics is fueled, first of all, by worldly wisdom and common sense. He no longer curses the subject of passion for unrequited love, but leaves the woman the right to choose, he admits the idea that love may not last forever. Pushkinâs poems about unrequited, extinct love are a kind of gratitude to a woman for that wonderful, noble feeling that the poet himself experienced.
Love for him is the very nature of man, a natural feeling that can bring only joy to his life. This is the highest goodness, divine gift.
The evolution of love lyrics
The great poet lived an unfortunate short life, but during this time the theme of love in Pushkinâs lyrics evolved. We will briefly introduce this below.
Just want to note that such poems in the poet's work are extremely biographical. Lyceum years - the beginning of the poet's thoughts about love. These poems are easy-going, somewhere a little intimate, always dedicated to a particular woman. A little later they will be replaced by the civilian component. It is enough to recall the lines âTowards Chaadaevâ: âLove, hope, quiet glory Not for long lived the deception of usâ. Here love is intertwined with friendship and civic duty.
Next is a link where there is time to rethink your attitude to many things, including love. So the poet comes to the idea of ââthe tragedy of love. It is worth noting that this period of his life is associated with a passion for romanticism - hence the tragic attitude to feelings.
Soon, Pushkin again revises what love is. He understands that suffering is only destruction, and it is fatal to inspiration.
He again puts creative love at the forefront of creativity, but now it is something more than in his youth: this is great goodness, bright sacrifice, ideal.
Let us examine how the theme of love is reflected in Pushkinâs lyrics, using concrete examples.
The poem "Desire"
Written in 1816, the poem "Desire" is a kind of sad anthem of first love. She did not bring the poet happiness. Quite the contrary: the poet is surrounded by âdespondencyâ, âsorrowsâ and âtearsâ.
However, this is the whole of Pushkin: the poet does not want to part with a wonderful feeling, on the contrary, he finds solace in him. He is even dear to those sorrows that the soul experiences. The poem refers to the early period of Pushkin's work, therefore it is subordinated to a certain style, namely elegiac - a sad representation of the feeling of love.
Of the means of expressiveness, it is worth highlighting metaphors: âa soul captivated by longingâ; many epithets: âa sad heartâ; appeal to the soul and even an oxymoron: âbitter pleasureâ, which speaks of the contradictory nature of the feelings experienced. On the one hand, the bitterness of unrequited love, on the other - joy, because it experiences this wonderful feeling.
The poem "I remember a wonderful moment"
The poem, which is a textbook, is âK ***â. Here the theme of love in the lyrics of Pushkin is revealed in all its facets. It is dedicated to A. Kern.
This young woman shone with her "pure beauty" in the secular society of St. Petersburg. Pushkin immediately noticed her at one of the balls, but the rules of decency did not allow him to express Kern his sympathy, because she was married. Later, during the exile, he meets Anna again, now she is divorced, leads a fairly free way of life - nothing prevents the poet from showing sympathy. At this time (1925) and it is written "I remember a wonderful moment ...".
It is amazing how this story of long years with deep sympathy, the impossibility of recognition, exile and a new meeting could fit in with the poet in only six quatrains. Pushkin associates his âimprisonmentâ with the lack of love and inspiration in life, but this great feeling can fly creativity, revive, make you feel again.
The poem "I loved you"
The year 1829 was marked by the creation of this masterpiece, where the theme of love in Pushkinâs lyrics flashed its facets. The verses are small, only 8 lines, but what! It was not possible to find out for certain who the lines were addressed to, however, many Pushkinists agree that A. Olenin is the culprit of the lines. The theme of the poem is the saddest moment for any couple - parting. Pushkin makes the idea that instead of a feeling of resentment, hatred for a lover of love should come thanks for the fact that this feeling was. He sincerely wishes Venison happiness, even if not with him.
Here the idea of ââthe divine origin of love, that feeling is a gift, is clearly fixed and proved. Pushkin denies all selfishness in love and encourages goodwill - it is with this feeling, and not with contempt, all the lines are filled.
The construction of the poem is interesting. The phrase "I loved you" is pronounced three times, and each time with new semantic nuances. The first time - a statement of fact, emphasized the nobility and lack of complaints. The second is a story about feelings, worries, the magnitude of emotional experiences. The third is nobility and desire only for happiness. Here is such a love for Pushkin.
The poem "On the Hills of Georgia"
The poem was written, like the previous one, in 1829. It is dedicated to the poetâs wife, but then just the girl in love with whom - Natalia Goncharova. This is one of the works where the theme of love in Pushkinâs lyrics is revealed through images of nature. The poet has very conflicting feelings, akin to the natural picture: the high hills of Georgia on the one hand and the river in the gorge - on the other. Hence - the use of antonymic concepts: "sad and easy"; "sadness is light."
This poem is a statement of the whole concept of Pushkin's love lyrics: love is a gift, the same as life. These two components of human existence arise, blossom and disappear. That is why the sadness of light is everything as it should be. You just need to be grateful to God and fate for the fact that you feel this feeling, because it might not have been.
The poem "Madonna"
A poem written in 1830 is also dedicated to N. Goncharova. The difference from the previous one is that the poet is now the girlâs bridegroom, only a few months are left before the wedding.
Why does Pushkin suddenly turn here to the strict form of a sonnet? The fact is that this genre has always reflected sincere feelings, this is a kind of statement of fact, without embellishment and exaggeration. Through the three parts of the poem, the poet paints a picture of an ideal family. Again, as in previous works, the divine principle is attributed to love. Husband equates them with the creator, wife - with the Mother of God, whose purpose is to bear and bear the fruit of this love, its continuation.