The motive of loneliness in Lermontov’s lyrics goes through the refrain through all the works. This is primarily due to the poet's biography, which left an imprint on his worldview. He lost his mother early, relations with his father did not work out. The only close person was the grandmother - Elizabeth Arsenyeva, who in little Misha did not look for souls. Already in childhood, Lermontov realized that he was different from others. Throughout his short life, the poet was lonely. The motive of loneliness in the lyrics of M.Yu. Lermontov is not only the subject of his work, but also a state of mind.
“A poet of a completely different era”
So called the poet Belinsky, comparing with A.S. Pushkin. Already in the early lyrics of Lermontov appear leading motives of his work: poetic chosenness, entailing a lonely existence. But he understands that he is unable to change anything, therefore he accepts a kind of exile voluntarily. “I'm used to being alone,” admits the lyrical hero, who is so similar to Lermontov himself.
The character of the poet was also influenced by the time in which he lived and worked. The war with Napoleon, the Decembrist uprising - these events were deposited in the memory of not only Lermontov, but all his contemporaries. So, in the poem “Duma”, the poet concludes that pessimistic sentiments are characteristic of the whole generation. The lyrical hero is tired, surrounded by a crowd, but a lonely person. He is concerned about the inaction, the indifference of people to public life.
The motive of loneliness in the lyrics of M.Yu. Lermontov (material "Sail")
The famous "Sail" poet wrote at seventeen. The soil for him became the personal experiences of young Lermontov. Because of the conflict with the professor, the poet had to leave Moscow University and, at the insistence of her grandmother, move to St. Petersburg to enter the cadet school. The poet’s experiences about the future formed the basis of the poem. Images of the sea, storms, sails accompany the motives of sorrow and loneliness in the lyrics of Lermontov, especially in his early works. The lyrical hero can be described as rebellious and lonely. That was precisely the poet himself, who had been “looking for storms” all his life.
Alone in the crowd
Intelligent and educated Lermontov hard to converge with people. He saw his dissimilarity to others as a child. According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, he was a direct, caustic, secretive person, therefore he was often disliked and even hated. Lermontov suffered greatly from the inability to be understood.
So, in the poem "How often, surrounded by a motley crowd ..." he portrays a society of soulless people deprived of human warmth. A false, limited crowd oppresses the lyrical hero, he realizes that he does not belong here. Dreamily, he paints the image of a lover. Unfortunately, he realizes that this is all a hoax, but he is still lonely.
The motive of loneliness in Lermontov’s lyrics also appears in the work “I Will Go Alone on the Road ...”, which he wrote three months before his death. In it, the poet philosophically sums up his life, reflects on death. “Waiting for what? / Are you sorry about what? ” - asks the lyrical hero. He dreams of falling asleep sweetly under an oak tree, enjoying his lover's singing.
The poet foresees his quick tragic death in the poem "Prophet", written a few weeks before his death. Lermontov does not leave a feeling of sorrow, he is full of despair, he does not believe in the recognition of descendants, the value of his work. He compares himself to a prophet who is destined to persecute and misunderstand others.
Love suffering, reflected in the poet's lyrics
It is known that Lermontov was unlucky in love. The poet’s strongest affection, the image of which remained on the pages of the works and in the lines of poems, the charming Varenka Lopukhina, became a strange wife. A complex relationship connected them until the death of the poet, the news of which finally broke Barbara. She survived her beloved for only ten years. It was the traits of Lopukhina that he sought in other women.
Another muse of the poet - Ekaterina Sushkova - only played with his feelings, however, like Natalya Ivanova, who cheated on him. It is not surprising that the theme of loneliness in the lyrics of M.Yu. Lermontov is especially pronounced in love poems.
“We are accidentally brought together by fate” is the first work addressed to Varenka Lopukhina. Already in it sounds the motive of separation, the impossibility of happiness and mutual love. In the poem Beggar, the motive of loneliness in Lermontov’s lyrics is caused by unrequited feelings. The work was written in 1830 and is related to the early work of the poet. In the poem, Lermontov compares himself to a beggar who, instead of begging, put stones in his hand. Such were the poet’s relations with Ekaterina Sushkova, which formed the basis of the work.
The cycle of poems dedicated to Natasha Ivanova is a story of unrequited love and bitter disappointment. “I may not be worthy of / Your love,” the author addresses her. “No, I don’t love you so passionately ...” the poet writes shortly before his death. Whom this poem is dedicated to is not fully established.
Loneliness or freedom?
Motives of loneliness, longing for freedom in the lyrics of M. Yu. Lermontov are central in the poem "Clouds". It was written in 1840, on the eve of the second exile of the poet to the Caucasus. The images of clouds, waves and clouds symbolize the freedom that the lyrical hero so lacks. He compares himself with the clouds, ironically calls them "exiles." Freedom and loneliness in the work of the poet cannot exist without each other. So, in the poem "Desire" the hero craves temporary freedom, and in the "Prisoner" she becomes the only goal.
"In the north, wild stands alone ..."
Lermontov never engaged in translations, but in the winter of 1841, shortly before his death, he made several translations of the poem by the German poet Heinrich Heine, which were included in the Lyric Cycle. We know this work as “In the north, wild stands alone ...”. In it, the motive of loneliness in Lermontov’s lyrics is especially clearly felt. We know that because of the difficult nature of the poet they did not understand and did not accept. And he so wanted warmth, support for a loved one.
The image of a pine growing in the far north personifies the thoughts and moods of Lermontov himself. In a lonely tree, the poet recognized himself. However, he did not lose hope of meeting a true friend - a palm tree growing in the south and as lonely as a pine became the prototype of his poem.
Instead of a conclusion
The theme of loneliness in the lyrics of M.Yu. Lermontov replaced the bright poetry of A.S. Pushkin. The poet struggled all his life with the outside world and suffered deeply from the fact that he was not understood. Spiritual experiences are reflected in his work, permeated with longing and grief.
Pushkin’s love is a bright, inspiring feeling, while Lermontov’s love is inseparable from sadness and pain. So, the writer and critic Dmitry Merezhkovsky called Alexander Sergeyevich daytime, and Mikhail Yuryevich - the night star of our poetry.
Lermontov’s thoughts and views were new and incomprehensible to Russia, so it was difficult for him to find like-minded people. He was sent to exile twice, the poems were subjected to strict censorship. But, despite all this, the poet fought, directly expressed his feelings and thoughts, while consciously dooming himself to loneliness.