The poem "Borodino" M. Yu. Lermontov devoted to the events of the Patriotic War of 1812. The work was written 25 years after a significant battle. First published in 1837 in the journal Sovremennik.
Writing history
In the early thirties, Lermontov wrote the poem Field of Borodin. It is believed that it was then that the poet came up with the idea of a poem dedicated to the Patriotic War. Lermontov's “Borodino” came out on the anniversary of the battle that took place in September 1812. The work could not attract wide attention. In those years, the heroic resistance of the Russian people in the short period of the anti-Napoleonic campaign was actively discussed. Mikhail Lermontov, like many in the first half of the 19th century, liked to reflect on the past of Russia and the events that changed the course of history.
Features
What is the key point in Borodino? M. Yu. Lermontov, according to Belinsky, wanted to emphasize the inaction of his contemporaries, their envy of the ancestors who lived in times marked by glory and great deeds. The theme of heroism runs a red thread through many works created by the Russian poet in the first half of the thirties.
Shortly before writing the poem Borodino, Lermontov met with Athanasius Stolypin. This man was a hero, a veteran of World War II, an artillery headquarters captain. In a word, a legendary person in Lermontov times. And of course, the headquarters captain participated in the battle of Borodino. Lermontov and Stolypin were in kinship. The latter was the brother and grandmother of the poet.
Stolypin told the poet a lot about the battle of Borodino. But the story is narrated on behalf of a nameless soldier - a man of low literacy, but wise and insightful. But the main thing is on behalf of a direct participant in the war of liberation. This feature gives the work an epic and fills it with folklore content. In the story of the artillery soldier there are epochal moods that were often found in the military circle at that time. There is another interesting image in the work - an unnamed colonel. Lermontov does not objectify this character. But there is a version that its prototype is Peter Bagration, the famous general, commander in chief of the Second Western Army.
battle of Borodino
It was the largest battle of World War II. It lasted twelve hours. In any history textbook it is said that the Russian army won in this battle. However, the day after the victory, Kutuzov ordered to retreat. Why? The fact is that Napoleon had large reserves. After a visible victory, a defeat could occur.
The French army invaded the territory of the Russian Empire in the early summer of 1812. Russian troops retreated. The French quickly advanced inland. The Napoleonic army was strong, and, as it seemed to many then, was invincible. The retreat of the Russian army, which was clearly protracted, caused extreme discontent among the public. Then Alexander I appointed commander of Kutuzov. However, he preferred the path of retreat.
There is no consensus on how many Russian soldiers died in the battle sung in Lermontov’s poem Borodino. The number of losses has been repeatedly reviewed by historians. However, it is known that at least thirty thousand people died.
According to French encyclopedias, about thirty thousand soldiers and officers of the Napoleonic army were killed in the battle. True, two-thirds of the total number of dead died from wounds. The battle of Borodino is one of the bloodiest in the 19th century. And this is the largest battle of those that lasted only one day. But only until 1812 (losses in subsequent wars are much greater).
The battle of Borodino is devoted to many works of literature. It is reflected in Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace, in one of Pushkin’s poems, and, of course, in Borodino by M. Lermontov.
Plot
The poem by M. Yu. Lermontov “Borodino” is a peculiar story about the events of 1812. As already mentioned, the narration is conducted on behalf of a simple soldier. The author does not name his hero. The story is caused by a question posed by a representative of the younger generation.
Everyone knows the first lines of Lermontov’s Borodino verse. The interlocutor of the narrator is interested in why the burnt Moscow was given to Napoleon. A stanza that begins with the words "Say Uncle ..." is known by heart to many. But what did the nameless soldier tell? The plot in the verse "Borodino" by Lermontov as such is not. These are the memories of the old warriors, clothed by the poet in a poetic form.
The soldier begins to remember the battle. In his story there are notes of regret about past heroic times. The current generation (“the current tribe”), according to the narrator, is inferior both to the noble and courage brave military.
The story told by a World War II veteran is riddled with pride for the courage of the Russian people. The hero of the poem “Borodino” by Lermontov admires the courage of his fellow soldiers. In the narration, the narrator uses the pronouns "I" and "we." He is part of the Russian people. He is inseparable from him. The narrator speaks on behalf of all the soldiers. The hero of Lermontov’s work “Borodino” expresses the true national spirit and love for the Fatherland.
Composition
The work begins with a stanza, which is a question of a representative of a new generation. This is an introduction. It is followed by the main part. The story of the main character in the poem "Borodino" by Lermontov has a ring composition. The story begins with the fact that he expresses admiration for the soldiers who were in 1812 in the very center of military events. Among them are survivors and fallen.
Next, a detailed description of the battle begins. The narrative of the soldiers is not impartial. The narrator expresses the feelings that he himself and other soldiers experienced. The work ends with words about Moscow, which the Russian soldiers would not give up if it were not for God's will.
Artistic and expressive means
Lermontov's work is a monologue of a simple soldier, and therefore it uses elements of colloquial speech. The whole poem is an appeal of the representatives of the old time to the young, whose shoulders are now responsible for the Fatherland. However, the narrator doubts his interlocutor and others like him: “Athletes are not you!”
Lermontov included colloquial expressions and words in the narrative, for example, “right here,” “ears on the top of his head,” “what's the point of this kind of trinket”. The Frenchman calls the "Muse".
Lermontov’s elements of high style are also found in Borodino’s work: “with sparkling eyes,” “rejoiced”. Thus, the author emphasized the greatness and special significance of the battle in the history of Russia. There are several rhetorical exclamations at the beginning of the poem . They also express the solemnity of the battle of Borodino.
The image of the colonel
What is remarkable is the way the soldier speaks of this nameless character. He calls the colonel "a servant to the king, the father of soldiers." Thanks to a few words, an image of a noble, honest, fair and generous military leader is created, who, dying on the battlefield, leaves only good memories in the soul of a soldier.
Climax
The main part of Lermontov’s work is the one in which the soldier talks directly about the battle. Here the author did not stint on expressive means. The swift attack of the French soldier describes as follows: "moved like clouds." Uses the poet and avatars, emphasizing the fierce battle, such as "buckshot screeched."