Where do we start our analysis of the poem "Monument" by Lomonosov? Indeed, judging by the name, the component of autobiography plays a key role in it. How did the conscious life path of this highly worthy person begin?
A 19-year-old guy who ran away from home secretly from all relatives right in the middle of the night at night in 1730 ... Ahead of him is a journey of thousands of miles. He is wearing a worn sheepskin coat thrown over his shirt. In a travel bag, in addition to a piece of bread and a spare shirt, his talisman until the end of his days: the grammar of Smotrytsky and the arithmetic of Magnitsky presented to him by his neighbor.
Who is he, young Lomonosov, whose work “Monument”, written by him after seventeen years, inspired and inspires the best of the poets of the Fatherland? The adventurer, who began his subjugation of sciences by forging documents proving his identity. How many hopes are there, how many aspirations! A fanatic who reads days and nights, while being content with ascetic expenses - three pennies a day. A young man with a phenomenal memory and the highest IQ, forced to starve, eating only kvass and bread, but also not saving on paper and candles ...
The name of Lomonosov is the pride of the Fatherland
Lomonosov ... "I erected a monument to myself miraculous ..." - after him, after 90 years, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin will say . The recognition of the Fatherland by Mikhail Vasilyevich, a truly amazing person, is tangible. The first Russian scientist is a world-class naturalist; recognized encyclopedist; founder of a Russian scientific school, astronomer; the man who laid the foundations of the modern Russian language, geologist, geographer, historian, poet ...
Creative talent
Lomonosov writes about his contribution to the development of Russian national poetry. "Monument" .... An analysis of this poem reveals to us only part of his powerful talent. However, he does not just have an unconditional literary and artistic gift. Lomonosov is scientifically consistent in developing recommendations for the effective structuring of the poetic syllable in the Russian language, his textbook of rhetoric served as a door to the world of poetry for many poets ..
Lomonosov's “Monument” is a special verse. He is solemn and sublime, as if standing apart, being, in fact, a hymn of high Poetry. His mission is to publicly summarize the many years of poetic work.
The theme of the poem “Monument” by Lomonosov is a statement of the state role of Russian poetry, as well as the definition of his merits in versification. Mikhail Vasilievich became a conductor of the development of classicism in Russian literature, the approval of the principles of patriotism, the values of a person's personality. Citizenship is precisely this credo of literature, which is affirmed by Lomonosov (“Monument”). A poem, the analysis of which reveals charisma, the strength of the author’s mature poetic talent, is a vivid phenomenon in Russian poetry.
Following the Lomonosov – Linguist to General State Progress
Lomonosov's "Rhetoric", in tune with the laws of the Goratian "Art of Poetry", marked the reform of Russian versification. In his “Monument,” the poet subtly, in hints, without violating the Horacian style, welcomed the formation of civil society in Russia under Emperor Peter I.
The very idea of the work is impeccable. Russia, in its historical mission, is associated with the Third Rome. So, in tune with this, the civilizational model of the Russian literary process must be sought precisely in the history of ancient Rome! It is this logic that Lomonosov follows (“Monument").
A poem, the analysis of which reveals that it is a revelation of the poet, indicating the role worthy of high poetry in his country.
In its form, the “Monument" of Lomonosov is a canonical verse with a primary source - an ode to the most famous poet from the heyday of Roman literature, Quintus Horace Flaccus. Thanks to this, the author manages to organically link the eternal values and the Russian path of development. However, the main idea of the translation is to reveal similar ways of development of the literature of Russia and Rome.
The fundamental differences between the Lomonosov Monument and the Goratian ode “To Melpomene”
Mikhail Vasilyevich, having carefully preserved the significance of a life-building and aesthetic manifesto from the original source, at the same time departed from his anacreontics, that is, lyricism, glorifying the joys of life. With a two-syllable iambic, practically without rhyming lines, deliberately using the words anachronisms, Lomonosov achieves clarity, solemnity, and striking expression of thought. Oda is characterized by a steady stanza, as well as a steady meter, which define the so-called “Odic Canon”. It sounds really solemn.
Historical conditions for creating an ode
It would be frivolous of us not to recall the historical setting in which the poem was written. In the east of Europe, by the 40s of the 18th century, as a result of the reforms of Peter the Great, a powerful, centralized Russian Empire was built, an active participant in the pan-European political process. The implementation of state reforms ensured overcoming the technical as well as economic lag behind the leading European states: Holland, Sweden, Germany, France. The Russian nobility, the ruling class, was educated and attached to European culture. Following the state building, systemic transformations touched the spheres of art and, in particular, literature.
Peter I really managed to stir up and mobilize a huge country for creation, which theses in the Monument ode to Lomonosov. This poem conveys to us an extremely respectful characterization of the emperor-reformer as "reigning among the people." Perhaps that is why he went down in history as Peter the Great? Without actually mentioning the first Russian emperor, Mikhail Vasilievich outlines his image, comparing it with the Roman emperor Davnus.
Reformers of poetry Lomonosov, Horace. "Monument" - the crown of their work
Both poets: the author of the original “Monument” and the author of his translation, and Horace, and Lomonosov - are reformers of each of their national system of versification. Horace belongs to the primacy in the use of the Alkeev stanza in Latin poetry. Lomonosov - the introduction of the syllabonic-tonic principle into Russian versification, the development of samples of various rhythmic structures of Russian poetry. Pushkin had not yet been born, and the four-foot iambic, as, incidentally, the principles of versification, had already been developed. Who do you think? The question, of course, is rhetorical ...
As an architect of native speech, as a linguistic scientist, Mikhail Vasilyevich systematically transformed, but in essence created the rhetoric of the Russian language.
The idea of Horace's ode "Exegi monumentum ..."
The consonance of literary transformations in Russia by Mikhail Vasilyevich with the organization of Latin poetry by Horace during the golden age of Roman literature is amazing. A comparative analysis of Lomonosov’s poem “Monument” with the 30th Goratian ode (“Exegi monumentum ...”), which has gained fame since the Renaissance, confirms this.
Its creator went down in history as a citizen poet who philosophically determined his place in history and in the state. (He presented this ode in the third part of his main work, “The Science of Poetry.”) His main theses: the poet draws motives of creativity in the state, and the state, in turn, receives from him a special poetic image, the glorification of his fame, and a romantic halo.
What is the merit of Horace before world poetry? Horace, the man who "made himself", the creator of the science of the art of poetry, knew: in the world "there are places that are not carved from stone." If kings and pharaohs immortalize themselves with cyclopean structures, then the poet - the ruler of the muses creates in his memory spiritual "symbols of immortality" - his works. These works are timeless, affecting the souls of different generations of people, they cause thoughts, associations. Thus, the name of poets does not go into oblivion. The great Roman actually declared this idea in his ode To Melpomene.
Similar to Horatian, but adjusted for Russian specifics, Lomonosov put his views on poetry into his work “Monument”. This poem may well have the epigraph “Sapere aude” (“Decide to acquire wisdom”). Mikhail Vasilievich’s vision of the development of Russian literature almost coincided with Goratsian. And this despite the fact that Lomonosov and Horace were separated by one and a half thousand years!)
Historical note: Horace stanzas have already been addressed ...
However, 250 years before the birth of Lomonosov, the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch, a well-known Catholic figure of the Italian Renaissance, had already created, under the influence of Horace, his poems (sonnets, sextins, madrigals, canzons). The most demanded from the creative heritage of the Roman for European poets, as well as for Mikhail Vasilyevich, was the Goratsian third book, The Sciences of Poetry, which contains the ode To Melpomene.
Lomonosov - the founder of the city of literary tradition
The analysis of the poem “Monument” by Lomonosov in its volume is ten times larger than the size of the poem. It is short, but extremely capacious. Nevertheless, the poem of Mikhail Vasilievich is close in spirit to the famous ode To Melpomene by Horace Quintus Flaccus.
To create an original translation of an ancient Roman composition, associating directly with itself, while indicating personal merits in it before the Literature ... It was Lomonosov who created this poetic Goratian tradition. Few Russian poets had the moral right to continue it: Derzhavin, Pushkin, Bryusov, Mayakovsky, Gamzatov, Vysotsky.
Already in the XVIII - XIX century, each monument was created: Derzhavin, Pushkin, Lomonosov. What trend can be seen in the transformation of the Lomonosov monument to the Pushkin monument? Lomonosov's work is formally Roman, while Pushkin’s work speaks exclusively of “the great Rus”. Perhaps, Alexander Sergeyevich retained only the internal logic of the work, but the Pillar of Alexandria was mentioned as a comparison.
The solemnity of the ode
An analysis of the poem “Monument” by Lomonosov formally redirects us to the announcement by Horace of his achievements in poetry, recognized by Roman society and the state. Following the great Roman, they are also listed by Mikhail Vasilievich. However, we note that Lomonosov is not a clerk - an extras. The originality of the Lomonosov’s enumeration of the merits of the great Roman before the Eternal Empire lies not in their blind retelling. The originality of the idea of Mikhail Vasilievich is, using a comparison of himself with Horace, and Russia with Rome, to tell the general public about the accomplishment of his work. He himself has similar Horatian merits to his literature! Thus, virtually every stanza of an essay written by him is associated by himself with Russia and with himself personally.
An analysis of the poem “Monument” by Lomonosov, written in the ode genre, notes the solemnity, non-artistic nature of the presentation of the text - characteristic features of the ode. These verses require their public reading.
Lomonosov project of Russian literature as a "sign of immortality"
In the introduction of the ode, Mikhail Vasilievich writes about the creation of the poetic “sign of immortality”. What does this mean in relation to his literary merits, similar to his contribution to this art of Horace?
In fact, the mission of creating an ordered Russian language with its unique style system, harmonious principles of versification, developed by a harmonious system of genres, reducing all this to a symbol - a sign is written by Lomonosov (“Monument”). An analysis of the enduring significance of this contribution to the development of literature reveals the uniqueness of Russian classicism. Unlike European classicism, in the 18th century, Russian was not yet based on a developed domestic literary tradition. But Lomonosov developed his ordering. That is, thanks to Mikhail Vasilievich, in Russia in the 18th century, the theory of literature was ahead of its practice.
The poet is immortal in his homeland
Here is such a truly “eternal sign” - the perfect system of versification was bestowed on all poets - their heirs by Lomonosov. After all, the great Russian language is out of time. It is emphasizing this that the poet - scientist refers to the well-known symbol of eternity - the pyramids. Lomonosov’s work “Monument” claims that the fate of the poet, a citizen, bound by countless ties to his homeland, is also inextricably linked with it. He, like the legendary Antei, draws strength from his native land. High creativity cannot but rely on statehood and should serve it, Mikhail Vasilievich believes.
What is the identity of Lomonosov and Horace?
As follows from the memoirs of Lomonosov, while working on the poem "Monument", he, as a poet, delving into the contents of the Goratian ode, felt a certain kindredness of the soul with Horace. Like the ancient Roman poet, Mikhail Vasilyevich began his life's journey from the lower social strata of society. In the works of both poets one can feel the citizenship of the highest standard. Both of them, by their nature, were workaholics, and their experience in versification was useful for other poets.
Reading the lines of Lomonosov's “Monument”, where formally it is on behalf of a Roman poet, you really feel the feeling of deja vu with XVIII century Russia, its poetry.
Lomonosov's work continued by poets
He, like Horace, without undue modesty and objectively measures his contribution to literature with the subsequent, i.e. future literary process. He understands - his work will always be in demand, his achievements determined the main directions of poetry development, which the followers will inevitably continue. Therefore, Lomonosov, following the great Roman, echoes “I will not die at all ...” He, following Horace, associates his glory with the glory of the state. In the poem Lomonosov uses the word "Rome", although the discerning reader underneath sees "Russia".
Conclusion
The analysis of the verse “Monument” by Lomonosov refers us to those times when Russian classical poetry was at the stage of formation. She was not yet decorated with a galaxy of brilliant poets of the 19th century: N.A. Nekrasov, M.Yu. Lermontov, F.I. Tyutchev, A.S. Pushkin. Their soulful words have not yet sounded in it, calling people to goodness, justice, humanity ...
However, one should not forget that the Russian golden galaxy of poets received precisely from Lomonosov an invaluable gift - a harmonious theory of rhetoric and the rules of versification developed by the poet and scientist. The Pushkin four-footed iamb was invented in the creative laboratory of Mikhail Vasilievich.
The undeniable pricelessness of Lomonosov's contribution to Russian poetry is precisely what his poem “Monument” shows us.