Nekrasov's unique gift helped him convey his lyrical moods to readers, create an integral picture of the world in poetry. This ingenious man combined in his work many aspects that before him were considered incompatible and belonged to completely different literary genres.
about the author
Nikolai Alekseevich was born on November 28 (December 10), 1821 in the small town of Nemirov, Podolsk province, in the Russian Empire, in a noble, once rich family. In addition to his poems, Nekrasov also became famous thanks to his firm position as a revolutionary with democratic moods.
The poet entered the list of classics of Russian literature. For a long time he published a journal called Contemporary, and a little later, Domestic Notes. Lyric N.A. Nekrasov is based on the theme of the people, their deprivation. The writer often used popular expressions. It was thanks to Nikolai Alekseevich that some revolutions appeared in the official grammar. Nekrasov was known for his satirical works, poems, pamphlets.
He himself was a nobleman. His family was not as rich as their noble ancestors, but they did not feel the need. My father served as a lieutenant in the army.
The whole life of the poet was included in the main themes of the poetry of Nekrasov.
Homeland in the work of the poet
For him, in the first place there was always a simple people. Accordingly, it was this line that became fundamental in his poetry.
The main themes of the lyrics of Nekrasov are quite diverse and insightful. He not only superficially touched on exciting topics, but also immersed in them completely. It seemed that the poet carries himself through his work into the life of peasants, experiences the same feelings.
Perhaps that is why the lyrics of Nekrasov are popular and relevant now. His poems were extremely acute, he gave genuine descriptions of such problems as poverty, slavery.
Nekrasov has repeatedly admitted his love for ordinary people. He also expected with them that someday a hero would appear who could save all the afflicted and avenge their hardships.
His love for his Motherland always stood in the first place, and it does not matter what happened at that time in his life.
Unhappy peasants
One can judge how much Nikolai Alekseevich was a fan of ordinary people in Russia, how hard he worried about their fate, by the fact that in one of his works the immortal Muse appeared to him in a peasant form.
In this work, the girl was brutally beaten by her masters, and Nekrasov saw this picture.
A deep knowledge of the psychology and nature of man helped the poet to draw strikingly vivid and believable images in his works. However, he most often tried to convey the peasant. He not only loved the people who lived in his country, but also hated those who made the lives of others unbearable.
Nekrasov always remained ready to rise to the fight against the oppressors. He waited for the beginning of such actions, without hesitation, laid down his life to open his eyes to injustice to the whole world.
Nekrasov explained his position in the poem "The Knight for an Hour." There he expressed the idea that a real struggle for the rights of people is a great thing for everyone who loves.
The poet was not afraid to talk about the real state of things. He sympathized with all who are oppressed.
Inspiration
What inspired Nekrasov? The vast expanses of the country, its green distances, white winters, forests, fields, rivers, lakes and mountains. Despite the fact that the poet described the peasants with compassion, for him the people always presented themselves in the courageous, beautiful appearance of strong and unbroken people. His work entitled "Silence" can be perceived as a declaration of love for his homeland. The poet says that he loves only her, he does not need another. Nekrasov wanted to see during his lifetime free peasants, from whom all chains of oppression had been removed. He complained that he might not catch the moment when they would make the peasants free and happy.
The poet imagined what would happen at a time when people would become even stronger. The country will prosper.
Women's motifs of the lyrics of Nekrasov
The folk poet drew his inspiration from simple girlish images. He liked to turn an unremarkable at first glance girl into a character who will forever remain in the hearts of readers. This type of lyrics by Nekrasov is one of the main in the poet's works.
The main acting heroine is a peasant woman who is capable of a variety of feats. She is devoted to her homeland. Also, a woman can be a loving mother.
The prosperous class beats and humiliates a simple peasant, and she suffers all in silence. The heroine works tirelessly.
The image of a simple Russian beauty with high moral qualities can be found in most of Nekrasov’s poems.
The poet wanted to teach his readers that it is important not only what catches your eye, what is outside, but also the inner world of man. He himself admired qualities such as hard work, pride, and dedication.
In a poem about women from Russian villages, Nekrasov compares the peasant women with real tsarina.
Bright image of mother
The poet grew up in a family where he constantly saw the suffering of the closest person. His father played cards, was rather vulgar. And the mother was an intelligent woman who fell in love with an illiterate young man. She married without the consent of her parents and all life lived unhappy.
Nekrasov was very internally worried about his mother and the whole situation in the family. He later wrote about his mother’s share in such works as “Knight for an Hour”, “Mother”, “Last Songs”. This woman inspired him. She was a prototype for the most beloved heroines, strong and persistent in spirit, able to survive in difficult conditions.
Mother has always remained a positive character in any poems. In addition to her, in some poems there are also such heroes as the hero’s sister and father. But while the former is his friend, an assistant suffering from a cruel parent, the latter is described as a real despot.
Love lyrics
This style of writing poetry involves feelings. If the ancient Greeks called the lyrics songs and ballads that tell about love, then nothing changed at the time of the poet.
The themes of Nekrasov’s lyrics became even more intimate. It was love that inspired him to write new works.
However, the poet brought her a few other shades. If everyone else loves the lyrics is sublime and very inspiring, then with Nekrasov it's quite the opposite. His lovers become stupid, ironic and almost divorced from reality.
Personal life
Nekrasov got many ideas for his works from personal experiences and problems; they definitely left an imprint on his lyrics. He also loved three different women. Two of them were completely inaccessible to the poet.
It is possible that, calling his characters rebellious or divorced from reality, he subconsciously sought to get the same life, to experience the same emotions.
Civic Lyrics of Nekrasov
Despite the fact that the poet’s love lyrics shine through almost every poem, it takes a variety of forms: suffering on the Fatherland, experiences, fears and hopes. Nekrasov acutely felt the injustice of the world of those times.
He himself fulfilled his duty to the country and urged others to be guided by their own head and heart, not forgetting to give themselves up for the good of the Motherland. One of the most frequently quoted phrases of Nikolai Alekseevich says that even if a person will never be a poet, he will always remain a citizen.
An example of such lyrics by Nekrasov is not difficult to find. But the most revealing is the "Poet and Citizen." In it, the creator expresses all his thoughts about what an ideal Russian resident should be like. Nekrasov talks about the morality of actions that will later affect the future generation.
The main line of this poem is the idea of ​​everyone's duty, which is participation. Nekrasov’s civic lyrics hint at the fact that anyone who sees someone else’s suffering should not just pass them by. He must help somehow, protect the oppressed people.
Nekrasov focused on the following personalities:
- Shevchenko;
- Dobrolyubova;
- Belinsky.
Their own essays and works were as socially sharp as the lyrics of Nekrasov. Poems dedicated to these great geniuses speak of the invaluable contribution they made to such a form of art as literature.