Ah, dear Alexander Sergeevich! Has your pen written something more perfect than the living and eternal novel Eugene Onegin? Didn't you invest most of yourself in it, your frantic inspiration, all your poetic passion?
But did you not deceive, oh, the immortal classic, saying that Onegin has nothing to do with you? Are his character traits peculiar to you? Is it not your "blues" on it, is it not your frustration? Doesnât he write your âblack epigramsâ to his enemies?
And Lensky! Really, how he looks like you, in love, young! On you - another, on that you whom you did not dare to open to the world clearly ...
Lensky and Onegin ... A comparative characteristic of both of them is yours, O immortal Alexander Sergeyevich, a colorful and lively portrait on the wall of poetry. Do you agree with the idea of ââsuch audacity?
However, be that as it may, in view of your silence, let each fan of your genius draw his own conclusions by letting his own imagination fly.
We will compare and contrast the two bright heroes of "Eugene Onegin", barely touching the edges directly of your personality. In order to avoid intrusive parallels between you, sir, and the characters of your poem, we will make every effort to carry out a dry statement of their vivid characteristics.
Characteristics of Onegin and Lensky
So, Onegin. He is handsome, smart, and handsome. In the description of his St. Petersburg daily routine, dear Alexander Sergeyevich, we find your lines about at least three hours spent by him at the mirrors in preens. You even compare him with a manly dressed young lady hurrying to the ball. Perfume, lipstick, fashion haircut. Dandy, pedant and dandy. Always elegant in clothes. And, by the way, it will be said, nails, sir ... He, like you, sir, spends a lot of time at the dressing table, caring for them.
Alas, all the actions that he performs on himself in order to be attractive are just a tribute to a secular habit. He had long since cooled to the opposite sex, disappointed in love. He does not want to please women. Not! Love has long been replaced by the "art of seduction," which, however, does not bring any satisfaction.
Social events have long lost all taste for him. At the balls he is often, but by inertia, from boredom and from nothing to do. The social circle is boring to him. Everything is disgusted, tired! But, not knowing another life, he continues to eke out the usual way of life. No friends, no love, no interest in life.
The way of thinking, the worldview of Onegin - you expose everything, Alexander Sergeyevich, to the merciless âRussian spleenâ or depression. Immeasurable inner emptiness, lack of dreams, boredom, joylessness. However, the liveliness of a cold, sober mind, the absence of cynicism, nobility.
You emphasize his prosaicity by the inability to âdistinguish trophies from iamba,â and his preference for Scott Smith, with his political books, only confirms the existence of non-poetic exact thinking.
Whether itâs Lensky!
What evil muse visited you, Alexander Sergeyevich, when you brought together so many different characters in friendly bonds? Could the relationship between Lensky and Onegin not lead to tragedy? Your Lensky ...
Beautiful, but beautiful otherwise than Onegin. You give it the natural beauty of facial features, long, dark, curly hair. Inspirational look of the poet and a lively, warm heart, open to the world.
Vladimir Lensky is sensitive to the perception of nature and the universe as a whole. âSuspecting miraclesâ in everything, he understands and feels the world in his own way. Idealist, the right word!
An eighteen-year-old dreamer, in love with life, sacredly believes in the existence of his soulmate, who is waiting for him and languishing. In a faithful, faithful friendship and âsacred familyâ, as you, the venerable Alexander Sergeyevich, have deigned to name the Holy Trinity.
Onegin and Lensky. Table
With your pen, describing the relationship of Onegin and Lensky, you compare them with the union of water and stone, flame and ice, poetry and prose. How unlike they are!
Comparison table of Lensky and Onegin| Hero traits | Onegin | Lensky |
| worldview | nihilism | idealism |
| mentality | practical, accurate | poetic, philosophical |
| judgments | superficial, sober, sharp | Search deep meaning in everything, spaciousness |
| life views | skepticism, prosaism | mysticism, romanticism |
| sociability | misanthropy, solitude | openness, lightness |
| attitude towards ladies | disappointment, neglect, avoiding deep feelings | bright, chaste ideal, dream of a family idyll |
Lensky and Onegin. Comparative characteristics
You were pleased, the ruler of muses, to play these two beautiful young men in a sad game, to this day encouraging the reader to sprinkle with tears the pages of your great novel. You make them a friendship, first âfrom nothing to doâ, and after closer. And then cruelly ...
No, better in order. So, they are drawing closer: Lensky and Onegin. The comparative characteristics of these two, so characteristic of your heroes' time, Alexander Sergeyevich, can be complete only when describing their friendship.
So, contradictions occur, as the English proverb claims . At first, they are boring to each other because of dissimilarity of judgments. But a little later, this difference turns into a magnet attracting opposites. Each thesis becomes the cause of lively debates and discussions between friends, each argument turns into a subject of deep thought. Perhaps none of them accepted the position of a comrade, but they retained interest and respect for the flow of other people's thoughts. Listening to Lensky, Onegin does not interrupt his youthful naive judgments, verses and ancient legends. Being a frustrated realist, he is in no hurry to blame Vladimir for the idealization of people and the world.
Similarity of heroes
Daily joint horseback riding, fireplace dinners, wine and conversations bring young people together. And, at the same time, the similarities of Onegin and Lensky are discovered over time. By endowing them with such striking features, you, the lord of the pen, tear them out of the usual circle of rural communication, with boring conversations about the kennel, your own kin, and other nonsense. The education of the main characters, which is one of the few common features for both of them, makes them yawn in the circle of rural nobility.
Two fates, two loves
Onegin is five to six years older than Lensky. You can come to such a conclusion, based on the ones you mentioned, precious Alexander Sergeyevich, twenty-six years old at the end of the novel ... When, bending his knees, he cried out of love at her feet ... at Tatyana's feet ... But no. All in order.
Oh, a great connoisseur of the human soul, oh, the subtlest psychologist of deep feelings! Your pen reveals before the dead soul of Onegin the bright, pure ideal of the young virgin - Tatyana Larina. Her young, tender passion spills before him in a frank letter that you ascribe to him to preserve for life as a testament to the possibility of sincerity and beauty of feelings in which he no longer believed. Alas, his gloomy, stiff heart was not ready to reciprocate. He tries to avoid meetings with Tatyana after a conversation with her, in which he refuses her high feelings.
In parallel with this unstable love, you develop Vladimir Lenskyâs feelings for Tatyanaâs sister, Olga. Oh, how these two loves are not like, like Lensky and Onegin themselves. A comparative characterization of these two feelings would be superfluous. The love of Olga and Vladimir is full of chaste passion, poetry, young inspiration. A naive Lensky, sincerely wishing his friend happiness, is trying to push him into Tatyana's arms, inviting him to her name day. Knowing Onegin's dislike for noisy receptions, he promises him a close family circle, without extra guests.
Revenge, Honor, and Duel
Oh, how much effort Eugene makes to hide his fierce indignation, when, having agreed, he gets to a provincial ball with many guests, instead of the promised family dinner. But more than that, he is indignant at Tatyanaâs confusion as he sits in his seat prepared for him in advance ... opposite her. Lensky knew! Everything is rigged!
Onegin, right, did not want what yours, Alexander Sergeyevich, had prepared for the inexorable pen when he avenged Lensky for his deceit! When he carried his beloved Olga into his arms in a dance, when he whispered liberties in her ear, he portrayed a gentle look. Cynically and short-sighted calling to the jealousy and contempt of the young poet, he obediently followed the fate you intended for both of them. Duel!
In the morning at the mill ...
Both have already moved away from stupid insults. Both had difficulty finding a duel. But no one stopped. Pride is to blame: no one intended to pass for a coward, refusing to fight. The result is known. The young poet is defeated by a friendâs bullet two weeks before his own wedding. Onegin, unable to indulge in memories and regrets about the death of the only person close to him, leaves the country ...
Upon his return, he will fall in love with Tatiana, who has matured and flourished, only now the princess. Bending her knees before her, she will kiss her hand, pray for love. But no, it's too late: âNow I have been given to another, and I will be faithful to him forever,â she will say, weeping bitterly. Onegin will be left completely alone, face to face with memories of love and a friend killed by his own hand.
Duels of the creator of Onegin and quite appropriate parallels
You were reproached, dear Alexander Sergeyevich, for the insufficient grounds for a duel between your heroes. It's ridiculous! Did not your contemporaries draw parallels between these two young men with you directly? Have they not noted the similarities of such opposing Onegin and Lensky with your contradictory, dual nature? This boundary bifurcation into Lensky - an inspired poet, superstitious lyric poetry - and a secular rake, cooled, tired Onegin ... didnât they find? To one you give your fiery genius, love, cheerfulness and, without suspecting it, your own death.
Unhappy love, wanderings, alienation and, in the end, a long trip abroad that you yourself dreamed about were given to another. The characterization of Onegin and Lensky is a comprehensive disclosure of yourself, is not it? And if such an obvious similarity of both heroes with you, esteemed classic, was exposed by your contemporaries, didnât they know what easy, insignificant reasons for duels were enough for you? And how many times in each week of your life did you start the game with death, fearlessly and indifferently looking at the cold barrel in the hands of your furious opponent?