Block cycle: analysis. Block, “On the Kulikovo Field”

“The best that was in Russian literature after Tyutchev,” the well-known literary critic K. Mochulsky described the cycle in approximately the same way, on whose work this analysis relies. The block “On the Kulikovo Field” wrote on the eve of the catastrophic events that determined once and for all the fate of Russia. And the artist of the word felt their closeness, which makes him truly a Russian national poet, who cannot be entered into the narrow framework of any direction or literary school.

Literary context

“On the Kulikovo Field”, the analysis of which is presented in this article, was created in 1908 and was part of the “Homeland” cycle. About the poet’s work on the poem is testified by his drama “Song of Fate”, in which the historical theme is presented in a lyrical manner. Also in connection with the Kulikovo cycle, it is necessary to mention the article of the poet "Intelligentsia and revolution." In it, Blok creates the image of “complete silence” that hangs over the country. This is the calm before the storm before the battle. It is in its depths, the poet believes, that the fate of the Russian people ripens.

In the article, the poet, referring to the poem "On the Field of Kulikov", analysis gives the relationship of the people and the intelligentsia in contemporary Russia. The bloc defines these two classes as secret enemies, but there is a feature between them that connects them - something that between the Russians and the Tatars did not exist and could not exist.

Composition

The construction of the cycle is the first thing to start the analysis with. Block "On the field Kulikovo" divided into five parts. The poem "The river stretches out", the first in the cycle, covers the reader with a gust of wind from the steppe. In the center is the image of Russia, which, like a whirlwind, rushes through the darkness of the night. And with each new line, this movement is becoming more rapid.

With such a dynamic introduction, the gentle lyric poem “We, self-friend ...” continues the contrast, continuing the cycle “On the Kulikovo Field”. The block (analysis clearly shows this) for the next chapter of his poetic diary - "The Night When Momai ..." defined the role of the compositional center. It is here that the image of the Virgin appears, in which the features of the Beautiful Lady are guessed. The last two poems of the cycle (“Again, a century of longing” and “And the darkness of misfortune”) continue the motives for expecting a future storm, an all-encompassing silence that precedes an early battle.

Historiosophical concept

In 1912, as a note to one of the poems of the cycle “On the Kulikovo Field”, the Block — the analysis must take this into account — called the battle with the Tatars symbolic. In other words, the poet gives the image of the Battle of Kulikovo universal features, which means that it turns out to be applicable to other turning events in Russian history, including the upcoming ones. The battle with the Tatars can be seen as a metaphor for the struggle between the forces of darkness and light, and the battle is initially fought for the soul of a particular person (lyrical hero), and the victory of one of these parties will finally decide what fate Russia has.

An analysis (Block, “On the Kulikovo Field” - the great battlefield) can be done in another way. The first poem of the cycle indicates the motive for moving forward, causing suffering. On this basis, it would be interesting to compare the work of Blok and Bryusov. The latter in one of the poems greeted those who came to destroy the Huns, which caused natural questions and claims from the reading public. In fact, Valery Bryusov (as well as Blok) understood the inevitability of future changes, albeit very painful.

The images

We continue the analysis. The block “On the Kulikovo Field” filled with symbolic, multi-valued, universal images. So, Russia, its path is portrayed emphasized dynamically - so much that involuntarily recalls Gogol’s successful comparison of his country with the fast-moving troika, which is constantly racing somewhere. Interestingly, in one of Blok’s poems one finds the image of Russia “with the muddy gaze of a sorcerer” - it is likely that the poet used a reference from the novel “Terrible Revenge”. Also interesting is the image of the Beautiful Lady - the Virgin. He points to the specifics of Blok’s patriotism: the poet’s love for the Motherland is permeated with an erotic feeling, which is comparable to the craving for a beloved woman.

Means of Expression

An analysis (Block, “On the Kulikovo Field”) would be incomplete without a study of the means of expression. The poet abundantly uses emotionally charged exclamatory sentences to help uncover the inner state of the lyrical hero of the cycle. Part of the paths was borrowed from folklore - epithets and metaphors that create folk poetical images (of a sad river, a bloody sunset). The latter will inevitably cause the reader to associate with Old Russian literature - in particular, “The Word ...” and “Zadonshchina”. The verse cycle size is iamb.

Thus, as analysis has shown (Blok, “On the Kulikovo Field”), the field gives literary scholars great material for research. At the same time, the poet’s cycle is considered one of the peaks of his work, along with the Twelve and Scythians.