Nekrasov's poem "Grandfather" was written in 1870. In this article, we will describe its brief content, and talk about the interesting history of the creation of the work. We will also analyze the poem "Grandfather" by Nekrasov. So, let's start with a brief summary.
The poem "Grandfather" (Nekrasov): summary
Little Sasha once saw a portrait of some young general in his fatherās office and decided to ask who it was. Father replied that this man was his grandfather. But did not begin to talk about him in detail. So begins Nekrasov's poem "Grandfather".
After that, Sasha ran to his mother and began to question her where this man is now, and why the boy never saw him. The mother shed tears in her eyes, she sadly answered her son that he would know everything when he grew up. Soon this mysterious grandfather came to visit the boy's family. Everyone met him together, they were happy. Sasha decided to ask his grandfather why he had not been in the house for so long, and where is his uniform. But he answered, repeating the words of his mother: "If you grow up, you will find out."
Nekrasov's poem "Grandfather" continues as follows. Sasha quickly made friends with the main character, they spent a lot of time walking together. Grandfather made the impression of a very wise and experienced person. He was slender and handsome, with a gray beard and white curls. By nature, this man seemed simple, no work frightened him. He talked a lot about the village of Tarbagatay, located somewhere beyond Lake Baikal. Sasha could not yet understand exactly where she was located, but hoped to find out when she would grow up.
The poem "Grandfather" (Nekrasov), the brief content of which we describe, tells, in particular, about what the main character did when he arrived home. Grandfather was a general, but despite this, he was very good at managing a plow, even plowing a whole field alone. He did not sit without a minute without difficulty. Arriving home, grandfather walked, enjoyed nature, chatting with his grandson, worked all the time (either in the garden, then behind the plow, then darned something, repaired). And he sang songs, told stories that interested a boy who had grown up in a good family, who instilled in him an interest in the fate and history of the Russian people. Grandfather often was sad, remembering something. When Sasha was interested in the cause of this sadness, he replied that everything had already passed, everything was fine. After all, a completely different time now, now itās easier for the people.
He had seen so much suffering in the country before that now everything around him seemed calm and peaceful. Grandfather often sang songs about a free people, a glorious campaign, wonderful beauties.
Really lasted time. Grandfather always answered any Sashaās questions by saying: "If you grow up, you will find out." In this way, the boy had a keen interest in learning. After some time, he already studied geography, history. The boy could show on the map where Petersburg, Chita is located, tell a lot about the life of the Russian people. Grandfather, due to past injuries, became more and more ill. He now needed a crutch. He understood, looking at Sasha, that the boy would soon learn about the terrible events that had occurred recently in Russia - about the uprising of the Decembrists. So ends Nekrasov's poem "Grandfather". Now let's talk about the history of its creation.
Kostroma basis of the work
Nekrasov in the early seventies of the 19th century worked on a cycle consisting of poems about the fate of the Decembrists: "Grandfather" (written in 1870), as well as "Russian Women", which consisted of two parts: the Princess was completed in 1871. Trubetskaya ", and in 1872 -" Princess Volkonskaya ".
Appeal to this subject at first glance may seem uncharacteristic for such a poet as Nekrasov, who is indifferent to historical subjects. However, as Nikolai Leonidovich Stepanov noted, it was precisely an appeal to the revolutionary pages of the past, and not to history as such, a reminder of selfless figures and the first attempt of revolution in our country.
Grandfather's prototype
The plot basis of the work is the story of how the old Decembrist came to the estate with his son. He was freed from Siberia in 1856 according to a manifesto published at that time.
Who is the poem "Grandfather" of Nekrasov dedicated to? The prototype of the protagonist is considered Sergey Grigoryevich Volkonsky (years of life - 1788-1865) - the prince, a former major general, a famous Decembrist. S. G. Volkonsky in the summer of 1857 arrived in the Kostroma province.
In August 1857, the Moscow Governor sent a special order to Andrei Fedorovich Wojciech, his colleague in Kostroma, to establish supervision of this man who had left for Buisky Uyezd to his daughterās estate. By this time, she had already been widowed, since Dmitry Vasilievich Molchanov, her husband, who served under Nikolai Nikolayevich Muravyov-Amursky (governor general of all Eastern Siberia) as an officer of special assignments, died in 1856. Helena Sergeevna, daughter of Volkonsky, in 1854 a son was born, who was named Seryozha in honor of his grandfather. Thus, the poem "Grandfather" (Nekrasov) as the main storyline has a basis taken from Nikolai Alekseevich from life (from the trip of Sergei Grigoryevich Volkonsky to the Kostroma province).
The story of the creation of the poem "Grandfather"
Nekrasov could learn about this trip from his old friend - Prince M.S. Volkonsky (years of life - 1832-1902), with whom he often went on a winter hunt from St. Petersburg. This man was the son of S. G. Volkonsky.
One of the main sources in the creation of this poem was, according to the just observation of Yu. V. Lebedev, the book āSiberia and penal servitudeā by S. V. Maksimov, published in the journal āDomestic Notesā (which was published by Nekrasov) in 1868-1869.
The most reliable sources available to the poet when working on these two poems were the information he took from the third part of this book - "State criminals." It contained detailed descriptions of Siberian life and links to the Decembrists. The author not only visited all these places, but also visited the famous Tarbagatai. The Nekrasovsky story about him served as the ideological seed of the poem.
The effect of censorship on a work
The plan of the poem "Grandfather" (Nekrasov) the author had to change due to censorship. So, at the beginning of his acquaintance with the main character, Nekrasov writes that grandfather entered his house with the words that he reconciled with everything that he had to endure in his lifetime. That is, this man realized that he was correctly punished, reconciled with the regime that crippled his life. In fact, however, this was not at all the case. We draw this conclusion on the basis of grandfather's subsequent speeches. Therefore, he wrote these lines in order to mask his work (the poem "Grandfather") by Nekrasov from censorship.
The image of the protagonist
Grandfather is depicted as gray-haired, very old, but still active, peppy, with whole teeth, a firm posture and a humble look. Nekrasov pays special attention to gray hair to show how long this person spent in Siberia, how difficult it was for him in that harsh region, what kind of suffering he had to endure.
Grandfather is glad to see his native nature to tears, because in Siberia it is completely different - merciless, gray, alien. He dreams that at last they will give freedom to the peasant people, and all of them - nobles, peasants - will live in harmony with each other, they will be happy with everything.
We continue the analysis of the poem "Grandfather" (Nekrasov - author). The old Decembrist says: "There will be a free people!" He believes that soon all difficulties will end, that is, he believes in the liberal reforms that Alexander II was carrying out at that time, that serfdom would be put to an end.
The story of life in Siberia
Grandfather said that "divinely marvelous do" the work and will of man. His faith in these qualities is confirmed by the story of how, in Siberia, a small group of people built a liveable settlement, grew grain on the barren, harsh northern land in the distant village of Tarbagatai. Now there, "beautiful tall" people lived richly and happily.
Attitude to various social groups of people
Grandfather calls clerks, officials and landlords money-grubbers (that is, greedy people). They broke the fates of serfs, upset their marriages, thrashed, robbed, gave young men recruits. But there were good people in our country who sincerely worried about the fate of the country and people. They were among the Decembrists on Senate Square in 1825.
For the struggle and victory over darkness, money-grubbing, reason, unanimity and friendly power are needed. The true grief, according to the grandfather, consisted in the fact that our country was ruined, behind, and people were deaf to any attempts to develop it, to revive, because the people suffered without it.
But the protagonist calls to remember that there are no āirresistible victoriesā in the world. That is, sooner or later, all pests and villains will end, their evil will return to them a hundredfold, and the people will be avenged.
Poem creation time
This poem was created during a new social upsurge that occurred in the late 1860s and early 70s, and was associated with the activities of the so-called revolutionary populists. With his work, Nekrasov wanted to remind people of the heroic feat that the Decembrists made, who openly opposed the government, and thereby emphasize the importance of liberation ideas in Russia. In addition, he sought to draw the attention of contemporaries to the fact that the situation of the Russian people has changed little after the abolition of serfdom. Nekrasov raised the question of the need to continue to fight for the rights of workers, for social justice.
The urgency and relevance of the work
In the poem "Grandfather," the main character seeks to open his grandsonās eyes to national disasters, to inspire the idea that it is necessary to serve truth and good. And his speeches are met with a lively response. Sasha, talking with his grandfather, begins to look at the world differently, think deeper. Now he hates the wicked and the foolish, wishes the good to the poor. In his grandson, grandfather sought to raise a future citizen. The urgency and relevance of the poem lies precisely in this. She echoed the tasks that the leaders of that time set for themselves, including N. A. Nekrasov.
"Grandfather" is a poem that was created taking into account the censorship requirements for literature of that time. In the work of Nekrasov, for obvious reasons, he could not speak openly about the matter for which the hero was exiled to hard labor. The story of the Decembrist uprising sounds muffled in the poem. But through the whole work passes through a bright line the holy high idea of āāserving the people.
The development of the theme in the future work of Nekrasov
The poet continued to work on the reflection of the Decembrist theme. The next stage was the appeal to the feat committed by the wives of the Decembrists, who went to distant Siberia to hard labor for their husbands. In a poem about the princesses Volkonskaya and Trubetskoy Nekrasov expresses his admiration for these best representatives of the noble circle, who realized the meaning of the cause for which their spouses suffered.
This concludes the analysis of such a work as the poem "Grandfather" (Nekrasov). The essay does not pretend to be a full disclosure of the topic, but we tried to consider everything as detailed as possible.