Features of Lermontov’s work: problems, themes and artistic techniques

Features of Lermontov’s work are studied in high school. At first, students go through only the poems of the poet, then, in the 8th grade, the novel “A Hero of Our Time”, and in the 10th grade they repeat the material passed. Of course, you can fully understand the work of this ingenious poet and prose writer only at a more adult age. The deep psychologism of his works is not for everyone. The work of Mikhail Lermontov is also a fruitful field for the work of literary critics. After all, it has a lot of different subtleties.

Periodization of the works of M. Yu. Lermontov

We can say that the poet’s work is quite holistic. It is difficult to identify any periods, changes in worldview. However, it is customary to distinguish early and late periods in Lermontov's work. The border is a poem written by him on the death of Pushkin, "The Death of the Poet." In general, the death of A.S. Pushkin became a turning point for Lermontov. Now he began to feel all the responsibility that rests with him as the successor to the country's first poet. So, everything that Mikhail Yurievich wrote before 1837 is early lyrics, and what’s after is late.

Features of Lermontov's work in the early period

The poet began to write quite early. If Pushkin narrated about hopes, lyceum work was full of aspirations, then Lermontov began with disappointment. After all, the cause of the Decembrists was in vain, they were exiled to hard labor or executed. Dissatisfaction with the reality that surrounds the poet, permeates all his work and is clearly manifested in early poems. Of course, the works of earlier years give youthful maximalism. In early creativity, such a direction in literature as romanticism is realized. We see in Lermontov’s works the division of reality, characteristic of the romantics, into the earthly, real, and dream worlds, ideal, into which the lyrical hero would like to fall. Peculiarities of the problems of Lermontov’s work are that the poet has practically no civil and political issues. He does not raise the theme of serfdom, does not talk about the arbitrariness of power. But we guess about his dissatisfaction from poems dedicated to the Russian countryside or the theme of the poet and poetry. Nevertheless, the main problems of Lermontov’s work are psychological. From the very first verses the motive of loneliness sounds distinctly, which strengthens and transforms over time.

The image of a demon in early lyrics

At the beginning of the journey, Lermontov relies on the work of English romantics, in particular George Byron. The English poet also showed the image of a demon. Creativity is associated by romantics of this kind not as a gift, but as a curse. The young poet Lermontov (and his lyrical hero) is sure that he, like the demon, will never be able to find a place in this universe. After all, the demon was cast down from heaven, and on earth people do not accept him. Now he is doomed to wander between two worlds, sentenced to eternal solitude. The image of a demon is closely connected with such a poetic image as a storm. After all, the demon, whose element is "the gathering of evils," loves fatal storms and passions. The features of Lermontov’s work are also manifested in this: usually lyrical heroes, suffering and seeking, seek peace, quiet and peaceful life. This is not the hero of Lermontov: he wants to live in order to "think and suffer." Calm bliss is not for him, life is only where passions rage. An example of such a worldview is given to us by the poem "Sail": "But he, the rebel, asks for the storm, as if there is peace in the storms."

The late lyrics of Lermontov

Creativity of Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov must be considered holistically, without omitting any of the periods. In the later lyrics there is a change in poetic perspective. If before Lermontov blamed the whole world for his troubles, suffered from misunderstanding and loneliness, could not put up with anything that he did not like, now he is more sedate. And his poems are filled with sadness and longing, they have become more psychological, more calibrated. The motive of loneliness is closely related to the motive of pilgrimage and the search for a place in life. However, these wanderings end in nothing.

Philosophical Lyrics

Such problems have always interested the poet. But for him, philosophy and psychology have always been indivisible. In a peculiar way, Lermontov depicts his attitude to this world and to life. He almost always does this using pictures of nature. An example is the poem "When the yellowing cornfield is worried." Very vivid poetic images found a place in this lyrical work. The poet compares plants with living beings, he feels an indivisible connection with them, something that, unfortunately, he does not feel in communication with people. It is in nature that Lermontov finds peace, begins to feel harmony in himself. Moreover, higher truths are revealed to him (“And in heaven I see God”).

A similar problem has one of the last poems - "I go out alone on the road." Here, nature is also depicted harmoniously, these are not separately existing elements, but an integral universe, where "the star speaks with the star." But at this moment the poet does not feel reassured. He is hurt and hard. Perhaps for the first time in all his work he expresses a desire for peace. But the peace that Lermontov speaks of is different from the usual idea. After all, the poet wants to forever see the blooming nature, feel the movement of the wind and hear about love.

Theme of poet and poetry

Features of the work of M. Yu. Lermontov cannot be considered in isolation from such topics as poetry. It is in the verses that speak of creativity, the gift of writing that the basic principles of the worldview of the poet are realized. A striking example is the poem "The Prophet". In it, the poet conducts a kind of dialogue with Pushkin. He begins his poem from the moment that Pushkin once stopped: “God gave the poet the omniscience of the prophet. However, if Pushkin hoped that he would“ burn with the verb the hearts of people, ”Lermontov, on the contrary, feels estrangement. He sees in people only malice and vice. He wants, like Pushkin, to reach out to people in a word, but he will not be able to do it. After all, people (a misunderstanding crowd) accuse him of self-confidence and pride. The opposition of the poet and the crowd is one of the main features of Lermontov's poetry.

Analysis of the poem "Mtsyri"

This poem reflected, first of all, the romantic principles of poetry. But there are also peculiar features of Lermontov’s work in it . Briefly, the story is as follows: a young man brought up in a monastery wanted to be free, but day in the wild turned into death for him. Mtsyri - an uninitiated monk - felt like a captive all his life. He is a characteristic romantic hero for whom the world in which he lives is unbearable. Mtsyri wanted to feel life, to learn all its manifestations. He admired the beauty of nature and enjoyed strolling through the woods. The voice of a young Georgian woman made a special impression on him. Hearing him, Mtsyri realized that he was free. In the forest, he came across a leopard - the personification of strength and courage. In an equal fight, a leopard died, Mtsyri also gets a mortal wound. The poem clearly demonstrates Lermontov’s love for the nature of the Caucasus. Very bright and colorful poet describes local landscapes. The poem most fully embodied the artistic features of the works of Lermontov. The image of nature in it is comparable with the paintings that the poet himself painted while traveling in the south of Russia and the Caucasus.

The novel "Hero of our time"

This is a prosaic work in which the features of Lermontov’s work are also vividly presented. The novel is very polemical. Different interpretations of the character of the main character - Pechorin. Researchers argue about how Lermontov treated his hero and whether Pechorin can be called a double of the poet himself. Of course, like all the works of M. Lermontov, this novel has an autobiographical background. The hero’s resemblance to the writer is in person: he serves in the Caucasus, he is lonely, contrasts himself with other people. However, in Pechorin there are too many demonic and purely negative features, thanks to which we understand that for the author himself Pechorin is clearly not a hero in the full sense of the word.

In the novel, the skills of a writer-psychologist were realized. On the one hand, Pechorin arouses sympathy among the reader, but on the other, we cannot say that he is a good person. He deceives the girls, he despises people and even kills Grushnitsky in a duel. But he is smart, he is honest, principled. Lermontov uses such an artistic technique of psychologism as detail. The negative aspects of Pechorin’s character are manifested in the smallest details: in movements that speak of his secrecy, in his behavior with Maxim Maksimych, which speaks of his coldness and indifference to people, even in his tears, which do not come from grief, but from wounded pride. In addition, in the novel we can find examples of psychological parallelism.

The novel with full confidence can be called philosophical. In it, the author discusses friendship, love, and fate. The whole action is designed on the central character - Pechorin, and all the plot lines are reduced to it. However, the novel did not turn out to be boring: Pechorin’s personality is so multifaceted and complex.

General conclusions

So, the main topics in the works of Lermontov.

1. Theme of nature. It usually involves philosophical questions.
2. The theme of loneliness. Some poems are complicated by the motive of pilgrimage.
3. Theme of poet and poetry. What is a poetic gift, what is the necessary poetry for, what is its significance in the modern world.
4. Theme of love. She is also painted in gloomy tones by Lermontov, love lyrics are included in the thematic group of poems about loneliness.

The work of Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov is thoroughly permeated with deep feelings. Perhaps the poetry is so attractive to him precisely because he invested his soul in it, because his lyrical hero is practically inseparable from the author. Of course, Lermontov’s talent is manifested not only at the level of content, but also at the level of form. Many poems of the poet (especially in late works) are absolutely small in volume, but very deep and capacious.