In 1836, Alexander Sergeevich worked on the Kamennoostrovsky cycle, published only after his death. M. Yu. Lotman believes that several verses from this series can be considered the pinnacle of Pushkin’s work and his poetic testament. The cycle presents at least 6 works (the exact belonging to it of some others has not been established). Of these, 4 poems are marked in Roman numerals. The work of interest to us, "From Pindemonti" (a genre - a poem), is just part of this cycle. Three others from it - "Worldly power", "Imitation of the Italian" and "Fathers of the hermits and wives are blameless." In all these works there are many religious Christian symbols. However, they are not in the verse "From Pindemonti"
History of the work
It is she who will help us shed light on its meaning. What can be said about the work of interest to us? The poem "From Pindemonti", an analysis of which we will conduct today, refers to the late work of the author. His plan came about when the poet betrayed at a summer cottage located near Petersburg in 1836. In the same year, he designed his plan in a finished poem. However, only in 1855 was the work "From Pindemonti" published. An analysis of this date shows that Alexander Sergeyevich was no longer alive at this time (he died in 1837). Thus, this work was published after his death. And this did not happen because Pushkin did not want to print it. On the contrary, he did his best to make censorship skip the work From Out of Pinemonti. The analysis carried out by researchers after his death suggests that Alexander Sergeyevich even changed the name of his creation for this.
The hoax of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin
Most literary scholars of our day are inclined to believe that the title of the work of interest to us is a hoax. It has nothing to do with the plot of the verse itself, with the idea of "From Pindemonti." Analysis showed that the text was originally called "From Alfred Musset", but Pushkin decided to change this name, because he wanted to see the work published. The censorship of that time would not have missed the mention of the great romantic writer from France. The reason is the July Revolution in 1830. Nicholas I did not want information about her to be distributed in the vast country. As a result, Alexander Sergeyevich decided to slightly change the previous name, instead of the name of the French writer, using the name Ippolito Pindemonte, Italian poet.
Many believe that this choice was not accidental. Two of these authors have a theme of freedom. In addition, they talk about confronting man with social reality. However, Ippolito Pindemonte was not known to the Russian public, so Pushkin decided to use his name in the work "From Pindemont". The story of the hoax, however, is not so straightforward. It should be said that such ideas (freedom of love, opposition) are characteristic in general for such a literary trend as romanticism. Some researchers believe that both the Italian and the Frenchman have no significant similarities with Alexander Sergeyevich. They note that the fact of the deliberate misrepresentation of the reading public is a false reference.
Composition
The poem can be divided into 2 parts (some distinguish 3), which are opposed to one another. The lyrical hero "From Pindemonti" in both of them talks about the system of his life values. Before the reader, a series of denials of social roles and political institutions passes first. It's about censorship, wars, taxes. This gives the poem a classic touch. The principle that Pushkin uses here is called "exhaustive division."
The principle of exhaustive division
Its essence lies in the fact that the motive or theme is divided into the maximum possible number of options, which are listed in a series of homogeneous designs. This principle in poetry is characteristic of the classical style, but is genetically related to ancient lyrics. It was acquired by Russian poets in the Pushkin era, but retained its classic color. The principle of exhaustive division is applied not only in the first part. All the poem that interests us is almost entirely built on it. Of these four “divisions” is the entire text. First, Pushkin lists what he does not grumble about, then what he does not want to depend on. Further, Alexander Sergeyevich says that he is not going to give anyone a report, "to himself only."
Second part of the poem
Values perceived positively are presented in the second part. In addition, one of the main ideas of the poem is also expressed here. Pushkin says that one should not "bend neither conscience, nor thoughts, nor neck for livery," "for power."
Alexander Sergeyevich argues that each person has the right to physical and spiritual freedom, which neither other people nor the state can take from him. All other rights without this are meaningless and fictitious. The highest happiness of the lyrical hero is to be a person, to admire works of art, to “marvel” at “nature's beauty”.
Associations with Antiquity
According to S. A. Kibalnik, a well-known literary critic, in the work "From Pindemonti" Pushkin clearly used the classical basis. Both at the content and at the level of form (Alexandrian verse) associations with antiquity are born. However, this could only remain at the level of shades if ancient associations did not arise from the content of the work. Alexander Sergeevich defends the right of every person to external and internal freedom. He extols the enjoyment of art, communication with nature. All this is opposed to the desire for power, the ambitious desire to devote his life to public service. In the works of Horace, an ancient Roman poet, there are similar ideas.
Pushkin's appeal to the work of Horace
His works interested Pushkin in the years of study at the Lyceum. All of the above motives have analogues in Russian poetry from 1800-1810. It is, in particular, about the lyceum poems of Alexander Sergeyevich, such as "The Dreamer", "Gorodok", "Message to Yudin." Pushkin in the early period of his work created the image of an epicurean poet, rather arbitrary. The tradition of conditional poetry of Horace was rejected by him quite quickly. In the 1830s, Pushkin often turned directly to the achievements of antiquity. He moved from conventional Roman and ancient Greek symbols to living images, from the imitations of Horace made in the French manner to his own poetry.
Pushkin's evolution in the development of Horace’s creative heritage
Motives close to the work of this author express the direct feelings of Alexander Sergeyevich in "From Pindemonti". The nature of the verse is very far from conventional, so much so that it is impossible to imagine a return to this tradition, which has long been overcome. However, the creativity of Alexander Sergeyevich of the 1830s is much more characteristic of referring directly to ancient lyrics (although this mainly concerns translations) than the assimilation of its motives and images through the prism of modern poetry. Pushkin’s evolution in the development of the creative heritage of the great Roman poet comes from ancient conditional symbols to specific living images, from imitations of Horace in the French style to this author himself. Indeed, Alexander Sergeyevich wrote "I have erected a monument to myself ..." just 1.5 months after the creation of the poem that interests us. And the translation of the ode of the Roman poet "To Pompey Var" refers to 1835. Even earlier, in 1833, Alexander Sergeyevich worked on the translation of yet another ode to Horace - “To the Patron”. However, the last of the listed works was not completed. Pushkin translated only 8 verses of 36. Nevertheless, from this small passage, one can trace some general similarities between this work and the verse “From Pindemonti”.
The similarity of the verse "From Pindemonti" with the ode to Horace "To the Patron"
In accordance with the beginning of the work of Horace (in the translation "Kings descendant, Patron ...") we are talking about human aspirations that are alien to the poet. We see the same thing in the poem "From Pindemonti". Pushkin speaks of human rights to which he does not strive and which he does not cherish at all.
One more interesting coincidence can be noted. At Horace, the desire to become the chosen one of an unstable crowd is joined by: the habit of working as a farmer, a tendency to a quiet life, a passion for hunting, the desire for exploits on the battlefield, and a craving for long sea voyages. In the finale we see the opposition of our life philosophy to the characteristic of this author’s work.
Compositional features of the works of Pushkin and Horace
Undoubtedly, it can be noted that the composition of the poem "From Pindemonti" resembles the composition of the ode, written by Horace. For the Roman poet, the first part of the work, like that of Alexander Sergeevich, was created on the principle of exhaustive division. In it, Horace discusses the aspiration of other people. Alexander Sergeyevich also speaks about rights, but about those to which he is not striving, but others, about those from whom more than one head is spinning. The author of the poem "From Pindemonti" develops only one motive of those that Horace has: state activity, power. The Roman poet immediately proceeds to the declaration of his own aspirations. In Alexander Sergeyevich, he was preceded by a declaration of indifference to "high-profile rights." In the final, “positive” part of the work of interest to us, you can find the similarity of motives for enjoying art and nature.
The difference between the work of Pushkin and the ode to Horace
As for the general idea, Pushkin has a slightly different one. In contrast to the many aspirations of man, Horace believed that the only way by which he personally can find happiness is poetry. However, Alexander Sergeevich “freedom” is freedom. He wants not to give "anyone an account", to "serve and please" only to himself. All this proves that Alexander Sergeyevich used both the figurative system and the composition of Horace's ode “To the Patron” in his work “From Pindemonti”. Pushkin, however, hardly again turned to the creation of the Roman poet. Most likely, the composition and images of the ode from 1833 were preserved in his memory (while working on the translation).
Reference to Hamlet
In addition to Horace, the poem "From Pindemonti" refers us to Shakespeare's "Hamlet". We are talking about a triple repetition of the "word" in the poem of Pushkin. Alexander Sergeevich uses it when he makes a comment about how power relates to the activities of writers. However, it is kings, as well as the uneducated population, who are actually engaged in idle talk.
From Pindemonti: An Idea
The meaning of Pushkin’s work is to express love for freedom, to resist pressure exerted by various public institutions. The verse "From Pindemonti" presents the entire set of life values of Alexander Sergeevich. "People" and "power", as base formations, are opposed to the great works of art and the beauty of nature. The poet does not want to serve the state and announces this in his verse "From Pindemonti", the meaning of which was extremely clear to everyone, including the king. Pushkin does not understand why a person should serve the state. Naturally, the poem in which such an idea was expressed, and even openly, simply could not miss censorship. Even the change of name did not help Pushkin, only the change of ruler played in his favor. In 1855, Alexander II ascended the throne. The poem "From Pindemonti", the publication year of which is the 1855th, was immediately presented to the public.
Not about the "French" confrontation of political and personal freedom, and especially not about the "Italian" we are talking about in the poem that interests us. Its content forms the Russian theme, which has long been one of the main places in the work of Alexander Sergeyevich. This is the theme of the departure of the lyrical hero from the kingdom of arbitrariness and lawlessness, that is, the conviction and denial of this kingdom.
"From Pindemonti" and "Worldly Power"
If we turn to one fact, the contours of this thought appear even more clearly. In addition to Iz Iz Pindemonti, on July 5, 1936, Pushkin completed Worldly Power. This work is one of the most important for Alexander Sergeyevich from poetic journalism. The author’s attention was drawn to one seemingly insignificant fact. In the temple, located probably in the aristocratic part of the Russian capital, the authorities ordered to put two sentries with a gun at the crucifix. This was supposed to be done in order to avoid confusion. However, Pushkin saw this completely different - a symbolic expression of cynicism and hypocrisy of the tsarist government, which fenced off the people of the masters even during religious rites.
These two poems, created simultaneously, complement each other. In various forms, Alexander Sergeevich exposes the socio-political system that prevailed at that time. Pushkin continues his struggle for freedom under the gaze of censorship, in the spirit of his "hymns of the past." He defends both social and personal independence. Pushkin understands freedom as a universal idea.
Work Syntax
As for the syntax, we note that the short sentences characteristic of the beginning of the work differ from the voluminous constructions presented at its end. That is why the enumeration of the sides of life close to Pushkin sounds soulful, and the list of enemies of freedom, on the contrary, is rude and mundane.
The work "From Pindemonti", whose theme is always relevant, is liked by many, especially the younger generation. After all, youth is more characteristic of the desire for freedom, the denial of authority. The poem "From Pindemonti" is included in the compulsory school curriculum. It teaches the young generation of independence and true values.