The poetic heritage of A. S. Pushkin covers a variety of topics, but a special place in it is occupied by the poet’s reflections on the purpose of art, the role of the creator and his ability to influence society. One of the key texts in exploring this topic is the poem “The Poet and the Crowd,” which confronts two different views on the meaning of art: the people and the creator himself. The multi-wise Litrecon offers a detailed analysis of the poem according to a plan that will help you understand the themes and issues of the text.
History of creation
The poem “The Poet and the Crowd” was written by Pushkin in 1828 and was originally titled “Mob.” Later, when preparing the text for the second edition in 1836, the poet gave it a new name, under which it has survived to this day.
The end of the 20s of the 19th century was a difficult period for Pushkin. He suffered a long exile, suffered greatly from the consequences of the Decembrist uprising, and his works were subject to strict censorship. The conflict with a society that does not understand the poet and the desire to freely express one’s thoughts became the main themes of the poem “The Poet and the Crowd.” By crowd he meant not so much readers as public opinion, governed by censorship prohibitions. At that time, it was difficult for Pushkin to express his thoughts: he felt misunderstood and rejected by his compatriots.
History of writing
The beginning of the 19th century was a turning point for the author. At that time, Alexander Sergeevich was in exile, received the title of disgraced poet and was often attacked by censorship. Pushkin could not fully reveal his potential and begin to create when he had a heavy burden on his soul because of his fellow Decembrists. The poet supported them in every possible way, so the defeat of the Decembrist movement clouded his consciousness.
Alexander Sergeevich often wondered what the poet’s purpose was for society . He understood that works can change the consciousness and worldview of one person, which means that the whole world can be transformed.
Pushkin conveyed his thoughts with the help of the poem “The Poet and the Crowd,” which was written in 1828. Initially it was published under the title “Mob,” but the poet decided to change it for the second edition.
Genre, direction, size
In terms of genre, Pushkin’s “The Poet and the Crowd” is a lyrical poem of philosophical content. In the text, the poet discusses the role and purpose of art, confronting two opposing points of view. At the same time, the form of dialogue with a clear separation of characters allows some researchers to call the text a “dramatized poem.”
The reader's attention is focused on the irreconcilable conflict between the creator and the public who do not understand him, characteristic of the romantic tradition. The epigraph “Away, uninitiated”, taken by Pushkin from Virgil’s repertoire, emphasizes the inability of the mob to understand the real purpose of art and to feel its power.
The poem “The Poet and the Crowd” is written in iambic tetrameter; the poet uses complex rhyming with alternating masculine and feminine rhymes.
Composition
Pushkin creates his poem “The Poet and the Crowd” in the form of a dialogue, which allows him to express the views on poetry of the crowd and the poet himself, to collide these views and show the abyss that lies between them.
- The first part of the lyrical text is an exposition, unfolding before the reader a picture of the action: on the one hand, the singing poet, on the other, the people who “senselessly listened to him.”
- The crowd does not deny the power of art, which “excites and torments the heart,” but is indignant because it cannot understand the meaning of these enchanting songs.
- In his response to the mob, the poet is full of indignation. He clearly separates himself from the “meaningless people”, because these people prefer a stove pot, which has practical benefits, to the beauty of the “Belvedere Idol”.
- In the next appeal to the poet, the crowd is ready to recognize his superiority, calling him a “divine messenger,” but at the same time wants to benefit from his gift. The mob recognizes its vices and expects lessons and help in correction from the “chosen one of heaven.”
- The final poem, the poet's angry response, clearly states the impossibility of such correction for people mired in depravity, stupidity and malice. “The voice of the lyre will not revive you” - these words of the lyrical hero sound like a verdict on society. Cleaning up “trash” from the streets is not the poet’s job: “We were born for inspiration, for sweet sounds and prayers.”
“The Poet and the Crowd” A. Pushkin
“The Poet and the Crowd” Alexander Pushkin
Procul este, profani.
The poet rattled the lyre with an inspired absent-minded hand. He sang - and the cold and arrogant people all around, uninitiated, mindlessly listened to Him.
And the stupid crowd explained: “Why does he sing so loudly? In vain, striking the ear, to what goal is he leading us? What is he strumming about? what does it teach us? Why does it excite and torment hearts, Like a wayward sorcerer? Like the wind, his song is free, But like the wind, it is barren: What good does it do us?”
Be silent, senseless people, day laborer, slave of need, of worries! Your impudent murmur is unbearable to me, You are a worm of the earth, not a son of heaven; Everything would benefit you - you value the Belvedere for its weight in idol. You don’t see any benefit or benefit in it. But this marble is god. so what? The stove pot is more valuable to you: You cook your food in it.
No, if you are heaven's chosen one, use your gift, the divine messenger, for our good: correct the hearts of your brothers. We are cowardly, we are treacherous, Shameless, evil, ungrateful; We are cold-hearted eunuchs, slanderers, slaves, fools; Vices nest in a club within us. You can, loving your neighbor, Give us bold lessons, And we will listen to you.
Go away - what does the peaceful Poet care about you! Feel free to turn to stone in debauchery, The voice of the lyre will not revive you! You are as disgusting to my soul as coffins. For your stupidity and malice you have hitherto had whips, prisons, axes; - Enough of you, crazy slaves! In your cities, they sweep away rubbish from the noisy streets - useful work! - But, having forgotten their service, the Altar and the sacrifice, do the Priests take your broom? Not for everyday worries, Not for self-interest, not for battles, We were born for inspiration, For sweet sounds and prayers.
Analysis of Pushkin’s poem “The Poet and the Crowd”
Pushkin repeatedly wondered what the role of the poet is in society. He understood that rhyming lines could completely change the world and make people think differently. An example of this was the Decembrist uprising, the literary inspiration of which was Pushkin. However, the failure of the secret conspiracy not only became the greatest disappointment in life for the poet, but also forced him to rethink his purpose. In 1828, Pushkin wrote the poem “The Poet and the Crowd,” in which he drew a very clear line between creative people and the “rabble,” who for the most part treat poetry with disdain and do not try to delve into their meaning. The poet in the author’s work is presented as a higher being who has nothing to do with the “cold and arrogant” people who do not understand why poetry is needed at all .
Indeed, in the first half of the 19th century, literary creativity did not carry any social significance; its tasks were reduced to entertaining people. And this is exactly how all layers of Russian society, without exception, treated poetry. For them, the “poet’s song” was free and, at the same time, barren, “like the wind,” i.e. was of no value. Meanwhile, the poet himself believed that this was far from the case. People are simply not yet ready to recognize the right of writers to be prophets and shape the public worldview. Therefore, answering in his poem to his compatriots the question of what modern poetry contains, Fr. Pushkin. The decoding of this phrase is quite simple - the poet is convinced that the main problem of society is its mundaneness and soullessness . People are so mired in worldly affairs and concerns that they even try to find some kind of rational grain in poetry. In the same way, they cannot enjoy other works of art, because “the stove pot is more valuable to you, you cook your food in it.”
Pushkin openly admits that “we are cowardly, we are insidious, shameless, evil, ungrateful,” noting that the vast majority of people possess these qualities. They are so far from spiritual life that the poet simply refuses to reach their hearts, declaring: “Enough of you, crazy slaves!” At the same time, the author considers slavery not physical, but rather spiritual dependence on material wealth, against the background of which people simply lose the ability to see beauty and degrade from generation to generation, depriving themselves of the future. This trend is characteristic not only of the lower strata of society, who are forced to worry about their daily bread in order to survive, but also of the nobility, who are mired in vices and entertainment, having ceased to distinguish between what is truly valuable and what is temporary and temporary. . Addressing his people, the poet Fr.
At the same time, the author does not see the possibility of changing public consciousness, so he asserts: “The voice of the lyre will not revive you!” . He is disappointed that the poet in society is still relegated to the role of a jester, and no one is interested in exactly what feelings and thoughts he puts into his works. Thus, Pushkin consciously renounces the world in which he lives, since he understands that he is destined to be heard only by a few. However, he does not give up creativity and continues to write poetry “not for everyday excitement, not for self-interest, not for battles,” but in order to make the world a little more beautiful and awaken noble, pure and bright feelings in the souls of at least some people.
Images and symbols
The two central images of the poem “The Poet and the Crowd” are the creator and the crowd opposed to him.
The image of the poet is consistently revealed in the text, first through the assessment of the crowd listening to him, then in the direct speech of the servant of the muses himself. The mob, accustomed to looking for practical value in everything, is opposed to the poet, but even they cannot deny that his songs move hearts. Comparing the poet with a “wayward sorcerer,” the crowd recognizes his incomprehensible power over souls and asks him to use this power for their benefit. The poet himself opposes this view of art: “Not for everyday worries, not for self-interest, not for battles, we were born for inspiration.”
The description of the crowd is given, first of all, through numerous definitions that sound in its own speeches or the poet’s angry speeches: “senseless people”, “worm of the earth”. An important symbol of the down-to-earth thoughts of the mob becomes the “stove pot,” which for the crowd turns out to be more important than all spiritual aspirations.
Subjects
Through the poet's conversation with people far from poetry, Pushkin tries to understand the role of the creator in society . What is the poet's mission? Can he influence people's minds and public life? Can he make them better with his creativity?
His life experience gives the answer: no. The gap between the practical mind of a merchant and the creative mind is too great.
“The voice of the lyre will not revive you!”
For those for whom a skillful statue is just an expensive marble that can be weighed and sold, it is difficult to understand that there is a different category of value - the value of a work of art.
That’s why he responds to the crowd, which calls on him to devote his gift to correcting the vices in society, that poets are born...
Not for everyday worries, Not for self-interest, not for battles, We were born for inspiration, For sweet sounds and prayers.
Themes, issues and mood
The main themes of the poem “The Poet and the Crowd” are the role of the poet and poetry, the purpose of art. According to the centuries-old tradition of European literature, the poet appears as a lonely hero, endowed with special power over the word, but at the same time lonely and misunderstood.
By crowd, Pushkin means the upper strata of society, but they turn out to be so mired in vice and everyday worries that they cannot and do not want to see the beauty of real art. Instinctively, the crowd feels that the poet’s song breathes freedom, but it is afraid of its reaction, wants to subjugate art to itself, to make it an instrument of its own interests. The poet categorically disagrees with such a call; he is not ready to correct it with his texts, preferring to leave art high and pure.
The problems of the poem “The Poet and the Crowd” are already contained in the title. In the poem, Pushkin discusses the influence that poetry can have on readers and listeners. It makes no sense to deny this influence, but the poet comes to the sad conclusion of his inability to correct the depravity and ignorance of the society that surrounds him. This society is accustomed to completely different instruments of correction: “For your stupidity and malice, you have until now had whips, prisons, and axes.” That is why, according to the poet, the crowd is not able to correctly perceive his songs, hear the freedom contained in them and independently learn lessons from it.
main idea
The main idea of “The Poet and the Crowd” is the irreconcilability of two different positions. The poet is free and not ready to sing at anyone's direction. The crowd is ready to idolize him and listen to his songs only if he agrees to make his gift a tool or a pot. The desire of the mob to become better and get rid of their vices may seem noble, but the poet sees the true picture: the people are accustomed to looking for practical benefits in everything, they want the same from art, but at the same time they are not ready for independent actions, for painstaking work on themselves.
The poet’s position is clearly formulated by himself: servants of the muses are “born to inspire.” The lyrical hero opposes custom-made art, proclaiming the value of pure poetry. Poetry can influence people, but not when it is created to order. This is the meaning of the poem “The Poet and the Crowd.”
Means of expression
The images of the poet and the crowd in Pushkin’s lyrical text are, first of all, created with the help of a large number of bright epithets. The crowd says to itself: “we are cowardly, we are treacherous, shameless, evil, ungrateful,” but the poet calls the people listening to him “senseless” and their murmur “insolent.” Comparisons and metaphors complement the image of the crowd. By calling the mob “mad slaves,” the author points not to the physical, but to the spiritual slavery of society.
- The antithesis addressed by the poet to the mob helps to aggravate the conflict between the poet and the crowd as much as possible and to show the irreconcilability of their positions: “You are a worm of the earth, not a son of heaven.” The crowd becomes the personification of the earthly, low principle, while the poet appears as a heavenly messenger.
- A detailed comparison of the spiritual “litter” of society with the litter on the streets of big cities helps the poet express his position most clearly. Just as a priest will not give up his ministry for the sake of cleanliness of the streets, the creator refuses to “clean out” the souls of the crowd calling to him. He follows only his inspiration, serves his art, and therefore feels the strength not to make an agreement with society, but to boldly sing about freedom.
In the poem “The Poet and the Crowd,” A. S. Pushkin tried to formulate problems that were important to him at that time. He talks about the depravity and ignorance of society, angrily declares the inability to change it, and proclaims freedom as the highest value of art. This idea is emphasized by the impeccably chosen trails.
Author: Yulia Filipskaya
Means of artistic expression
To enhance artistic expressiveness in the poem, the following are used:
- epithets: inspired lyre, absent-minded hand, uninitiated, cold, stupid, arrogant people, free song, daring murmur, divine (messenger), etc.;
- metaphors: worm of the earth, turning to stone in debauchery, mad slaves, this marble is a god! Vices nest in us like a club, etc.
- comparisons: like a wayward sorcerer; like the wind, a song; like the wind and barren; You are disgusting to my soul, like coffins!
