My reflections on Russian poetry


Poetry is not “the best words in the best

Order “, this is the highest form of language existence.

I. Brodsky

Russian poetry, Russian poets… “A poet in Russia is more than a poet” – these words of Evgeni Evtushenko are clear to anyone who is familiar with Russian poetic literature, with the fate of Russian poets. Indeed, poets in Russia from time immemorial performed their duty to their people: they conveyed to people a huge variety of thoughts and feelings, formed public opinion, were fighters for freedom and brotherhood, were sore for the people, were the conscience of the nation.

AS Pushkin – a vivid confirmation of this. His “Message to Siberia” expressed the opinion of the progressive part of the society that had become exiled to the Decembrists. M. Lermontov wrote “Death of the Poet”, where sharp remarks addressed to the executioners of “freedom, genius and glory” standing

at the throne. AA Akhmatova in “Requiem” expressed pain and anger, from which not only the silent crowds standing at the gates of prisons were choking, the whole country was paralyzed, paralyzed with fear during the years of Stalinist repression. Such countless examples of the public sounding of the Russian poetic word can be cited.

Indeed: “The poet in Russia is more than a poet”.

The public and political sounding of poems is still, in my opinion, not the most important thing in poetry, although not unimportant. The reader searches in poetic lines for food for feelings, for emotional empathy with the author. Therefore, Pushkin’s lines: “… my sorrow is bright, my sadness is full of you”, “… I’m sad because of what is cheerful for you”, “… ah, it’s not difficult to deceive me: I myself am deceived myself”; Akhmatova: “I learned simply, it’s wise to live, look at the sky and pray to God,” “there is less hope with one song, there will be more songs…” – they will survive the

centuries and will be close and understandable to future generations. But the lines about the fall of shackles and the fact that “the dungeons will collapse, and freedom will meet you joyfully at the entrance,” or of the “rumbling of the black marus” through the centuries will, of course, be interesting,

Poems of Russian poets have always very accurately and expressively talked about friendship and love, about hatred and treason, about good and evil; very lyrically described their native nature, with deep tenderness and compassion – “our smaller brothers.” In the poetry of Pushkin and Lermontov, Tyutchev and Fet, Yesenin and Blok, Akhmatova and Tsvetaeva, Pasternak and Brodsky, Yevtushenko and Voznesensky, our bards V. Vysotsky, Yu. Vizbor, B. Okudzhava each reader will find a theme that resonates with their feelings or is simply a favorite poem, will admire the external simplicity and inner depth of poetic lines, accurate comparison, the ease of rhyme… Sometimes it’s even hard to understand what struck most: thought? rhythmics? the musicality of the verse? The answer is one: all together. It is not necessary to verify harmony with algebra. Poetry is not subject to anatomy. She or strikes the nerves, forcing the heart to beat louder, or elevating the soul and feelings, or simply giving pleasure and joy. Most often all together, if this is real poetry, which is “the highest form of language existence.”

In conclusion, I would like to name your favorite poem. He is a poem by M. Yu. Lermontov “Gratitude”, written by a poet at 26 years old. A year later he was no more… Here are the lines that sunk into my soul and were remembered for life:

For everything, for all of you I thank:
For the secret torment of passions.
For the bitterness of tears, the poison of a kiss,
For the revenge of enemies and the slander of friends,
For the heat of the soul, wasted in the desert,
For all that I have been deceived in my life.
Just set it up so that from now on
I will not be long thanking you.

I consider this poetry to be “the highest form of language existence”.


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My reflections on Russian poetry