Demon" by Lermontov: philosophical issues. Plot, system of images. Analysis of the poem “Demon” (M. Lermontov) The ideological content of the poem demon

Many writers have resorted to images of evil spirits. The evil spirit disturbed the hearts of many people and had many faces, because it is not for nothing that it has many names. For these reasons, people should be careful and never give in to temptation. The Demon also touched upon the theme of evil spirits in his work, which he created almost his entire life.

Brief analysis of Lermontov's poem Demon

Lermontov began working on his work Demon, a brief summary of which we present to your attention, at the age of fourteen. After its appearance in its original form, the author reworked it several times. For these reasons, there were eight editions of The Demon. They differed from each other and it is not surprising, because in early age there was one vision that contained multiple philosophical considerations, while in a more mature age there are no parallels between the lyrical hero Demon and the author of the work.

Revealing the storyline in our analysis of Lermontov's poem according to plan, we see many of the topics covered, where a special place is given to the theme of love. This is a feeling that can destroy or give hope. So the jealousy and haste of Tamara’s fiancé destroys him, but love gives the Demon hope of salvation. In Lermontov's poem, a struggle is visible, where the Demon confronts not only the world, but also fights with himself. In addition, Lermontov reveals the theme of faith and loneliness.

Plot and issues

According to the plot, God expelled the Demon from heaven, who had to wander in the mountains. The demon was lonely, he was not happy about dark affairs, but flying over Georgia, he noticed Tamara. This is a beautiful girl who was preparing for marriage. She waited impatiently for her groom, played the tambourine and danced. She captured the Demon, who planned to destroy his rival, directing the robbers at the groom, who was hurrying to his bride. The demon achieved his death and instead of the upcoming wedding, a mourning event hung over the heroine.

Now the Demon began to appear to the girl in a dream, she heard his voice everywhere, and, unable to bear it, begs her father to send her to a monastery. Although Tamara had no peace from the Demon in the monastery, she found herself under the protection of the Angels. One day, the Demon manages to seduce the heroine, although he understood that the carnal relationship would end in the death of his chosen one. And so it happened. The demon seduces Tamara, after which she dies. However, her soul was saved, because an Angel took her to heaven. The main character is now doomed to loneliness and wandering.

As we see, Lermontov in his work actualized such issues as vice and love. The heroes must make their moral choice, where the Demon abandoned humility, choosing passion, for which he receives even more suffering. Tamara's fiance neglects prayer, for which he immediately paid. But Tamara resisted, and without succumbing to temptation, she goes to heaven.

Lermontov wrote the poem “The Demon” from the age of fifteen, constantly returning to it for ten years. He changed the plot, adding new characters, details, settings, but the image of the main character remained unchanged. In 1839, Lermontov finished writing the poem “The Demon”. A summary of this work, as well as its analysis, is presented in the article. Today, this creation of the great Russian poet is included in the compulsory school curriculum and is known throughout the world.

An excerpt from the poem “The Demon” by M. Yu. Lermontov

Flew over the sinful earth,

AND better days memories

A crowd crowded in front of him;

He shone, a pure cherub,

When a running comet

Hello with a gentle smile

I loved to exchange with him,

When through the eternal mists,

Hungry for knowledge, he followed

Nomadic caravans

When he believed and loved,

Happy firstborn of creation!

And did not threaten his mind

A sad series of barren centuries...

And a lot, a lot... and everything

He didn’t have the strength to remember!

Brief analysis of the poem “Demon”

Option 1

Mikhail Yuryevich wrote his poem “The Demon” for ten years. He changed it several times, edited it, and introduced new characters. The poem became one of the main works in Lermontov's work. In general, the theme of demonism was inherent in the works of the 19th century. O also wrote, whose admirer was Lermontov.

A demon is an image of evil spirits. He wreaks havoc throughout the earth and because of his evil, God kicked him out of paradise. The demon, also known as Satan and the Devil, thinks that it is time for him to change. He was tired of being alone and causing harm. Therefore, when he meets Tamara, he sincerely believes that with this girl he can change, he will become better. But Tamara has a lover whom she is waiting for, and the demon, in turn, is waiting for the time to come when the girl will fall in love with him. Then his life will change dramatically, and he will stop being evil.

Tamara's lover dies and suspicions arise that this is the Demon's revenge. That he could not allow his beloved to be with someone else. Although these are just guesses. Lermontov's demon is not as evil as that of other writers. He is ready to change, he believes that everything will work out for him and that everything is waiting for him happy life. He invites Tamara to renounce everything earthly, and this refusal means nothing more than death. An Angel comes to the girl’s aid and returns the Demon to his former life.

At the end of the poem, the Demon becomes desperate. In the name of love for him, Tamara dies, and an Angel takes her soul. The demon remains alone, he did not take into account that the girl’s soul would be taken by heaven. The demon cursed his dreams, he became the same as before. Dreams for a bright future did not come true. Lermontov showed the Demon as a creature limited in its world. Even his feelings for Tamara were limited, which is why he was unable to come to another life.

Option 2

Sad Demon, spirit of exile,

Flew over the sinful earth...

M. Lermontov

The poem is permeated with ideas of struggle both at the global level (the confrontation between the Demon and God) and within the soul of an individual character (the Demon wants to improve, but pride and thirst for pleasure torment him).

The presence of folklore motifs also allows us to attribute “Demon” to the genre specifically romantic poem.

About what?

In Georgia, in the luxurious house of Prince Gudal, his daughter, a girl of incredible beauty, Tamara, lives. She is waiting for her wedding, the yard has already been cleared for the celebration, but the Demon flying over the peaks of the Caucasus has already noticed the girl, he is captivated by her. The groom hurries to the wedding, followed by a rich caravan of camels, but in the gorge the travelers are overtaken by robbers. So the joy of a wedding turns into the grief of a funeral.

The demon, now without rivals, appears to Tamara, wanting to take possession of her. The poor girl wants to find protection from God and goes to a monastery. There she is guarded by a Guardian Angel, but one night the Demon overcame this barrier and seduced the girl. Tamara died, but an Angel saved her soul and transported her to Paradise, where she found peace.

The main characters and their characteristics

The demon is a very complex character in the poem. The very image of the Demon goes back to Biblical stories, but in Lermontov’s poem we already encounter the author’s interpretation of this archetype. He is punished with eternal life, and his existence will always be accompanied by loneliness and melancholy. It would seem that one could envy this unique opportunity: to observe the mountain beauty from a bird's eye view, but even this bored the hero. Even evil no longer brings him pleasure.

But the characteristics of the Demon cannot be reduced to only negative ones. He meets a girl comparable to a fairy-tale maiden, possessing such beauty that “the world has never seen before.” But she is beautiful not only in appearance and outfits, but also in her soul.

Tamara is modest, chaste, believes in God, she was not created for this world, it is no coincidence that the Demon wants to find salvation through love for her. Feeling this new feeling for him, the Fallen One wants to do only good, to take the true path. But, as we see further, the hero cannot cope with his pride, and all his good intentions turn into dust. The tempter is bold and persistent; on the path to pleasure, he is not going to give in to either the pleas of a defenseless girl or the persuasion of God's messenger.

Themes

Love. Love occupies a special place in the poem. It has limitless power: sometimes it destroys heroes, sometimes it gives hope, and sometimes it promises eternal torment. A jealous rush to the bride destroys Tamara’s fiancé, but for the Demon this girl is the hope of salvation. Love awakens long-forgotten feelings in the Fallen Angel; it makes him, who terrifies him, afraid and cry.

Struggle. The Demon, rejected by Heaven, can no longer bear his torment. In the poem, he appears to the reader as having already lost all taste for existence; even evil does not bring him pleasure. The last chance to win forgiveness is the love of a young, pure girl. Tamara for the Demon is a weapon to fight Heaven. He got rid of the Angel, seduced Tamara, but he is not able to overcome himself, his vices, for which he is doomed to suffer forever. Tamara fights the tempter, she does not succumb to his words against the Almighty, desperately wanting to escape the hellish abode.

Loneliness. The “spirit of exile” has been wandering “in the desert of the world without shelter” for several centuries. The only joy of his existence is the memories of the past, when he was among his brothers - the “pure cherubs.” Love for a pure mortal girl makes the Demon celebrate his melancholy and loneliness even more keenly.

It seems that at some point he is ready to show humility and bow before the Almighty: he hears the evening song, it reminds the Fallen Angel of Paradise. The demon, who had previously brought fear and horror to everyone, now cries himself with hot tears.

Faith. Only thanks to her unshakable faith in God does Tamara escape the torment of hell. A disdainful attitude towards religion destroys, according to the author's plan, the princess's groom. Tempting the beauty, the Demon whispers to her that God is busy only with heavenly affairs and does not pay attention to earthly ones. But the girl did not succumb to the slander of evil, for which her soul was saved by the Guardian Angel.

Idea

Angel and Demon are two sides of one soul. Man is dual by nature; Good and Evil always fight within him. The purpose of the main character of the poem is to sow doubt, to awaken evil thoughts in a person. For obedience to the Demon, God can severely punish, as happened with Tamara’s fiancé.

The Demon is also defeated, but is Heaven so cruel to him? It gives the exile a chance to escape through sincere love, leading to virtue, but the hero cannot cope with his negative beginning and thereby destroys himself and the girl.

Issues

Love and vice are incompatible - this problem is actualized by Lermontov in “The Demon”. For the author, this feeling is rather sacred, given by Heaven, rather than earthly. When they forget about the beauty of the soul and think only about the pleasures of the flesh, love is replaced by sin. True feeling calls for virtue, self-sacrifice, and renunciation of pride.

But not everyone is given the ability to love in this way. Obsessed with a thirst for superiority over Heaven and the desire to experience pleasure for the first time in many hundreds of years, the Demon breaks the last saving thread. Both the Fallen Angel and Tamara become victims of sinful passion, but the girl who worships God is saved, and the Demon, who stubbornly opposes the Creator, dooms himself to eternal suffering. This is how the moral problem of pride is reflected - the dark side of the soul of each of us.

The heroes are faced with the problem of moral choice. Between humility and passion, the demon chooses the latter, for which he receives even greater suffering. Tamara’s fiancé listened to the evil voice and neglected prayer on the road, for which he paid dearly. Tamara manages to resist the temptations of the tempter, so the Gates of Paradise are open for her.

Criticism

In the assessment of critics, “Demon” at certain periods of its literary history the poem is presented in different ways. The appearance of this demonic image on Russian soil was in some way a literary event; reviewers treated the work with trepidation, primarily because they realized what history this topic had behind it in world literature.

One of the largest authorities of criticism of that time, V.G. Belinsky himself admits that “Demon” became for him a measure of “truths, feelings, beauties.” V.P. Botkin saw in the poem a revolutionary view of the universe. Many of the researchers of Lermontov's work still argue about the importance of some editions, without unconditionally giving the palm to the final version.

The criticism of a later period was completely different. “The Demon” became the object of ridicule and mockery, especially the realists, V. Zaitsev, A. Novodvorsky, had an extremely negative attitude towards one of the main symbols of romanticism.

He rehabilitates the poem in his poem “Demon” - a beacon of poetry at the beginning of the last century, continuing the tradition of Lermontov.

Full text “Demon” - poem by M. Yu. Lermontov

Sad Demon, spirit of exile,

Flew over the sinful earth,

And the best days of memories

A crowd crowded in front of him;

Those days when there is light in the house

He shone, a pure cherub,

When a running comet

Hello with a gentle smile

I loved to exchange with him,

When through the eternal mists,

Hungry for knowledge, he followed

Nomadic caravans

In the space of abandoned luminaries;

When he believed and loved,

Happy firstborn of creation!

I knew neither malice nor doubt.

And did not threaten his mind

A sad series of barren centuries...

And a lot, a lot... and everything

He didn’t have the strength to remember!

The long-outcast wandered

In the desert of the world without shelter:

Following the century, the century ran,

Like a minute goes by,

Monotonous sequence.

Ruling the earth insignificantly,

He sowed evil without pleasure.

Nowhere for your art

He met no resistance -

And evil bored him.

And over the peaks of the Caucasus

The exile of paradise flew by:

Below him is Kazbek, like the face of a diamond,

Shined with eternal snows,

And, deep down blackening,

Like a crack, the home of a snake,

The radiant Daryal curled,

And Terek, jumping like a lioness

With a shaggy mane on the ridge,

Both the mountain beast and the bird roared,

Whirling in the azure heights,

They listened to the word of the waters;

And golden clouds

From southern countries, from afar

They escorted him north;

And the rocks in a crowded crowd,

Full of mysterious slumber,

They bowed their heads over him,

Watching the flickering waves;

And towers of castles on the rocks

They looked menacingly through the fogs -

At the gates of the Caucasus on the clock

Guard giants!

And it was wild and wonderful all around

All God's peace; but a proud spirit

He cast a contemptuous eye

The creation of his god,

And on his high forehead

Nothing was reflected.

And before him there is a different picture

Living beauties bloomed:

Luxurious Georgia Valley

They spread out like a carpet in the distance;

Happy, lush end of the earth!

Pillar-shaped areas.

Sounding running streams

Along the bottom of multi-colored stones,

And the bushes of roses, where the nightingales are

Sing beauties, unrequited

Chinar spreading canopy,

Densely crowned with ivy.

Caves where on a scorching day

Timid deer lurk;

And shine, and life, and the noise of sheets,

Breath of a thousand plants!

And half a day of voluptuous heat,

And fragrant dew

Always moisturized nights

And the stars, bright as eyes,

How young is the look of a Georgian woman!..

But, besides cold envy,

Nature was not aroused by brilliance

In the barren breast of an exile

No new feelings, no new strength;

And everything that he saw before him

He despised or hated.

Tall house, wide yard

Gray-haired Gudal built himself...

It cost a lot of work and tears

Slaves have been obedient for a long time.

In the morning on the slope of the neighboring mountains

Shadows fall from its walls.

There are steps cut into the rock;

They are from the corner tower

They lead to the river, flashing along them,

Covered with a white veil,

Princess Tamara young

He goes to Aragva for water.

Always silent on the valleys

A gloomy house looked down from the cliff;

But there is a big feast in it today -

The zurna sounds and the guilt flows -

Gudal wooed his daughter,

He called the whole family to the feast.

On a roof covered with carpets,

The bride sits between her friends:

Their leisure time is among games and songs.

Passes. By distant mountains

The semicircle of the sun is already hidden;

Striking rhythmically in the palm of your hand,

They sing - and their tambourine

The young bride takes it.

And here she is, with one hand

Spinning it over your head

Then suddenly he will rush faster than a bird,

Then he stops and looks -

And her moist gaze shines

From under an envious eyelash;

Then he will raise a black eyebrow,

Then suddenly he bends over a little,

And it slides and floats across the carpet

Her divine leg;

And she smiles

Full of children's fun.

But the ray of the moon, through the unsteady moisture

A little playful at times

Hardly comparable to that smile

Like life, like youth, alive

I swear by the midnight star

A ray of sunset and east,

Ruler of Persia golden

And not a single king of the earth

Never kissed such an eye;

Harem splashing fountain

Never on hot days

With your pearly dew

Such a camp has not been washed!

Still no one's hand on earth,

Wandering over your sweet brow,

I didn’t unravel such hair;

Since the world lost its paradise,

I swear she's so beautiful

It did not bloom under the southern sun.

The last time she danced.

Alas! I expected it in the morning

Her, the heiress of Gudal.

Freedom's playful child,

The sad fate of the slave,

The Fatherland, alien to this day,

And an unfamiliar family.

And often secret doubt

The bright features were darkened;

And all her movements were

So slender, full of expression,

So full of sweet simplicity,

What if the Demon, flying by,

At that time he looked at her,

Then, remembering the former brothers,

He turned away and sighed...

And the Demon saw... For a moment

Inexplicable excitement

He suddenly felt within himself.

The silent soul of his desert

Filled with a blessed sound -

And again he comprehended the shrine

Love, kindness and beauty!..

And for a long time a sweet picture

He admired - and dreams

About former happiness in a long chain,

It's like there's a star behind a star,

They rolled in front of him then.

Chained by an invisible force,

He became familiar with a new sadness;

A feeling suddenly spoke in him

Once native language.

Was this a sign of rebirth?

He is the word of insidious temptation

I couldn’t find it in my mind...

Forget? God did not give me oblivion:

Yes, he would not have accepted oblivion!..

.… .… .… .…

Having exhausted the good horse,

To the wedding feast at sunset

The impatient groom was in a hurry.

Aragva bright he happily

Reached the green shores.

Under the heavy burden of gifts

Barely, barely stepping over,

Behind him there is a long row of camels

The road stretches, flashing:

Their bells are ringing.

He himself, the ruler of the Synodal.

Leads a rich caravan.

The agile frame is tightened with a belt;

Frame of saber and dagger

Glistens in the sun; behind the back

A gun with a cut-out notch.

The wind plays with its sleeves

His crap - she’s all around

All covered with galloon.

Embroidered with colored silks

His saddle; bridle with tassels;

Below him is a dashing horse covered in soap.

Priceless suit, gold.

Frisky pet Karabakh

He spins his ears and, full of fear,

Snoring looks sideways from the steepness

On the foam of a galloping wave.

The coastal path is dangerous and narrow!

Cliffs on the left side,

To the right is the depths of the rebellious river.

It's too late. On top of the snowy

The blush fades; fog has risen...

The caravan quickened its pace.

And here is the chapel on the road...

Here, since ancient times, he has been resting in God.

Some prince, now a saint,

Killed by a vengeful hand.

Since then, for a holiday or for a battle,

Wherever the traveler hurries,

Always earnest prayer

He brought it from the chapel;

And that prayer saved

From a Muslim dagger.

But the daring groom despised

The custom of their great-grandfathers.

His insidious dream

The crafty Demon was indignant:

He is in thoughts, under the darkness of the night,

He kissed the bride's lips.

Suddenly two people flashed ahead,

And more - a shot! - what's happened?..

Standing up in the ringing stirrups,

Pushing the eyebrows of the dads,

The brave prince did not say a word;

A Turkish trunk flashed in his hand,

I snap the whip and, like an eagle,

He rushed... and shot again!

And a wild cry and a muffled groan

We rushed through the depths of the valley -

The battle did not last long:

The timid Georgians fled!

Everything became quiet; crowded together

Sometimes on the corpses of horsemen

The camels looked in horror;

And dull in the silence of the steppe

Their bells were ringing.

A magnificent caravan is plundered;

And over the bodies of Christians

The night bird is drawing circles!

No peaceful tomb awaits them

Under a layer of monastery slabs,

Where the ashes of their fathers were buried;

Sisters and mothers will not come,

Covered with long veils,

With longing, sobs and prayers,

To their graves from distant places!

But with a zealous hand

Here by the road, above the rock

A cross will be erected in memory;

And the ivy that grew in the spring,

She will wrap her arms around him, caressing him

With its emerald net;

And, turning off the difficult road,

More than once a tired pedestrian

He will rest under God's shadow...

The horse rushes faster than the deer.

Snores and strains as if to fight;

Then suddenly he’ll stop at a gallop,

Listen to the breeze

Nostrils flaring wide;

Then, hitting the ground at once

The thorns of ringing hooves,

Tossing his disheveled mane,

Flies forward without memory.

It has a silent rider!

He struggles on the saddle sometimes,

Laying his head down on his mane.

He no longer governs the occasions,

With my feet in the stirrups,

And blood in wide streams

It is visible on the saddle cloth.

Dashing horse, you are the master

He took me out of the battle like an arrow,

But the evil Ossetian bullet

I caught up with him in the darkness!

There are tears and moans in the Gudal family,

People crowd in the yard:

Whose horse came rushing in on fire

And fell on the stones at the gate?

Who is this breathless horseman?

Kept a trace of swearing anxiety

Wrinkles of a dark brow.

There is blood in the weapon and dress;

In the last frantic squeeze

The hand on the mane froze.

Not long for the young groom,

Bride, your gaze expected:

He kept the prince's word,

He rode to the wedding feast...

Alas! but never again

He won’t mount a dashing horse!..

For a carefree family

God's punishment fell like thunder!

She fell on her bed,

Poor Tamara is crying;

Tear after tear rolls down,

The chest is high and difficult to breathe;

And now she seems to hear

“Don't cry, child! don't cry in vain!

Your tear on a silent corpse

Living dew will not fall:

She only blurs her clear gaze.

Virgin cheeks burn!

He's far away, he won't know

He will not appreciate your melancholy;

The heavenly light now caresses

The disembodied gaze of his eyes;

He hears heavenly melodies...

What are life's petty dreams,

And the moan and tears of the poor maiden

For a guest of the heavenly side?

No, the lot of mortal creation

Believe me, my earthly angel,

Not worth one moment

Your sadness dear!

On the ocean of air,

Without a rudder and without sails,

Silently floating in the fog

Choirs of slender luminaries;

Among the vast fields

They walk in the sky without a trace

Elusive clouds

Fibrous herds.

Hour of separation, hour of goodbye

They are neither joy nor sorrow;

They have no desire for the future

And I don’t regret the past.

On a day of languid misfortune

Just remember them;

Be to the earthly without participation

And careless, like them!”

“Only night as its cover

The heights of the Caucasus will dawn,

Only the world magic word

Spellbound, he will fall silent;

Only the wind over the rock

He stirs the withered grass,

And the bird hidden in it,

It will flutter more cheerfully in the darkness;

And under the grapevine,

Swallowing the dew of heaven greedily,

The flower will bloom at night;

Only the golden month

Will rise quietly from behind the mountain

And he will look at you furtively, -

I will fly to you;

I will be visiting until the morning

And on silk eyelashes

To bring back golden dreams...”

The words fell silent in the distance,

Following the sound, the sound died.

She jumps up and looks around...

Unspeakable Confusion

In her chest; sadness, fear,

The ardor of delight is nothing in comparison.

All her feelings were suddenly boiling;

The soul broke its shackles,

It seemed to her that it still sounded.

And before the morning the desired dream

He closed his tired eyes;

But he outraged her thought

A prophetic and strange dream.

The alien is foggy and dumb,

Shining with unearthly beauty,

He leaned towards her head;

And his gaze with such love,

I looked at her so sadly

It was as if he regretted her.

It was not a celestial angel.

Her divine guardian:

Crown of rainbow rays

Didn't decorate it with curls.

It was not the terrible spirit of hell,

Vicious martyr - oh no!

It looked like a clear evening:

Neither day nor night, neither darkness nor light!

“Father, father, leave the threats,

Don’t scold your Tamara;

I'm crying: do you see these tears,

They are not the first.

In vain the suitors crowd

They rush here from distant places...

There are many brides in Georgia;

And I can’t be anyone’s wife!..

Oh, don't scold me, father.

You yourself noticed: day by day

I'm withering, a victim of evil poison!

I'm tormented by an evil spirit

An irresistible dream;

I'm dying, have pity on me!

Give it to the sacred monastery

Your reckless daughter;

The savior will protect me there,

I will shed my sorrow before him.

There is no fun in the world for me...

Shrines of the world of autumn,

Let the gloomy cell accept

Like a coffin, ahead of me...”

And to a secluded monastery

Her family took her

And a humble hair shirt

They clothed the young breast.

But also in monastic clothes,

Like under patterned brocade,

Everything is a lawless dream

Her heart beat as before.

Before the altar, with the glow of candles,

During the hours of solemn singing,

A friend, in the midst of prayer,

She often heard speech.

Under the arch of the dark temple

A familiar image sometimes

Slipped without a sound and a trace

In a light mist of incense;

He shone quietly, like a star;

He beckoned and called... but - where?..

In the cool between two hills

A holy monastery was hidden.

Chinar and poplar trees in rows

He was surrounded - and at times,

When night fell in the gorge,

Flashed through them, in the windows of the cell,

Lamp of a young sinner.

All around, in the shade of almond trees,

Where there is a row of sad crosses,

The silent guardians of the tombs;

Choirs of light birds sang.

They jumped on the stones and made noise

The keys are like a icy wave,

And under the overhanging rock,

Merging friendly into the gorge,

Frost-covered flowers.

Mountains were visible to the north.

With the brilliance of the morning Aurora,

When the blue smoke

Smoking in the depths of the valley,

And, turning to the east,

The muezins are calling to prayer,

And the sonorous voice of the bell

Trembling, awakening the monastery;

In a solemn and peaceful hour,

When a Georgian woman is young

With a long jug for water

It's a steep descent from the mountain,

Tops of the snow chain

Light purple wall

Painted in the clear sky

And at sunset they got dressed

They are a ruddy veil;

And between them, cutting through the clouds,

He stood taller than everyone else,

Kazbek, the mighty king of the Caucasus,

In a turban and robe of brocade.

But, full of criminal thoughts,

Tamara's heart is inaccessible

Pure delight. In front of her

The whole world is dressed in a gloomy shadow;

And everything in it is an excuse for torment -

And the morning light and the darkness of the nights.

It used to be only sleepy nights

Coolness will cover the earth,

Before the divine icon

She'll fall into madness

And cries; and in the silence of the night

Her heavy sobbing

The traveler's attention disturbs him;

And he thinks: “That mountain spirit

The one chained in the cave is moaning!”

And straining sensitive ears,

He drives the exhausted horse.

Full of longing and trepidation,

Tamara is often at the window

Sits alone in thought

And looks into the distance with a diligent eye,

And all day long, sighing, he waits...

Someone whispers to her: he will come!

No wonder her dreams caressed her.

No wonder he appeared to her.

With eyes full of sadness,

And the wonderful tenderness of speech.

She's been languishing for many days now,

Without knowing why;

Will he want to pray to the saints?

And the heart prays to him;

Tired of the constant struggle,

Will he bow down on his bed of sleep:

The pillow is burning, it’s stuffy, scary,

And she jumped up and trembled all over;

Her chest and shoulders are burning,

There is no strength to breathe, there is fog in the eyes,

Embraces eagerly seek a meeting,

Kisses melt on the lips...

.… .… .… .… .… .… .

.… .… .… .… .… .… .

The evening haze covers the air

Already dressed the hills of Georgia.

Sweet obedient to habit.

The Demon flew to the monastery.

But for a long, long time he did not dare

Shrine of Peaceful Refuge

Violate. And there was a minute

When he seemed ready

Leave the intent to be cruel.

Thoughtful by the high wall

He wanders: from his steps

Without wind, a leaf in the shadow flutters.

He looked up: her window,

Illuminated by a lamp, glittering;

She's been waiting for someone for a long time!

And in the midst of general silence

Chingura slender rattling

And the sounds of song were heard;

And those sounds flowed, flowed,

Like tears, measured one after another;

And this song was tender,

As if it were for the earth

It was laid out in heaven!

Isn't it an angel? forgotten friend

I wanted to see you again

Flew here stealthily

And sang to him about the past,

To ease his torment?..

The longing of love, its excitement

Befell the Demon for the first time;

He wants to leave in fear...

His wing doesn't move!..

And, miracle! from darkened eyes

A heavy tear rolls down...

To this day, near that cell

The stone is visible through the burnt

A hot tear like a flame,

An inhuman tear!..

And he comes in, ready to love,

With a soul open to goodness,

And he thinks that there is a new life

The desired time has come.

A vague thrill of anticipation,

The fear of the unknown is silent,

It's like on a first date

We confessed with a proud soul.

It was an evil omen!

He enters, looks - in front of him

Messenger of Paradise, Cherub,

Guardian of the beautiful sinner,

Standing with a shining brow

And from the enemy with a clear smile

He shaded her with his wing;

And a ray of divine light

Suddenly blinded by an unclean gaze,

And instead of sweet hello

A painful reproach rang out:

“The spirit is restless, the spirit is vicious.

Who called you in the midnight darkness?

Your fans are not here

Evil has not breathed here to this day;

To my love, to my shrine

Don't leave a criminal trail.

Who called you?

In response to him

The evil spirit smiled insidiously;

His gaze lit up with jealousy;

And again he woke up in his soul

Ancient hatred is poison.

"She is mine! - he said menacingly, -

Leave her, she's mine!

You came, defender, late,

And to her, like to me, you are not a judge.

With a heart full of pride,

I have set my seal;

Your shrine is no longer here,

This is where I own and love!”

And the Angel with sad eyes

Looked at the poor victim

And slowly, flapping his wings,

Drowned in the ether of the sky.

.… .… .… .…

ABOUT! who are you? your speech is dangerous!

Did heaven or hell send you to me?

What do you want?..

You are beautiful!

But tell me, who are you? answer...

I'm the one you listened to

You're in the midnight silence

Whose thought whispered to your soul,

Whose sadness you vaguely guessed,

Whose image I saw in a dream.

I am the one whose gaze destroys hope;

I am the one no one loves;

I am the scourge of my earthly slaves,

I am the king of knowledge and freedom,

I am the enemy of heaven, I am the evil of nature,

And, you see, I’m at your feet!

I brought you joy

Silent prayer of love,

Earthly first torment

And my first tears.

ABOUT! listen - out of pity!

Me to goodness and heaven

You could return it with a word.

Your love is a holy cover

Dressed, I would appear there.

Like a new angel in new splendor;

ABOUT! just listen, I pray, I

I am your slave - I love you!

As soon as I saw you -

And secretly I suddenly hated

Immortality and my power.

I was jealous involuntarily

Incomplete earthly joy;

It hurt me not to live like you,

And it’s scary to live differently with you.

An unexpected ray in a bloodless heart

Again warmed up alive,

And sadness at the bottom of the ancient wound

She moved like a snake.

What is this eternity to me without you?

Are my possessions infinite?

Empty sonorous words

A vast temple - without a deity!

Leave me, O evil spirit!

Shut up, I don’t trust the enemy...

Creator... Alas! I can't

Pray... a deadly poison

My weakening mind is overwhelmed!

Listen, you will destroy me;

Your words are fire and poison...

Tell me why you love me!

Why, beauty? Alas,

I don’t know!.. Full of new life,

From my criminal head

I proudly took off the crown of thorns,

I threw everything that was before into dust:

My heaven, my hell in your eyes.

I love you with an unearthly passion,

How you can't love:

With all ecstasy, with all power

Immortal thoughts and dreams.

In my soul, since the beginning of the world,

Your image was imprinted

He rushed in front of me

In the deserts of the eternal ether.

My thoughts have been troubling me for a long time,

The name sounded sweet to me;

In days of bliss I am in heaven

You were the only one missing.

ABOUT! if you could understand

What a bitter languor

All life, centuries without separation

And enjoy and suffer,

Do not expect praise for evil,

No reward for good;

Live for yourself, be bored with yourself

And this eternal struggle

No celebration, no reconciliation!

Always regret and not desire,

Know everything, feel everything, see everything,

Try to hate everything

And despise everything in the world!..

Only God's curse

Fulfilled, from the same day

Nature's warm embrace

Forever cooled down for me;

The space before me turned blue;

I saw the wedding decoration

Luminaries I have known for a long time...

They flowed in crowns of gold;

But what? former brother

Not a single one recognized it.

Exiles, their own kind,

I started calling out in desperation.

But the words and faces and glances of evil,

Alas! I didn’t recognize it myself.

And in fear I, flapping my wings,

He rushed - but where? For what?

I don’t know... former friends

I was rejected; like Eden,

The world has become deaf and dumb for me.

At the free whim of the current

So damaged rook

Without sails and without a rudder

Floats without knowing its destination;

So early in the morning

A fragment of a thunder cloud,

In the azure heights turning black,

Alone, not daring to stick anywhere,

Flying without purpose or trace,

God knows from where and where!

And I didn’t rule people for long.

I didn’t teach them sin for long,

He dishonored everything noble,

And he blasphemed everything beautiful;

Not for long... the flame of pure faith

I easily filled them forever...

Was my work worth it?

Only fools and hypocrites?

And I hid in the gorges of the mountains;

And began to wander like a meteor,

In the darkness of deep midnight...

And the lonely traveler rushed,

Deceived by a nearby light,

And falling into the abyss with a horse,

I called in vain and there is a bloody trail

Behind him he wound up the steep slope...

But evil is dark fun

I didn't like it for long!

In the fight against a mighty hurricane,

How often, raising the ashes,

Dressed in lightning and fog,

I rushed noisily in the clouds,

So that in the crowd of rebellious elements

Silence the murmur of the heart,

Escape from the inevitable thought

And forget the unforgettable!

What a story of painful hardships,

The labors and troubles of the crowd of people

Future, past generations,

Before one minute

My unacknowledged torment?

What people? what is their life and work?

They have passed, they will pass...

There is hope, I am waiting for a just trial:

He can forgive, even if he condemns!

My sadness is always here.

And there will be no end for her, like for me;

And she won’t take a nap in her grave!

She caresses like a snake,

It burns and splashes like a flame,

Then my thought crushes me like a stone

Hopes of the dead and passions

Indestructible mausoleum!..

Why should I know your sorrows,

Why are you complaining to me?

You have sinned...

Is it against you?

They can hear us!..

He won't glance at us:

He is busy with the sky, not the earth!

And the punishment, the torments of hell?

So what? You will be there with me!

Whoever you are, my random friend, -

Destroying peace forever,

Involuntarily I am with the joy of mystery,

Sufferer, I listen to you.

But if your speech is deceitful,

But if you, the deception...

ABOUT! have mercy! What glory?

What do you need my soul for?

Am I really dearer to the sky?

Everyone you didn't notice?

They, alas! beautiful too;

Like here, their virgin bed

Not crushed by a mortal hand...

No! give me a fatal oath...

Tell me, you see: I’m sad;

You see women's dreams!

You involuntarily caress the fear in your soul...

But you understood everything, you know everything -

And, of course, you will take pity!

Swear to me... from evil acquisitions

Make a vow to renounce now.

Are there really no vows or promises?

There are no more indestructibles?..

I swear by the first day of creation,

I swear on his last day,

I swear by the shame of crime

And eternal truth triumph.

I swear by the bitter torment of the fall,

Victory a brief dream;

I swear on a date with you

And again threatening separation.

I swear by the host of spirits,

By the fate of the brothers subject to me,

With the swords of impassive angels.

My never-sleeping enemies;

I swear by heaven and hell,

Earthly shrine and you,

I swear by your last glance

With your first tear,

Breath of your kind lips,

A wave of silken curls,

I swear by bliss and suffering.

I swear by my love:

I have renounced my old revenge

I renounced proud thoughts;

From now on, the poison of insidious flattery

No one's mind will be alarmed;

I want to make peace with the sky,

I want to love, I want to pray.

I want to believe in goodness.

I will wipe away with a tear of repentance

I'm on a forehead worthy of you,

Traces of heavenly fire -

And the world is in calm ignorance

Let it flourish without me!

ABOUT! believe me: I am alone today

I comprehended and appreciated you:

Having chosen you as my shrine,

I laid down my power at your feet.

I wait for your love as a gift,

And I will give you eternity in a moment;

In love, as in anger, believe, Tamara,

I am unchanging and great.

I am you, free son of the ether,

I’ll take you to the superstellar regions;

And you will be the queen of the world,

My first friend;

Without regret, without participation

You will look at the ground,

Where there is no true happiness,

No lasting beauty

Where there are only crimes and executions,

Where petty passions only live;

Where they can’t do it without fear

Neither hate nor love.

Or don't you know what it is

People's momentary love?

The excitement of the blood is young, -

But the days fly by and the blood runs cold!

Who can resist separation?

The temptation of new beauty

Against fatigue and boredom

And the waywardness of dreams?

No! not you, my friend,

Find out, destined

Wither silently in a close circle

The jealous rudeness of a slave,

Among the cowardly and cold,

Feigned friends and enemies,

Fears and fruitless hopes,

Empty and painful labors!

Sad behind the high wall

You will not fade away without passions,

Among prayers, equally far

From God and from people.

Oh no, beautiful creature,

You are condemned to something else;

A different kind of suffering awaits you.

Other delights are deep;

Leave your old desires

And the pitiful light of his fate:

The abyss of proud knowledge

In return, I will open it for you.

A crowd of my servant spirits

I will bring you to your feet;

Servants of the light and magical

I will give it to you, beauty;

And for you from the eastern star

I will tear off the golden crown;

I will take from the flowers of the midnight dew;

I will put him to sleep with that dew;

A ray of ruddy sunset

Your figure is like a ribbon, like a shoe,

Breathing pure aroma

I will drink the surrounding air;

Always a wonderful game

I will cherish your ears;

I will build magnificent palaces

From turquoise and amber;

I will sink to the bottom of the sea,

I'll fly beyond the clouds

I will give you everything, everything earthly -

Love me!..

And he slightly

Touched with hot lips

Her trembling lips;

Tempted by full speeches

He answered her prayers.

A mighty gaze looked into her eyes!

He burned her. In the darkness of the night

He sparkled right above her,

Irresistible as a dagger.

Alas! the evil spirit triumphed!

The deadly poison of his kiss

Instantly it penetrated into her chest.

A painful, terrible cry

The night was outraged by the silence.

It had everything: love, suffering.

Reproach with a final plea

And a hopeless goodbye -

Farewell to young life.

At that time the midnight watchman

One around the wall is steep

Quietly completing the appointed path.

Wandered around with a cast iron board,

And near the cell of the young maiden

He tamed his measured step

And a hand over a cast iron board,

Confused at heart, he stopped.

And through the surrounding silence,

It seemed to him that he heard

Two lips agreeing kiss,

A minute of screaming and a faint moan.

And unholy doubt

Penetrated into the old man's heart...

But another moment passed,

And everything became quiet; from afar

Just a breath of wind

The murmur of leaves brought

Yes, it’s sad with the dark shore

The mountain river whispered.

Canon of the saint

So that the obsession of the evil spirit

Drive away from sinful thoughts;

Crosses with trembling fingers

Dream-stirred chest

And silently with quick steps

The normal one continues on his way.

.… .… .… .…

Like a sleeping sweetheart,

She was lying in her coffin,

Whiter and cleaner bedspreads

There was a languid color to her brow.

Eyelashes forever drooping...

But who would, oh heaven! didn't say

That the gaze under them only dozed

And, wonderful, I was just waiting

Or a kiss, or a blessing?

But the ray of daylight is useless

Slided over them like a stream of gold,

In vain they are in silent sorrow

They kissed the lips of relatives...

No! death eternal seal

Nothing can stop it!

I've never been to the fun days

So colorful and rich

Tamara's festive outfit.

Flowers of the birthplace

(This is how the ancient ritual demands)

They pour their scent over her

And, squeezed with a dead hand.

It’s like saying goodbye to the earth!

And nothing in her face

There was no hint of the end

In the heat of passion and rapture;

And all her features were

Filled with that beauty

Like marble, alien to expression.

Devoid of feeling and mind,

Mysterious as death itself.

The strange smile froze

Flashing across her lips.

She talked about a lot of sad things

She to attentive eyes:

There was cold contempt in her

A soul ready to bloom,

The last thought expression,

Soundless farewell to the earth.

A vain glimpse of a former life,

She was even deader

Even more hopeless for the heart

Forever faded eyes.

So at the hour of solemn sunset,

When, having melted into a sea of ​​gold,

The chariot of the day has already disappeared,

Snow of the Caucasus, for a moment

Preserving the ruddy tint,

Shining in the dark distance.

But this ray is half-dead

In the desert there will be no reflection,

And it won’t light anyone’s path

From its icy summit!..

A crowd of neighbors and relatives

We are about to set off on a sad journey.

Tormenting gray curls,

Silently hitting the chest,

Gudal sits down for the last time

On a white-maned horse,

And the train started moving. Three days.

Their journey will last three nights:

Between old grandfather's bones

A shelter for the deceased was dug for her.

One of Gudal's forefathers,

The robber of strangers and sat down,

When illness struck him down

And the hour of repentance has come,

Past sins in redemption

He promised to build a church

On top of granite rocks,

Wherever the blizzards can be heard singing,

Wherever the kite flew.

And soon between the snows of Kazbek

A lonely temple has risen,

And bones evil man

We calmed down there again;

And turned into a cemetery

Rock, native to the clouds:

Feels closer to heaven

A warmer posthumous home?..

The last dream will not be indignant...

In vain! the dead can't dream

Neither the sadness nor the joy of past days.

In the space of blue ether

One of the holy angels

Flew on golden wings,

And a sinful soul from the world

He carried him in his arms.

And with the sweet speech of hope

Dispelled her doubts

And a trace of misdeed and suffering

He washed it off with his tears.

From afar there are sounds of paradise

They heard it - when suddenly,

Crossing the free path,

A hellish spirit rose from the abyss.

He was powerful, like a noisy whirlwind,

Shined like a stream of lightning,

And proudly in insane audacity

He says: “She’s mine!”

She pressed herself to her protective breast,

I drowned out the horror with prayer,

Tamara's sinful soul -

The fate of the future was being decided,

He stood before her again,

But, my God! - who would recognize him?

How he looked with an evil gaze,

How full it was of deadly poison

Enmity that knows no end -

And the chill of the grave blew

From a still face.

“Get lost, gloomy spirit of doubt! -

The messenger of heaven answered: -

You have triumphed enough;

But the hour of judgment has now come -

And God's decision is good!

The days of testing are over;

With clothes of mortal earth

The shackles of evil fell from her.

Find out! We've been waiting for her for a long time!

Her soul was one of those

Whose life is one moment

Unbearable torment

Unattainable pleasures:

Creator from the best air

I wove their living strings,

They are not made for the world

And the world was not created for them!

I redeemed it at a cruel price

She has her doubts...

She suffered and loved -

And heaven opened for love!”

And the Angel with stern eyes

Looked at the tempter

And, happily flapping his wings,

Drowned in the radiance of the sky.

And the defeated Demon cursed

Your crazy dreams,

And again he remained, arrogant,

Alone, as before, in the universe

Without hope and love!..

_________________

On the slope stone mountain

Above the Koishauri Valley

Still standing to this day

The battlements of an ancient ruin.

Scary stories for children

Legends are still full of them...

Like a ghost, a silent monument,

Witness of those magical days.

It turns black between the trees.

The village fell apart below.

The earth blooms and turns green;

Lost and caravans

They come, ringing, from afar,

And, falling through the mists,

The river sparkles and foams.

And life forever young.

Coolness, sun and spring

Nature amuses itself jokingly,

Like a carefree child.

But sad is the castle that has served

Years in turn,

Like a poor old man who survived

Friends and sweet family.

And just waiting for the moon to rise

Its invisible residents:

Then they have holiday and freedom!

They buzz and run in all directions.

Gray spider, new hermit,

Spins its warp webs;

Green lizard family

Plays merrily on the roof;

And a cautious snake

Crawls out of a dark crevice

On the slab of the old porch,

Then suddenly it will be wrapped in three rings,

It will fall in a long strip

And it shines like a damask sword,

Forgotten in the field of ancient battles,

Unnecessary to a fallen hero!..

Everything is wild; there are no traces anywhere

Years gone by: the hand of centuries

Diligently, it took a long time to sweep them away,

And it won’t remind you of anything

About the glorious name of Gudala,

About his dear daughter!

But the church is on a steep hill,

Where their bones are taken by the earth,

Guarded by holy power,

It is still visible between the clouds.

And they stand at her gate

Black granites are on guard,

Covered with snow cloaks;

And on their chests instead of armor

The eternal ice is burning.

Collapses of sleepy communities

From the ledges, like waterfalls,

Suddenly caught by frost,

They hang around, frowning.

And there the blizzard goes on patrol,

Blowing dust from the gray walls,

Then he starts a long song,

Then he calls out to the sentries;

Hearing news in the distance

About a wonderful temple in that country,

One cloud from the east

They rush in a crowd to worship;

But over a family of gravestones

No one has been sad for a long time.

Rock of gloomy Kazbek

He greedily guards his prey,

And the eternal murmur of man

They will not be disturbed by eternal peace.

In 1839, Lermontov finished writing the poem "The Demon". A summary of this work, as well as its analysis, is presented in the article. Today, this creation of the great Russian poet is included in the compulsory school curriculum and is known throughout the world. Let us first describe the main events that Lermontov depicted in the poem “The Demon”.

"Sad Demon" flies over the Earth. He surveys the central Caucasus from a cosmic height, its wonderful world: high mountains, stormy rivers. But nothing attracts the Demon. He feels only contempt for everything. The demon is tired of immortality, eternal loneliness and unlimited power that he has over the earth. The landscape under his wing has changed. Now he sees Georgia, its lush valleys. However, they do not impress him either. Suddenly, the festive revival that he noticed in the possessions of a certain noble feudal lord attracted his attention. The fact is that Prince Gudal wooed his only daughter. A festive celebration is being prepared at his estate.

The demon admires Tamara

Relatives have already gathered. The wine flows like a river. The groom should arrive in the evening. The young princess Tamara marries the young ruler of the Synodal. Meanwhile, the ancient carpets are being laid out by the servants. According to custom, the bride must, even before her groom appears, perform a dance with a tambourine on a roof covered with carpets.

The girl starts dancing. It is impossible to imagine anything more beautiful than this dance. She is so good that the Demon himself fell in love with Tamara.

Tamara's thoughts

Various thoughts are circling in the head of the young princess. She leaves her father's house, where she knew nothing was denied. It is unknown what awaits the girl in a foreign land. She is pleased with her choice of groom. He is in love, rich, handsome and young - everything that is necessary for happiness. And the girl drives away doubts, devoting herself entirely to the dance.

The demon kills the girl's groom

Next important event Lermontov continues his poem "The Demon". The summary of the episode associated with it is as follows. The demon is no longer able to take his eyes off the beautiful Tamara. He is fascinated by her beauty. And he acts like a real tyrant. The robbers, at the behest of the Demon, attack the princess's fiancé. The synodal is wounded, but rides to the bride’s house on a faithful horse. Having arrived, the groom falls dead.

Tamara goes to the monastery

The prince is heartbroken, the guests are crying, Tamara is sobbing in her bed. Suddenly the girl hears a pleasant, unusual voice, comforting her and promising to send her magical dreams. While in the world of dreams, the girl sees a handsome young man. She understands in the morning that she is being tempted by the evil one. The princess asks to be sent to a monastery, where she hopes to find salvation. The father does not immediately agree to this. He threatens a curse, but eventually gives in.

Murder of Tamara

And here Tamara is in the monastery. However, the girl did not feel any better. She realizes that she has fallen in love with the tempter. Tamara wants to pray to the saints, but instead she bows to the evil one. The demon realizes that the girl will be killed by physical intimacy with him. He decides at some point to abandon his insidious plan. However, the Demon no longer has control over himself. He enters her cell at night in his beautiful winged form.

Tamara does not recognize him as the young man who appeared in her dreams. She is afraid, but the Demon opens his soul to the princess, speaks to the girl passionate speeches, so similar to the words of an ordinary man, when the fire of desires boils in him. Tamara asks the Demon to swear that he is not deceiving her. And he does it. What does it cost him?! Their lips meet in a passionate kiss. Passing by the door of the cell, the watchman hears strange sounds, and then a faint death cry made by the princess.

The ending of the poem

Gudal was told about the death of his daughter. He is going to bury her in the family high-mountain cemetery, where his ancestors erected a small hill. The girl is dressed up. Her appearance is beautiful. There is no sadness of death on him. A smile seemed to freeze on Tamara’s lips. The wise Gudal did everything right. Long ago, he, his yard and estate were washed away from the face of the earth. But the cemetery and the temple remained undamaged. Nature made the grave of the Demon’s beloved inaccessible to man and time.

This is where Lermontov ends his poem “The Demon”. The summary conveys only the main events. Let's move on to the analysis of the work.

Specifics of the analysis of the poem "Demon"

The poem "Demon", which Lermontov created from 1829 to 1839, is one of the poet's most controversial and mysterious works. It is not so easy to analyze it. This is due to the fact that there are several plans for the interpretation and perception of the text that Lermontov created (“The Demon”).

The summary describes only the outline of events. Meanwhile, the poem has several plans: cosmic, which includes relationships with God and the Demon universe, psychological, philosophical, but, of course, not everyday. This should be taken into account when analyzing. To carry it out, you should turn to the original work, the author of which is Lermontov (“The Demon”). A summary will help you remember the plot of the poem, knowledge of which is necessary for analysis.

The image of the Demon created by Lermontov

Many poets turned to the legend of a fallen angel who fought against God. Suffice it to recall Lucifer from Byron’s work “Cain”, Satan depicted by Milton in “Paradise Lost”, Mephistopheles in Goethe’s famous “Faust”. Of course, Lermontov could not help but take into account the tradition that existed at that time. However, he interpreted this myth in an original way.

Lermontov (“The Demon”) portrayed the main character very ambiguously. The chapter summaries point out this ambiguity but leave out the details. Meanwhile, the image of Lermontov’s Demon turned out to be very contradictory. It combines tragic powerlessness and enormous internal forces, the desire to join the good, to overcome the loneliness and incomprehensibility of such aspirations. The demon is a rebellious Protestant who has opposed himself not only to God, but also to people, to the whole world.

Lermontov's protesting, rebellious ideas appear directly in the poem. The demon is the proud enemy of heaven. He is the “king of knowledge and freedom.” The demon is the embodiment of the rebellious uprising of power against that which fetters the mind. This hero rejects the world. He says that there is neither lasting beauty nor true happiness in him. Here there are only executions and crimes, only petty passions live. People cannot love or hate without fear.

Such universal denial, however, means not only the strength of this hero, but at the same time his weakness. The demon is not given the opportunity to see earthly beauty from the heights of the boundless expanses of space. He cannot understand and appreciate the beauty of nature. Lermontov notes that the brilliance of nature did not arouse, apart from cold envy, either new strength or new feelings in his chest. Everything that the Demon saw in front of him, he either hated or despised.

Demon's love for Tamara

In your arrogant solitude main character suffers. He yearns for connections with people and the world. The demon is bored with life exclusively for himself. For him, love for Tamara, an earthly girl, should have meant the beginning of a way out of gloomy loneliness to people. However, the search for “love, goodness and beauty” and harmony in the world is fatally unattainable for the Demon. And he cursed his crazy dreams, remained arrogant again, alone in the Universe, as before, without love.

Unmasking the Individualistic Consciousness

Lermontov's poem "The Demon", a brief summary of which we have described, is a work in which individualistic consciousness is exposed. Such revelation is also present in previous poems by this author. In this, the destructive, demonic principle is perceived by Lermontov as anti-humanistic. This problem, which deeply worried the poet, was also developed by him in prose (“Hero of Our Time”) and drama (“Masquerade”).

The author's voice in the poem

It is difficult to identify the author’s voice in the poem, his direct position, which predetermines the ambiguity of the work and the complexity of its analysis. M. Yu. Lermontov (“The Demon”) does not at all strive for unambiguous assessments. The summary you just read may have given you a number of questions to which the answer is not obvious. And this is no coincidence, because the author does not answer them in the work. For example, does Lermontov see in his hero an unconditional bearer (albeit suffering) of evil or only a rebellious victim of a divine “unjust verdict”? Was Tamara's soul saved for the sake of censorship? Perhaps for Lermontov this motive was just an ideological and artistic inevitability. Does the defeat of the Demon and the ending of the poem have a conciliatory or, on the contrary, non-conciliatory meaning?

The poem “The Demon” by Lermontov, a summary of the chapters of which was presented above, can prompt the reader to answer all these questions. They talk about the complexity of the philosophical problems of this work, about the fact that the Demon dialectically combines good and evil, hostility to the world and the desire to reconcile with it, the thirst for the ideal and its loss. The poem reflects the poet's tragic worldview. For example, in 1842 Belinsky wrote that the “Demon” had become a fact of life for him. He found in it worlds of beauty, feelings, truth.

"The Demon" is an example of a romantic poem

The artistic originality of the poem also determines the richness of its philosophical and ethical content. This is a vivid example of romanticism, built on antitheses. The heroes confront each other: Demon and God, Demon and Angel, Demon and Tamara. The polar spheres form the basis of the poem: earth and sky, death and life, reality and ideal. Finally, ethical and social categories are contrasted: tyranny and freedom, hatred and love, harmony and struggle, evil and good, denial and affirmation.

Meaning of the work

The poem that Lermontov created (“The Demon”) is of great importance. The summary and analysis presented in this article may have given you this idea. After all, deep problematics, powerful poetic fantasy, pathos of doubt and denial, high lyricism, plasticity and simplicity of epic descriptions, a certain mystery - all this should lead and led to the fact that Lermontov’s “Demon” is rightfully considered one of the pinnacle creations in the history of the romantic poem . The significance of the work is great not only in the history of Russian literature, but also in painting (Vrubel’s paintings) and music (Rubinstein’s opera, in which its summary is taken as a basis).

"Demon" - a story? Lermontov defined this work as a poem. And this is correct, because it is written in verse. The story is a prose genre. These two concepts should not be confused.

Lermontov’s poem “The Demon,” written in 1839, is full of the poet’s philosophical reflections on the theme of good and evil, the impossibility of love, and it contains many folklore and mythological motifs. Before the work was accepted for publication, it went through eight author's editions.

To better prepare for a literature lesson, we recommend reading online a summary of “The Demon” in chapters and parts. You can test your knowledge using a test on our website.

Main characters

Daemon- an evil spirit, arrogant and vengeful, who falls in love with Tamara.

Tamara– a beautiful young girl with a pure soul.

Other characters

Gudal- an old man, Tamara’s caring father.

Tamara's fiance- a rich prince, ruler of the Synodal.

Part I

Chapter I

The bored Demon - the “spirit of exile” - flies over the earth and indulges in sad memories. Before his eyes, a string of days pass when he was a cherub and was happy, “knew neither malice nor doubt.”

Chapter II

Rejected by the Lord, the Demon is forced to wander the world without shelter for many centuries. He “sowed evil without pleasure,” because during this time even evil became boring to him.

Chapter III

The demon flies over the Caucasus, but he is not inspired by the beauty of this region. He is indifferent to Kazbek - “the edge of the diamond”, and Daryal, and Terek.

Chapter IV

The demon flies over Georgia, and a beautiful picture unfolds before him: flowering gardens, “ringing running streams,” caves, forests full of game, the singing of sweet-voiced beauties. However, the “brilliance of nature” evokes only contempt, hatred and cold envy in the exile.

Chapters V-VI

Not far from the Aragva River stands the large house of the gray-haired old man Gudal. Today there is a big holiday in this house - the owner is giving his beautiful daughter Tamara in marriage.

Chapters VII-VIII

Tamara is an amazingly beautiful young girl whose charms can conquer anyone. Being the heiress of Gudal, she has never been denied anything since childhood. However, now she faces the fate of a slave in an unfamiliar family. Tamara will have to dance for the last time and enjoy her freedom.

Chapter IX

Flying over Gudal's noisy house, the Demon accidentally notices the beautiful Tamara, and love, kindness and beauty again settle in his soul. Admiring the girl, the Demon feels a rebirth and the emergence of a timid hope for past happiness.

Chapter X

Meanwhile, Tamara's fiance hurries to the wedding "under a heavy burden of gifts." He leads a long caravan of camels loaded with rich gifts for the bride and her family.

Chapter XI

The groom’s path runs past a chapel, near which, according to ancient custom, all wanderers stop to pray for a safe journey. However, the prince, distracted by thoughts of Tamara, drives by. The caravan is unexpectedly attacked by robbers.

Chapters XII-XIII

Tamara's groom and his comrades are killed, "a magnificent caravan is plundered." The prince's faithful horse, together with his dead rider, gallops with all his might to Gudal's house.

Chapters XIV-XV

When the horse with the killed prince reaches the house, everyone understands that a terrible, irreparable disaster has happened. Realizing the depth of the tragedy, “poor Tamara sobs bitterly.” Suddenly she hears a “magic voice” that persuades her not to cry and not to grieve for the deceased, whose soul has long rushed to the heavenly kingdom. The voice belonging to the Demon promises Tamara to visit her every night and “bring back golden dreams.”

Chapter VI

Part II

Chapter I

Tamara, despite the crowds of suitors, refuses to marry anyone. She confesses to her father that she is “tormented by an evil spirit” and asks to take her to a monastery to get rid of the obsession.

Chapters II-IV

Relatives bring Tamara to a “secluded monastery” located among beautiful mountains. But even within its walls, the girl continues to hear a beckoning voice and see a familiar, unclear image.

Chapters V-VI

Tamara is melting day by day, her soul is inaccessible to “pure delight.” All her thoughts belong only to a mysterious stranger, a mysterious creature that comes to her at one hour of the night.

Chapter VII

Having once again flown to Tamara’s open window, the Demon doubts whether he should continue his cruel entertainment with the unfortunate girl. He hears a touching song and for the first time realizes the "longing of love."

Chapters VIII-IX

Ready to change forever, the Demon enters Tamara's cell and sees a cherub next to her. He was sent to protect the girl and asks the Demon not to torment her anymore. Hearing these speeches, the “old poison of hatred” awakens again in the evil spirit. He declares that Tamara belongs to him. Having learned about this, the sad angel returns to heaven.

Chapter X

Left alone with Tamara, the Demon confesses his love to her. He describes his lonely, joyless existence, which could change forever if Tamara reciprocates his feelings. The girl wants to believe him, but at the same time she is afraid to trust the spirit. The demon makes an oath that he will make her happy.

Chapters XI-XII

Having achieved a reciprocal confession from Tamara, the Demon kisses her. However, the “deadly poison of his kiss” instantly penetrates the girl’s chest, and she, screaming, dies.

Meanwhile, the “midnight watchman,” making his night rounds, hears the sound of a kiss and a muffled groan. An "unholy doubt" creeps into the old man's heart. To drive away sinful thoughts, he whispers words of prayer and continues his rounds.

Chapters XIII-XIV

Dead Tamara lies in a coffin. She is as beautiful as ever. Her face expresses calm and tranquility, the eternal seal of death rests on her brow.

Chapter XV

“Neighbors and relatives gather in a crowd” near Tamara’s coffin to carry out the funeral. last way girl. They have a long journey ahead - they need to walk three days to find themselves in a high-mountain church built by one of Gudal's forefathers.

Chapter XVI

In the “space of blue ether,” an angel flies to heaven, where Tamara’s soul must find its final refuge. At the gates of heaven he encounters evil spirit, who demands that Tamara’s soul be given to him. Filled with “deadly poison,” the Demon frightens the innocent soul of the girl, and she does not recognize him as her night guest.

The angel claims that Tamara's tormented soul deserves a place in heaven, and flies away with her burden. The defeated Demon is left with nothing.

Conclusion

In his work, Lermontov managed to capaciously and deeply depict the confrontation between Good and Evil, Angel and Demon, which are different sides of the same soul.

A brief retelling of "The Demon" will be useful for reader's diary. After reading it, it is recommended to read the poem in its entirety.

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The philosophical issues of the poem are unusually complex and diverse. Lermontov in “The Demon” responded to all those quests in the field of epistemology and philosophy of history that tormented progressive Russian thought in the 30s and 40s.

“The Demon” (1829 - 1839) is one of the most mysterious and controversial works of the poet. The complexity of the analysis lies, in particular, in the fact that in the poem there are several planes of perception and interpretation of the text: cosmic, including the relationship of the Demon to God and the universe, philosophical, psychological, but, of course, not everyday. Many European poets turned to the legend of a fallen angel who fought against God: just remember Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost, Lucifer in Byron's Cain, Mephistopheles in Goethe's Faust.

Lermontov, of course, could not help but take into account existing tradition, but he was completely original both in the plot of his poem and in the interpretation of the main image. Lermontov's Demon combines enormous internal strength and tragic powerlessness, the desire to overcome loneliness, to join the good and the unattainability of these aspirations. This is a rebellious Protestant who opposed himself not only to God, but also to people, to the whole world. Lermontov's rebellious, protesting ideas are directly manifested in the poem. The demon is the proud enemy of heaven, “the king of knowledge and freedom.” This is the epitome of rebellious rebellion against everything that fetters the mind. He rejects the world

Where there is no true happiness,

No lasting beauty

Where petty passions can only live,

Where they can’t do it without fear

Neither hate nor love.

However, such universal denial means not only the strength of the Demon, but also its weakness. He is not given the opportunity to see the earthly beauty from the heights of the boundless cosmic expanses; he is not able to appreciate and understand the beauty of earthly nature:

But, besides cold envy,

Nature was not aroused by brilliance

In the barren breast of an exile

No new feelings, no new strength;

And everything that he saw before him

He despised or hated.

The demon suffers in his arrogant solitude and yearns for connections with the world and people. He was tired of “living for himself, being bored with himself.” Love for the earthly girl Tamara was supposed to be the beginning of his way out of gloomy loneliness towards people. But the search for harmony, “love, goodness and beauty” is fatally unattainable for the Demon:

And the defeated Demon cursed

Your crazy dreams,

Without hope and love!..

That exposure of individualistic consciousness, which was outlined in previous poems, is also present in “The Demon”. The “demonic”, destructive principle is perceived by Lermontov as anti-humanistic. This problem, which deeply worried Lermontov, was developed by him both in drama ("Masquerade") and in prose ("Hero of Our Time"). In the poem it is difficult to identify the author’s “voice”, the direct author’s position, which predetermines the complexity of the analysis of the work and its polysemy. It is no coincidence that there are a number of questions. Staged by Lermontov in “The Demon”, not completely resolved. For example: does the author see in his Demon an unconditional (albeit suffering) carrier of evil or only a rebellious victim of an “unjust sentence”? Was Tamara’s soul “saved” for the sake of censorship, or was this motive an ideological and artistic inevitability for Lermontov? What is the meaning of the ending of the poem and the defeat of the Demon - conciliatory or non-conciliatory? These unresolved questions indicate the complexity of the philosophical problems of the poem, the dialectical combination in the Demon of “good” and “evil”, the thirst for the ideal and its loss, hostility to the world and attempts to reconcile with it, which ultimately reflects, to one degree or another, a tragic worldview leading people of the era.

Plot: The poem “Demon” is based on an ancient myth about a proud angel who rebelled against God. The plot of the poem is not complicated. The main place in the poem is occupied by the Demon’s monologues, revealing his thoughts and feelings, descriptions of nature, and detailed images of the experiences of the heroine, Tamara. The demon, the “sad spirit of exile”, who is bored with everything in life, sees a mortal girl, the beautiful Tamara... He is fascinated by her. Captivated by a feeling of love, he dreams of rebirth. It seems to him that Tamara’s love will lead him to goodness, to truth. He enters the monastery, where Tamara is hiding after the death of her groom, and with his fiery speeches arouses Tamara’s pity and sympathy. The Demon's kiss turns out to be fatal for Tamara. The demon tries to take possession of her soul when a bright angel takes her to heaven. "She is mine!" - the Demon exclaims, but the angel rejects him.

And the defeated Demon cursed

Your crazy dreams,

And again he remained, arrogant,

Alone, as before, in the universe,

Without hope and love!..

The image of the Demon occupies a special place in Lermontov’s work and even in his spiritual life. The theme of the demon appeared in Lermontov’s work in 1829. In the poem “My Demon”, in the same year the first edition of the poem “demon” was written, which had only eight editions, and the last one, according to scientists, was completed in 1839.

The demon is one of Lermontov’s many exiled heroes. The demon is only expelled from heaven and can never return to it. Otherwise it is absolutely free. The spirit of evil, the spirit of “exile” is immortal. Lermontov's discovery was the image of the Demon, who was bored with evil. Having rebelled against fate, “the spirit of denial, the spirit of doubt” turned to the earth, to simple human values ​​and wished to make peace with “heaven.” The poet seemed to have rewritten the romantic legend about the Demon. His anti-hero “sowed evil without pleasure”; he is obsessed with the idea of ​​spiritual rebirth, believing that he can return to those “better days.”

It is not difficult to see that Tamara’s father and her fiancé are secondary figures. The main characters are Demon and Tamara. Lermontov calls the Demon “the spirit of knowledge and doubt” and gives him a feeling of indomitable pride. The demon denies the existence of harmony in the world, looks with contempt at the unfortunate human race and is in a continuous and eternal struggle with the deity. He is proud and lonely, closed in his experiences, and cold loneliness causes him boundless suffering.

Tamara is a symbol of beauty. The Demon's attraction to Tamara is desperate attempt a self-contained individualist to emerge from the state of alienation and forced inaction, to find joy and oblivion in beauty. But the love of a proud individualist ends sadly. The reason for this is that the demon’s love for Tamara is entirely selfish. That is why he cannot give happiness to either her or him, and after trying to take possession of her, he is again doomed to wander.

The romantic image of the Demon also reflected various traits of some people of Lermontov’s era: their sharply negative attitude towards outdated foundations and authorities, combined in them with proud isolation and extreme individualism. But at the same time, the Demon still has irresistibly attractive features: a protest against despotism, no matter where it comes from, an impulse towards freedom, a fearless thought.

March 02 2010

Thought about "Demon" Lermontov appeared in his youth, while studying at the Moscow Noble Boarding School, and was nurtured by the poet for many years. Caucasian impressions prompted him to choose the location of the poem, and his acquaintance with Georgian folk legends helped in creating the plot. During his second exile, he finalized the text and brought “The Demon” to St. Petersburg, intending to publish the poem in Otechestvennye zapiski. The image of the Demon, a fantastic and unreal creature, reflects essentially real moods that were typical for many the best people era. The Nikolaev regime with its despotism, arbitrariness, and all the hypocritical Nikolaev policies evoked a feeling of protest, which was most often expressed not in direct political speeches, but in denial of reality and contempt for it. As you know, these feelings were heard in Lermontov’s poems. They are the main ones in the poem.

Daemon- a strong, proud creature, not reconciled with either gods or people. He is the king of knowledge and freedom, a rebel who does not accept anything and is ready to ‘destroy everything. The spirit of protest characteristic of the Demon, his contempt for the insignificance of the earth aroused deep sympathy among readers who did not put up with the wretched reality. But the strong and proud Demon is infinitely lonely. Tired of loneliness, he seeks salvation in his love for Tamara. However, his love brings Tamara death, because even in love he remains an individualist. Devastated by constant hatred and contempt, the Demon cannot be reborn for good and again finds himself “alone, as before, in the universe, without hope, without love.”

Loneliness of the Demon was a symbolically generalized artistic expression of the loneliness to which the Nikolaev system condemned the best people of society. And yet, while sincerely sympathizing with his hero, sometimes even admiring him, Lermontov does not admire the Demon, but debunks him. Opposing himself to the whole world, the Demon denies and hates everything (“Everything that he saw in front of him, he despised and hated”); he has no goal, no positive ideal (he “disgraced everything that was noble and blasphemed everything that was beautiful”), and therefore his denial is fruitless, it can bring neither satisfaction nor satisfaction. Showing the tragic loneliness of the Demon who has lost all faith in goodness, Lermontov affirms the need for a positive ideal for man. In this regard, the Demon is opposed by Mtsyri, a truly positive hero of Lermontov, who combines the denial of monastic captivity with the affirmation of the beauty of free life.

It is important to emphasize, that for the 30s, rejection of reality, protest against it was valuable, therefore at one time Demona had an undoubtedly progressive significance. But the fate of this proud loner continued to worry people in other times. When someone's violent oppression became especially unbearable, Lermontov's Demon came to mind. Drawing up an outline allows us to establish the closest connection between Lermontov’s work and the socio-political life of the country. But in some cases, it is advisable to propose, instead of a table, to compile a story about a particular period of Lermontov’s life.

How can one explain the exceptional success of Lermontov's poem? Remaining chronologically within the first period of the Russian liberation movement, Lermontov overcame the narrow worldview of the Decembrists, who were far from the people. His entire life and creative path- this is a constant movement towards the people. Continuing the Decembrist ideas, Lermontov at the same time became the poet of a new generation of fighters for the liberation of the people, a poet approaching the revolutionary-democratic direction of Russian poetry.

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In the new- Georgian - edition, written in 1838, “The Demon” becomes one of the most remarkable creations of Russian literature, one of the peaks of world romantic poetry. Distinct and deep meaning The main idea of ​​the poem finally emerged. The demon denies the power of God. Expelled from paradise and doomed to eternal loneliness in the endless space of the universe, he sows evil, sows doubt about the perfection of the existing order in the world. Free from prejudice, he is free. And unlimited in knowledge of the world:

• I am the king of knowledge and freedom,
• I am the enemy of heaven, I am the evil of nature,
• he says to Tamara.

He rejects laws of slavery and rebels against everything that fetters human will and reason. He looks at the ground with contempt,

• Where there are only crimes and executions,
• Where petty passions only live;
• Where they can’t do it without fear
• Neither hate nor love.

Seeing Tamara, for the first time he feels “inexplicable excitement.” Suddenly it opens before him new world- a world of love, kindness, beauty. The image of Tamara embodies the beauty that she creates. And in his poem he expressed an unusually deep thought that the desire for beauty, for a beautiful goal leads to moral improvement.

The first Georgian edition was created soon after returning from exile - in the first half of 1838. But it didn’t quite suit the author either. And he - once again! - begins a new revision, which he completed on September 8, 1838: this is the number he wrote on the cover. From a young age, Lermontov loved Varvara Lopukhina. Circumstances separated them. She remained in Moscow. He went to St. Petersburg and entered military service. When until She heard rumors that he was infatuated with someone else; in despair, she married an unloved, narrow-minded, jealous and middle-aged man. And she continued to love him. But Lermontov also loved her dearly. He suffered greatly and, writing his poem, was inspired by this sorrowful love for her. And, having finished “The Demon,” he wrote on the last page:

• I finished - and there was an involuntary doubt in my chest!
• Will the long-familiar sound occupy you again?
• Thoughtful singing of unknown verses,
• You, forgetful but unforgettable friend?
• Will past regret awaken in you?
• Or, quickly running through a boring notebook,
• You are only dead, empty approval
• You will put a cold seal on it;
• And you won’t recognize the simple expression here
• The melancholy that has tormented my poor mind for so many years;
• And you will mistake the dream of imagination for a game
• Heavy nonsense for a sick soul...
• And he sent the manuscript to her.

This edition of the poem Lermontov finally decided to publish. The censors didn't let her through. Then Lermontov subjected the poem to a new revision and changed many places. And at the end of the poem he wrote a long monologue of an angel and inserted the lines: “And the defeated Demon cursed his crazy dreams.” Places not acceptable for censorship have been crossed out. Among the discarded poems was a line that Belinsky especially admired:

• Or a proud enmity with the sky.
• These verses followed stanza XIII of the second part of the poem, following the description of the deceased Tamara:
• And all where the power of passionate life
• She spoke so clearly to her feelings,
• Now one insignificant dust;
• The strange smile froze
• Barely flashed on the lips;
• But dark as the grave itself,
• The sad meaning of that smile: What's in it?
• Is it a mockery of fate?
• Is doubt invincible?
• Or cold contempt for life?
• Or is there proud enmity with the sky?
• Who knows? for the light forever
• Its meaning has been lost!
• She involuntarily attracts the eye,
• Like an ancient inscription pattern,
• Where, perhaps, under the letter strange
• Lurking from previous years
• Symbol of misty wisdom,
• Deep thoughts are a forgotten trace.

Before the rework poem, the Demon involved Tamara in his feud with heaven. He instilled in her soul an invincible doubt, a proud contempt for heaven, and provoked her into enmity with God. And that’s why the angel at the end of the poem did not say: “She atoned for her doubts at a cruel price,” but descended to her grave. “He prayed to the Creator for the soul of the young sinner...” Victory remained with the Demon. Due to censorship requirements, these verses had to be replaced. But by bringing Tamara closer to the conditions of censorship, Lermontov sought to protect the image of the Demon from distortion. He is defeated, but does not repent. Crossing out some verses, he replaced them with others. This was not a mechanical replacement of the crossed out text with another. Lermontov changed the plot, recreated parts of the text, enriched the characteristics, descriptions and digressions with many new finds and polished the whole. Therefore, it is impossible to simply go back to the edition dated September 8, 1838. Suffice it to say that during the reworking of the poem, a monologue of the Demon arose, without which it is now impossible to imagine the poem.

• I swear by the first day of creation,
• I swear on his last day,
• I swear by the shame of crime
• And eternal truth triumph.
• I swear by the bitter torment of the fall,
• Victory with a short dream;
• I swear on a date with you
• And again threatening separation.
• I swear by the host of spirits,
• By the fate of the brothers under my control,
• With the swords of impassive angels,
• My never-sleeping enemies;
• I swear by heaven and hell,
• Earthly shrine and you,
• I swear by your last glance
• With your first tear,
• Breath of your kind lips,
• A wave of silken curls,
• I swear by bliss and suffering,
• I swear by my love...

Very soon A rumor spread throughout St. Petersburg, and then throughout Russia, that Lermontov had written a new wonderful work. And the poem began to spread in lists, like “Woe from Wit” once did, and then “The Death of a Poet.” But some had a copy of the first Georgian edition in their hands, others had a second one, and still others got a version that already reflected censorship changes. But they read the poem according to any list with delight. In the conditions of Nikolaev reality, an angel rebelling against the heavenly autocrat acquired a broad social meaning. Endowed with gigantic passion, indestructible will, embodying the idea of ​​freedom and denial of the existing order in the world, based on slavery and religion, Lermontov’s Demon was perceived as a symbol of a free, thinking, rebellious personality. Belinsky, noting the “merciless mind” in the image of the Demon, found in the poem “worlds of truths, feelings, beauties”, “the luxury of paintings, the wealth of poetic animation, excellent poetry, the loftiness of thoughts, the charming beauty of images.” But most of all Belinsky was fascinated by “the content extracted from the bottom of the deepest and most powerful nature, the gigantic swing, the demonic flight - “a proud enmity with the sky,” as he wrote from St. Petersburg to Moscow to his friend Botkin.

• “Yes,” Botkin answered him, “his pathos, as you quite rightly say, is “proud enmity with heaven.” In other words, the denial of the spirit and worldview developed by the Middle Ages or, in other words, the ongoing social order.”
• By the spirit and worldview developed in the Middle Ages, Belinsky and his friends understood Christian morality, Christian doctrine, which legitimized injustice, inequality, and slavery. They carefully mentioned the Nikolaev despotism as a “persistent social order.”

In the other place Belinsky called the Demon “the demon of movement, eternal renewal, eternal rebirth.” “He is so terrible, and so powerful,” wrote Belinsky, “that he will hardly give rise to doubt in you about what you hitherto considered to be an immutable truth, as the ideal of a new truth already appears to you from afar.”

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Images of evil spirits have always troubled the hearts of poets and writers. The power of good, embodied in God, had no other form. But the messenger of Hell did not bear any names: the Devil, Satan, and Lucifer. This proved that evil has many faces, and a person must be on guard, because he can succumb to temptation, and then the soul will go straight to hell.

However, in romantic literature early XIX century, especially Russian, images of evil spirits they became not so much villains as tyrant fighters, and the tyrant, paradoxically, was God himself. After all, it was he who demanded suffering from a person, forced him to blindly follow his will, sometimes sacrificing the most precious thing he had.

Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov's poem “The Demon” was no exception. Behind basis of the plot the poet takes the well-known biblical legend about the spirit of evil cast out by God from heaven for rebellion against his power. The image of the Demon, who transgressed the laws of good and remained alone in the desert of a world that bored him, worried Lermontov all his life. Mikhail Yuryevich worked on the poem for 12 years.

At the beginning of the work, the poet sympathized with his hero. The Demon's desire to be limitless in feelings and actions, the challenge of everyday life, the audacity of rebellion against divine principles were attractive to young Lermontov. The demon is an unusual hero: he despises the limitations of human existence in both time and space. Once upon a time he "believed and loved", “I knew neither malice nor doubt”, but now “the long-outcast wandered in the desert of the world without shelter”.

Flying over the valleys of luxurious Georgia, he sees the young princess Tamara dancing. At this moment the Demon experiences inexplicable excitement, because “The desert of his dumb soul was filled with a blessed sound” And “he again comprehended the shrine of love, goodness and beauty”. But Tamara does not need his love, because she is waiting for her fiancé - the brave Prince Sinodal.

All the heroes of the poem, except for the Demon, are closed in the space of their fate. Tragic circumstances control them, and resistance to them is futile. The brave prince hurries to the wedding feast and passes the chapel, where he always brought "fervent prayer". As soon as “The daring groom despised the custom of his ancestors”, as soon as he crossed the boundary of the prescribed, death from "Evil Bullet Ossetian" overtook him. Maybe this is the Demon's revenge?

While creating his poem, Lermontov remembered an ancient legend he had heard in the Caucasus about the mountain spirit Hood, who fell in love with a beautiful Georgian woman. When the spirit of Good found out that Nino loves an earthly youth, unable to endure the pangs of jealousy, on the eve of the wedding he covers the lovers' hut with a huge snow avalanche. But Lermontov is not satisfied with the principle: “So don’t let anyone get you!” His Demon is truly ready to transform for the sake of love: he is devoid of the energy of evil and the thirst for revenge, and there is no jealousy in him.

For the Demon, love for Tamara is an attempt to liberate himself from the cold contempt for the world to which his rebellion against God doomed him. "He's bored with evil" because he does not encounter resistance from people who willingly use the Devil’s tips. Daemon "sowed evil without pleasure", He deprived of vanity satisfaction from his power over insignificant people.

When Tamara grieves for her dead groom, Demon

... He leaned towards her at the head of the bed;
And his gaze looked at her with such love.

At this moment he was neither a guardian angel nor "hell with a terrible spirit". When Tamara decides to narrow her life to the gloomy cell of the monastery, the Demon wants to return to her the full breadth of freedom and give her the space of eternity. He promises Tamara a paradise of omniscience, a paradise of freedom:

I will sink to the bottom of the sea,
I'll fly beyond the clouds
I will give you everything, everything earthly -
Love me!...

But the price of such freedom is too high - renunciation of all insignificant earthly things, that is, death. That's why Tamara wants to escape from "irresistible dream" evil spirit. An Angel comes to her aid, not believing in the Demon's transformation, so he returns him to his previous role as a villain. Thus, Heaven did not have enough faith in goodness, awareness of its power in Tamara’s soul and its possibility in the Demon. Tamara turned out to be able not only to love the Demon, but also to take care of the salvation of her soul. After her death "sinful soul" Tamara is washed by the tears of an Angel, because she “redeemed at a cruel price” the possibility that heaven might finally open up to her.

Tamara's death is a victory of love for the Demon, but he himself is not saved by this victory, because she is taken away by death, and his soul is taken by Heaven. Seeing how Tamara's soul “I drowned out the horror with prayer”, seeks salvation on the chest of an Angel, the Demon is finally defeated:

And the defeated Demon cursed
Your crazy dreams...

Lermontov saw the reason for the defeat of the Demon in the limited feelings of the Demon, including for Tamara, so he sympathizes with his hero, but also condemns him for his arrogant bitterness against the world. "The Eternal Murmur of Man" how his proud desire to stand on a par with nature is captured in image of a Demon. The divine world is more powerful than the world of personality - this is the position of the poet.

Critics assessed the image of the Demon differently. The symbolic image was revealed best by V. Belinsky. He wrote that the Demon makes a person doubt the truth: “As long as the truth is only a ghost, a dream for you, you are the Demon’s prey, because you must know all the torture of doubt.”

Saklya- hut, home of the Caucasian highlanders.

Analysis of the poem “Demon” is not the only work associated with Lermontov:

He carried the young soul in his arms
For a world of sadness and tears,
And the sound of his song in the soul is young
He remained - without tears, but alive.
M. Lermontov, “Angel”

The demon did not frighten Lermontov - he was his singer. “Proud enmity with heaven, contempt for fate and a premonition of its inevitability” - this is what is characteristic of his poetry. These are the truest words that have ever been spoken about the historical significance of Lermontov; they point to the internal, intimate connection that exists between Lermontov’s work and all subsequent Russian artistic thought, mainly in the person of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and their schools.

The setting for Lermontov's action is very often a monastery - the embodiment of asceticism, the laws of the spirit, which fundamentally reject the sinful earth. The ardent protests of the beloved children of his imagination are directed against monastic holiness, against the heavenly principle, in defense of other laws - the laws of the heart, they are also the laws of human blood and flesh. Blasphemous speeches are heard in the Confession; they are transferred exactly, in their entirety, to both “Boyar Orsha” and “Dead Man’s Love” and are clearly still heard later in “Mtsyri”, although in a more toned down form. The same negative attitude towards the monastery is in all the essays of “The Demon”, not excluding even the last ones: within the walls of the holy monastery he forces the Demon to seduce his beloved. This is how this original antithesis emerges deeper and deeper: earth and sky.

The struggle between them is inevitable, the battlefield is the human soul. The demon is closer, more akin to Lermontov, than the angel; earthly motifs in his poetry seem more substantial, more organic than heavenly ones. He only meets angels in the most sublime moments; Lermontov identifies himself with the Demon from the very beginning, even when his image still wavers and he still seems at times to be an active chosen one of evil.

The appearance of this image is one of the most serious moments in Lermontov’s different psychology. He immediately seemed to recognize himself in it and mastered it so quickly that he immediately began to rebuild its mythology in his own way, applying it to himself. The poet sometimes hears heavenly sounds; these sounds are true and deep, because they come from his own soul, corresponding to one of its sides, but the weaker side: it is often drowned out by the stormy voices of another, opposite element. Here is the cause of his tragedy, which he has no power to eliminate - this is how the Creator created him. Lermontov's clarification of the image of the Demon goes in this direction. It was necessary to break, first of all, with the traditional idea of ​​him as the absolute embodiment of a primordially sinful principle; Lermontov would have very little in common with such a Demon.

Already in the first essay of 1829, the Demon is called sad; he is burdened by his exile; he is completely in the grip of sweet memories, when he was not yet evil and “looked at the glory of God, without turning away from him, when the anxiety of his heart was alien to his soul, as the darkness of the grave is afraid of the day.” The obstacle has been removed: the Demon is such a martyr, the same sufferer of spiritual contrasts, like Lermontov himself: and the merging of both images became conceivable. Over the years, the poet's soul matures, his life experience is enriched; at the same time, the main problem about the purpose of man, about his relationship to God on the basis of the same irreconcilability of both principles is becoming more acute - and all this is reflected in the concept of “The Demon”, in his five essays and in such preparatory sketches as “Azrael” "

But the main features still remain the same. The demon is not homogeneous; gloomy, rebellious, he always wanders “alone among the worlds, without mingling with the formidable crowd of evil spirits.” He is equally far from both light and darkness, not because he is neither light nor darkness, but because in him not everything is light and not everything is darkness; in him, as in every person - and above all, as in the soul of Lermontov himself, “the sacred met the vicious,” and the vicious won, but not completely, for “God did not give oblivion (about the sacred), and he would not have taken it oblivion." In those four essays of “The Demon”, which relate to the first period of Lermontov’s work, the plot is built entirely on the idea of ​​​​possible rebirth through love. The resident of the cell, the holy virgin, is still not an angel, and she does not oppose him as an irreconcilable opposite. She would rather understand his mental anguish and, perhaps, heal him, give him part of her strength to defeat evil, without completely renouncing the earthly principle. The demon breaks the “fatal oaths” to love pure love, refuses “revenge, hatred and malice” - he already wanted “to return to the path of salvation, to forget the crowd of evil deeds.” But the original angel, who stood guard over absolute purity, without understanding him, again aroused his dark, cold thoughts in him, called his anger into action. Love, through the fault of the angel, did not save the Demon, and he, unredeemed, remained with his former darkened suffering. In the bitter smile with which the Demon “reproached the ambassador of the lost paradise,” Lermontov once again reflects his protest against the passivity of perfection. The demon did not repent, did not humble himself before God; He was too proud for this, he considered himself too right. It’s not his fault that his soul is so dual; The Creator created him this way and doomed him to irresistible torment. We must appeal to Him, ask Him about the meaning of this mental torture.

Lermontov must have felt the winds of menacing fate in the hopelessness of his aspirations for integrity, for the fusion of both principles. Hence the motive of fighting against God, titanism, “proud enmity with heaven,” which does not cease throughout the entire first period and the exciting part of the second.

A man of the 40s, writer V.P. Botkin, having read Lermontov’s poem “The Treaty”, immediately understood this power of stoic despair, protest and denial: “What a cold-blooded, calm contempt for all patriarchy, authoritative, habitual conditions that have turned into routine... The spirit of analysis, doubt and denial, which now constitute the character of the modern movement, is nothing other than that Demon... Lermontov boldly looked him straight in the eyes, became friends with him and made him the king of his fantasy, which, like the ancient Pontic king, ate poisons." This is how the famous, meaningful and, of course, autobiographical image from the final, and that is why unfinished, poem “A Fairy Tale for Children” was understood:

My young mind used to outrage
A mighty image. Between other visions,
Like a king, dumb and proud, he shone
Such magically sweet beauty,
What was scary... and my soul was sad
She was shrinking...

However, if Lermontov’s poetry were exhausted and explained in this way, then we would have a Russian Heine or another guards Mephistopheles, nothing more. Lermontov's genius is incomparably higher and richer. Yes, the poet said: “The demon of poetry has taken possession of me.” But in his lyrics there is no gloomy demonism, there is an image of hope - “a ray of dawn, beautiful, pure and alive, like the happiness of a young life.” Such rays of poetic memory of close but impossible happiness penetrate any darkness; with this light, the memory of heavenly azure and heavenly sounds, Lermontov’s eternally young lyrics live. She constantly strives upward, driven by unprecedented creative energy and a thirst for life activity.

Another thing is that in the cold world of everyday cruelty, where a person with a mind and heart is humiliated and crushed, finds himself in a dead end in life, lyrical hero belated romantic poetry cannot be an angel, he constantly feels the pressure of “common evil” and darkness, hence his stoic despair and calm melancholy, disbelief in everything, proud contempt and conscious demonism of universal denial. And therefore in the poem “My Demon” it is said with the meaning: “The collection of evil is his element.”

The sense of truth was suppressed and insulted in the heart of an entire generation. These people were left alone, without angels and hope, a “sea of ​​evil” opened up to them (K.N. Batyushkov), disbelief and “emptiness of heart” were born in their souls. Is it any wonder the appearance of demons... But it was Lermontov and his poetry

Excellent proof of the obvious fact that the “lost” generation of post-Pushkin youth did not want to be such, did not retreat, did not come to terms with the life role of eternal losers, petty demons and “naughty people” imposed on them. “Demon” is inevitably followed by “Angel”. Otherwise, the poet would not have become the judge of this generation. Otherwise, the great and eternal “Borodino” (1837) would not have appeared, a truly folk poem in language and thought, which every Russian begins to “learn” in school and then remembers, although sometimes very vaguely, all his life.

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