Analysis of the poem “Mtsyri” (M. Lermontov). Mtsyri’s escape from the monastery and three wonderful days “in freedom” (based on Lermontov’s poem of the same name) Meeting with a Georgian woman

Mtsyri's escape from the monastery and three wonderful days “in freedom” (based on Lermontov’s poem of the same name)

The romantic poem “Mtsyri” was created by M.Yu. Lermontov in 1839. It is written in the form of a confession of the main character - the Caucasian youth Mtsyri, who was captured by the Russians, and from there to a monastery.

The poem is preceded by an epigraph from the Bible: “Tasting, I have tasted little honey, and now I am dying,” which is revealed in the plot of the work: the hero runs away from the monastery and lives three wonderful days “in freedom.” But, weak and infirm, he again ends up in his “prison” and dies there.

During the three days that Mtsyri was free, he realized that he was a different person. The hero was able to feel like the master of his destiny, his life, he finally felt free.

The first indelible impression for Mtsyri was the meeting with nature in all its majesty and power:

That morning there was a vault of heaven

So pure that an angel's flight

A diligent eye could follow;

…………………………………….

I am in it with my eyes and soul

Nature gave the hero what the monks who raised him and the monastery walls could not give him - a sense of his own strength, unity with the whole world, a sense of happiness. Even though nature and the surrounding world are filled with dangers and obstacles, these are natural dangers and obstacles, overcoming which a person becomes stronger and more confident. And a monastery is a prison in which a person gradually dies.

In my opinion, the meeting with the Georgian girl he met at the stream was also important for Mtsyri. The girl seemed beautiful to the hero. Young blood began to boil within him. With his eyes Mtsyri followed the Georgian woman all the way to her house, but she disappeared behind the doors of her saklya. For Mtsyri, she disappeared forever. With bitterness and melancholy, the hero realizes that he is a stranger to people and people are strangers to him: “I was a stranger to them forever, like a steppe beast.”

The climax of the poem is the scene of the battle between the hero and the leopard. This is the culmination not only in the development of action, but also in the development of the character of the hero. This, in my opinion, is the most important moment in his three-day wandering. Here Mtsyri showed all his abilities and realized all his possibilities:

He rushed with all his strength,

And we, intertwined like a pair of snakes,

Hugging tighter than two friends,

They fell at once, and in the darkness

The battle continued on the ground.

Mtsyri mobilized not only his physical strength, dexterity, reaction, but also his best moral qualities - willpower, desire to win, resourcefulness.

Having defeated the king of the forest - the leopard, Mtsyri realized that he had lived the best minutes of his life. But then bitterness creeps into his words:

But now I'm sure

What could happen in the land of our fathers

Not one of the last daredevils.

This bitterness is spread throughout the work. The author shows that, despite Mtsyri's desire for freedom, he cannot live outside the monastery walls. Existence in the monastery made the young man unable to fully live in the world.

The hero's goal - to reach his homeland - is unrealistic. He is too weak for this, he does not know real, real life. Therefore, he involuntarily returns to where he can exist - to the monastery.

At this point, the hero, exhausted from hunger and weakness, begins to delirium. It seems to him that a fish in the river is singing a song to him. She calls on Mtsyri to stay with her and her sisters at the bottom of the river. It’s cool and calm here, no one will touch or offend:

Go to sleep, your bed is soft,

Your cover is transparent.

Years will pass, centuries will pass

Under the talk of wonderful dreams.

It seems to me that the fish’s song is the hero’s inner voice, which called on him to come to his senses, to stay away from storms and upheavals, that is, to stay in the monastery. Here his life will pass calmly and unnoticed, “accompanied by the sound of wonderful dreams.” Let Mtsyri not reveal himself, muffle his emotional impulses, but he will always be calm, well-fed, protected.

At the end of the poem, we see that Mtsyri chooses a different fate for himself. In his will to the old monk, the hero asks to be laid to die in the courtyard of the monastery, from where the mountains of his homeland are visible. Let him die, but he will die with a feeling of support from his family, with memories of the wonderful three days that turned the hero’s whole life upside down.

In the poem “Mtsyri”, Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov talks about a man who loves his homeland, his people with all his heart, but is forced to be away from his native places, and this causes him the most severe suffering. The young man does not live, but exists within the gloomy walls of the monastery, unable to return to his native land. His heart is tormented by longing and sadness for his family and friends, for a free life in the lap of nature. One day Mtsyri decides to respond to his own spiritual calls and escape from the prison that the monastery has turned into for him.

does not know the way home and runs away from the monastery into complete uncertainty, knowing full well that in case of failure, death awaits him. But the dream of the Motherland is so great that even possible death does not frighten the young man.

On his first day of freedom, Mtsyri enjoys the magnificent, lush nature of his native Caucasus. He admires its colors, listens in fascination to the singing of birds and the sound of mountain streams, observes and peers at everything that happens next to him. Here Mtsyri accidentally met a young Georgian beauty, and his heart beat faster, overwhelmed by an unfamiliar excitement of passion. But the young man suppressed this impulse of love. He

must continue his journey to his homeland, to freedom. For the sake of this goal, Mtsyri is ready to give up personal happiness.

The next test for Mtsyri was a meeting with a leopard. The wild leopard is powerful and beautiful. The fight with him was terrible, but Mtsyri defeated the beast, experiencing for the first time the passion of battle and the joy of victory. The desire to return to the land of his fathers and become a real warrior flared up in the hero’s soul even stronger than before. The captivity of the monastery, where the young man grew up and was lonely and unhappy, became even more hateful for him.

Mtsyri deeply despised people who saw the meaning of their lives in a humble monastic existence. Having lived his entire life in captivity, the hero passionately dreams of seeing his native land, his home, his relatives. But his dream was not destined to come true. Mtsyri could not find his way home and again found himself at the walls of the prison-monastery. He was tortured and mortally wounded, but, having experienced the taste of freedom, he no longer regretted anything. The three days of freedom that he spent in freedom became the happiest for him in his life.

Mtsyri dies, but his image of a freedom-loving, courageous and purposeful person becomes an ideal for many generations of people.

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First of all, the work “Mtsyri” reflects courage and the desire for freedom. The love motive is present in the poem only in a single episode - the meeting of a young Georgian woman and Mtsyri near a mountain stream. However, despite his heartfelt impulse, the hero refuses his own happiness for the sake of freedom and his homeland. Love for the homeland and thirst for will become more important for Mtsyri than other life events. Lermontov depicted the image of the monastery in the poem as an image of a prison. The main character perceives the monastery walls, stuffy cells and monk guards as a huge obstacle on the path to the desired freedom. He is constantly gnawed by the thought: “We were born into this world for freedom or prison?” And only the days of escape are filled with meaning for Mtsyri. Despite Mtsyri's deep patriotism, Lermontov does not reflect this feeling in the form of dreamy love for his homeland. The protagonist's patriotism is strong, filled with the desire to fight. Militant youthful motives are sung by Lermontov with obvious sympathy. Even his father and friends, Mtsyri, first of all, remembers as courageous warriors. In his dreams, he often sees battles that bring victory. Mtsyri is confident that he can be a good defender of his region. This can be judged from his words: “in the land of our fathers, we are not the last to dare.” But, despite all the young man’s aspirations, he was never destined to experience what the rapture of battle was. However, in his soul Mtsyri remains a true warrior. Only once, on the day of his escape, did Mtsyri give in to tears for a short time. It seems that monastery loneliness strengthened the will of the young man. That is why he escapes from his prison on a terrible, stormy night. The elements frightened the monks, and Mtsyri feels a kinship with it. Courage and perseverance can be judged by the episode in which his battle with the leopard is described. Death does not frighten Mtsyri; he understands that upon returning to the monastery, he will experience the same suffering. The ending of the picture suggests that approaching death does not weaken the hero’s courage. The monk’s narrative does not force Mtsyri to repent of his sins. Even in such a tragic moment, he is ready to “exchange paradise and eternity” for a few minutes of freedom spent with his loved ones. The main character is defeated physically, but not spiritually. Lermontov endowed his character with courage and heroism; perhaps this was so lacking in the poet’s contemporaries. We can safely say that the Caucasus in the poem is presented as a hero. The landscape of this place is a means of revealing the image of Mtsyri. Since the main character does not find unity with his environment, nature becomes his outlet. While in the monastery, the hero associates himself with a greenhouse leaf, which is imprisoned in a prison of gray slabs. Once free, the first thing he does is crouch to the ground. Mtsyri’s romanticism is fully revealed precisely in relation to his native nature. Mtsyri is a gloomy and lonely hero who is endowed with fiery passions. In his confessional story, he fully reveals his soul. The lines about an unhappy childhood and youth help to understand the main character’s experiences and thoughts. The poet tried to focus specifically on the psychological side of Mtsyri. He placed his hero at the center of the poem, as an extraordinary, strong and freedom-loving person.

All of Lermontov’s work is permeated by the image of the Caucasus. Proud free people, majestic and imperious nature impressed the poet from a young age, which is already evident in his early poems. He did not ignore one of the main trends in literature of the first half of the 19th century - the depiction of a romantic hero. And these two main themes came together in one of the author’s best works - the poem “Mtsyri”.

For this work, the historical context is incredibly important - the events that led to the captivity of Mtsyri. In Russia, the first half of the nineteenth century was the era of the conquest of the Caucasian lands. This is not only the annexation of territories to the Russian Empire, but also the subordination of mountain peoples to Orthodoxy and tsarist power. It is quite possible to imagine how a Georgian boy, left orphaned after another battle, ends up being raised in an Orthodox monastery. History knows such examples: this was the childhood of the artist P. Z. Zakharov. There are suggestions that Lermontov based the plot on the story of a monk he met on the military roads of Georgia. The author also turned to local folklore, as evidenced by the scene of the fight with the leopard: this episode was based on a folk song about a young man and a tiger.

The poem "Mtsyri" was written by Lermontov in 1839. It was edited a lot to avoid censorship. Basically, fragments in which freedom was particularly praised or anti-Orthodox motives were heard were removed.

What is the work about?

The action in the book takes place in the Caucasus. At the beginning of the poem, Lermontov reproduces the backstory of how the main character ended up in the monastery: a Russian general was carrying a captive child. The boy was very weak, and a monk sheltered him in his cell, thereby saving his life. The essence of “Mtsyri” is to express his protest against this salvation in captivity, which not only destroys him, but also torments him.

The main part of the poem is the confession of the main character. This is what it says: the prisoner admits that he has been unhappy all these years, the walls of the monastery are tantamount to a prison for him, he cannot find understanding here. In 3 days outside captivity, a young man lives his entire life.

Firstly, the young man remembers his childhood years and his father. During this period, he feels his purpose, realizes what kind of blood flows in his veins.

Secondly, he meets a young Georgian woman who was walking to fetch water. This might be the first girl he's seen in years.

Thirdly, he has a fight with a leopard. The hero instinctively fights the beast, because within the walls of the monastery he could not be taught martial arts. The feeling of danger awakened his true warlike spirit in him, and the young man defeats the enemy.

Exhausted and wounded, by the end of the third day of wandering, the fugitive is forced to bitterly admit to himself: not knowing where to go, he made a circle and returned to his ill-fated prison - the monastery. Dying, he bequeaths to bury himself in the garden where the acacia tree blooms.

Genre and direction

It is difficult to imagine the era of romanticism in literature without the genre of the poem. “Mtsyri” is included in the thematic group of Lermontov’s works about the romantic hero. The previously written “Boyar Orsha” and “Confession” anticipated the poem about an escaped novice.

A more precise definition of the genre “Mtsyri” is a romantic poem. One of the characteristic features of the work is the reflection of the hero’s ideas. The young man strives for freedom; for him, will is the goal of life, the main happiness. For the sake of his dream, he is ready to sacrifice his life. All this allows us to consider Mtsyri a romantic hero.

It was not only Lermontov who developed such a special genre of poem in his work. First of all, we can compare “Mtsyri” with the poem by K.F. Ryleev “Nalivaiko”, the plot of which dates back to the era of the Cossacks’ struggle for independence.

Another feature of the romantic poem is its confessional nature, which is also characteristic of “Mtsyri”. Confession, as a rule, contains a story about the hopes and dreams of the hero, his confessions, sometimes unexpected. Revelation reflects the strength of his spirit, his character.

The main characters and their characteristics

To determine the image of the main character, it is necessary to take into account what the word “mtsyri” means. There are two meanings in Georgian: novice and stranger. Initially, Lermontov wanted to call the poem “beri”, which in Georgian means monk, but it was “mtsyri” that maximally reflects the essence of the character.

Why did Mtsyri escape? He was not tortured in the monastery, nor was he forced to do backbreaking work. However, there were reasons because of which the hero suffered. Firstly, the young man’s dream was to find a loved one, even if not a relative, but of the same nation, the same blood. Growing up as an orphan, he dreamed of feeling at least for a moment the warmth of an understanding soul. Another goal of the hero is will. He cannot call the years spent in the cell life; only in freedom was he able to realize who he really is.

It is important to note that, despite the failure, the character of “Mtsyri” does not complain about fate, he does not curse himself, but confidently accepts this test and even rejoices that his gloomy life was brightened by these three days.

It is impossible to create the image of a romantic hero without the motive of love. This goal is conveyed by the mention in the confession of a young Georgian woman, when the young man himself admits: “My ardent thoughts // Are confused...”. and his thoughts are described in detail by us in the essay.

In his fight with the leopard, the hero showed incredible courage and perseverance, the risk and energy of battle awakened the spirit of his ancestors in him, but the young man was not destined to find freedom and happiness. This is the author’s embodiment of the theme of rock in the image of Mtsyri.

Themes

• Freedom. This theme permeates the poem on two levels. The first is global: Georgia is subordinate to the Russian Empire, the second concerns the protagonist of the poem personally: he dreams of a free life. Mtsyri does not want to come to terms with his captivity in the monastery and escapes. But he cannot escape his fate, and three days later the young man, having made a circle, returns to the hated walls.
• Loneliness. One of the reasons for the escape was the search for people close in spirit and blood. Mtsyri is alone among the clergy; he rather feels his kinship with nature than with them. The young man grew up as an orphan, he is a stranger to both worlds: both to the monastery and to the mountaineers. For him, the temple is captivity, and, as his escape showed, the novice was not fit for independent life.
• War. The hero "Mtsyri" did not participate in battles, but was born for them. His father was a courageous defender of his people, but his son became a victim of war. It was she who left the boy an orphan, it was because of her that he did not know family, affection, a happy childhood, but only a monastery and prayers.
• Love. The unfortunate exile does not know what a family is, he has no friends, all his bright memories are focused on his childhood. But a meeting with a young Georgian woman awakens new feelings in the hero. Mtsyri understands that happiness is possible even now, if only he could find the right path, but life decreed otherwise.

Issues

The problem of personal oppression always worried Lermontov. The poet passionately loved the Caucasus, visited there as a child, and was sent there to war several times. Fulfilling his duty to his homeland, the writer fought and fought courageously, but at the same time, in the depths of his soul he sympathized with the innocent victims of this political campaign. Mikhail Yuryevich expressed these experiences in the image of the main character of the poem. It would seem that Mtsyri should be grateful to the general, because by his grace he did not die as a child, but he cannot call his stay in the monastery life. Thus, by depicting the life of one, the author showed the fate of many, which allowed readers to take a completely different look at the Caucasian wars. Thus, the creator touched upon both political and social problems arising from any violent action on the part of the state. Officially, only soldiers fight, but in reality, civilians are involved in the bloody cycle, whose families and destinies are a bargaining chip for the implementation of His Majesty’s large-scale plans.

Idea of ​​the work

The poem is built on the antithesis of freedom and captivity, but in the context of the era when Lermontov lived and worked, these concepts had a much broader meaning. It is no coincidence that, fearing censorship, the poet independently edited and crossed out some fragments. The unsuccessful escape of the young man can be seen as an allegory for the December Uprising: the captivity of the monastery - the oppression of the autocracy, the attempt to free himself doomed to failure - the performance of the Decembrists. Thus, the main idea in “Mtsyri” was encrypted and hidden from the authorities so that readers could find it between the lines.

This is how Lermontov responds in the poem not only to the problem of the conquest of the Caucasian peoples, but also to the events of 1825. The author gives the hero not only courage, endurance and a rebellious character, the young man is noble, despite his sad fate, he does not hold a grudge against anyone. This is the meaning of “Mtsyri” - to show the rebellion of the soul without evil and thirst for revenge, a pure, beautiful and doomed impulse, which was the Decembrist uprising.

What does it teach?

The poem makes you think that any military victory also has its downside: Georgia was annexed by Russia in 1801, but not only the armies suffered, but also civilians, innocent children, like the main character “ Mtsyri". The main idea in the poem “Mtsyri” is humanistic: this should not happen again.

Lermontov calls on you to fight and resist fate to the end, never to lose hope. And even in case of failure, do not grumble about life, but courageously accept all trials. Since the poet has endowed his character with all these qualities, the reader perceives him, despite the unsuccessful and spontaneous escape, not as an unfortunate victim, but as a true hero.

Criticism

The literary world enthusiastically accepted the poem “Mtsyri”. Lermontov began to be showered with praise for his creation even before the work was published. For example, A. N. Muravyov recalls the author reading a book he had just written: “...no story has ever made such a strong impression on me.” S.T. Aksakov in “The History of My Acquaintance with Gogol” writes about the author’s wonderful reading of “Mtsyri” at Gogol’s name day in 1840.

The most authoritative critic of that time, V.G. Belinsky valued this work very highly. In his article about the poem “Mtsyri”, he emphasizes how well the poet chose the size and rhythm and compares the sound of the poems with the blows of a sword. He sees in the book a reflection of Lermontov's personality and admires the depiction of nature.