Analysis of the ode by M.V. Lomonosov "On the day of the accession to the All-Russian throne of Her Majesty the Empress Empress Elisaveta Petrovna, 1747".

One of the most famous odes of Lomonosov is "On the day of the accession to the All-Russian throne of Her Majesty the Empress Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, 1747". This ode impresses with the scale of its images, the majestic style of writing, the author's rich and "magnificent" poetic language, Church Slavonicisms, rhetorical figures, colorful metaphors and hyperbole. And at the same time, throughout the entire ode, Lomonosov managed to withstand the classicist rigor of construction: a seasoned iambic tetrameter, a ten-line stanza and a single rhyming scheme (ababvvgddg).

Let's start a detailed analysis of this ode from the first stanza.

The joy of kings and kingdoms of the earth

Beloved silence,

The bliss of the villages, the fence of the city,

If you are useful and red!

Flowers bloom around you

And the classes in the fields turn yellow;

Treasure ships are full

Dare in the sea for you;

You pour with a generous hand

Your wealth on earth.

The ode is dedicated to the glorification of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, but even before her appearance in the ode, the poet manages to express his main and cherished idea: peace, not war, contributes to the prosperity of the country. The ode begins with an introduction containing praise for this silence, that is, for peaceful times that contribute to the prosperity of the state and the well-being of the people. Lomonosov paints an extensive picture, as if he is observing all this from a height. Everything that the author describes (villages, cities, grain fields, ships plowing the seas) is fanned and protected by "beloved silence", peace and tranquility reign in Russia. Both in this stanza and in others, sound recording helps to create an image of silence: the author often uses words with the sounds w, u, s, k, t, p, x (ti sh ina, blessed st in, P e st ray t, to la With s, With about to rovi sch, With s P le sh b, etc.).

Great light of the world

Shining from the eternal height

For beads, gold and purple,

To all earthly beauties,

He raises his gaze to all countries,

But more beautiful in the world does not find

Elizabeth and you.

You, besides that, are above everything;

The soul of her marshmallow is quieter,

And the sight is more beautiful than paradise.

In the second stanza, Lomonosov already introduces the image of Elizabeth herself, to whom this ode is dedicated. When drawing her portrait, he uses colorful comparisons (“her marshmallow’s soul is quieter, and the vision is more beautiful than paradise”). And here you can also observe a very interesting author’s move in expressing his position by the author. the dignity of the Empress, on the contrary, he sings of her beauty and grandeur, but at the same time he does not deviate from his original thoughts ("you are above everything else").

When she took the throne

As the highest gave her a crown,

I returned you to Russia

She put an end to the war;

I kissed you when I accepted you:

I'm full of those victories, she said

For whom blood is flowing.

I enjoy Russian happiness,

I do not change their calmness

On whole west and east.

In the third stanza, Lomonosov, to give greater solemnity to the ode, calls the people of Russia "Russians". He also uses here such words as "which", "current", "calm", "accepted", "full", "enjoy", which also give the sound of lines of solemnity, measuredness, "splendor". The sound writing here is completely different than in the first stanza: not deaf sounds are used, but voiced ones, and thus a rhythm of solemnity is created ( to about where a, t R about n, in e n e c, in about yin e, etc.). Lomonosov reflects historical events in his ode, but he does not fully describe them, but only mentions them, weaving them into the ode itself. In this stanza there is such a line: "she put an end to the war", it says that, having ascended the throne, Elizabeth began peace negotiations with Sweden.

Befitting to divine lips,

Monarchine, this meek voice:

Oh how worthily exalted

This day and that blessed hour

When from a joyful change

Petrovs raised walls

Up to the stars splash and click!

When you carried the cross with your hand

And brought with her to the throne

The kindness of your beautiful face!

In the fourth stanza, Lomonosov again, with the help of rich metaphors and epithets, draws the image of the empress ("divine lips", "your kindness is a beautiful face"). At the same time, he calls her "monarchine", and this word brings a new touch of sound to the melodic and harmonious image of Elizabeth. There is also another "speaking" line here: "when you carried the cross with your hand." It says that, having appeared in the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Elizabeth took the oath of the grenadiers. And already in this stanza, Lomonosov mentions the father of the current empress, Peter I, who was his idol and whom the poet greatly honored ("when the walls were raised from the joyful change of Petrov"). And in order to show the emotionality of this stanza, its sublime and joyful mood, Lomonosov turns to exclamatory sentences for help.

To equal the word with them,

The abundance of our strength is small;

But we can't resist

From singing your praises.

Your bounties are encouraging

Our spirit is directed to run,

Like a capable wind in a swimmer's pont

Through the ravines breaks the waves;

He leaves the beach with joy;

Feed flies between the water depths.

In the fifth stanza, the poet continues to exalt and praise Elisaveta Petrovna and writes that "we cannot refrain from singing your praises" and that the empress is for the people, like the wind is for a swimmer: it inspires him and helps. And when writing this stanza, Lomonosov again uses high-style words ("these", "bounties", "wind", "through", "yary", "breg", "subsoil").

Silence, fiery sounds,

And stop wavering the light;

Here in the world to expand science

Elizabeth did.

You impudent whirlwinds, do not dare

Roar, but meekly divulge

Our times are wonderful.

In silence, listen, universe:

Se wants the lyre admiring

Say great names.

The sixth stanza in its sound is very emotional, tense. Lomonosov refers to abstract phenomena, such as sounds ("be silent, fiery sounds"), wind ("you insolent whirlwinds, do not dare to roar") and even to the universe ("in silence, listen, universe"). He orders them to be silent and listen to Elizabeth, who deigned "to expand science here in the world." One can understand why this stanza is one of the most emotional in the ode. Lomonosov writes here that the Empress commands science and education in Russia, and yet Lomonosov himself was one of the prominent and significant scientists of that time, and this topic was more than close to him.

Terrible by miraculous deeds In the fields of bloody Mars was afraid,

The builder of the world from time immemorial His sword in Petrov's hands in vain,

With his destinies laid down And Neptune seemed to tremble,

Glorify yourself in our day; Looking at the Russian flag.

He sent a Man to Russia, suddenly fortified in the walls

What has been unheard of for centuries. And surrounded by buildings

Through all the obstacles he raised the Doubtful Neva adage:

Head, crowned with victories, "Or am I now forgotten

Russia, trampled on by rudeness And bowed from this path,

He lifted him up to heaven. Which before I flowed?

In the seventh stanza, Lomonosov already fully introduces the image of Peter into the ode and continues to reveal it in the eighth stanza. He writes about the emperor and calls him "Man", but he uses this word with a capital letter, thereby showing his respect for Peter I. And in order for this image, so honored by the poet, to be worthy of the great emperor, be bright, colorful and exalted, Lomonosov turns to ancient classical mythology. In his lines, Peter is higher than Mars and Neptune ("In the bloody fields, Mars was afraid, his sword in Petrov's hands in vain, and Neptune seemed to tremble, looking at the Russian flag"). Lomonosov praises Peter for his military successes, for the creation of the navy, as well as for the construction of St. Petersburg, and here he uses an interesting move: he writes about it as if on behalf of the Neva (“Or have I now forgotten and leaned from that path, which before I flowed?") and thus uses personification here. The paths of these two stanzas are distinguished by a festive, exultant character. And greatness here is also given by such words as "builder", "originally", "obstacles", "married", "trampled", "strengthened", "encircled", "doubtful", "it".

Then divine sciences

Through mountains, rivers and seas

They stretched out their hands to Russia,

To this monarch, saying:

"We are prepared with the utmost care

File in the Russian genus new

The fruits of the purest mind."

The monarch calls them to himself,

Russia is already waiting

It's good to see their work.

In the ninth stanza, the poet writes about what is closest to him - about the sciences. Here he uses personification: the sciences turn to the monarch: "With extreme diligence, we are ready to give new fruits of the purest mind in the Russian race." He also creates here the image of Russia, which is looking forward to "beneficial to see their work." For a more elevated image of the sciences, Lomonosov calls them "divine", he also uses here such words as "this", "care", "new", "useful".

But oh, cruel fate! In a lot of righteous sadness

Immortality worthy husband, Doubtful of their embarrassed way;

The reason for our bliss, And wished only as we walked,

To the unbearable sorrow of our souls To look at the coffin and at the deeds.

Jealously rejected by fate But meek Catherine,

He plunged us into deep weeping! Joy for Petra is one,

Having inspired our sobs to our ears, He accepts them with a generous hand.

The tops of Parnassus groaned, Oh, if only her life had lasted,

And the muses saw off with a cry

To heaven's door, the most luminous spirit With his art before the Neva!

In the tenth and eleventh stanzas, Lomonosov writes about one of the saddest events of his time - the death of Peter I. He speaks of the emperor with great respect and in the most flattering terms (“a husband worthy of immortality, the cause of our bliss”). Drawing the grief that the death of Peter brought to everyone, Lomonosov writes that even the muses on Parnassus groaned. Are these lines not proof that Peter was one of the poet's favorite rulers, whom he greatly revered? In the eleventh stanza, Lomonosov continues to mourn for the emperor, but there is no longer such sadness as in the previous one. It also speaks of Catherine I, the wife of Peter. And Lomonosov writes about its merits. And here he mentions Sequana, a famous Parisian university of that time, and regrets that Catherine failed to complete her undertakings, otherwise Petersburg could have surpassed Paris. In these two stanzas there are exclamatory sentences, and it is they that carry the greatest emotional load. And for greater "splendor" and solemnity, such words as "fate", "rock", "groaned", "heavenly", "bright", "a fraction", "doubtful", "tokmo" are used here.

What lordship surrounds Great praise worthy,

In much grief Parnassus? When the number of their victories

Oh, if it rattles according to there, a warrior can compare battles

Pleasant strings, sweetest voice! And in the field he lives all his life;

All hills are covered with faces; But the warriors are subject to him,

Cries are heard in the valleys: His praises are always involved,

Great Petrov's daughter And the noise in the shelves from all sides

Father's generosity exceeds, Sounding glory drowns out,

The contentment of the Muses aggravates And the thunder of the trumpets hinders it.

And luckily he opens the door. The lamentable groan of the vanquished.

In the twelfth and thirteenth stanzas, Lomonosov no longer sadly recalls Peter, he writes about the one whom he left behind great emperor about his daughter Elizabeth. He shows her as a great blessing for Russia, as a successor to Peter's reforms and undertakings, places great hopes on her and exalts her above Peter himself ("great Petrov's daughter exceeds her father's generosity"). For greater sonority of the stanzas, the words "toly", "sweetest", "daughter", "opens", "sounds" are used here.

This is the only glory to you, Tolikoe lands space

The monarch, belongs, When the Almighty instructed

Your spacious state is Your happy citizenship,

Oh how thank you! Then the treasures opened

Look at the lofty mountains, Of which India boasts;

Look into your wide fields, But Russia requires

Where is the Volga, the Dnieper, where the Ob flows; By the art of approved hands.

Wealth, hidden in them, This gold will cleanse the vein;

Science will be frank, Stones will also feel the power

What blooms with your generosity. the sciences restored by you.

From the fourteenth stanza, the ode enters its main part. And the fourteenth stanza is inextricably linked with the fifteenth. Here Lomonosov is already completely moving directly to the image of the one to whom this ode is dedicated - to the image of Elizabeth. He paints a picture of a rich, vast and prosperous country, which thanks the Empress for her wise and just rule ("This glory belongs to you alone, monarch, your vast power thanks you!"). In order to enhance this image of the greatness and power of the monarchine-enlightener, Lomonosov uses such words as "this", "spacious", "behold", "these", "so much", "citizenship", "restored".

Although the eternal snows Kohl are unknown to many mortals

The northern country is covered, Nature works miracles,

Where the wings are frozen by the winds Where the animals are crowded with density

Your banners fly; There are deep forests

But God is between the icy mountains Where in the luxury of cool shadows

Great in his miracles: In the flock of galloping deer

There Lena is a pure rapid, Catching a cry did not disperse;

Like the Nile, the hunter will water the peoples where he did not mark with a bow;

And bregi finally loses, With ax farmer's knock

As wide as the sea. Singing birds did not frighten.

In the fifteenth and sixteenth stanzas, Lomonosov continues to paint the image of Russia, making it wider and wider. He writes about the snows that "cover the northern country", about the "icy mountains", among which the Lena flows, which the poet likens to the Nile - one of the deepest and richest rivers in the world. He also mentions the dense, dense Russian forests, where no human foot has yet set foot. This whole picture of Russia is so wide and majestic that it is even difficult for the human imagination to imagine it. To create this majestic image, Lomonosov uses colorful epithets ("everlasting snows", "northern country", "frozen wings", "icy mountains", "clear rapids", "deep forests", "cool shadows", "leaping deer") .

Wide open field

Where muses stretch their way!

Your generous will

What can we give for this?

We will glorify your gift to heaven

And we will put a sign of your generosity,

Where is the sun rising and where is Cupid

Spinning in the green shores

Wishing to come back

To your state from Manzhur.

In the seventeenth stanza, Lomonosov praises Elizabeth, and he expresses this not only on his own behalf, but also on behalf of the whole people and the whole country (“we will glorify your gift to heaven”). He draws the image of Cupid, who wants to return from the Manchurian Empire to Russia, and thus emphasizes the scale and greatness of our country.

Behold, I will zapon the gloomy eternity There, the darkness of the islands is sown,

Hope opens up to us! The river is like the ocean;

Where there are no rules, no law, heavenly blue robes,

Wisdom tamo builds the temple; The peacock is put to shame by the Raven.

Ignorance pales before her. There are clouds of different birds flying,

There, the wet fleet's path turns white, What is variegated

And the sea tries to give way: Tender spring clothes;

Russian Columbus through the waters Feeding in fragrant groves

Hurries to unknown peoples And swimming in pleasant jets,

To proclaim your bounties. They do not know the severity of winter.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth stanzas, Lomonosov writes about the achievements of Russia, namely about the "Russian Columbus" - Vitus Bering, who was a famous Russian navigator and explorer. Lomonosov, speaking of Bering, creates a general picture of foreign countries and uses rich epithets for this ("sky blue", "tender springs", "in fragrant groves", "in pleasant streams", "strict winter").

And now Minerva strikes

In the tops of Riphean with a copy;

Silver and gold run out

In all your inheritance.

Pluto in the clefts is restless,

What is handed over to the Russians

Its precious metal from the mountains,

Which nature has hidden there;

From the brilliance of daylight

He gloomy averts his gaze.

In the twentieth stanza, Lomonosov writes about Russia's mining successes in the Urals ("Rifean peaks"). And in this stanza he uses the images of the gods of ancient mythology: Minerva and Pluto. And in order to fully show how important this is for Russia, the poet uses such high-style words as "se", "tops", "copy", "silver", "gold", "rossam", "drag ", "nature", "repels".

Oh you who are waiting

Fatherland from its bowels

And wants to see them

Which calls from foreign countries,

Oh, your days are blessed!

Be emboldened now

Show with your care

What can own Platos

And quick-witted Newtons

Russian land beget.

The twenty-first stanza is one of the most famous stanzas not only of this ode, but of Lomonosov's entire literary work. It contains an appeal to the younger generations: to show "that the Russian land can give birth to its own Platons and quick-witted Newtons." For greater emotionality, Lomonosov uses a rhetorical exclamation, as well as words such as "encouraged", "cheerful" and uses the names of famous scientists (Plato, Newton).

Sciences young men are nourished,

They give joy to the old,

Decorate in a happy life

In an accident, take care;

Joy in domestic difficulties

And in distant wanderings is not a hindrance.

Science is everywhere

Among the nations and in the wilderness,

In the city noise and alone,

At rest they are sweet and in work.

In the twenty-third stanza, Lomonosov writes about the benefits of the sciences, and it should be noted that for this stanza Lomonosov translated into verse an excerpt from Cicero's speech in defense of the poet Archius. There are many epithets in this stanza ("in a happy life", "in an accident", "in domestic difficulties", "on distant wanderings", "in the noise of the city"). These epithets are not as colorful as in the previous stanzas, but they depict the everyday life of people, and this only increases the significance of the sciences.

To you, O source of mercy,

O angel of our peaceful years!

The Almighty is on that assistant,

Who dares with his pride,

Seeing our peace

Rise up against you in war;

The builder will keep you

In all ways flawless

And your life is blessed

Compare with the number of your generosity.

In the last, twenty-fourth stanza, Lomonosov again turns to Elizabeth, calling her "the angel of our peaceful years." He again mentions peacetime, which he sees as the cause of the empress, and the generosity and love for the people of the empress herself.

“Our literature begins with Lomonosov ... he was her father, her Peter the Great,” V.G. Belinsky, the place and significance of the work of the outstanding Russian educator, scientist, naturalist Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov in the history of Russian literature. He became not only a reformer of Russian versification, but also the author of remarkable poetic works, which constituted a special page in Russian poetry.

Perhaps now we are not very interested in those statesmen to whom Lomonosov's poems are addressed, and for someone the name of Elizaveta Petrovna, to whom his ode, written in 1747, is dedicated, is completely unknown. But the thoughts and feelings of a great man, citizen and patriot, its tireless explorer and discoverer of the unknown in the natural world, are something that has not lost its value to this day and, probably, will remain so forever.

What does Lomonosov write about in his ode, called, as was customary in the poetry of the 18th century, very ornately: “Ode on the day of accession to the All-Russian throne of Her Majesty Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, November 25, 1747”?

The composition of the ode, in accordance with the requirements of classicism, is distinguished by logical harmony. Each of the main themes receives its justification and detailed development, each new thought follows logically from the previous one.

Like any solemn ode, in accordance with the rules of classicism, this poem begins with a majestic glorification of the world:

The joy of kings and kingdoms of the earth,

Beloved silence,

The bliss of the villages, the fence of the city,

If you are useful and red!

A natural continuation of this majestic picture is the praise of Elizabeth, who ensured the prosperity of the country, first of all, by bringing her peace - after all, during her reign, the wars that Russia had waged for a long time really stopped:

When she took the throne

As the Supreme gave her a crown,

I returned you to Russia

The war ended.

Sent a Man to Russia

What has been unheard of for centuries.

Through all obstacles he lifted

Head, crowned with victories,

Russia, trampled by barbarism,

He lifted him up to heaven.

Lomonosov, like Pushkin later, considered Peter I a great reformer, an enlightened monarch and a brilliant military leader - a true national hero. Talking about him, the poet resorts to personifications associated with the images of ancient mythology. So, for example, Mars and Neptune serve as symbols for the concepts of war and the elements of the sea. Such imagery, along with the widespread use of Slavic words, rhetorical questions, exclamations and appeals, creates a particularly solemn "high" style of the ode, corresponding to the subject of its image. This is very clearly seen in the description of Peter I, his military victories, which strengthened the power of Russia:

In the fields of bloody Mars was afraid,

Your sword in Petrov's hands in vain,

And Neptune wondered with trepidation,

Looking at the Russian flag.

For Lomonosov, as well as for Pushkin, Peter I is also a great builder northern capital which opened up new ways of development for Russia:

In the walls suddenly fortified

And surrounded by buildings

Doubtful Neva ad:

"Or have I now forgotten

And leaned from the path,

Which before I flowed?

Quite logically, after this description, the idea develops that under Peter I

…divine sciences

Through mountains, rivers and seas,

They stretched out their hands to Russia...

Concluding the story about Peter I with a description of his tragic death, Lomonosov proceeds to the next part of the poem: he again turns to the present and expresses the hope that Elizabeth will follow the example of her father and will patronize the sciences, contribute to the strengthening and prosperity of Russia. He wants to see Elizabeth as an enlightened queen who cares about the welfare of the fatherland, and further in his ode he presents her with a kind of “program of action”, which should ensure the further development of the country.

Calling on Elizabeth to be the patroness of education, sciences and crafts, Lomonosov shows that the country where she reigns is amazingly beautiful and has inexhaustible natural wealth:

Look at the high mountains

Look into your wide fields,

Where is the Volga, the Dnieper, where the Ob flows;

Wealth, hidden in them,

Science will frankly

What blooms with your generosity.

The further logic of the development of thought is quite obvious: unfolding before the reader's eyes a grandiose landscape of a gigantic country, washed by seas and oceans, stretching from the far North, through the mountains of the Urals ("Rifeisky peaks"), the expanses of the Siberian taiga to the Far East and the Amur, which is "in the green shores spinning”, the poet argues that such a country cannot be left in the darkness of ignorance. Educated people are required to develop its natural resources, and therefore he further calls:

Oh, you who are waiting

Fatherland from its bowels,

And wants to see them

What calls from foreign countries!

Be brave, now you are encouraged,

Show with your speech

What can own Platos

And quick-witted Newtons

Russian land to give birth.

Such a logic of the development of poetic thought enables the author to complete his ode not only with the traditional praise of Elizabeth, but also with a genuine hymn in honor of science:

The sciences feed young men,

They give joy to the old,

Decorate in a happy life

In an accident, take care;

Joy in domestic difficulties

And in distant wanderings is not a hindrance.

Science is used everywhere, -

Among the nations and in the wilderness,

In the city noise and alone,

At rest they are sweet and in work.

These words about science are known to everyone, even to those who are not very familiar with the work of Lomonosov the poet. They reflect the position of modern society and man in the best possible way, and therefore can serve as a kind of emblem of our time, when science has received an unprecedented development. We can say that the dream of the great scientist and poet has gone astray: Russia has proved that it is really capable of giving the whole world "its own Platos and quick-witted Newtons." And occupying one of the first places in the world, Moscow State University rightfully bears the name of Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov.

The joy of kings and kingdoms of the earth,
Beloved silence,
The bliss of the villages, the city fence,
If you are useful and red!
Flowers bloom around you
And the classes in the fields turn yellow;
Treasure ships are full
Dare in the sea for you;
You pour with a generous hand
Your wealth on earth.
Great light of the world
Shining from the eternal height
For beads, gold and purple,
To all earthly beauties,
He raises his gaze to all countries,
But more beautiful in the world does not find
Elizabeth and you.
You, besides that, are above everything;
The soul of her marshmallow is quieter,
And the sight is more beautiful than paradise.
When she took the throne
As the highest gave her a crown,
I returned you to Russia
She put an end to the war;
I kissed you when I accepted you:
I'm full of those victories, she said
For whom blood is flowing.
I enjoy Russian happiness,
I do not change their calmness
To the west and east.
Befitting to divine lips,
Monarchine, this meek voice:
Oh how worthily exalted
This day and that blessed hour
When from a joyful change
Petrovs raised walls
Splash and click to the stars!
When you carried the cross with your hand
And brought with her to the throne
The kindness of your beautiful face!
To equal the word with them,
The abundance of our strength is small;
But we can't resist
From singing your praises.
Your bounties are encouraging
Our spirit is directed to run,
Like a capable wind in a swimmer's pont
Through the ravines breaks the waves;
He leaves the beach with joy;
Feed flies between the water depths.
Silence, fiery sounds,
And stop wavering the light;
Here in the world to expand science
Elizabeth did.
You impudent whirlwinds, do not dare
Roar, but meekly divulge
Our times are wonderful.
In silence, listen, universe:
Se wants the lyre admiring
Say great names.
Terrible strange deeds
The creator of the world from the beginning
With his own destinies
Glorify yourself in our day;
Sent a Man to Russia
What has been unheard of for centuries.
Through all obstacles he lifted
Head, crowned with victories,
I will trample Russia with rudeness,
He lifted him up to heaven.
Mars feared in the bloody fields
Your sword in Petrov's hands in vain,
And Neptune wondered with trepidation,
Looking at the Russian flag.
In the walls suddenly fortified
And surrounded by buildings
Doubtful Neva ad:
"Or have I now forgotten
And leaned from that path
Which before I flowed?
Then divine sciences
Through mountains, rivers and seas
They stretched out their hands to Russia,
To this monarch, saying:
“We are prepared with the utmost care
File in the Russian genus new
The fruits of the purest mind.
The monarch calls them to himself,
Russia is already waiting
It's good to see their work.
But oh, cruel fate!
Immortality worthy husband,
Our happiness is the reason
To the unbearable sorrow of our souls
Jealously rejected by fate,
He plunged us into deep weeping!
Inspiring our sobs to our ears,
The tops of Parnassus groaned,
And the muses cried out
Into the heavenly door is the most radiant spirit.
In a lot of righteous sadness
Doubtful their confused way;
And just marching wished
Look at the coffin and the deeds.
But meek Catherine,
Joy for Petra is one,
He accepts them with a generous hand.
Ah, if only her life had lasted,
Long ago Sequana would be ashamed
With your art before the Neva!
What lightness surrounds
In much grief Parnassus?
Oh, if according to there rattling
Pleasant strings, sweetest voice!
All hills are covered with faces;
Cliques are heard in the valleys:
Great Peter's daughter
Father's generosity exceeds,
The contentment of the Muses exacerbates
And luckily he opens the door.
Worthy of great praise
When the number of their victories
A warrior can compare battles
And in the field he lives all his life;
But the warriors are subject to him,
His praises are always involved,
And the noise in the shelves from all sides
Sounding glory drowns out
And the thunder of the pipes interferes with it
The lamentable groan of the vanquished.
This is the only glory to you,
monarch, belongs,
Your spacious state
Oh how thank you!
Look at the high mountains
Look into your wide fields,
Where is the Volga, the Dnieper, where the Ob flows;
Wealth, hidden in them,
Science will frankly
What blooms with your generosity.
So much land space
When the Almighty ordered
To you in a happy allegiance,
Then the treasures opened
Of what India boasts;
But Russia demands
By the art of approved hands.
This gold will cleanse the vein;
Stones will also feel the power
the sciences restored by you.
Although the everlasting snows
The northern country is covered,
Where the frozen winds of the wings
Your banners fly;
But God is between the icy mountains
Great for its miracles:
There Lena is a pure rapid,
Like the Nile, the nations will get drunk
And bregi finally loses
As wide as the sea.
Kohl many mortals are unknown
Nature works wonders
Where the animals are crowded with density
There are deep forests
Where in the luxury of cool shadows
In the flock of galloping deer
Catch the cry did not disperse;
Where the hunter did not mark with a bow;
With the ax farmer's thud
Singing birds did not frighten.
Wide open field
Where muses stretch their way!
Your generous will
What can we give for this?
We will glorify your gift to heaven
And we will put a sign of your generosity,
Where is the sun rising and where is Cupid
Spinning in the green shores
Wishing to come back
To your state from Manzhur.
Behold the gloomy eternity
Hope opens up to us!
Where there are no rules, no law,
Wisdom tamo builds the temple;
Ignorance pales before her.
There, the wet fleet's path turns white,
And the sea tries to yield:
Russian Columbus through the waters
Hurries to unknown peoples
To proclaim your bounties.
There, the darkness of the islands is sown,
The river is like the ocean;
Heavenly blue robes
The peacock is put to shame by the Raven.
There are clouds of different birds flying,
What is variegated exceed
Tender spring clothes;
Eating in fragrant groves
And swimming in pleasant jets,
They do not know the severity of winter.
And now Minerva strikes
At the top of the Riphean copy;
Silver and gold run out
In all your inheritance.
Pluto in the clefts is restless,
What is handed over to the Russians
Its precious metal from the pores,
Which nature has hidden there;
From the brilliance of daylight
He gloomy averts his gaze.
Oh you who are waiting
Fatherland from its bowels
And wants to see them
Which calls from foreign countries,
Oh, your days are blessed!
Be emboldened now
Show with your care
What can own Platos
And quick-witted Newtons
Russian land to give birth.
The sciences feed young men,
They give joy to the old,
Decorate in a happy life
In an accident, take care;
Joy in domestic difficulties
And in distant wanderings is not a hindrance.
Science is everywhere
Among the nations and in the wilderness,
In the city noise and alone,
At rest they are sweet and in work.
To you, O source of mercy,
O angel of our peaceful years!
The Almighty is on that assistant,
Who dares with his pride,
Seeing our peace
Rise up against you in war;
The builder will keep you
In all ways flawless
And your life is blessed
Compare with the number of your generosity.

1747

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Let us turn to the analysis of one of the best odes of Lomonosov "On the day of the accession to the All-Russian throne of Her Majesty the Empress Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, 1747". The term "ode" (from the Greek "ωδή, which means song) was established in Russian poetry, thanks to Trediakovsky, who, in turn, borrowed it from Boileau's treatise. In the article "Discourse on the Ode", Trediakovsky described this genre as follows: "In the ode noble, important, rarely tender and pleasant matter is always and certainly described, in speeches very poetic and magnificent." addressed thematically to "noble and important matter": peace and tranquility in the country, the wise rule of an enlightened monarch, the development of domestic sciences and education, the development of new lands and the prudent use of wealth in old lands.

Lomonosov developed in practice and approved for decades to come the formal features of the genre, or, in other words, its poetics. In the ode we meet large-scale images; majestic style, raising the described pictures above the ordinary; "magnificent" poetic language, saturated with Church Slavonicisms, rhetorical figures, colorful metaphors and hyperbole. And at the same time - the classicist rigor of construction, the "harmony of the verse": a seasoned iambic tetrameter, a stanza of ten lines, an inviolable scheme of flexible rhyme ababvvgddg.

Let's start the analysis of the text from the first stanza:

Joy of kings and kingdoms of the earth, Beloved silence, Bliss of villages, fences of cities, If you are useful and red! Around you the flowers are dazzling And the classes in the fields turn yellow; Treasures full of ships Dare in the sea for you; With a generous hand You pour Your wealth over the earth.

As if from a bird's eye view, the poet surveys villages, cities, earing grain fields, ships plowing the seas. They are all fanned and protected by "blissful silence" - peace and tranquility in Russia. The ode is dedicated to the glorification of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, but even before her appearance in the ode, the poet manages to express his main and cherished idea: peace, not war, contributes to the prosperity of the country. The Empress, who enters the ode in the next stanza, turns out, according to artistic logic, to be derived from this all-encompassing peaceful silence ("His soul is quieter marshmallow"). Very interesting move! On the one hand, the poet maintains the parameters of a laudatory genre (“there can be nothing more beautiful than Elizabeth in the world”). But on the other hand, from the first lines of the work, he firmly outlined his author's position. And then the lyrical voice of the poet, and not the projection on the image of the empress, will more and more clearly lead the development of the narrative. Dominant role lyrical hero in the ode - Lomonosov's undoubted artistic achievement in this traditional classic genre.

Lomonosov strives to maintain the compositional norms of the genre, that is, the principle of constructing an odic poem. In the introductory part, the subject of chanting and the main idea of ​​the work are stated (although, as we have seen, the poet reversed them). This is the thesis. The main part substantiates, proves the stated thesis about the greatness and power of the glorified object. And, finally, the conclusion (or finale) gives a look into the future, into the further prosperity and power of the glorified phenomena. The norms of classicism are rationalistic, therefore one compositional part of the work strictly and consistently follows the prescribed other.

The introductory part, or, as it is also called, the exposition, occupies twelve stanzas in this Lomonosov ode. The poet glorifies Elizabeth against the background of her predecessors on the throne strictly following one after another. In the royal portrait gallery, the father of the current ruler, Peter I, is especially highlighted. This is the poet's idol. It is clear to the reader from the detailed and highly pathos characterization of Peter that it was from him that the daughter took over the baton of great deeds.

From the fourteenth stanza, the ode enters its main part. The idea is expanding, and its artistic implementation suddenly begins to show new, non-traditional features. The lyrical pathos passes from the dynasty of rulers to the majestic image of the Fatherland, to its inexhaustible natural wealth, enormous spiritual and creative possibilities:

This glory to You alone, Monarchine, belongs, Your vast power, Oh, how it thanks You! Look at the high mountains, Look at your wide fields, Where is the Volga, the Dnieper, where the Ob flows; Wealth in them is hidden Science will be frank, What blooms with Your generosity.

That's where the scope for the inspiration of the lyrical hero! The virtues of the "beautiful Elizabeth" are gradually fading into the background. The poet's thoughts are now occupied with something else. The thematic direction of the ode itself is changing. And the author himself is now not just an ode writer. He is a patriotic scientist who draws the attention of readers to the burning problems for Russia. The development of science will help to master the wealth of the North, the Siberian taiga and Far East. Russian sailors, with the help of cartographers, discover new lands, paving the way to "unknown peoples":

There, the wet fleet's path turns white, And the sea tries to give way: Columbus of Russia through the waters Hastens to announce Your bounties to unknown peoples.

Pluto itself, the mythical owner of underground riches, is forced to yield to the developers of the minerals of the Northern and Ural (Riphean) mountains. By the way, let us recall that Lomonosov perfectly studied the mining business:

And behold Minerva strikes Into the tops of the Riphean with a spear. Silver and gold run out In all your inheritance. Pluto in the clefts is restless, That the metal from the mountains is betrayed into the hands of the Rosses Draga, Which nature has hidden there; From the brilliance of the daylight, He averts his gloomy gaze.

And yet, the main thing that will bring Russia into the ranks of world powers is, according to the poet, new generations of people: educated, enlightened, devoted to science Russian youths:

O you, whom the Fatherland expects from its bowels, And desires to see such, Which it calls from foreign countries, Oh, your days are blessed! Dare, now you are encouraged, To show by your zeal, That the Russian land can give birth to its own Platos And quick-witted Newtons. Science nourishes young men, Gives joy to the old, Decorates in a happy life, Protects in an accident; There is joy in domestic difficulties And in distant wanderings is not a hindrance, Science is used everywhere: Among the peoples and in the desert, In the city garden and alone, In sweet peace and work.

The topic of the decisive role of science and education in the development of the country was stated, as we remember, by Cantemir. Trediakovsky served science with his work and throughout his life. And now Lomonosov perpetuates this theme, puts it on a poetic pedestal. Exactly so, because the two stanzas just quoted are the culmination of the ode, its highest lyrical peak, the pinnacle of emotional animation.

But here the poet, as it were, catches on, remembering that the ode is dedicated to an official event: the annually celebrated date of the accession to the throne of the empress. The final stanza is again directly addressed to Elizabeth. This stanza is obligatory, ceremonial, and therefore, I think, not the most expressive. The poet rhymes with an effort the boring word "unstumbling" with the epithet "blessed":

To you, O Mercy Source, O Angel of our peaceful years! The Almighty is an assistant to him, Who dares with his pride, Seeing our peace, Rise up against you with war; The Builder will keep you unstumbling in all ways And your blessed life He will compare with the number of Your bounties.

Obviously not the best line! Let's try to put the question as follows: if the genre of the classic ode is an expression of certain political and state views, then in the Lomonosov ode whose views are these views to a greater extent, the empress or the poet himself? In answering this question, the third stanza is especially important. In it, Elizabeth is presented as a peacemaker who stopped all wars for the sake of peace and happiness of the Russians:

When She ascended the throne, As the Most High gave her a crown, She returned You to Russia, She put an end to the war; Having accepted you, she kissed you: - I am full of those victories, - she said, - For which blood is flowing. I delight in Ross's happiness, I do not change with their calmness For the whole West and East.

But in reality, Elizabeth was not a peacemaker at all! The militant ruler conceived new and new campaigns on the borders Russian state. Military battles were a heavy burden on the families of Russian working people. How little the real Elizaveta Petrovna corresponded to the ideal of the ruler of the country, which is recreated in the work! And what one had to be not just a brave, but a daring person to praise the Empress for a foreign policy opposite to that which she established with regard to military operations! With his ode, Lomonosov told Elizaveta Petrovna that Russia needs peace and does not need war. The pathos and style of the work are peacemaking, not invocative-aggressive. Beautiful and splendid in abundance means of expression stanzas become when the poet enters the theme of the world, coupled with the sciences, and demands that the "fiery", that is, military, sounds be silenced:

Be silent, fiery sounds, And cease to waver the light: Here in the world, Elizabeth deigned to expand science. You impudent whirlwinds, do not dare Roar, but humbly divulge Our names are beautiful. In silence, listen, O universe: Behold, Lyra is admiring, To pronounce great names.

Lomonosov's metaphors are especially colorful. Metaphor (in Greek metaphora´ means transfer) is artistic technique, which combines different phenomena or objects into one image, transferring the properties of these different objects to each other. Because phenomena or objects are compared within the image, it receives additional emotional and semantic meanings, its boundaries are moved apart, the image becomes voluminous, bright and original. Lomonosov loved metaphors precisely for their ability to combine dissimilar details into a coherent grandiose picture, to bring to the main idea of ​​the work. “Metaphor,” he noted in his “Rhetoric” (1748), “ideas seem much more lively and magnificent than simply.” Artistic thinking of Lomonosov was essentially, as they would say now, synthesizing.

Here is one example of Lomonosov's metaphor. The fifth stanza from the ode "On the day of the ascension ...":

In order for a word to be equal to them, The abundance of our strength is small; But we can't help singing Your praises; Your bounty encourages Our spirit and urges us to run, Like a capable wind in a swimmer's bluff Breaks through the waves, It leaves the shore with joy; Feed flies between the water depths.

Most of the space in this stanza is occupied by a complex and ornate metaphor. More often metaphors are in several words or in one sentence. Here you are amazed at the scale of the metaphorical image. To isolate it, you have to think carefully about the text. Before us is an exquisite compliment to the Empress. The poet complains that he does not have lofty words equal to the virtues of Elizabeth, and yet he decides to sing these virtues. At the same time, he feels himself like an inexperienced swimmer who ventured alone "through the ravines of the wave" to cross the "Pont" (that is, the Black Sea). The swimmer is guided and supported along the way by a "capable", that is, fair, wind. Similarly, the poetic spirit of the author is kindled and directed by the wonderful deeds of Elizabeth, her "bounties."

To communicate the grandeur and scope of thought to the ode, Lomonosov had to resort to difficult turns of speech. In his "Rhetoric" he theoretically substantiated the legitimacy of the "decoration" of the poetic style. Each phrase, obeying the high odic style, should give rise to a feeling of pomp and splendor. And here, in his opinion, even inventions are commendable: for example, such "sentences in which the subject and predicate are conjugated in some strange, unusual or miraculous way, and thus constitute something important and pleasant." G.A. Gukovsky figuratively and accurately spoke about this poet’s desire for both colorful splendor and harmonious harmony: “Lomonosov builds whole colossal verbal buildings that resemble the huge palaces of Rastrelli; his periods, by their very volume, by their very rhythm, give the impression of a gigantic upsurge of thought and pathos. The groups of words and sentences symmetrically located in them, as it were, subordinate the immense element of the present and future to human thought and the human plan.

The splendor and magnificence of the poetic style help Lomonosov to recreate the powerful energy and colorful visualization of the paintings described. Here, for example, in the ode of 1742 is a surprisingly vivid picture of a military battle, in the center of which is a personified image of Death. From the contemplation of this image goosebumps run on the skin:

There the horses with their stormy feet Lift thick dust to the sky, There Death between the Goth regiments Runs, furious, from rank to rank, And opens its jaw to greed, And stretches out cold hands, Their proud spirit is expelled.

And what wonderful horses with "stormy legs"! In ordinary speech it is impossible to express it this way, in poetic speech it is possible. Moreover, the "stormy legs" of the horses, raising thick dust to the sky, are almost a cosmic image. Held at the same time on a very thin poetic blade. A little to the side, and everything will fall into absurdity.

Half a century later, the poet-innovator, the founder of Russian romanticism V.A. Zhukovsky, describing a special state of mind inspired by the twilight descending in rural silence, writes: "The soul is full of cool silence." He will amaze his contemporaries with an unprecedentedly bold combination of words. "Can silence be cool!" - severe critics will reproach the poet. But after all, Lomonosov was the first in Russian poetry to resort to bold combinations of words and concepts in his metaphorical style!

The joy of kings and kingdoms of the earth,
Beloved silence,
The bliss of the villages, the fence of the city,
If you are useful and red!
Flowers bloom around you
And the classes in the fields turn yellow;
Treasure ships are full
Dare in the sea for you;
You pour with a generous hand
Your wealth on earth.

Great light of the world
Shining from the eternal height
For beads, gold and purple,
To all earthly beauties,
He raises his gaze to all countries,
But more beautiful in the world does not find
Elizabeth and you.
You, besides that, are above everything;
The soul of her marshmallow is quieter,
And the sight is more beautiful than I.

When she took the throne
As the highest gave her a crown,
I returned you to Russia
She put an end to the war;
I kissed you when I accepted you:
I'm full of those victories, she said
For whom blood is flowing.
I enjoy Russian happiness,
I do not change their calmness
To the west and east.

Befitting to divine lips,
Monarchine, this meek voice:
Oh how worthily exalted
This day and that blessed hour
When from a joyful change
Petrovs raised walls
Up to the stars splash and click!
When you carried the cross with your hand
And brought with her to the throne
The kindness of your beautiful face!

To equal the word with them,
The abundance of our strength is small;
But we can't resist
From singing your praises.
Your bounties are encouraging
Our spirit is directed to run,
Like a capable wind in a swimmer's pont
Through the ravines breaks the waves;
He leaves the beach with joy;
Feed flies between the water depths.

Silence, fiery sounds,
And stop wavering the light;
Here in the world to expand science
Elizabeth did.
You impudent whirlwinds, do not dare
Roar, but meekly divulge
Our times are wonderful.
In silence, listen, universe:
Se wants the lyre admiring
Say great names.

Terrible strange deeds
The creator of the world from the beginning
With his own destinies
Glorify yourself in our day;
Sent a man to Russia,
What has been unheard of for centuries.
Through all obstacles he lifted
Head, crowned with victories,
I will trample Russia with rudeness,
He lifted him up to heaven.

Mars feared in the bloody fields
Your sword in Petrov's hands in vain,
And Neptune wondered with trepidation,
Looking at the Russian flag.
In the walls suddenly fortified
And surrounded by buildings
Doubtful Neva ad:
"Or have I now forgotten
And leaned from that path
Which before I flowed?

Then divine sciences
Through mountains, rivers and seas
They stretched out their hands to Russia,
To this monarch, saying:
"We are prepared with the utmost care
File in the Russian genus new
The fruits of the purest mind."
The monarch calls them to himself,
Russia is already waiting
It's good to see their work.

But oh, cruel fate!
Immortality worthy husband,
Our happiness is the reason
To the unbearable sorrow of our souls
Jealously rejected by fate,
He plunged us into deep weeping!
Inspiring our sobs to our ears,
The tops of Parnassus groaned,
And the muses cried out
Into the heavenly door is the most radiant spirit.

In a lot of righteous sadness
Doubtful their confused way;
And just marching wished
Look at the coffin and the deeds.
But meek Catherine,
Joy for Petra is one,
He accepts them with a generous hand.
Ah, if only her life had lasted,
Long ago Sequana would be ashamed
With your art before the Neva!

What lightness surrounds
In much grief Parnassus?
Oh, if according to there rattling
Pleasant strings, sweetest voice!
All hills are covered with faces;
Cliques are heard in the valleys:
Great Peter's daughter
Father's generosity exceeds,
The contentment of the Muses exacerbates
And luckily he opens the door.

Worthy of great praise
When the number of their victories
A warrior can compare battles
And in the field he lives all his life;
But the warriors are subject to him,
His praises are always involved,
And the noise in the shelves from all sides
Sounding glory drowns out
And the thunder of the pipes interferes with it
The lamentable groan of the vanquished.

This is the only glory to you,
monarch, belongs,
Your spacious state
Oh how thank you!
Look at the high mountains
Look into your wide fields,
Where is the Volga, the Dnieper, where the Ob flows;
Wealth, hidden in them,
Science will frankly
What blooms with your generosity.

So much land space
When the Almighty ordered
To you in a happy allegiance,
Then the treasures opened
Of which the Indus boasts and I;
But Russia demands
By the art of approved hands.
This gold at cleanse the vein;
Stones will also feel the power
the sciences restored by you.

Although the everlasting snows
The northern country is covered,
Where the frozen winds of the wings
Your banners fly;
But God is between the icy mountains
Great for its miracles:
There Lena is a pure rapid,
Like the Nile, the nations will get drunk
And bregi finally loses
As wide as the sea.

Kohl many mortals are unknown
Nature works wonders
Where the animals are crowded with density
There are deep forests
Where in the luxury of cool shadows
In the flock of galloping deer
Catch the cry did not disperse;
Where the hunter did not mark with a bow;
With the ax farmer's thud
Singing birds did not frighten.

Wide open field
Where muses stretch their way!
Your generous will
What can we give for this?
We will glorify your gift to heaven
And we will put a sign of your generosity,
Where is the sun rising and where is Cupid
Spinning in the green shores
Wishing to come back
To your state from Manzhur.

Behold the gloomy eternity
Hope opens up to us!
Where there are no rules, no law,
Wisdom tamo builds the temple;
Ignorance pales before her.
There, the wet fleet's path turns white,
And the sea tries to yield:
Russian Columbus through the waters
Hurries to unknown peoples
To proclaim your bounties.

There, the darkness of the islands is sown,
The river is like the ocean;
Heavenly blue robes
The peacock is put to shame by the Raven.
There are clouds of different birds flying,
What is variegated exceed
Tender spring clothes;
Eating in fragrant groves
And swimming in pleasant jets,
They do not know the severity of winter.

And now Minerva strikes
At the top of the Riphean copy;
Silver and gold run out
In all your inheritance.
Pluto in the clefts is restless,
What is handed over to the Russians
Its precious metal from the pores,
Which nature has hidden there;
From the brilliance of daylight
He gloomy averts his gaze.

Oh you who are waiting
Fatherland from its bowels
And wants to see them
Which calls from foreign countries,
Oh, your days are blessed!
Be emboldened now
Show with your care
What can own Platos
And quick-witted Newtons
Russian land to give birth.

The sciences feed young men,
They give joy to the old,
Decorate in a happy life
In an accident, take care;
Joy in domestic difficulties
And in distant wanderings is not a hindrance.
Science is everywhere
Among the nations and in the wilderness,
In the city noise and crowds and not,
At rest they are sweet and in work.

To you, O source of mercy,
O angel of our peaceful years!
The Almighty is on that assistant,
Who dares with his pride,
Seeing our peace
Rise up against you in war;
The builder will keep you
In all ways flawless
And your life is blessed
Compare with the number of your generosity.

Mikhail Lomonosov, End of 1747