“Oh, it’s good to live in a Soviet country!” - this line from a children's song has long been forgotten along with the bygone Soviet times. But a wonderful poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky remained in the anthology of Soviet poetry "Poems about the Soviet passport". "Red Passport" no longer exists, but the work that glorified her is not only “more alive than all the living”, but still evokes great amount imitations and parodies. Is this not evidence of popularity?
So, in 1929, on the seventh anniversary of the formation Soviet Union, Vladimir Mayakovsky, crossing the border and going through customs, became a witness different attitude officials to representatives different countries. The result of these observations is the work "Poems about the Soviet Passport", an analysis of which will be presented below.
The story about the everyday procedure - checking passports by the customs authorities - becomes a vivid picture of the confrontation between the two worlds. The “camp of socialism built in a single country”, which appeared for the first time in history (according to the formulations of the classics of Marxism-Leninism), caused representatives of all countries to bourgeois world if not hate, then at least, fear and misunderstanding. It is these feelings that Mayakovsky conveys in his poem.
The poem begins satirical image representatives "gendarme caste", which from his youth left the poet bad memories. However, it is preceded by a very pretentious discussion about the dangers of bureaucracy, that is, bureaucracy, red tape, neglect of the essence of the matter for the sake of formalities:
I would be a wolf
gnawed out
bureaucracy.
To mandates
there is no respect.
However, the hero is sure that his passport as a mandate of the Soviet state "to hell with mothers" you won't send. The following is a list of all who pass customs control. And the passport becomes a kind of symbol of the state, an expression of its strength and power in the political arena, which, like in a real mirror, is reflected in the attitude towards citizens. well-aimed comparisons and metaphors the author emphasizes the lackey obsequiousness and courtesy of officials before the mighty of the world this - representatives of the major powers:
… without ceasing
bow,
take,
like taking a tip
the passport
American.
The attitude towards “poorer” states is completely different: officials show disdain and arrogance towards citizens small states for example, the Poles. And also, “having not experienced any feelings, they take the passports of Danes and various other Swedes”. Obviously, routine work has taught them to perceive their duties as something unchanging. But now the customs officers meet face to face with the representative of the Soviet Union.
"Red Passport", dear to the hero's heart, causes them confusion and impotent rage. That's why they take "purple book" with caution: “like a bomb, like a hedgehog, like a double-edged razor, like a two-meter tall snake”. Such a long list comparative turnovers Mayakovsky sought to emphasize the involuntary, but at the same time forced recognition by the enemies of the mighty power of the country, which nevertheless embodied in its history the age-old hope of mankind for equality and justice. Perhaps a new state, a new political system, as they say, inspired the poet for so many neologisms that none of his poems can be compared with the data in terms of the amount of these funds.
In conclusion, Mayakovsky again, in accordance with the roundabout composition poem, repeats lines about bureaucratic disrespect for mandates, but completes the idea cut off at the beginning of the poem with a patriotic thought about his citizenship:
Read
envy
I -
citizen
Soviet Union.
Probably, there are now few students who know this poem by heart, because it is not included in the modern school curriculum on literature. But, despite the seemingly outdated content, it is filled with such pride in their country that there are no analogues in modern poetry Unfortunately, it is impossible to find.
Will any of the living masters of the pen be able to create such a powerful poem in terms of the power of love for their homeland? Will anyone write proudly about their Russian citizenship? For some reason this is hard to believe.
- "Lilichka!", analysis of Mayakovsky's poem
- "Seated", analysis of Mayakovsky's poem
- "A Cloud in Pants", an analysis of the poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky
"Poems about the Soviet passport" Vladimir Mayakovsky
I'd like a wolf to express bureaucracy. There is no respect for mandates. To hell with mothers roll any piece of paper. But this one... A courteous official moves along the long front of the compartment and cabins. Passports are handed over, and I hand over my purple booklet. For some passports - a smile at the mouth. To others - the attitude is trifling. With respect take, for example, a passport with a double English left. Having looked through the eyes of a good uncle, without ceasing to bow, they take, as if taking a tip, an American passport. In Polish - they look like a goat on a poster. In Polish - they bulge their eyes in tight police elephantine - where, they say, and what kind of geographic news is this? And without turning their heads and not having experienced any feelings, they take, without blinking, the passports of Danes and various other Swedes. And suddenly, as if by a burn, the gentleman's mouth twisted. This mister official takes my red-skinned passport. He takes it like a bomb, he takes it like a hedgehog, like a double-edged razor, he takes it like a two-meter tall snake that rattles at 20 stings. The porter's eye blinked meaningfully, even though things will be blown away for free. The gendarme looks inquiringly at the detective, the detective at the gendarme. With what pleasure the gendarme caste would have lashed and crucified me for the fact that in my hands I have a hammered, sickle Soviet passport. I would gnaw out bureaucracy like a wolf. There is no respect for mandates. To hell with mothers roll any piece of paper. But this one... I get it from wide trousers duplicate priceless cargo. Read, envy, I am a citizen of the Soviet Union.
It is known that in last years During his life, Vladimir Mayakovsky traveled a lot, including being abroad. Thanks to his revolutionary and patriotic poems, this poet was one of the few who, with Soviet power was allowed to visit both Europe and the USA as a staff correspondent for various publications. Mayakovsky never wrote travel notes, but could in short and capacious phrases poems convey the feeling of a particular trip. One of these sketches can be attributed to "Poems about the Soviet passport", which were written in 1929, but saw the light after the tragic death of the author.
In this work, the poet discusses how border services apply to passports and their holders. Mayakovsky himself cannot stand bureaucracy, and therefore any documents that he contemptuously calls “papers” cause him disgust, bordering on disgust. But he treats the Soviet passport with special reverence, since this "purple booklet" calls customs officials various countries real disgust. He picks her up “like a bomb, takes her like a hedgehog, like a double-edged razor.” The poet projects his attitude towards the Soviet passport onto himself, realizing that his opponent experiences such feelings not because of the identity document, but because of the person to whom it belongs. And there is nothing surprising in that, because in the second half of the 20th century, citizens of the USSR, crossing openly state border, are something exotic. Well and general attitude to the representatives of this country, isolated from the whole world, is wary. Simply put, Soviet man afraid in both Paris and New York, because no one knows what to expect from him. And this fear gives Mayakovsky real pleasure.
Possessing by nature excellent powers of observation, the poet notes that the border guards treat British passports with respect, ingratiatingly with American ones, and indifferently and ordinary with Danish and Norwegian ones. Polish passports make them squeamish, and only Soviet ones - a mixture of horror and reverence. Therefore, Mayakovsky calls the passport a “duplicate of a priceless cargo”, openly declaring: “Envy me, I am a citizen of the Soviet Union!”. He is really proud that he lives in a great and invincible country that inspires fear in the whole world and makes even an ordinary border guard tremble at the sight of red Soviet passport.
I would be a wolf
gnawed out
bureaucracy.
To mandates
there is no respect.
To any
to hell with mothers
roll
any piece of paper.
But this one…
Along the long front
coupe
and cabins
official
courteous moves.
Handing over passports
and I
rent
mine
purple book.
For one passport
smile at the mouth.
To others -
shitty attitude.
Respectfully
take, for example,
passports
with double bed
English left.
Through the eyes
good uncle vyev,
without ceasing
bow,
take,
like taking a tip
the passport
American.
in Polish -
look,
like a poster goat.
in Polish -
goggle their eyes
in tight
police elephantism -
from where, they say,
and what is this
geographical news?
And without turning
head head
and feelings
none
without having known
take,
without blinking,
Danish passports
and different
other
Swedes.
And suddenly,
as if
burn
mouth
twisted
mister.
it
mister official
beret
mine
red passport.
Beret -
like a bomb
takes -
like a hedgehog
like a razor
double-edged
beret,
like an explosive
at 20 stings
snake
two meters tall.
blinked
meaningfully
bearer eye,
at least things
will take it down for you.
Gendarme
inquiringly
looks at the detective
detective
to the gendarme.
With what pleasure
gendarme caste
I would be
whipped and crucified
for what
what is in my hands
hammerhead,
sickle
Soviet passport.
I would be a wolf
gnawed out
bureaucracy.
To mandates
there is no respect.
To any
to hell with mothers
roll
any piece of paper.
But this one…
I
I get
from wide trousers
duplicate
priceless cargo.
Read
envy
I -
citizen
Soviet Union.
Mayakovsky was an ardent supporter of the revolution and the established communist regime. In his works, he tirelessly sang the greatness of the Soviet system. Thanks to the original way of thinking of the poet, these works did not merge with the general flow of rave reviews. Soviet poets and writers. An example of this is the poem "Poems about the Soviet Passport" (1929).
Installation and strengthening " iron curtain” began already from the first years of the existence of the young Soviet state. The opportunity to travel abroad was only for the highest representatives of the authorities, or for people who were carefully checked by the state security agencies and were going on a business trip. Mayakovsky often traveled the world as a correspondent. He liked the impression Soviet people made for foreigners.
Mayakovsky dedicated a poem to a simple Soviet passport. Describing a passport check on a train, he immediately states that he hates the red tape he associates with bourgeois society. creative soul the poet cannot stand life “on a piece of paper”. But he notes with interest the changes in the inspector at the sight of passports of various states. The personality of a person fades into the background, the main thing is his citizenship. The range of emotions shown by the controller is huge, from complete indifference to humiliating humility. But the brightest moment is the presentation of a Soviet passport. It causes in foreigners at the same time horror, curiosity and confusion. Citizens of the USSR were perceived as people from the next world. It is not only Soviet ideology that is to blame, Western propaganda has also worked hard to create the image of a communist enemy, a subhuman who seeks only chaos and destruction.
Mayakovsky revels in the effect produced. With rude affection, he endows his nondescript passport with various epithets: “purple booklet”, “red-skinned passport”, “hammered”, “sickle”, etc. Very expressive and characteristic of the poet are comparisons of the passport with the “bomb”, “hedgehog”, “razor ". Mayakovsky is glad of the hatred in the eyes of the police. He is ready to go through the suffering of Jesus Christ (“would be whipped and crucified”) for having a nondescript piece of paper of such incredible power.
The phrase "I get out of wide trousers" has become winged. She has been criticized and parodied countless times. But it sounds the sincere pride of a person who is confident in the greatness and power of his state. This pride allows Mayakovsky to firmly declare to the whole world: "I am a citizen of the Soviet Union."
You can read the verse “Poems about the Soviet Passport” by Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky on the website. The poem, dedicated to an official document certifying citizenship, breathes patriotism: not ostentatious, but real, sincere, filled with personal feelings and experiences of the author.
In the 1920s, Mayakovsky often traveled abroad, as he was a correspondent for various publications. He did not write travel notes, but in a couple of poetic lines he could express what he saw and evaluate what he saw. In the verses about the passport, the poet colorfully, succinctly and figuratively describes the situation at customs: checking the passports of guests arriving from different countries. By reaction officials one can judge the attitude towards the country from which the owner of the passport came from, what is the weight of his country on international arena. The poet, not without sarcasm, describes the priorities of officials: they are servile in a lackey way in front of American passports, they look derogatoryly at the documents of those who arrived from “ geographical misunderstanding» - Poland and are indifferent to the passports of Europeans - Danes and Swedes. But the real sensation in the routine procedure is the passport of a citizen of the country of the Soviets. This is not just a document. The passport becomes a symbol of another world - frightening, incomprehensible, causing both fear and respect. The symbolism of the proletarian state is the hammer and sickle, the purple color is the embodiment of mankind's age-old dream of free labor, a reminder of the blood shed for freedom and equality.
Vladimir Mayakovsky was one of the brightest patriotic poets of the departed Soviet state. He sincerely hated the enemies of the socialist motherland and devotedly loved her.
The text of Mayakovsky's poem "Poems about the Soviet passport" can be downloaded in full. The work can be taught in an online literature lesson in the classroom.
I would be a wolf
vygraz
bureaucracy.
To mandates
there is no respect.
To any
to hell with mothers
roll
any piece of paper.
But this one…
Along the long front
coupe
and cabins
official
courteous moves.
Handing over passports
and I
rent
mine
purple book.
For one passport
smile at the mouth.
To others -
shitty attitude.
Respectfully
take, for example,
passports
with double bed
English left.
Through the eyes
good uncle vyev,
without ceasing
bow,
take,
like taking a tip
the passport
American.
in Polish -
look,
like a poster goat.
in Polish -
goggle their eyes
in tight
police elephantism -
from where, they say,
and what is this
geographical news?
And without turning
head head
and feelings
none
without having known
take,
without blinking,
Danish passports
and different
other
Swedes.
And suddenly,
as if
burn
mouth
twisted
mister.
it
mister official
beret
mine
red passport.
Beret -
like a bomb
takes -
like a hedgehog
like a razor
double-edged
beret,
like an explosive
at 20 stings
snake
two meters tall.
blinked
meaningfully
bearer eye,
at least things
will take it down for you.
Gendarme
inquiringly
looking at the detective
detective
to the gendarme.
With what pleasure
gendarme caste
I would be
whipped and crucified
for what
what is in my hands
hammerhead,
sickle
Soviet passport.
I would be a wolf
gnawed out
bureaucracy.
To mandates
there is no respect.
To any
to hell with mothers
roll
any piece of paper.
But this one…
I
I get
from wide trousers
duplicate
priceless cargo.
Read
envy
I -
citizen
Soviet Union.
