The death of a poet, part one. Mikhail Lermontov

In literature classes in high school, teachers must read the poem “The Death of a Poet” by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov to children. This is one of the poet's most famous works. It is usually always asked to learn completely by heart. On our website you can read the verse online or download it for free to your laptop or other gadget.

The text of Lermontov's poem "The Death of a Poet" was written in 1837. It is dedicated to A. Pushkin. Everyone knows that Mikhail Yuryevich at one time was one of those people who really liked the work of Alexander Sergeevich. He read many of his works and admired them. The sudden death of the poet greatly shocked Lermontov, so all his thoughts and experiences on this matter eventually “poured out” onto paper. He wrote a strong poem in which he denounced not only the direct killer of Pushkin, but also the indirect ones. Those who contributed to the flare-up of the conflict between two people.

The work begins with a small epigraph in which Lermontov addresses the Tsar. He asks him to punish those responsible for Pushkin's death. Then comes the poem itself. It consists of 2 parts of different sizes. In the first, he writes about the reasons why the poet died. In his opinion, the real culprit in the death of Alexander Sergeevich is not Dantes, but secular society. It constantly ridiculed the poet during his lifetime, and after his death it began to feign grief for him. In the first part we come across a line that the verdict of fate has come true. Lermontov writes this way for a reason. He thus refers us to the biography of Pushkin, from which we learn that death in a duel was predicted for him in childhood. The second part is different from the first. In it he addresses himself directly to secular society. He writes that sooner or later they will have to answer for the death of the poet. This is unlikely to happen on earth, since the money of their ancestors protects them from punishment. But in heaven they will not save them. It is there that the real judgment will be carried out on them.

Vengeance, sir, vengeance!
I will fall at your feet:
Be fair and punish the murderer
So that his execution in later centuries
Your rightful judgment was announced to posterity,
So that the villains can see an example in her.

The poet died! - a slave of honor -
Fell, slandered by rumor,
With lead in my chest and a thirst for revenge,
Hanging his proud head!..
The poet's soul could not bear it
The shame of petty grievances,
He rebelled against the opinions of the world
Alone, as before... and killed!
Killed!.. Why sobs now,
Empty praise unnecessary chorus
And the pathetic babble of excuses?
Fate has reached its conclusion!
Weren't you the one who persecuted me so viciously at first?
His free, bold gift
And they inflated it for fun
A slightly hidden fire?
Well? have fun... He's tormenting
I couldn't stand the last ones:
The wondrous genius has faded away like a torch,
The ceremonial wreath has faded.

His killer in cold blood
Strike... there is no escape:
An empty heart beats evenly,
The pistol did not waver in his hand.
And what a miracle?... from afar,
Like hundreds of fugitives,
To catch happiness and ranks
Thrown to us by the will of fate;
Laughing, he boldly despised
The land has a foreign language and customs;
He could not spare our glory;
I couldn’t understand at this bloody moment,
What did he raise his hand to!..

And he is killed - and taken by the grave,
Like that singer, unknown but sweet,
The prey of deaf jealousy,
Sung by him with such wonderful power,
Struck down, like him, by a merciless hand.

Why from peaceful bliss and simple-minded friendship
He entered this envious and stuffy world
For a free heart and fiery passions?
Why did he give his hand to insignificant slanderers,
Why did he believe false words and caresses,
He, who has comprehended people from a young age?..

And having taken off the former crown, they are a crown of thorns,
Entwined with laurels, they put on him:
But the secret needles are harsh
They wounded the glorious brow;
His last moments were poisoned
The insidious whispers of mocking ignoramuses,
And he died - with a vain thirst for vengeance,
With annoyance and the secret of disappointed hopes.
The sounds of wonderful songs have fallen silent,
Do not give them away again:
The singer's shelter is gloomy and cramped,
And his seal is on his lips.
_____________________

And you, arrogant descendants
The famous meanness of the illustrious fathers,
The fifth slave trampled the wreckage
The game of happiness of offended births!
You, standing in a greedy crowd at the throne,
Executioners of Freedom, Genius and Glory!
You are hiding under the shadow of the law,
Judgment and truth are before you - keep quiet!..
But there is also God’s judgment, the confidants of depravity!
There is a terrible judgment: it awaits;
It is not accessible to the ringing of gold,
He knows both thoughts and deeds in advance.
Then in vain you will resort to slander:
It won't help you again
And you won't wash away with all your black blood
Poet's righteous blood!

Vengeance, sir, vengeance!
I will fall at your feet:
Be fair and punish the murderer
So that his execution in later centuries
Your rightful judgment was announced to posterity,
So that the villains can see an example in her.

And he is killed - and taken by the grave,
Like that singer, unknown but sweet,
The prey of deaf jealousy,
Sung by him with such wonderful power,
Struck down, like him, by a merciless hand.

Analysis of the poem “Death of a Poet” by Lermontov

The poem “The Death of a Poet” was written by Lermontov a few hours after the first news of his fatal wound in a duel. It spread very quickly in society. In creative circles, the work caused a storm of sympathetic responses, and in high society - furious indignation. In response, Lermontov writes the second part (“And you, arrogant descendants ...”), addressing directly those whom he considers guilty of the poet’s death. This sequel was an incredibly daring and bold move. It was regarded by the emperor as a direct appeal to the revolution. Lermontov's exile to the Caucasus immediately followed.

The poem “The Death of a Poet” became a turning point in Lermontov’s work. He was shocked by the absurd and tragic death of the man whom he considered his teacher and mentor. There are secret reasons behind killing in a duel. Lermontov develops the theme of confrontation between the poet and the crowd. Only this time in the image of the crowd he sees not the ordinary mob, but high society. It is known with what disdain the emperor himself and his entourage treated Pushkin’s great talent. The poet was constantly subjected to ridicule and humiliation. A man whose importance for Russian literature can hardly be overestimated was deliberately involved in dirty gossip.

Lermontov describes with contempt Pushkin’s murderer, who could not imagine “what he raised his hand to!...”. At least Dantes was a foreigner. He really didn't care about the Russian genius. Lermontov considers him a blind tool in the hands of real killers. He unleashes all his rage and indignation on them.

The admiration for Pushkin is especially noticeable at the end of the first part of the verse. Lermontov draws a direct analogy between the poet and Christ, who accepted a painful and unjust death (“a crown of thorns... they put on him”).

The second part is much more emotional than the first. Lermontov is literally bursting with an excess of feelings. He proceeds to directly address those responsible for Pushkin’s death and calls them by their proper names (“You, a greedy crowd standing at the throne”). Lermontov also lists other crimes of the “confidants of debauchery”: deception to achieve wealth and high position, suppression of all manifestations of freedom and truth, use of power for personal interests.

The poet again resorts to religious symbolism. He believes that nothing will go unpunished in the face of the “formidable Judge.” Criminals will sooner or later get what they deserve.

The ending of the work is very effective, based on a sharp contrast: the “black blood” of criminals - the “righteous blood” of a genius and a martyr.

Analysis of Mikhail Lermontov's poem “The Death of a Poet”

The analysis of Lermontov’s poem “The Death of a Poet” should begin with the historical events that occurred that led Lermontov to write this work. In January 1837, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin died. The news of the death of such a talented person as Pushkin in his prime greatly shocked Mikhail Yuryevich. The tragic death under rather absurd circumstances did not give Lermontov peace. In a fit of despair and thirst for justice, the author writes the poem “The Death of a Poet.” There is an opinion that in this work Lermontov expresses his disagreement with the policies of the state and many high-ranking officials who justify the behavior of the murderer A.S. Pushkin.

This work was written in such a genre acceptable to Russian people that it immediately became beloved and famous among a wide range of readers. The work was rewritten, quoted and memorized. Despite the fact that the poem is dedicated to the death of a specific person, whose fate was cut short in a tragic way, the poet also puts into his creation the eternal question of the confrontation between good and evil, dark and light forces.

In the work “The Death of a Poet,” Pushkin’s life path is presented as the numerous destinies of millions of talented people who died very early.

What is this poem about?

The poem “Death of a Poet” describes the unjust and early death of a young and talented author. Conventionally, the entire poem can be divided into two halves. The first half contains a full description of the tragic death of A.S. Pushkin in 1837. If you carefully read the written lines, Lermontov’s disagreement with the position of high society, which more than once criticized and mocked Pushkin, becomes clear. In this work, Lermontov condemns the arrogant attitude of high society towards a talented poet.

The second half of the work is written as a mockery of those responsible for the poet’s death. It is not without reason that Lermontov calls those who ridicule Pushkin’s work “arrogant descendants” of illustrious fathers. The poet expresses himself against the prevailing opinion in society and talks about the Judgment of God, which cannot be bought. In addition, in his work the poet talks about the mandatory punishment awaiting the culprit in Pushkin’s death.

Genre

Analyzing the verse “Death of a Poet” by Lermontov, one can undoubtedly discern in its lines not only tragedy, but also moments of satire. And indeed the lyrical work is designed in a genre that combines elegy and satire. The drama of the events surrounding the death of Pushkin is fully revealed in the first part of the poem. Elements of satire and even sarcasm are present in the last 16 lines of the work. Such a rare combination of two elements of life that are opposite in meaning, such as elegy and satire, best reflects the state of Lermontov’s inner world.

The tragedy associated with the death of Pushkin, as a great talent of Russia, is replaced by a ghostly attitude towards the opinion of the public, which is not worth a particle of the deceased person.

The main idea of the poem

The ideological meaning of Lermontov’s immortal work “The Death of a Poet” lies in the author’s protest of the established social position, which covers up the criminal and is indifferent to the loss of a literary genius. Lermontov connects the death of Pushkin, as an opponent of the stagnant views of a wealthy society, with a rebellion against outdated views on the worldview and the origin of man.

In his work “The Death of a Poet,” Lermontov considers the rich foundations of those close to the sovereign to be the theme and driving force of society. Pushkin, who rebelled against such a misunderstanding of the world, was ignored and avoided by society. The loneliness and absurd death of a talented person ignites the internal fire of confrontation and defense in the soul of young Lermontov. Mikhail Yuryevich understands that it is quite difficult to resist one person against an entire social structure, but Pushkin dared and was not afraid of the anger of high-ranking officials. With this poem, Lermontov shows the guilt of society in the death of the poet.

Method of versification

Despite the tragedy and sarcasm that predominate in the work, Lermontov uses numerous techniques of versification. The comparisons are clearly visible in the work: “Fade out like a torch,” “The solemn wreath has faded.” The author of the poem connects Pushkin’s life with a candle that lights the way, but goes out too early. The second half of the poem is full of antitheses between the light of the poet and the darkness of society. The use of epithets: “empty heart”, “bloody moment” and metaphors: “pathetic babble of justification”, “abandoned to catch happiness and rank” adds additional artistic expressiveness to the work.

After reading this work, what remains in my soul is a response to the death of the poet and opposition to the wrong death of talent.

Analysis of Mikhail Lermontov’s poem “The Death of a Poet” (2nd version)

The first work of Mikhail Lermontov, which brought him wide fame, was the poem “The Death of a Poet,” although it was published only almost 20 years after its creation.

This poem was written immediately after Pushkin’s duel with Dantes and the mortal wound of Alexander Sergeevich. Most of the poem, except its last 16 lines, was composed in those days. The final lines were written after Pushkin’s funeral, when it became known that part of society close to the royal court had taken Dantes under their protection. Many poets responded to Pushkin’s death, but in their works there was neither such anger nor such passionate denunciation.

The poem was immediately distributed in handwritten copies and was delivered to the Tsar with the inscription “Appeal to the Revolution.” Both the author of the seditious work and those who distributed it were arrested - the arrest was followed by exile.

“The Death of a Poet” is a vivid example of journalistic civic lyrics with elements of philosophical reflection. The main theme is the tragic fate of the Poet in society. The work combines features of different genres: elegy, ode, satire and political pamphlet.

In its structure, the poem consists of several fragments, each with its own style. Compositionally, three relatively independent parts are easily distinguished.

The first part is a sad elegy about the tragic event of 1837. From the very first lines, the subtext of the poem is clear - Mikhail Lermontov calls the direct killer of Pushkin not the duelist Dantes, but high society, which mocked the Poet and humiliated him. Secular society did not miss a single opportunity to prick and humiliate the Poet - it was a kind of fun. What is it worth alone?

Emperor Nicholas awarded him the 1st rank of chamber cadet in 1834, when Pushkin was already 35 years old (a similar rank, as a rule, was awarded to young men who were assigned the role of court pages). In the poem, the author conveys to the reader the idea that the murder of the poet is an inevitable consequence of his long-standing and lonely opposition to the “light.”

In the second part, an image of secular society is created as a kind of vicious circle from which there is no escape. It consists of vile and cruel people, capable of deception, betrayal and deceit. The author develops a romantic motive of confrontation between the hero and the crowd. This conflict is insoluble, tragedy is inevitable.

Mikhail Lermontov openly speaks about the hypocrisy of people who humiliated the Poet during his lifetime, and after his death put on a mask of grief. There is also a hint that Pushkin’s death was predetermined - “the verdict of fate has been fulfilled.” According to legend, a fortune teller predicted Pushkin’s death in a duel in his youth and even accurately described the appearance of the one who would fire the fatal shot.

But Lermontov does not justify Dantes with this mention, rightly believing that the death of the brilliant Russian Poet remains on his conscience. However, the people who incited the conflict between Pushkin and Dantes were well aware that the life of a man who had managed to glorify Russian literature was at stake. Therefore, Lermontov considers them to be the true killers

Poet. The second part is noticeably different from the first in mood and style. The main thing in it is grief over the premature death of the Poet. Lermontov gives vent to deeply personal feelings of love and pain.

The third part, the last sixteen lines of the poem, is an angry accusation that develops into a curse. Before us is a monologue with rhetorical questions and exclamations, in which the features of satire and pamphlet appear. And this monologue can be called a continuation of an unequal duel - one against all.

The secular “crowd” is denounced three times: at the beginning, towards the end of the poem and in the last lines. The author addresses the figure of the actual killer only once.

Describing the killer of the Poet, Lermontov gives exact signs of Dantes:

...from afar,

Like hundreds of fugitives,

To catch happiness and ranks

thrown to us by the will of fate...

A foreigner who did not know the Russian language and was contemptuous of the country in which he lived, without hesitation, shot at the Poet. Lermontov, using the technique of antithesis, contrasts the Poet with the murderer: he has an “empty heart,” he, “like hundreds of fugitives,” is a Hunter of happiness and rank, despising foreign culture and customs.

The whole last part sounds like a political rant. Lermontov predicts death for the Poet’s executioners and pronounces a terrible sentence on them:

and you will not wash away the righteous blood of the Poet with all your black blood!

It is important that the Poet is not only Pushkin. Mourning Pushkin, Lermontov reflects on the fate of the Poet in society. Lermontov is sure that Pushkin died not from a bullet, but from the indifference and contempt of society. When writing these lines, Mikhail Yuryevich did not even suspect that he himself would die in a duel - just a few years later.

The means of artistic expression that Lermontov chooses help him convey the pathos of the poem, express indignation and anger towards the murderers and the bitterness of personal loss. Here are the epithets found for this: free, bold gift; empty heart; marvelous genius; bloody moment; dull jealousy; the blood is black; pathetic babble; insidious whisper; worthless slanderers.

Lermontov uses comparisons: The poet “faded out like a torch”; faded like a “ceremonial wreath”; died “like that singer... sung by him...” (comparison with Lensky, a character from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin”). One can also note periphrases (The wondrous genius has faded away, / The solemn wreath has faded), metaphors (to catch happiness and ranks; Freedom, Genius and Glory are executioners; pitiful babble of justification; they viciously persecuted... the gift; And having taken off the former wreath, they are a crown of thorns, / Entwined with laurels, they put it on him); assonance (lowered head) and alliteration

(fell slandered by rumor).

The poem contains many rhetorical questions. Such questions are posed not in order to get an answer to them, but to focus attention: “Why ... / Did he enter this envious and stuffy world / For a free heart and fiery passions? / Why does he

He gave his hand to insignificant slanderers, / Why did he believe false words and caresses, / He, who has comprehended people from a young age?”

These lines also use another stylistic device - parallelism, that is, the same syntactic construction of neighboring sentences, which gives poetic speech special expressiveness. It is no coincidence that the word why is repeated at the beginning of sentences. This technique, called anaphora, also enhances emotionality.

The poem contains literary reminiscences. (Reminiscence is the author’s reproduction of images that refer the reader to another work known to him). Thus, the beginning of Lermontov’s poem: “The Poet is dead! - a slave of honor...” reminds the reader of the lines from Pushkin’s poem “Prisoner of the Caucasus”: “When I was dying, innocent, joyless, / And I listened to the whispers of slander from all sides...”. Another line “Holding his proud head”) is reminiscent of Pushkin’s poem “The Poet” “does not bow his proud head”).

The poem is written in iambic tetrameter, in the second part - free iambic. Various rhyming methods are used: cross, ring, pair.

Analysis of Lermontov's poem “The Death of a Poet” (3)

It is no secret that Mikhail Lermontov admired the work of his contemporary, Alexander Pushkin, and considered him one of the brightest representatives of Russian literature. Therefore, the death of the idol made a very strong impression on Lermontov. Moreover, he turned out to be one of the few who spoke truthfully about this tragic event, dedicating Pushkin one of his most powerful and striking works is the poem “The Death of a Poet”.
It consists of two parts that are different in both size and mood. The first of them is a sad elegy in which Lermontov describes the tragic events of January 1837. However, already from the first lines the subtext of the poem is clear, in which Mikhail Lermontov names not the duelist Dantes as the direct killer of Pushkin, but high society, which mocked the poet and humiliated him at every opportunity. Indeed, direct or indirect insult to Pushkin during his lifetime was almost a national entertainment of secular society, to which not only princes and counts, but also top officials of the state indulged. Just consider the awarding of the rank of chamberlain cadet to the poet by Tsar Nicholas I in 1834, when Pushkin was already 34 years old. To understand the full extent and depth of the poet’s humiliation, one must take into account that such a rank, as a rule, was awarded to 16-year-old boys who were assigned the role of court pages.
In the poem “The Death of a Poet,” Mikhail Lermontov openly talks about the hypocrisy of people who humiliated Pushkin during his lifetime, and after his death put on a mask of universal sorrow. “... why now sobs, empty praise, an unnecessary chorus and pathetic babble of justification?” Lermontov is trying to denounce secular society. And he immediately hints that Pushkin’s death was inevitable, since, according to legend, a fortune teller predicted the poet’s death in a duel in his youth, accurately describing the appearance of the one who would make the fatal shot. Therefore, a rather mysterious line appears in the poem that “the verdict of fate has been fulfilled.”
Lermontov does not justify Dantes, who is responsible for the death of one of the most talented Russian poets. However, he emphasizes that Pushkin’s killer “impudently despised the foreign language and customs of the land.” Nevertheless, the people who incited the conflict between Pushkin and Dantes were well aware that the life of a man who had already glorified Russian literature was at stake. Therefore, Lermontov considers them to be the true killers of the poet.
The second part of the poem, shorter and more succinct, is filled with caustic sarcasm and is directly addressed to all those who are responsible for the death of the poet. Lermontov portrays them as “arrogant descendants”, whose merit lies only in the fact that they were born to illustrious fathers. The author is convinced that the so-called “golden youth” are reliably protected by the “canopy of the law”, and therefore will avoid punishment for the death of Pushkin. But at the same time, Lermontov reminds us that God’s judgment still exists, which is “inaccessible to the ringing of gold.” Sooner or later, all the obvious and hidden killers of the poet will still have to appear before him, and then justice will surely triumph. Let it not be according to the laws of the earth, but according to the laws of heaven, which the author considers more honest and just. “And you will not wash away the poet’s righteous blood with all your black blood!” Lermontov is convinced, unaware that in a few years he himself will become a victim of a duel. And just like Pushkin, he will die not from a bullet, but from the contempt and indifference of a society in which prophets are equated with lepers, and poets with court jesters who do not have the right to their own opinion.

“The Death of a Poet” is a poem by Mikhail Lermontov about the tragic death of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin and the guilt of society in the death of the Poet.

The poem by M. Yu. Lermontov occupies a special place in the history of Russian literature: it is the earliest in time and incomparable in poetic power generalizing assessment of the historical, national significance of Pushkin, his “wonderful genius” for Russia, and in this sense an outstanding act of social, national self-awareness .

“The Death of a Poet” became a poem-monument to Lermontov, which created great fame for him and demonstrated his public position on the socio-political situation in Russia.

"For the Death of a Poet"

Vladimir Nikolaevich Yakhontov (November 28, 1899, Siedlce (Poland) - July 16, 1945, Moscow), Russian Soviet entertainer, reader, actor, master of artistic expression. Creator of the “one-man theater” genre.
Since 1922, Yakhontov began performing on stage, reading poems by A. S. Pushkin, A. A. Blok, V. V. Mayakovsky.
“Speech should sound like poetry” is Yakhontov’s creative credo.

He committed suicide by jumping out of a window. According to the memoirs of Nadezhda Mandelstam, “Yakhontov jumped out of the window in a fit of fear that they were coming to arrest him.”

Commentary on the poem:
First published (under the title “On the Death of Pushkin”) in 1858 in “Polar Star for 1856” (book 2, pp. 33 - 35); in Russia: without 16 final verses - in 1858 in “Bibliographical Notes” (vol. I, no. 2, stb. 635 - 636); in full - in 1860 in the collected works edited by Dudyshkin (vol. I, pp. 61 - 63).
The poem was written on the death of Pushkin (Pushkin died on January 29, 1837). The autograph of the full text of the poem has not survived. There are also its first parts up to the words “And you, arrogant descendants.” The second part of the poem was preserved in copies, including the copy attached to the investigative file “On inappropriate poems written by the cornet of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment Lermantov, and on their distribution by the provincial secretary Raevsky.” Only in copies there is an epigraph to the poem, taken from the tragedy of the French writer Rotru “Wenceslaus” in the adaptation of A. A. Gendre. The poem began to be published with an epigraph in 1887, when investigative materials on the case “On Impermissible Poems...” were published, and among them a copy of the poem. By its nature, the epigraph does not contradict the 16 final lines. Appealing to the tsar with a demand to severely punish the murderer was an unheard-of audacity: according to A.H. Benckendorff, “the introduction (epigraph - ed.) to this work is impudent, and the end is shameless freethinking, more than criminal.” There is no reason to believe, therefore, that the epigraph was added in order to soften the severity of the final part of the poem. In this edition, the epigraph is introduced into the text.
The poem had a wide public response. The duel and death of Pushkin, slander and intrigue against the poet in the circles of the court aristocracy caused deep indignation among the leading part of Russian society. expressed these sentiments in courageous poems full of poetic power, which were distributed in many lists among his contemporaries.
The name of Lermontov, as a worthy heir to Pushkin, received nationwide recognition. At the same time, the political urgency of the poem caused alarm in government circles.
According to contemporaries, one of the lists with the inscription “Appeal to the Revolution” was delivered to Nicholas I. Lermontov and his friend S. A. Raevsky, who participated in the distribution of poems, were arrested and brought to justice. On February 25, 1837, by order of the highest order, a sentence was passed: “Long Guards Hussar Regiment Cornet Lermantov... be transferred with the same rank to the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment; and the provincial secretary Raevsky... be kept under arrest for one month, and then sent to the Olonets province for use in the service, at the discretion of the local civil governor.” In March, Lermontov left St. Petersburg, heading to the active army in the Caucasus, where the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment was located at that time.
In the verses “His murderer in cold blood” and the following ones we are talking about Dantes, the murderer of Pushkin. Georges Charles Dantes (1812 - 1895) - a French monarchist who fled to Russia in 1833 after the Vendee rebellion, was the adopted son of the Dutch envoy in St. Petersburg, Baron Heeckeren. Having access to the salons of the Russian court aristocracy, he took part in the persecution of the poet, which ended in a fatal duel on January 27, 1837. After Pushkin’s death, he was exiled to France.
In verse “Like that singer, unknown but sweet” and the following Lermontov remembers Vladimir Lensky from Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" .
“And you, arrogant descendants” and the next 15 verses, according to S. A. Raevsky, were written later than the previous text. This is Lermontov’s response to the attempt of government circles and cosmopolitan-minded nobility to denigrate the memory of Pushkin and justify Dantes. The immediate reason for the creation of the last 16 poems, according to Raevsky, was a quarrel between Lermontov and a relative, a chamber cadet, who, having visited the sick poet, began to express to him the “unfavorable” opinion of courtiers about Pushkin and tried to defend Dantes.
A similar story is contained in a letter from A. M. Merinsky to P. A. Efremov, the publisher of Lermontov’s works. There is a list of the poem, where an unknown contemporary of Lermontov named a number of surnames, allowing you to imagine who is being talked about in the lines “And you, arrogant descendants of famous fathers known for their meanness”. These are the counts Orlovs, Bobrinskys, Vorontsovs, Zavadovskys, princes Baryatinsky and Vasilchikov, barons Engelhardt and Fredericks, whose fathers and grandfathers achieved positions at court only through search, intrigue, and love affairs.
“There is a terrible judgment: it awaits”- this verse in the edition of Lermontov’s works edited by Efremov (1873) was first published with different interpretations: “There is a formidable judge: he is waiting.” There is no reason to change the original reading of this verse. The silent mention of the autograph, which supposedly formed the basis of the full text of the poem in this edition, is due to the fact that Efremov made a number of amendments to the text according to a letter from A. M. Merinsky, who kept a list of the poem that he made from the autograph in 1837, immediately after Lermontov wrote it. Merinsky’s letter to Efremov has been preserved, but there is no amendment to the verse “There is a terrible judgment.” Obviously, Efremov corrected it arbitrarily.
In some editions of Lermontov's works (edited by Boldakov in 1891, in several Soviet editions since 1924) Efremov's reading was repeated - “judge” instead of “court”. Meanwhile, in all copies of the poem that have reached us and in the first publications of the text, “court” is read, not “judge”. A poem by the poet P. Gvozdev, who studied with Lermontov at the cadet school, has also been preserved. Gvozdev wrote on February 22, 1837, containing lines confirming the correctness of the original reading of the controversial verse:

Wasn’t it you who said: “There is a terrible judgment!”
And this judgment is the judgment of posterity...

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Analysis of the poem “Death of a Poet” by Lermontov

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