"To Rulers and Judges" Gavriil Derzhavin
The Almighty God has risen, let him judge
Earthly gods in their host;
How long, rivers, how long will you be
Spare the unrighteous and evil?Your duty is: to keep the laws,
Do not look at the faces of the strong,
No help, no defense
Do not leave orphans and widows.Your duty is to save the innocent from harm.
Cover the unfortunate;
From the strong to protect the powerless,
Break the poor out of their fetters.Do not heed! see - and do not know!
Hair covered with bribes:
Atrocities shake the earth
Falsehood shakes the sky.Kings! I thought you gods are powerful,
No one is your judge
But you, like me, are passionate,
And just as mortal as I am.And you will fall like this
How a withered leaf falls from the trees!
And you will die like this
How your last slave will die!Resurrect, God! good god!
And heed their prayer:
Come, judge, punish the evil ones,
And be one king of the earth!
Analysis of Derzhavin's poem "To Rulers and Judges"
From the second half of the 18th century, Russian poetry ceased to be a salon and behind-the-scenes phenomenon, gradually exerting more and more influence on the life of society. Beautiful poems written in a "high calm" gave way to accusatory works, on which more than one generation of rebels and revolutionaries subsequently grew up. One of the first Russian poets who was not afraid to publicly denounce those who abuse their power was Gavriil Derzhavin. It is he who owns the poem "To the Rulers and Judges", written in 1780.
By this time, the author had left his military career and successfully mastered the position of State Councilor. In parallel with the achievements in the social and political arena, Derzhavin began to publish his first poems, which brought him wide fame, first in the salons, and later in the palace of the Empress. On the wave of flirting with the French republicans, Empress Catherine II encouraged bold statements among her subjects. It was for this reason that she rather favorably reacted to Derzhavin's poem, in which there are quite bold and sharp statements addressed to those in power.
Those who decide human destinies, the poet calls the gods on earth and models the situation when they themselves appear before the highest, divine court. Derzhavin does not consider himself to be a higher being, but he dares to speak on behalf of the Almighty, pointing out to his compatriots the inadmissibility of those acts that he commits. “How long, rivers, how long will you have mercy on the unrighteous and evil?” the poet asks.
In the first part of the poem, the author tells about what exactly is the duty of those who are in power. These people, according to Derzhavin, should "preserve the laws", help widows and orphans, "save the innocent from misfortune" and defend the weak against the strong. In addition, the poet voices the idea that it is necessary to “pull the poor out of their fetters”, that is, in fact, to abolish serfdom. Such a statement, even during the reign of Catherine II, was considered a manifestation of freethinking, but the empress, who favored Derzhavin, turned a blind eye to such impudence.
The second part of the poem is accusatory. The author notes that people do not heed the arguments of reason and have long been living not according to God's commandments, but according to worldly laws. “Atrocities shake the earth, falsehood shakes the heavens,” the poet states bitterly. Turning to the Russian tsars, Derzhavin admits that he considered them God's vicegerents on earth. However, the author is convinced that “and you will fall like that, as a withered leaf falls from a tree! And you will die in the same way as your last slave will die! In the finale, the poet calls on the Almighty to descend to the sinful earth in order to judge people. “Come, judge, punish the evil ones, and be the only king of the earth!” Derzhavin exclaims, rightly believing that without the intervention of higher powers, it is not possible even for the most wise and just ruler from among mere mortals to restore order in Russia.
The poet Derzhavin wrote the poem "To Rulers and Judges" in 1780. At that time he worked as a military official in the provinces and often faced injustice towards ordinary people. This work is the cry of a desperate man, whose heart aches with compassion for the oppressed, the weak, the disenfranchised. And at the same time, the author does not see any way out of this situation, except for the judgment of the Most High God.
It should be noted that Derzhavin treated the royal family with great respect, believing that all troubles do not come from the ruler, but from those who are endowed with the power to judge and determine the fate of ordinary people.
It is to them that the author devotes angry lines on behalf of God himself. He lists their duties - to administer a fair trial, to protect the innocent, to punish the guilty. But the "earth gods" do not do this. They do evil, their eyes are closed with bribes, and the iniquities they commit shake the earth and reach the heavens.
In the second part of the poem, the poet reminds all the wicked that the rich are just as mortal as the poor, that they too will die in due time. Then God's judgment awaits them, but people do not think about it and continue to do evil deeds. And the author himself does not see a way out of this situation, it seems to him completely hopeless. According to Derzhavin, only the Lord is able to establish justice in Russia, ordinary people cannot cope with this. And the poet calls on God to come, punish all the guilty and rule over the whole earth.
The poem is accusatory in nature, the author himself called it "an angry ode." Gabriel Derzhavin was one of the first poets who was not afraid to openly condemn the lawlessness and abuse of power. In 1780, the poem was not published, as the censors did not let it through. Only 8 years later, the work nevertheless saw the light, and almost became the reason for the disgrace of the poet. The ode caused discontent and anger of those to whom it is dedicated. In those days, it was not customary to condemn those in power, this was the first attempt, but it was supported by the poets of the next century, devoting their best works to this topic.
Analysis of the poem to the rulers and judges of Derzhavin
Gavriil Derzhavin wrote an ode to "Lords and Judges" in 1787. Being a statesman, he was able to feel for himself all the injustice and anger of that society. Derzhavin's independent struggle against violations of the law and the suppression of the criminal activities of the upper strata of society did not bear any fruit. Then the poet decided to write an ode on the subject of Psalm 81.
Its whole essence was to turn to God, through righteous chants.
The first creation of the poet on this subject was never published because of the editors who did not allow the publication of Derzhavin's psalm. The publishing house of the "Sankt-Peterburg Vestnik" considered the ode to be too pretentious and angry.
Nevertheless, Gavriil Derzhavin managed to get his revised poem published five years later. Having changed the name to "Lords and Judges", the new creation of the poet goes to the publishing house.
The writer finds his thoughts and feelings in biblical tales, which he extols into a poem in a revised form. Injustice, anger, human vices, oppression of the weak, anger, power and violation of laws - all these topics are absorbed by the ode to "Lords and Judges".
Derzhavin lashes out in an angry tirade about non-observance of these laws in real life. In these lines of the poem, all the injustice towards the weak and their oppression are revealed.
But according to the writer, the punishment of rulers for injustice and neglect of their duties is inevitable:
And you will fall like that.
How a withered leaf falls from the trees!
This passage of the poem is literally saturated with Derzhavin's anger towards people in power who turn a blind eye to all violations of the laws and encourage them.
In the last lines of the ode, the writer shows his faith in justice and a bright future, on the basis of which, we can say that good will definitely defeat evil and injustice.
The main theme that Gavriil Derzhavin raises in his poem "To the Rulers and Judges" remains significant to this day. "Cunning" rulers, whose actions are filled with anger, injustice and vices at all times remain one of the main problems of society. But according to the writer, the day will surely come when justice will triumph and defeat evil.
Analysis of the poem to the Rulers and Judges according to the plan
This work was created in 1833. It is considered one of the most difficult to present among the huge number of poems by A. S. Pushkin. This was the peak of his work, since it was already the second Boldin autumn time
The accusatory ode to “Lords and Judges” is one of the most important works in Derzhavin’s work, which in an expressive and emotional manner draws the attention of society to the problem of corrupt officials. You can use a brief analysis of “Lords and Judges” according to the plan in a literature lesson in grade 9 and so that schoolchildren understand not only the meaning of the poem, but also the situation in Russia in the 18th century.
Brief analysis
History of creation- Gavriil Romanovich wrote his work in 1870 and with great difficulty achieved its publication in the popular newspaper of that time - the St. Petersburg Bulletin.
Composition- the poem is a whole story, not divided into certain parts, the theme develops sequentially.
Theme of the poem- the need to live according to the laws of universal human virtue, which Derzhavin is trying to convince people in power.
Genre- an ode, but an ode angry and accusatory, for its time - almost revolutionary.
Poetic size- iambic using cross rhyme.
epithets – “last slave”, “withered leaf”, “earth gods”.
Comparisons – “like a withered leaf will fall from a tree”, “you will die, as your last slave will die”.
History of creation
The poem is a sick translation of one of the psalms, which Derzhavin supplemented with his own indignation at those in power. It was written in 1870 and, after great efforts on the part of the poet, nevertheless published - in the newspaper "St. Petersburg Bulletin".
Derzhavin was not only a poet, but also a statesman who for many years held fairly high positions. And such activities showed him all the shortcomings of the administrative system in the Russian Empire - and there were many of them. Over the years of his service, Gavriil Romanovich established himself in the idea that the system needed fundamental changes - this idea was expressed by him in the poem “To the Rulers and Judges”. Thus, the history of the creation of this ode is closely connected with the historical and political realities of his time.
Despite the fact that Derzhavin was a convinced monarchist, his ode was perceived by the courtiers and the empress herself, who generally favored the poet, as a revolutionary call. And, despite the fact that the poet did not put into his lines the ideas of overthrowing the existing system, simply expressing the accumulated bitterness about the reigning injustice, later the accusatory tendency set by him was developed in the Russian literary tradition.
Topic
The theme of this accusatory work is the arbitrariness of officials and other statesmen who use their power to the detriment of both the people and the state. They are power-hungry, greedy, vile and unable to understand a simple person or help him. The poet appeals to the rulers, urging them to live according to their conscience, and to the judges (referring specifically to the empress), urging them to make a fair trial and punish the rulers who have become so conceited. However, at the end, the poet expresses the idea that only God can truly rule people.
Composition
It corresponds to the composition of the original source, that is, the 81st Psalm of King David, of which it is a free translation.
Throughout the verse, the poet develops the same idea and the corruption of those in power and the need for change. So, at the beginning, he expresses his views on a just social order, when those in power protect those who need it. He goes on to point out that in reality nothing of the kind is happening, everyone is just looking out for their own interests.
And in the end, firstly, he affirms the idea that such a violation of the laws of humanity cannot go unpunished, and secondly, he appeals to God as the highest authority.
Genre
It is not difficult to determine the genre of this work - it is an ode. But the ode is angry - as the author himself called it. It also contains elements of a spiritual ode, since the biblical text is taken as the basis. The ode is written in iambic and uses a cross rhyme.
Expressive means
The artistic originality of Derzhavin's work is expressed not only in the mixture of subgenres, but also in what means of expression he uses in order to convey his idea. So, it contains the usual ways:
- epithets- “the last slave”, “withered leaf”, “earthly gods”.
- Comparisons- “like a withered leaf will fall from the trees”, “you will die, as your last slave will die”.
However, they act as aids. The main ones are Slavicisms, with the help of which the poet makes his poem more solemn, and rhetorical exclamations. They play a very important role in the fabric of the work, giving it a resemblance to oratory. In this way, Derzhavin attracts the attention of readers.
G.R. Derzhavin. "Lords and Judges"
History of creation
From 1786 to 1788 Derzhavin served as governor in the Tambov province. As in other service, here he was active, tried to change a lot in the existing order of the region. But he soon realizes that his transformations interfere with the local nobles, and the ideals of education, duty and justice cause open hostility of officials. He sees how the law is violated in high government positions, and the violators do not receive any punishment. He tries to restore order, but does not find like-minded people. It was at this time, in 1787, that he wrote a civil ode to "Lords and Judges".
Derzhavin took as the basis of this work a previously written poem on a biblical theme, which was called "Psalm 81".
Psalm - this is bible song to god. The Old Testament king David is considered to be the author of such songs.
Derzhavin translated the ancient work into modern language, filled it with accusatory content, and gave the poem a new title: "To Rulers and Judges."
The main themes and ideas of the poem
Based on the biblical text, the author speaks about the modern life of the Russian state. In his native country, laws are violated with impunity, the weak are oppressed, untruth and evil triumph, and there is nowhere to seek justice. It remains to rely only on God, only he will be able to restore order in the country. And if the Lord asks the rulers, how do they enforce the laws established by him?
The Almighty God has risen, let him judge
Earthly gods in their host;
How long, rivers, how long will you be
Spare the unrighteous and evil?
Your duty is: to guard the laws,
Do not look at the faces of the strong,
No help, no defense
Do not leave orphans and widows.
Your duty is to save the innocent from troubles,
Cover the unfortunate;
From the strong to protect the powerless,
Break the poor out of their fetters.
Do not heed! They see and don't know!
Hair covered with bribes:
Atrocities shake the earth
Falsehood shakes the sky.
The poet angrily denounces the "unrighteous and evil." The author reminds them that people endowed with power are still people, and not omnipotent gods. Therefore, they should remember the highest punishment, how they easily violated the law of justice, established by God himself. This is the main idea of the poem.
And you will fall like that.
How a withered leaf falls from the trees!
And you will die like this
How your last slave will die!
Of course, this work was taken as a revolutionary proclamation. Indeed, in the last quatrain, the poet calls for a trial of an unjust government.
Resurrect, God! God right!
And heed their prayer:
Come, judge, punish the evil ones
And be one king of the earth!
Artistic originality of the poem
On the one hand, this the work can be attributed to spiritual odes, because it is based on the biblical text. The vocabulary and images of the poem really resemble a psalm, for example, the following words are used: in the host; do not heed; covered with bribes of tow; heed their prayer. Author includes rhetorical exclamations, questions, appeals:“How long will you have mercy on the unrighteous and evil?”; "Kings! I thought you gods are powerful...”; "Rise God! Good God!" Thanks to these methods an oratorical sound is created, convincing readers that the poet is right.
On the other hand, this poem is aimed at awakening the consciousness of the reader, causing a desire to correct vices, it is a kind of warning, instruction of the "rulers".
What is the meaning of this ode? Of course, Derzhavin was not a revolutionary, he was a monarchist, and his poem was not going to cause a revolt in society. But the lack of justice in the country greatly resented him. In the future, a similar theme will sound in the work of Pushkin, Lermontov and other poets.
Derzhavin in this ode acts as an innovator: he combines Old Slavonic vocabulary with commonly used words, speaks of power from the point of view of universal, moral ideals. The poet does not glorify the ruler, as it should be in an ode to classicism, but exposes the vices of kings and nobles.
The Almighty God has risen, let him judge
Earthly gods in their host;
How long, rivers, how long will you be
Spare the unrighteous and evil?
Your duty is: to keep the laws,
Do not look at the faces of the strong,
No help, no defense
Do not leave orphans and widows.
Your duty is to save the innocent from troubles,
Cover the unfortunate;
From the strong to protect the powerless,
Break the poor out of their fetters.
Do not heed! see - and do not know!
Hair covered with bribes:
Atrocities shake the earth
Falsehood shakes the sky.
Kings! I thought you gods are powerful,
No one is your judge
But you, like me, are passionate,
And just as mortal as I am.
And you will fall like this
How a withered leaf falls from the trees!
And you will die like this
How your last slave will die!
Resurrect, God! good god!
And heed their prayer:
Come, judge, punish the evil ones,
And be one king of the earth!
Analysis of the poem "To the Rulers and Judges" by Derzhavin
Art is always a reflection of real life. It is designed, if not to solve problems, then to detect them. The artist, feeling the need to speak out and be heard, says that it is important that other people also think about it.
In the second half of the 18th century, poets began to turn to social and political topics, talking about the fate of their country and the life of the common people in it. G. Derzhavin's poem "To Rulers and Judges" is a vivid example of this. The main idea that runs like a red thread through the whole work is the thought of how unfair the monarchy is.
The poem begins with a description of God's future judgment. Kings are "earthly gods" who have a sacred duty - to bring justice, to protect the weak, to help those who need help. In other words, monarchs must rule according to higher laws. After all, from time immemorial, for a simple person in Russia, a tsar is a ruler endowed with power by God himself. They hoped and believed in the king, because he could not be wrong, because the Almighty himself rules by his hands. The second and third stanzas of the poem are devoted to Derzhavin's reflections on the duty that lies on the shoulders of the rulers.
In the fourth stanza, the author bitterly exclaims: “They do not heed! they see and they don't know! Inequality, the plight of the common people, poverty, injustice and other "evil acts" and "untruth" - these are the results of the rule of the "earthly gods". They forgot about their high mission. They are no longer God's representatives on Earth. They think only about their own well-being, turning a blind eye to the rest of Russia. And their unrighteous deeds must come to an end.
Derzhavin admits that the monarchy is power, that no one can act as a "judge" for it. Nobody but God himself. And one day this judgment will take place, because the earthly kings are still people. They are overwhelmed by passions, they are weak and even mortal. Just as mortal as all those "slaves" whom they rule so cruelly and unjustly. Derzhavin understands this and predicts, even calls for God's justice: "Come, judge, punish the evil ones, And be the only king of the earth!" After all, there is no other way to save the country, just as there are no kings who would begin to think about the Motherland and people and govern as necessary.
These lines that complete the work are a direct call for the reading and thinking population of Russia to revolution and the overthrow of the monarchical system. Derzhavin does not hide his anger and bitterness. He directly accuses and denounces the authorities - in the person of the then ruling Catherine II. Therefore, the publication of the poem was not easy to achieve. However, Catherine reacted rather condescendingly to the ode, since she was generally known as a progressive person and even encouraged the bold statements of her subjects. Therefore, "Lords and Judges" was not subjected to censorship and has come down to us unchanged.
