Analysis of the poem by Pushkin A.S. "Prophet"

The Prophet is considered a masterpiece of Pushkin's
spiritual lyrics.
Spiritual thirst tormented,
In the gloomy desert I dragged myself.
With the metaphor "desert gloomy" the poet accurately defined his perception
earthly life, but spiritual thirst is a premonition of the Other
knowledge. Spiritual thirst called the messenger of God. The meaning of it
appearance - in the spiritual transformation of the poet:
And a six-winged seraph
He appeared to me at a crossroads.
Fingers as light as a dream
He touched my eyes,
Prophetic eyes opened,
Like a frightened eagle.
The poet speaks of the action that the seraphim performs for
awakening of spiritual vision, spiritual hearing. We have a vertical
picture of the universe: from the mountain (higher) to the bottom
(lower), from angels to mute nature (vines). The whole world opened up
before the poet, the whole universe as a whole. The poet-prophet sees everything
and hears everything
He touched my ears
And they were filled with noise and ringing:
And I heard the shudder of the sky,
And the heavenly angels flight,
And the reptile of the sea underwater course,
And the valley of the vine vegetation.
There is a special state in which, figuratively speaking, one hears
like "grass grows in the field." - "Vegetation of the vine" is similar to him.
But this is not all, it is not enough to have other knowledge, something else is needed:
And he clung to my lips,
And tore out my sinful tongue,
And idle-talking, and crafty,
And the sting of the wise snake
In my frozen mouth
He invested it with a bloody right hand.
Yes, the poet's speech should not be idle and crafty, the poet
chooses a very precise symbol for the quality of the poet's language:
"the sting of the wise snake" as a symbol of wisdom. "Be wise as
serpents...” (there are such words of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew).
And he cut my chest with a sword,
And took out a trembling heart
262
And coal burning with fire
He put a hole in his chest.
Inner knowledge is not just given, a person must earn
him, to suffer. Suffering purifies, gives a different view of the world. "And just
a flaming heart is unlikely to ever give peace to its owner.
The researchers noted that Pushkin borrowed the plot of The Prophet
from the Old Testament, from the book of the prophet Isaiah. Here is the place:
“And then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a burning
coal, which he took with tongs from the altar, and touched his mouth
mine, and said, Behold, this has touched your mouth, and iniquity has been taken away
from you, and your sin is cleansed. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying:
whom should I send? and who will go for Us? And I said: here I am, let's go
me (Isaiah 6:6-8)." It cannot be said that Pushkin is completely
used this episode, more precisely, he took only one detail, but gave it
his poem has a completely different sound.
"Prophet" is a model of an altered consciousness in which a
the highest purpose of the creative person. But behold
prophetic ministry is not everything; how many people, having experienced a similar
experience, glorified their pride, and Pushkin finds a very
an exact image to convey your humility before the Higher Knowledge:
Like a corpse in the desert I lay...
Only the voice of God turns a person into a true creator, a prophet,
chosen to serve people by the Almighty himself:
And God's voice called out to me:
“Arise, prophet, and see, and listen,
Fulfill my will
And, bypassing the seas and lands,
Burn people's hearts with the verb.
Here Pushkin uses old Slavonicisms (arise, see,
listen), let's try to replace them with synonyms (get up, prophet, look
and listen) - the difference is huge. The lofty words used by the poet
should have emphasized, approved the idea of ​​prophetic ministry
poet. “Fulfill my will,” Pushkin heard a voice from above
and left as a testament to all Russian literature: “By the command of God,
O muse, be obedient.
(According to M.M. Dunaev.)

The poem "The Prophet" is Pushkin's inner monologue, which, on the one hand, tells the reader about the very essence of poetry, as he understands it, and on the other hand, conveys his own experiences, tells about his experience of spiritual transformation. This work is both autobiographical and deeply spiritual; it is easy to trace the influence of not only Derzhavin's poetry and the Bible, but also the Koran. Having become the focus of the religious and mystical experiences of the poet, who at that time thought a lot about the meaning of life, it reveals to the reader the secret of his personality. In order to read Pushkin’s poem “The Prophet” correctly, it is important to understand at what point in his life it was written: the Mikhailovsky exile, which became fruitful in terms of creativity, has come to an end, but the bitterness that the Decembrist uprising failed has not yet passed. And on the eve of the meeting with the emperor, Alexander Sergeevich expresses freedom-loving ideas that only higher powers, and not earthly laws, have power over art.

However, the main theme of this work is still not a political manifesto, but reflections of who the creator himself is, about the role of poetry and the place of the poet. He compares himself to the biblical prophets who carried the truth despite persecution, already in anticipation of these persecutions. The lyrical hero of the poem changes so as not to idle talk anymore, but to see the truth and convey it to the reader of his works. Thus, according to Pushkin, a poet, on the one hand, is a minister (his mission is to defend truth and freedom), on the other, an educator (his calling is to teach people what he himself realizes). And both of his missions are justified by the mystical, divine nature of poetry itself. The allegorical plot of the poem also reveals the idea of ​​the self-worth and independence of literary creativity and demonstrates that moralizing is alien to poetry.

Moving from a narrative form to an imperative one, in the text of Pushkin’s verse “The Prophet”, which is easy to find online today, the great Russian poet also changes the mood of his work: at first it is thoughtful, observant, because the lyrical hero is a passive participant in what is happening. But gradually the intensity of the action builds up until the poem ends with the seraph's furious call to action. And in the last stanza, thoughtfulness is replaced by a thirst for action, a desire to change the world with your prophetic word. The mood becomes restless, ebullient, threatening to literally spill out of the final line.

Spiritual thirst tormented,
In the gloomy desert I dragged myself
And a six-winged seraph
He appeared to me at a crossroads.
With fingers as light as a dream
He touched my apples:
Prophetic eyes opened,
Like a frightened eagle.
He touched my ears
And they were filled with noise and ringing:
And I heard the shudder of the sky,
And the heavenly angels flight,
And the reptile of the sea underwater course,
And the valley of the vine vegetation.
And he clung to my lips,
And tore out my sinful tongue,
And idle and crafty,
And the sting of the wise snake
In my frozen mouth
He invested it with a bloody right hand.
And he cut my chest with a sword,
And took out a trembling heart,
And coal burning with fire
He put a hole in his chest.
Like a corpse in the desert I lay,
And God's voice called out to me:
“Arise, prophet, and see, and listen,
Fulfill my will
And, bypassing the seas and lands,
Burn the hearts of the people with the verb.”

Spiritual thirst tormented,

In the gloomy desert I dragged myself

And a six-winged seraph

At the crossroads he appeared to me;

With fingers as light as a dream

He touched my apples:

Prophetic eyes opened,

Like a frightened eagle.

He touched my ears

And they were filled with noise and ringing:

And I heard the shudder of the sky,

And the heavenly angels flight,

And the reptile of the sea underwater course,

And the valley of the vine vegetation.

And he clung to my lips,

And tore out my sinful tongue,

And idle and crafty,

And the sting of the wise snake

In my frozen mouth

He invested it with a bloody right hand.

And he cut my chest with a sword,

And took out a trembling heart,

And coal burning with fire

He put a hole in his chest.

Like a corpse in the desert I lay,

And God's voice called out to me:

“Arise, prophet, and see, and listen,

Fulfill my will

And, bypassing the seas and lands,

Burn people's hearts with the verb."

IN 1. What type of lyrics does the poem by A.S. Pushkin's "Prophet"

IN 2. What is the leading theme in the poem?

IN 3. What is the name of the artistic and expressive means used by the poet in the line: "The prophetic eyeballs opened, / Like a frightened eagle ..."?

AT 4. What word used in the first stanza characterizes the position of the lyrical hero?

AT 5. In the line “And the bastard of the sea underwater passage...”, the repetition of homogeneous consonants is used, conveying the movement of marine life. Name this phonetic.

AT 6. Name the contextual synonyms characterizing the lyrical hero and used in the final stanza of the poem.

AT 7. Indicate the name of the lexical means used in the following phrases: "with a bloody right hand", "prophetic eyeballs", "with light fingers".

C1. As the lyrical hero of A.S. Pushkin's "Prophet" perceives the voice of God? Why?

The Prophet Alexander Pushkin

Spiritual thirst tormented,
In the gloomy desert I dragged myself
And a six-winged seraph
He appeared to me at a crossroads.
With fingers as light as a dream
He touched my apples:
Prophetic eyes opened,
Like a frightened eagle.
He touched my ears
And they were filled with noise and ringing:
And I heard the shudder of the sky,
And the heavenly angels flight,
And the reptile of the sea underwater course,
And the valley of the vine vegetation.
And he clung to my lips,
And tore out my sinful tongue,
And idle and crafty,
And the sting of the wise snake
In my frozen mouth
He invested it with a bloody right hand.
And he cut my chest with a sword,
And took out a trembling heart,
And coal burning with fire
He put a hole in his chest.
Like a corpse in the desert I lay,
And God's voice called out to me:
“Arise, prophet, and see, and listen,
Fulfill my will
And, bypassing the seas and lands,
Burn people's hearts with the verb."

Analysis of Pushkin's poem "The Prophet"

The philosophical theme of the search for the meaning of life is characteristic of the work of many writers, but not every one of them manages to clearly formulate the answer to the question posed. For some, creativity is one of the opportunities for self-expression, others see in their works the shortest path to fame, wealth and respect.

Sooner or later, any person associated with literature asks himself the question of what exactly he lives for and what he wants to say with his works. The poet Alexander Pushkin was no exception in this sense, and the theme of self-identification runs like a red thread not only in his prose, but also in poetry. The most characteristic work in this respect is the poem "The Prophet", written in 1826 and becoming a kind of program of action not only for Pushkin, but also for many poets of subsequent generations. This is not surprising, since the work is really striking in its grandeur and metaphor. At the same time, the poem itself is a very capacious and accurate answer to the question of what exactly is the meaning of the life of a true poet, and what should he strive for when creating his works.

The poem "Prophet" was written by Pushkin in the genre of an ode which emphasizes the significance and weight of this work. After all, odes are created only in honor of the most extraordinary events that are important for the life of the author or the whole society. Many of Pushkin's predecessors, being court poets, wrote odes on the occasion of the coronation or marriage of crowned persons. Therefore, the "Prophet", created by "high calm" according to all the canons of the genre, can be considered a kind of challenge that Alexander Pushkin threw to the world, defending his right to be a poet. By this, he emphasized that creativity is not only an attempt at self-expression, but must also have a specific goal, noble enough to devote his whole life to achieving it.

It is worth noting that, imitating the ancient Greek poets, Pushkin resorted to the technique of metaphor in The Prophet, creating an epic work of amazing beauty in which its main character, identified with the author, meets with the highest angel. And it is the "six-winged seraphim" that shows him the right path, revealing the true purpose of the poet, who must "burn the hearts of people with a verb." This means that any work that comes out from the pen of a writer has no right to be worthless and empty, with its help the poet must reach out to the heart and mind of every reader, convey his thoughts and ideas to him. Only in this case can we say that a creative person has taken place as a person, and his works are, well, empty paperwork, but genuine gems of literature that make you think, empathize, feel and understand this complex and multifaceted world more sharply.

Many of Pushkin's contemporaries, after the publication of The Prophet, began to treat the poet with some prejudice., believing that with this work he tried to elevate himself to the level of a literary god who looks down on the world and is confident in his infallibility. In fact, such an impression is really created thanks to the grandiloquent style that Pushkin specially chose for this work. However, the meaning of the poem is not at all to exalt oneself, because in the "Prophet" there are lines that the angel forced the author to be reborn. This means that Alexander Pushkin is fully aware of his imperfection and strives to ensure that each of his works becomes that very pearl in literature. Meanwhile, a person who knows about his shortcomings and can openly declare this is alien to the feeling of arrogance. Therefore, the poem "The Prophet" should be considered in the context of a message to future writers, to whom the author is trying to convey a simple truth: art for the sake of art and satisfaction of one's own ambitions is just as insignificant as grandiloquent odes praising autocrats and sent to the dustbin of history immediately after their public reading .

Spiritual thirst tormented,
In the gloomy desert I dragged, -
And a six-winged seraph
He appeared to me at a crossroads.
With fingers as light as a dream
He touched my eyes.
Prophetic eyes opened,
Like a frightened eagle.
He touched my ears
And they were filled with noise and ringing:
And I heard the shudder of the sky,
And the heavenly angels flight,
And the reptile of the sea underwater course,
And the valley of the vine vegetation.
And he clung to my lips,
And tore out my sinful tongue,
And idle and crafty,
And the sting of the wise snake
In my frozen mouth
He invested it with a bloody right hand.
And he cut my chest with a sword,
And took out a trembling heart,
And coal burning with fire
He put a hole in his chest.
Like a corpse in the desert I lay,
And God's voice called out to me:
“Arise, prophet, and see, and listen,
Fulfill my will
And, bypassing the seas and lands,
Burn people's hearts with the verb."

Listen to A.S. Pushkin's poem "The Prophet". Here is how Innokenty Mikhailovich Smoktunovsky reads this poem in the film “Again I visited ...”

Analysis of the poem by A.S. Pushkin "Prophet"

When was this poem written? The poem "The Prophet" was written by Pushkin in 1826. "Prophet" became a pathetic hymn to poetry. A.S. Pushkin masterfully expressed the prophetic mission of the poet with the help of biblical symbols and presented his ideal image. For many centuries, this verse has set a high bar for spirituality and striving for truth, which lyrical works should have.

The poem is filled with vivid visual images. He is characterized by a landscape, characteristic of most of the lyrical works of Alexander Sergeevich. The biblical story from the book of the prophet Isaiah is reinterpreted by the lyricist in the key of his era. The prophet, to whom the messenger of God appeared in his wanderings, personifies the poet and the muse, inspiring true creativity.

Of great importance in creating the verse "Prophet" were Pushkin's feelings about the failure of the Decembrist uprising, among whom he had enough friends. It was these events that prompted the poet to study the Bible and the subsequent creation of a poem about the high mission of the poet.

Genre and composition

The beginning of the poem depicts an endless desert, which the author calls gloomy for a reason. After all, the lyrical hero is not just in it, but "dragging along." Literally, it means "to drag, barely move." The lyrical hero is exhausted by spiritual thirst, trying to move forward. In just two lines, the author depicts such a deep picture. An exhausted traveler in a lifeless desert.

It is no coincidence that the six-winged seraphim appears to the hero at a crossroads. This is a symbol of a certain turning point in life. It is at this hour that a fateful meeting takes place, which makes a prophet out of an ordinary person. The conclusion suggests itself: a poet is not born, but becomes. And the main task of the lyricist is to bring light into the souls and hearts of people, to open their eyes to the future.

From the second to the sixth stanza, the author describes in detail how the traveler became a prophet. It is especially carefully shown how the seraphim, with one touch of the eyes, ears, mouth and chest of the wanderer, transforms all his senses. This is how the transformation into a prophet gradually takes place, carrying God's mission - to serve people, to bring goodness and truth to human hearts. It is no coincidence that the gifts of the seraphim produce painful metamorphoses in the poet - it is through suffering that one can comprehend divine truths and one's destiny.

In the third - final - part of the verse, the reader sees an already reborn poet, wise and eloquent. God speaks to him. Now the mission of the lyricist is “to burn hearts with the verb.” The image is also associated with the Bible, its beginning, where "in the beginning was the Word." It is words that are the main instrument of human communication and the main tool of the poet in his appeal to the public.

The increasing pace sets the size of the verse - iambic tetrameter. The genre of the poem is ode.

Images and trails

The central image is a lyrical hero, who at first is a simple person and gradually transforms into God's messenger, a soothsayer.

The image of a seraphim is not accidental, because it is the closest angel to God. It is he who instructs the hero on the true path and puts wisdom into his mouth - "the sting of the wise snake."

The image of God appears in the final lines in the form of a voice from heaven and voices the main idea of ​​the verse. This is a classic image for the image of the destiny of man. So for the lyrical hero, his mission is once again confirmed - to awaken the hearts of people with a word. This image appears in many works thematically related to poetic creativity.

The verse is saturated with Old Slavonic words, which give a high bookish style to the work and characterize the biblical nature of the plot. For example: voice, wise, fingers, pupils, heed, shudder.

The work is saturated with metaphors: for example, the verb burn hearts, shudder the sky. Comparisons help to brightly complement the images: like a frightened eagle, like a corpse.