"Demon" by Lermontov: analysis of the poem. Demon" by Lermontov: philosophical issues
philosophical issues The poems are unusually complex and diverse. Lermontov in “The Demon” responded to all those quests in the field of epistemology and philosophy of history that tormented progressive Russian thought in the 30s and 40s.
“The Demon” (1829 - 1839) is one of the most mysterious and controversial works of the poet. The complexity of the analysis lies, in particular, in the fact that in the poem there are several planes of perception and interpretation of the text: cosmic, including the relationship of the Demon to God and the universe, philosophical, psychological, but, of course, not everyday. Many European poets turned to the legend of a fallen angel who fought against God: just remember Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost, Lucifer in Byron's Cain, Mephistopheles in Goethe's Faust.
Lermontov, of course, could not help but take into account existing tradition, but he was completely original both in the plot of his poem and in the interpretation of the main image. Lermontov's Demon combines enormous internal strength and tragic powerlessness, the desire to overcome loneliness, to join the good and the unattainability of these aspirations. This is a rebellious Protestant who opposed himself not only to God, but also to people, to the whole world. Lermontov's rebellious, protesting ideas are directly manifested in the poem. The demon is the proud enemy of heaven, “the king of knowledge and freedom.” This is the epitome of rebellious rebellion against everything that fetters the mind. He rejects the world
Where there is no true happiness,
No lasting beauty
Where there are only crimes and executions,
Where petty passions can only live,
Where they can’t do it without fear
Neither hate nor love.
However, such universal denial means not only the strength of the Demon, but also its weakness. He is not able to see the earthly beauty from the heights of the boundless cosmic expanses; he is not able to appreciate and understand the beauty of earthly nature:
But, besides cold envy,
Nature was not aroused by brilliance
In the barren breast of an exile
No new feelings, no new strength;
And everything that he saw before him
He despised or hated.
The demon suffers in his arrogant solitude and yearns for connections with the world and people. He was tired of “living for himself, being bored with himself.” Love for the earthly girl Tamara was supposed to be the beginning of his way out of gloomy loneliness towards people. But the search for harmony, “love, goodness and beauty” is fatally unattainable for the Demon:
And the defeated Demon cursed
Your crazy dreams,
Without hope and love!..
That exposure of individualistic consciousness, which was outlined in previous poems, is also present in “The Demon”. The “demonic”, destructive principle is perceived by Lermontov as anti-humanistic. This problem, which deeply worried Lermontov, was developed by him both in drama ("Masquerade") and in prose ("Hero of Our Time"). In the poem it is difficult to identify the author’s “voice”, the direct author’s position, which predetermines the complexity of the analysis of the work and its polysemy. It is no coincidence that there are a number of questions. Staged by Lermontov in “The Demon”, not completely resolved. For example: does the author see in his Demon an unconditional (albeit suffering) carrier of evil or only a rebellious victim of an “unjust sentence”? Was Tamara’s soul “saved” for the sake of censorship, or was this motive an ideological and artistic inevitability for Lermontov? What is the meaning of the ending of the poem and the defeat of the Demon - conciliatory or non-conciliatory? These unresolved questions indicate the complexity of the philosophical problems of the poem, the dialectical combination in the Demon of “good” and “evil”, the thirst for the ideal and its loss, hostility to the world and attempts to come to terms with it, which ultimately reflects, to one degree or another, a tragic worldview advanced people era.
Plot: At the heart of the poem "Demon" - ancient myth about a proud angel who rebelled against God. The plot of the poem is not complicated. The main place in the poem is occupied by the Demon’s monologues, revealing his thoughts and feelings, descriptions of nature, and detailed images of the experiences of the heroine, Tamara. The demon, the “sad spirit of exile”, who is bored with everything in life, sees a mortal girl, the beautiful Tamara... He is fascinated by her. Captivated by a feeling of love, he dreams of rebirth. It seems to him that Tamara’s love will lead him to goodness, to truth. He penetrates the monastery, where Tamara is hiding after the death of the groom, and with his fiery speeches arouses Tamara’s pity and sympathy. The Demon's kiss turns out to be fatal for Tamara. The demon tries to take possession of her soul when a bright angel takes her to heaven. "She's mine!" - the Demon exclaims, but the angel rejects him.
And the defeated Demon cursed
Your crazy dreams,
And again he remained, arrogant,
Alone, as before, in the universe,
Without hope and love!..
The image of the Demon occupies a special place in Lermontov’s work and even in his spiritual life. The theme of the demon appeared in Lermontov’s work in 1829. In the poem “My Demon”, in the same year the first edition of the poem “demon” was written, which had only eight editions, and the last one, according to scientists, was completed in 1839.
The demon is one of Lermontov’s many exiled heroes. The demon is only expelled from heaven and can never return to it. Otherwise it is absolutely free. The spirit of evil, the spirit of “exile” is immortal. Lermontov's discovery was the image of the Demon, who was bored with evil. Having rebelled against fate, “the spirit of denial, the spirit of doubt” turned to the earth, to simple human values and wished to make peace with “heaven.” The poet seemed to have rewritten the romantic legend about the Demon. His anti-hero “sowed evil without pleasure”; he is obsessed with the idea of spiritual rebirth, believing that he can return to those “better days.”
It is not difficult to see that Tamara’s father and her fiancé are secondary figures. The main characters are Demon and Tamara. Lermontov calls the Demon “the spirit of knowledge and doubt” and gives him a feeling of indomitable pride. The demon denies the existence of harmony in the world, looks with contempt at the unfortunate human race and is in continuous eternal struggle with the deity. He is proud and lonely, closed in his experiences, and cold loneliness causes him boundless suffering.
Tamara is a symbol of beauty. The Demon's attraction to Tamara is a desperate attempt by a self-contained individualist to get out of a state of alienation and forced inaction, to find joy and oblivion in beauty. But the love of a proud individualist ends sadly. The reason for this is that the demon’s love for Tamara is entirely selfish. That is why he cannot give happiness to either her or him, and after trying to take possession of her, he is again doomed to wander.
The romantic image of the Demon also reflected various traits of some people of Lermontov’s era: their sharply negative attitude towards outdated foundations and authorities, combined in them with proud isolation and extreme individualism. But at the same time, the Demon retained irresistibly attractive features: a protest against despotism, no matter where it came from, an impulse towards freedom, an undaunted thought.
- Demon- His image personifies the resurgent evil that denies its human nature. The demon completely denies the existence of good human feelings, he is on the verge of denying existence real world. He is skeptical about people's lives, their feelings and experiences. The demon is not a skeptic, he is evil suffering from the meaninglessness of the world around him. However, one should not deny the dark, mysterious charm of the Demon. The Demon is the main judge of the human world. He is full of despair to take revenge on all living things, society and God. The prototype of the main character is taken from old testament, from the story of the fall of Babylon, telling of the rebellion fallen angel against the earthly Creator.
- Tamara- The opposite of the main character, the evil creator of human feelings, is Tamara. The image of Tamara is based on a naive view of the world. Before meeting the Demon, Tamara’s life was filled with joy, happiness, and serenity amid beautiful landscapes. Every day Tamara enjoyed the wonders of nature, its sounds and colors. After the death of the groom, Tamara’s heart was filled with grief and sadness. These two heroes are united into one, they are absolute opposites of each other, which must certainly be side by side. The demon lacks the cheerfulness, integrity and serenity that Tamara possesses. The integrity of her way of life means for the Demon freedom, self-acceptance and understanding of human essence. The meeting of the Demon and Tamara means the loss of integrity and naturalness of the main character - the beginning of the knowledge of the self of the main characters.
Beginning of the poem
The demon flies over the wonderful landscapes of the Caucasus: its picturesque mountains, rivers, amazingly bright greenery and original people. Nothing pleases the Demon; everything evokes hatred and contempt in him. The demon experiences loneliness, the meaninglessness of existence.
He is gnawing at immortality and power over human destinies. In front of him is Georgia with luxurious valleys and mountain peaks. Suddenly, he sees festive fun - the Georgian prince Gudal gives his only daughter in marriage.
The demon admires Tamara's beauty
Numerous relatives of the bride gathered for the wedding. There is laughter, wine and dancing all around. According to Gudal, the groom will arrive for the evening feast. The wedding of Tamara and Sinodal is the most significant event in the country, to which young rulers, important gentlemen and all the townspeople gathered. Servants spread carpets decorated with gold and pour wine. According to tradition, before the arrival of the groom, Tamara must dance a Georgian dance with a tambourine.
The girl performs a dance, the charm of which touches the soul of the Demon, full of contempt. He admires the girl, while experiencing hitherto unknown sincere, human feelings.
Bride's thoughts
While dancing, Tamara is overwhelmed by a variety of thoughts. She is afraid to leave her father alone, to leave her home, where she lived serenely and happily.
She longs to meet the young prince - he is preparing to become the wife of the handsome, rich, in love with her, Synodal. Surrendering herself to dance, music, and the rhythm of the tambourine, she casts away doubts and anxieties.
Death of Synodal
The main event of the entire work is the death of Tamara's fiance. The demon is unable to resist the happiness that engulfs him when looking at Tamara’s beautiful dance. He admires her beauty, charm and boundless happiness.
Like a true tyrant, he orders the robbers to kill Synodal. The wounded groom rushes to his beloved, but death takes him from the porch of her house.
Tamara leaves her home
Tamara's heart is broken, her father grieves over the unsuccessful marriage of his only daughter. As she falls asleep, Tamara hears a beautiful, amazing voice calling her into the endless expanses of dreams.
In a dream, a girl meets handsome man. However, when she wakes up in the morning, she realizes that the dream is “false” - the Demon is tempting her. Tamara decides to go to a monastery to protect her life and dignity from the tricks of the evil one. Shaking the air with curses, the father gives his permission, and Tamara becomes a nun.
Death of Tamara
In the monastery, Tamaru is constantly haunted by thoughts of the Demon. She understands that she is unbearably drawn to this man. She prays to the saints, bows to the Demon and does not know what to do. Physical intimacy with the Demon is equal to death for Tamara.
The demon understands this and decides to cancel his evil plan. But the Demon cannot control his feelings and at night he breaks into Tamara’s cell.
Even on her deathbed, Tamara smiles. Mortally unhappy, Gudal buried his only daughter in a church on the top of a hill. An angel carried her soul to heaven. The demon shouted across him: “Leave her, she’s mine!” In response, the angel answered: “Disappear, Demon. For a long time you triumphed.
God knows the truth - Tamara loved and suffered, her soul will end up in heaven.” Forgetting his crazy reliability, the Demon remained alone forever.
At the top of the hill near Tamara’s grave the wind whistles, the ruins of a church are visible and there are legends about the Demon’s love for a mortal beauty. Lizards and snakes swarm around the grave, and only high mountains guard Tamara's serene eternal sleep.
Test on the poem Demon
The image of the Demon in the poem “Demon” is a lonely hero who has transgressed the laws of good. He has contempt for the limitations of human existence. M.Yu.Lermontov for a long time worked on his creation. And this topic worried him throughout his life.
The image of the Demon in art
Images of the other world have long excited the hearts of artists. There are many names for Demon, Devil, Lucifer, Satan. Every person must remember that evil has many faces, so you always need to be extremely careful. After all, insidious tempters constantly provoke people to commit sinful deeds so that their souls end up in hell. But the forces of good that protect and preserve man from the evil one are God and the Angels.
The image of the Demon in the literature of the early 19th century is not only villains, but also “tyrant fighters” who oppose God. Such characters were found in the works of many writers and poets of that era.
If we talk about this image in music, then in 1871-1872. A.G. Rubinstein wrote the opera “The Demon”.
M.A. Vrubel created excellent canvases depicting the fiend of hell. These are the paintings “Demon Flying”, “Demon Seated”, “Demon Defeated”.
Lermontov's hero
The image of the Demon in the poem “Demon” is drawn from the story of an exile from paradise. Lermontov reworked the content in his own way. The main character's punishment is that he is forced to wander forever in complete solitude. The image of the Demon in the poem “Demon” is a source of evil that destroys everything in its path. However, it is in close interaction with the opposite principle. Since the Demon is a transformed angel, he remembers the old days well. It’s as if he is taking revenge on the whole world for his punishment. It is important to pay attention to the fact that the image of the Demon in Lermontov’s poem is different from Satan or Lucifer. This is the subjective vision of the Russian poet.
Demon Characteristics
The poem is based on the idea of the Demon's desire for reincarnation. He is dissatisfied with the fact that he is assigned the fate of sowing evil. Unexpectedly, he falls in love with the Georgian Tamara - an earthly woman. He strives in this way to overcome God's punishment.
The image of the Demon in Lermontov's poem is characterized by two main features. This is heavenly charm and alluring mystery. An earthly woman cannot resist them. The demon is not just a figment of the imagination. In Tamara’s perception, he materializes in visible and tangible forms. He comes to her in her dreams.
He is like the element of air and is animated through voice and breath. Demon is missing. In Tamara’s perception, he “looks like a clear evening,” “shines quietly like a star,” “glides without a sound or a trace.” The girl is excited by his enchanting voice, he beckons her. After the Demon killed Tamara's fiancé, he appears to her and brings back “golden dreams,” freeing her from earthly experiences. The image of the Demon in the poem “Demon” is embodied through lullaby song. It traces the poeticization of the night world, so characteristic of the romantic tradition.
His songs infect her soul and gradually poison Tamara’s heart with longing for a world that does not exist. Everything earthly becomes hateful to her. Believing her seducer, she dies. But this death only makes the Demon's situation worse. He realizes his inadequacy, which leads him to highest point despair.
The author's attitude towards the hero
Lermontov's position on the image of the Demon is ambiguous. On the one hand, the poem contains an author-narrator who expounds on the “eastern legend” of bygone times. His point of view differs from the opinions of the heroes and is characterized by objectivity. The text contains the author's commentary on the fate of the Demon.
On the other hand, the Demon is a purely personal image of the poet. Most of the meditations of the main character of the poem are closely related to the author’s lyrics and are imbued with his intonations. The image of the Demon in Lermontov’s work turned out to be consonant not only with the author himself, but also with the younger generation of the 30s. The main character reflects the feelings and aspirations inherent in people of art: philosophical doubts about the correctness of existence, a huge longing for lost ideals, an eternal search for absolute freedom. Lermontov subtly felt and even experienced many aspects of evil as a certain type of personality behavior and worldview. He recognized the demonic nature of the rebellious attitude towards the universe with the moral impossibility of accepting its inferiority. Lermontov was able to understand the dangers hidden in creativity, because of which a person can plunge into a fictional world, paying for it with indifference to everything earthly. Many researchers note that the Demon in Lermontov's poem will forever remain a mystery.
The image of the Caucasus in the poem “Demon”
The theme of the Caucasus occupies a special place in the works of Mikhail Lermontov. Initially, the action of the poem “The Demon” was supposed to take place in Spain. However, the poet takes him to the Caucasus after he returned from Caucasian exile. Thanks to landscape sketches, the writer managed to recreate a certain philosophical thought in a variety of poetic images.
The world over which the Demon flies is described in a very surprising way. Kazbek is compared to the facet of a diamond that shone with eternal snow. “Deep below” the blackened Daryal is characterized as the dwelling of the serpent. The green banks of the Aragva, the Kaishaur valley, and the gloomy Gud Mountain are the perfect setting for Lermontov’s poem. Carefully selected epithets emphasize the wildness and power of nature.
Then the earthly beauties of magnificent Georgia are depicted. The poet concentrates the reader’s attention on the “earthly land” seen by the Demon from the height of his flight. It is in this fragment of text that the lines are filled with life. Various sounds and voices appear here. Next, from the world of the celestial spheres, the reader is transported to the world of people. The change of perspectives occurs gradually. General plan replaced by a large one.
In the second part, pictures of nature are conveyed through Tamara’s eyes. The contrast of the two parts emphasizes the diversity. It can be both violent and serene and calm.
Characteristics of Tamara
It’s hard to say that the image of Tamara in the poem “The Demon” is much more realistic than the Demon himself. Her appearance is described by generalized concepts: deep gaze, divine leg and others. The poem focuses on the ethereal manifestations of her image: the smile is “elusive”, the leg “floats”. Tamara is characterized as a naive girl, which reveals the motives of childhood insecurity. Her soul is also described - pure and beautiful. All Tamara’s qualities (feminine charm, spiritual harmony, inexperience) paint an image of a romantic nature.
So, the image of the Demon occupies a special place in Lermontov’s work. This topic interested not only him, but also other artists: A.G. Rubinstein (composer), M.A. Vrubel (artist) and many others.
Part I summary
The main character of the work is a rebellious Demon, exiled by God to earth for disobedience to authority.
For many centuries he sowed evil on earth, reveled own strength, however, he got bored with this too. The demon is lonely. Enjoying the magnificent landscapes of the Caucasus, the grandeur of the mountain slopes, mighty rivers, he experiences only melancholy, contempt and hatred.
The Demon is distracted from sad thoughts by accidentally seeing preparations for the holiday. The always sad and gloomy house, built by the gray-haired Georgian prince Gudal, was richly decorated. Music and the cheerful hubbub of guests could be heard from everywhere. The prince betrothed his beautiful daughter, the beautiful Tamara, to a rich groom.
The last dance that the bride dances on the roof of the house, saying goodbye to her native place, attracted the attention of the Demon. The graceful girl, still filled with childish joy, danced last time V father's house. She didn’t know what awaited Tamara in someone else’s family. Only stories about how a Georgian girl becomes a slave after marriage darkened her fun.
The groom was already hurrying to meet the bride. With a rich caravan he was heading to the house of gray-haired Gudal. On their way there is a chapel, a prayer at which could protect them from a stray bullet or sword. The crafty Demon distracts the groom from prayer, bringing to him beautiful images of a young bride. That same night, the caravan was attacked by robbers. In a short battle, the young groom dies. A faithful horse brings his body to the gates of Gudal.
Tamara spent the whole night in tears, grieving for her groom. Suddenly she heard a beautiful voice uttering comforting words. The voice promised to come to the girl every night, bringing golden dreams. But the beautiful image that appeared before Tamara in the morning rays did not belong to either the guardian angel or the martyr. There was no halo above his head. So Tamara realized that the Demon was looking at her with eyes full of boundless love.
Part II summary
Tormented by the “evil spirit,” Tamara rejected all the suitors who applied for her hand in marriage and persuaded her father to send her to a monastery. However, the Demon does not leave the girl there either. At night he wanders around the fence, doubting whether it is worth destroying the young soul. But love for Tamara is becoming stronger, she is attracted to her. The demon experiences long-forgotten feelings, tears even roll from his eyes, burning through the stone.
The girl, torn by conflicting feelings, fervently prays for the salvation of her soul, and at the same time waits for the night guest. One evening, the Demon sees the light of a lamp in the window of her cell and decides to enter. His soul is filled with kindness and love. But, met on the threshold of the room, the guardian angel awakens a feeling of hatred in the Demon. He claims the girl and drives the cherub away.
Carried away by her feelings, Tamara asked not to destroy her, to which she received the answer that they might go to hell, but they should be together. And the girl gave up. As soon as the Demon's lips touch the beauty's lips, she dies. Her prolonged groan was heard outside the cell.
Tamara lay in the coffin as beautiful as she had been in life. Her eyes seemed to be sleeping. Only a strange smile froze on his lips. For three days and three nights, according to custom, she moved funeral procession over the mountains. Stopping at Kazbek, gray-haired Gudal erected a temple in her honor.
In heaven, Tamara's soul was raised to heaven by a guardian angel. He consoled her, washing away doubts with tears. Suddenly a Demon appeared in front of them, confidently and boldly exclaiming “She’s mine!” To which the Angel replied that the Lord saw everything and the soul was forgiven long ago.
The history of the poem
For a long time, researchers could not decide on the end date of the poet’s work on “The Demon.” It is known that he began work in 1829, and the first lines remained unchanged in all subsequent versions. Study of the copy made by A.I. Filosofov, allowed us to conclude that the author’s work ended in 1839.
During Lermontov's lifetime the poem was not published various reasons. The main one is called censorship. However, the poem was popular. It was read in handwritten versions and distributed in lists. This applies to all author's versions of the work, and there are eight of them.
Only in 1842, some excerpts from “The Demon” were published in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. The full text was first published in Germany in 1856 in a limited edition. A year later, the work was republished, however, it did not have the same philosophical overtones as the first publication. In Russia, “The Demon” was first published in 1860.
The idea of writing a poem about the Demon’s love for a nun came to Mikhail Yuryevich while studying at a boarding school. The original version had only 92 stanzas. He was preceded by brief description events and explanation in prose. The second edition, dated 1830, was more complete. However, the action took place in an uncertain landscape, with no specific location indicated. The images were generalized, and a lack of artistic integrity was noted.
Only in 1837, after a stay in the Caucasus, Lermontov “resettled” the acting characters there, giving the landscape characteristic features, and gives events a national flavor. In 1838, the author dedicated the poem to Varenka Lopukhina, leaving behind a “shadow of doubt” that troubled his soul.
In 1839, the poet prepared the final version for censorship. He removes from the text some points that could be rejected as “seditious.” However, the censorship never allowed the poem to be published. The work suffered the same fate as Griboyedov’s “Woe from Wit.” Its popularity reached unprecedented heights even before the printed edition.
The image of the Demon in the work
Lermontov presents the main character as an unusual mystical creature. In the poem, the Demon has three forms. At the very beginning, this is an overthrown, tired of the evil committed, despising all living, lonely creatures. The demon is tormented by memories of those times when, as a carefree angel, he could still believe, love, and sympathize. The punishment contained not only in the overthrow, but also in the absence of oblivion, hardened him. And the evil that he brought to people for many years devastated his soul.
The second essence awakens in the Demon after contemplating Tamara's dance. He acquires the features of ghostly beauty, again feels the power of earthly love and passion. His goal is to return to God's kingdom, to change his destiny. He is ready to give his beloved girl eternity. But the Demon does not pay attention to the fact that she will have to die for this.
A special accent that draws attention to the awakened feelings of the Demon is a tear rolling down the cheek. However, Lermontov does not leave him a chance for earthly happiness, pointing out that tears burn through stone. One of the conditions for forgiveness is repentance, and the Demon does not seek forgiveness and does not forgive itself. Without this, everything remains in vain. Therefore, the awakening of bright feelings in the Demon is short-lived.
The Demon acquires its third appearance after meeting an angel in Tamara’s cell. Lermontov presents the reader with an evil and dangerous creature, ready to do anything to achieve his own goal. Pride and a sense of possessiveness awaken again in the Demon. For revival, return to heaven, release from punishment, the Demon is ready to kill the girl. The same traits are inherent in him during the struggle for the soul of the nun after her death. However, the result of all his actions is loneliness again.
Philosophical questions characteristic of the poem
It is impossible to draw clear conclusions about good and evil after reading The Demon. The heroes of the work have no prototypes, therefore they are perceived in two ways. Although Mikhail Yuryevich gave extremely evasive answers to numerous questions from his contemporaries about the image of the Demon, many concluded that the author wrote the image of the Demon from himself.
The clear conclusion that comes to the reader is that any destructive action is detrimental to humans. In addition, the poem poses the following philosophical questions:
The demon is a manifestation of absolute evil or is a victim of injustice;
Did the Demon accept his fate at the end of the poem and many others.
A unique work that allows the reader to draw independent conclusions about good and evil, contains vivid images, lyrical digressions, descriptions of nature, presented in simple and understandable language. At the same time, “The Demon” is filled with pathos, romanticism and numerous philosophical reflections.
Thought about "Demon" appeared to Lermontov in his youth, while studying at the Moscow Noble Boarding School, and was nurtured by the poet for many years. Caucasian impressions prompted him to choose the location of the poem, and his acquaintance with Georgian folk legends helped in creating the plot. During his second exile, Lermontov finalized the text and brought “The Demon” to St. Petersburg, intending to publish the poem in Otechestvennye zapiski. In the image of the Demon, a fantastic and unreal creature, are reflected in the essence real sentiments, which were typical for many the best people era. The Nikolaev regime with its despotism, arbitrariness, and all the hypocritical Nikolaev policies evoked a feeling of protest, which was most often expressed not in direct political speeches, but in denial of reality and contempt for it. As you know, these feelings were heard in Lermontov’s poems. They are also the main ones in the poem.
Demon- a strong, proud creature, not reconciled with either gods or people. He is the king of knowledge and freedom, a rebel who does not accept anything and is ready to “destroy everything.” The spirit of protest characteristic of the Demon, his contempt for the insignificance of the earth aroused deep sympathy among readers who did not put up with the wretched reality. But the strong and proud Demon is infinitely lonely. Tired of loneliness, he seeks salvation in his love for Tamara. However, his love brings Tamara death, because even in love he remains an individualist. Devastated by constant hatred and contempt, the Demon cannot be reborn for good and again finds himself “alone, as before, in the universe, without hope, without love.”
Loneliness of the Demon was a symbolically generalized artistic expression of the loneliness to which the Nicholas system doomed the best people of society. And yet, while sincerely sympathizing with his hero, sometimes even admiring him, Lermontov does not admire the Demon, but debunks him. Opposing himself to the whole world, the Demon denies and hates everything (“Everything that he saw in front of him, he despised or hated”); he has no goal, no positive ideal (he “disgraced everything that was noble and blasphemed everything that was beautiful”), and therefore his denial is fruitless, it can bring neither satisfaction nor happiness. Showing the tragic loneliness of the Demon who has lost all faith in goodness, Lermontov affirms the need for a positive ideal for man. In this regard, the Demon is opposed by Mtsyri, a truly positive hero of Lermontov, who combines the denial of monastic captivity with the affirmation of the beauty of free life.
It is important to emphasize, that for the 30s, rejection of reality, protest against it was valuable, and therefore at one time it had undoubtedly progressive significance. But the fate of this proud loner continued to worry people in other times. When someone's violent oppression became especially unbearable, Lermontov's Demon came to mind. Drawing up the outline allows us to establish the closest connection between Lermontov’s work and the socio-political life of the country, but in in some cases It is advisable to propose, instead of a table, to draw up a plan for a story about a particular period of Lermontov’s life.
How can one explain the exceptional success of Lermontov's poem? Remaining chronologically within the first period of the Russian liberation movement, Lermontov overcame the narrow worldview of the Decembrists, who were far from the people. His entire life and creative path- this is a constant movement towards the people. Continuing Decembrist ideas in literature, Lermontov at the same time became a poet of a new generation of fighters for the liberation of the people, a poet approaching the revolutionary-democratic direction of Russian poetry.
