Essay on the topic: The theme of memory in the lyrics of A. Tvardovsky

Composition

The theme of memory appears in Tvardovsky’s work in two aspects. Firstly, the poet emphasizes the importance of the memory of those killed in the war, and secondly, he talks about the importance of the chains of ancestral, family memory, which were mercilessly destroyed during the years of Stalinist repression, when many publicly renounced kinship with those who were declared enemies of the people.
The lines of the poem “Vasily Terkin” are dedicated to the memory of those who fought and died in the war. In the chapter “Crossing” the author recalls the difficult and unsuccessful crossing of our troops across the river.
To whom is memory, to whom is glory,
For those who want dark water -
No sign, no trace.
The word “memory” in this chapter is used with the connotation of meaning that it acquires if the definition “eternal” is used with it. Many people died at that crossing (“People are warm, alive // They went to the bottom, to the bottom, to the bottom...”). “Eternal memory to the dead!” the author seems to exclaim.
The chapter “About Myself” is filled with other, bright memories. The old world, the “corner of the father,” the forest, not dug up by dugouts, appears before the eyes of the stoned narrator. The tranquility of the presented picture of his native nature makes him doubt the actual existence of such a place on earth.
My dear mother earth,
My forest side
The land of recent childhood years,
Father's land, are you there or not?
The theme of eternal memory of the dead is also brought out in the poem “I was killed near Rzhev...”. In his address to the living, the deceased warrior asks them, in the name of his memory, to “be happy” and take care of their native country, “to take care of it sacredly.” In the poems “I know, it’s not my fault...” and “To the bitter grievances of one’s own person...” the motif of memory is intertwined with the motif of a person’s personal responsibility for the destinies of many.
In contrast to the official ideology that dominated the country, Tvardovsky argued that the need to remember one’s roots, one’s relatives and loved ones is not just a right, but also a person’s responsibility. His poem “In Memory of Mother” is dedicated to this. In it, he calls for loving and appreciating loved ones while they are still alive. We all rush out of our father’s house “long before the deadline,” trying to arrange our lives, not realizing that our mothers are not eternal, that time is fleeting and the last hour is closer than it seems. And after that, there’s nothing to return, nothing to snuggle up to my mother’s warm shoulder. We can only hope to meet my mother soon in another, better world:
Water carrier,
Gray-haired old man, take me to the other side - home...
Tvardovsky’s famous poem “By the Right of Memory” is a kind of “window” into the past. In the poem, the author turned to memories of his past life, the dreams and hopes of his youth, and most importantly, Tvardovsky, looking back at his past years, rethought the historical significance of Stalin’s attempts to build a bright future by eradicating the “enemies of communism.” The author showed what it means to suddenly become an enemy of the people for a person devoted to his country. The identification of “enemies of the people” also extended along chains of family ties. Fear forced people to renounce their family and friends, since a person who went missing in battle or was recognized as a kulak doomed his entire family to universal contempt and humiliation.
Marked from birth
A baby of enemy blood,
And everything seemed to be lacking in the Land of Branded Sons.
“The son is not responsible for his father” - this Stalinist saying pushed many people to make a deal with their conscience.
Forget where you came from,
And realize, don’t contradict:
To the detriment of love for the father of nations -
Any other love.
In the final chapter, Tvardovsky raises the question of the right to memory of people who were deprived of an honest name during their lifetime.
To forget, to forget silently commanded,
They want to drown you in oblivion
Living reality. And so that the waves
They closed over her. True story - forget!
We must not forget! - this is Tvardovsky’s conclusion. A feeling of tragic breakdown passed through the fate of the poet himself, whose father and brother were repressed.
This poem has become a speaking monument to the difficult Stalinist time in the history of our Motherland. It reminds us of the innocent and senseless victims of bloody decades and obliges us to prevent a repetition of these terrible events.
For Tvardovsky, love for his family, small homeland and the memory of it are inextricably linked with love for the Motherland with a capital letter. But loving the Motherland is not enough! We need to know its history and remember everything that happened, good and bad, so that future generations will live better than we did.

Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky is the greatest poet of the 20th century. He wrote many poems dedicated to various issues. Most often, the poet addressed the theme of memory in his lyrics. The question arises: why? Let's try to figure this out.

To answer the question posed, we should recall the facts from the biography of Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky and turn to his works.

Let's start with the fact that the poet witnessed such a significant event as the Great Patriotic War, and he, as a true patriot, could not help but write a poem on the theme of memory. He loved his homeland very much and respected the brave soldiers who defended it. That is why he created many thematic works. For example, in the poem “I was killed near Rzhev,” the poet described all the horrors of the war. To pay tribute to the soldiers, the lyrical hero calls on us to “be happy” and not forget: “the memory of the warrior-brother who died for her.”

Also in the famous poem “Vasily Terkin,” which tells the story of a simple Russian guy Vaska Terkin, the author reflects on the fact that, unfortunately, not all soldiers will be remembered. This idea is confirmed by the lines from the chapter “crossing”: To whom is memory, to whom are words, to whom is dark water - no sign, no trace." In the poem "by right of memory" the above-mentioned problem is also raised. The author again calls us to remember. Otherwise, we will turn out to be unworthy and unhappy people: “whoever hides the past jealously is unlikely to be in harmony with the future.”

Thus, remembering the biography of Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky and turning to his work, we can conclude that the theme of memory played a leading role in his lyrics. Being a Russian man, the poet considered himself obliged to glorify the exploits of soldiers in his poems and poems.

Updated: 2017-09-11

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The turn of the 19th-20th centuries is a time of crisis, social catastrophes, and historical turning point. Therefore, in the literature of this period the topic of memory is updated. Memory is a feeling of the presence of the past in the present, a living embodiment of the connection of times. The fateful significance of memory is especially deeply understood and philosophically embodied in the poetry of A. Akhmatova. Memory is present in A. Akhmatova’s poetry in three dimensions: as memory of the heart, memory of history, memory of culture. The memory of the heart is the memory of experienced feelings, primarily of love. For some reason, love in A. Akhmatova’s poetry is always unhappy, unrequited. The lyrical heroine of A. Akhmatova remembers not only the experiences themselves, but also the details of the situation, randomly spoken words. And the smallest details turn out to be dear to the soul, striving to preserve everything:

How I filled the high royal house And the Peter and Paul Fortress! Then, the air was not naked at all, but as a gift from God, it was so wonderful...

But not only love experiences live in memory. In the cycle - Tsarskoe Selo, where A. S. Pushkin, I, F, Annensky and other famous poets lived, was conducive to seeing one’s own life and poetry not separately, but in connection with the disappeared, but living past. The personification of this living past is A. S. Pushkin:

The dark-skinned youth wandered through the alleys, Along the sad lake shores, And for a century we cherish the barely audible rustle of footsteps.

A. Akhmatova tends to look for her reflections in the culture of the past. Cassandra, Dido, Phaedra - this is not a complete list of these reincarnations. But we must keep in mind that these are not masks, not acting. A poet is one who conjugates and connects events and destinies far removed in time with the living fabric of the creative spirit. This is how a feeling of historical memory is born, comprehending the passage of time. The veg of time is the main symbol of Akhmatova’s poetry - a series of destructions and restorations. The more hopeless, destructive and disastrous the situation that develops over time, the more powerful is the power of the poetic word, which overcomes this situation and preserves the past:

The leaves of this willow withered in the nineteenth century, So that in a line of verse a hundredfold fresh silver began to shine, Wild roses became purple rose hips, And the lyceum hymns still sound hearty.

A. Akhmatova’s poetic word is the embodiment of memory. Poems are a living connection of times and overcoming historical turning points.

The theme of memory in Akhmatova’s poetry

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The theme of memory of the defenders of the homeland who died in the Great Patriotic War occupies one of the central places in Tvardovsky’s lyrics. It arises long before the end of the war. So, for example, in 1943, the poet remembers a boy fighter who was killed in Finland in 1940. Shocked by the childish sight of a small dead body on the ice, Tvardovsky perceives the tragedy he experienced so closely that it seems to him that he himself could very well become that murdered boy:

Among the great cruel war,

Why, I can’t imagine,

I feel sorry for that distant fate

Like dead, alone,

As if it were me lying -

He exclaims.

Most of all, the poet would not like the feat of the young hero to be forgotten. He calls the Finnish War unfamous, and the murdered boy forgotten.”

In the poem “I know, it’s not my fault...” the poet writes about how painfully the survivors remember the dead. And although war does not choose a victim and every fighter may not return from it, those who were destined by fate to return will always feel an incomprehensible guilt before those who remained lying on the battlefield.

To you, those who fell in that world battle

For our happiness on the harsh land,

I point out in every new word, -

The poet writes in the poem “On the day the war ended.” The poet is not a god: he is not given the power to resurrect departed heroes, but he is endowed with a different power. He is able to perpetuate the memory of the fallen. Tvardovsky calls the battle a global battle, thereby emphasizing its bloody nature. Those killed were not allowed to see the joy of the victorious day. However, those who met him at this time felt a special involvement in the destinies of those who had passed on.

The theme of memory in Tvardovsky’s lyrics reaches its apogee in the poem “I was killed near Rzhev,” written on behalf of the deceased hero. His body was not buried according to the customs of his ancestors. It remained lying in the very swamp where the hero met his death in battle. The soldier passed away without even realizing it.

I didn't hear the break

I didn't see that flash

Right off the cliff into the abyss -

And neither the bottom nor the tire, -

He narrates.

The mind of the deceased hero seems to dissolve in the world, in the earth, in the river in a cloud of dust. It was not even possible for him to find out whether the city, for which a bloody battle was taking place, was taken. However, his last thoughts are directed to those people in whose name his life was sacrificed:

I bequeath in that life

You should be happy

Tvardovsky emphasizes that every person must remember at what cost peace and tranquility in their native land was achieved, sacredly cherish it and be proud of their history. The era of the Great Patriotic War is firmly a thing of the past. Fewer and fewer living witnesses remain with us. However, thanks to the poetry of A. Tvardovsky, this war will be remembered hundreds of years later, and remembered with gratitude about those who did not return home from the front, remaining lying in the very place where they died, about those buried in mass graves with meager stars instead of crosses . Poetry, like human memory, is capable of living forever in time, glorifying the immortal feat of heroes.

The theme of responsibility and memory received a special resonance in the work of A. Tvardovsky, who experienced all the hardships of the Great Patriotic War. The poet proves that betraying one's memory is a real crime. People living today have no right to forget those who gave their lives on the battlefields in the name of others. The poet sees his mission in telling the living everything that he saw, experienced and felt. In this sense, Tvardovsky’s poem “The whole essence is in one single covenant ...” can be considered programmatic. Here the author says that his life and creative duty is to “open his soul”, to tell about the war everything that hurts him, that he considers necessary. And this is not only his duty, but also his relief, liberation. He cannot “entrust” these cherished words to anyone. Let him write not as talentedly as Leo Tolstoy, but very sincerely and in the way he sees fit:

* I am responsible for my own,
* During my lifetime I worry about one thing:
* About what I know better than anyone in the world,
* I want to say. And the way I want.

A. Tvardovsky’s works about the memory of the fallen are piercing, tragic, and deep. Thus, in the poem “I was killed near Rzhev” the narration is told from the perspective of a deceased warrior who addresses those who were able to survive. The warrior reminds them to remember the dead. Although A. Tvardovsky uses the device of convention, the story of the deceased warrior is striking in its accuracy and truthfulness. It feels like we hear a voice, a call:

* We have our own combat
* Do not wear orders.
* All this is for you, the living
* We have only one joy:
* That it was not for nothing that they fought
* We are for the motherland.
* Let our voice not be heard,
*You should know him.

What was unusual here was that the real narrative was combined with the fantastic. If at first the place where the soldier served, the company (“I was killed near Rzhev, / In a nameless swamp, / In the fifth company, on the left ...”) is indicated, then later these real outlines disappear. A specific story takes on a philosophical tone. A year later, A. Tvardovsky will write the poem “Cruel Memory.” Here the theme of war receives a new aspect of coverage - the theme of memory. First, a picture of peaceful life and morning nature is given. But at the same time, the lyrical hero cannot fully enjoy this beauty, because military events (bomb explosions, roar of guns) remind of themselves:

* And that memory, probably,
* My soul will be sick,
* While there is an irrevocable misfortune
* There will be no war for the world.

For A. Tvardovsky, the theme of memory echoes the theme of human responsibility for everything that happens. In the mid-60s, he created a short poem “I know, it’s not my fault...”. Outwardly, it resembles a page from a diary. The lines are constructed unpretentiously, simply, there are no complex metaphors here. The main idea is expressed in one phrase: “This is not about that, but still, still, still...”, it penetrates deeply into the heart of the reader. Although the poet is not guilty of the death of millions of compatriots, he judges himself with the highest court - the spiritual court. A similar thought is heard in the poems “There are names and there are such dates”, “They lie, deaf and dumb.” The main idea of these works is a call to memory of the dead:

* There are names and there are dates, -

* They are full of imperishable essence.

* We are guilty before them in everyday life,
* Do not atone for guilt on holidays.

Russian literature has always been strong for its humanistic traditions. The pathos of philanthropy, the desire for mutual understanding, empathy for others and readiness to help was always inherent in her. Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky is a poet who knew and saw the war firsthand. In his poems, he was able to convey the terrible disasters of the war and post-war years, the bitterness of the loss of a loved one, as well as the endless courage and courage of the Russian people. On behalf of the killed soldier, the deeply tragic poem “I was killed near Rzhev” sounds. Those who died for the freedom of the Motherland are worthy of memory. He lies “where the blind roots seek food in the darkness.” There is nothing left that could remind of the deceased:

* I am where with a cloud of dust
* Rye is growing on the hill;
* I am where the cock crows
* At dawn in the dew;
* I - where are your cars
* The air is torn on the highway...

Internal harmonies, onomatopoeia to the rustle of tires (“your cars... highway”) - all this gives the poems an amazing lightness, melodiousness, melody, as if we hear not a human voice, but the rustling of leaves and grass, the breath of wind, the breath of the entire huge world in which he disappeared and into which the dead soldier seemed to be reincarnated.

But at the same time, the appeal of the dead to the living is a statement of the idea of the immortality of those who died for freedom and a call to prevent a new war, to be worthy of those who defended the well-being of the living at the cost of their own lives. The moral orientation of the poem “To the Son of a Dead Warrior” is clear. The topic itself is very important. How many children we have left after the war without fathers, who had a much more difficult time than those whose fathers returned from the war. The bright image of the deceased father, according to Tvardovsky, should serve as a reminder to his sons of how to live so as not to fall on the wrong path.

The main idea of the poems “There are names and there are such dates”, “I know, it’s not my fault”, “They lie, deaf and dumb...” is a call to the eternal memory of those who died in the dark years of the war. It is difficult to find a poet in whom the feeling of guilt for everything that happened during the war would be so reverently felt. His famous words sound in bitter, mournful tones:

*I know, it's not my fault
* The fact that others did not come from the war.
* The fact that they - some older, some younger,
*Stayed there. And we're not talking about the same thing,
* That I could, but failed to save them, -
* This is not about that, but still, still, still...

Outwardly, it seems that the lines are constructed unprepossessingly, one might say, even prosaically, there are no artistic tricks, metaphors, or complex figurative expressions, but the poems penetrate to the very heart. This happens because this expresses the poet’s spiritual experience, judging himself by the highest court - the spiritual. Indeed, in simplicity of speech sometimes human grief is more deeply expressed.

Tvardovsky's lyrics most vividly and clearly touched on moral themes related to the war. In the poems of this poet there is the pathos of eternal memory and pain, as well as the responsibility of the living to the dead. Tvardovsky's lyrics are deeply personal and confessional; his works are often narrated in the first person. All this creates the effect of the greatest empathy.