Alexander Pushkin - Madonna: Verse. About a Beautiful Lady Poem Test

So, we continue the conversation about Pushkin’s love lyrics. This time we’ll touch on his sonnet “Madonna,” which he dedicated to his wife, Natalya Nikolaevna Goncharova.

Pushkin met the Goncharov family in the winter of 1828, at a ball. Natalya Nikolaevna was then only 16 years old, she attracted everyone's attention with her extraordinary external beauty and modesty.

According to a contemporary (A.P. Arapova), “Natalya Nikolaevna was modest to the point of painfulness; at their first acquaintance, his (Pushkin’s) celebrity, the authority inherent in a genius, were not only embarrassed, but somehow crushed. She shyly responded to enthusiastic phrases, but this innate modesty only elevated her in the eyes of the poet.”

Everyone around the young poet immediately started talking about the upcoming wedding. The reason for this was, in general, compelling - Pushkin himself repeatedly stated in society that he intended to end his bachelor life, having been captivated by Natalya Goncharova.

Pushkin’s sonnet “Madonna” (1830) was addressed specifically to Natalya Nikolaevna.

Not many paintings by ancient masters
I always wanted to decorate my abode,
So that the visitor might superstitiously marvel at them,
Heeding the important judgment of experts.

In my simple corner, amidst slow labors,
I wanted to be forever a spectator of one picture,
One: so that from the canvas, like from the clouds,
Most Pure One and our divine Savior -

She with greatness, he with reason in his eyes -
They looked, meek, in glory and in the rays,
Alone, without angels, under the palm of Zion.

My wishes came true. Creator
Sent you to me, you, my Madonna,
The purest example of pure beauty.

We see to what spiritual heights the poet’s love for his Beautiful Lady rises, who for him is “the purest example of pure beauty.” The very form of the work - a sonnet - and the high style of presentation give rise to associations with the Renaissance.

Veresaev V.V. Pushkin in life: A systematic collection of authentic testimonies from his contemporaries. – M.: Moscow. worker, 1987. – P. 133.

In the summer of 1830, the secular society of the two capitals was seething: the engagement and the upcoming wedding were discussed. the first romantic poet of our time on the first romantic beauty" And Pushkin himself writes to his bride at this time
from St. Petersburg to Moscow.

“I don’t go out much in the world. They are looking forward to seeing you there. Beautiful ladies ask me to show you your portrait and cannot forgive me for not having it. I am consoled by the fact that I stand for hours in front of the blond Madonna, who resembles you like two peas in a pod; I would buy it if it didn’t cost 40,000 rubles.”

V. Gau Portrait of Natalya Niolaevna 1844

Meticulous Pushkin scholars discovered that the painting referred to in the letter was exhibited in a bookstore on Nevsky Prospekt, where Pushkin often visited. And it was an old copy of a painting by Raphael, which was passed off as an original. Fabulous money to buy a portrait similar to his bride " The same", Pushkin did not have it. But thanks to this picture, the sonnet “Madonna” appeared, dedicated to Natalya Nikolaevna:

Not many paintings by ancient masters
I always wanted to decorate my abode,
So that the visitor might superstitiously marvel at them,
Heeding the important judgment of experts.

In my simple corner, amidst slow labors,
I wanted to be forever a spectator of one picture,
One: so that from the canvas, like from the clouds,
The Most Pure One and our divine savior -

She with greatness, he with intelligence in his eyes -
They looked, meek, in glory and in the rays,
Alone, without angels, under the palm of Zion.

My wishes came true. Creator
He sent you to me, you, my Madona,
The purest example of pure beauty.

Raphael's original Madonna and Child traveled a lot around the world until it was bought by the Duke of Bridgewater (1756 - 1829). Since then, the painting has been called by the name of the owner - “Madonna Bridgewater”. At the beginning of the Second World War, when the fierce bombing of London began, the “Bridgewater Madonna”, along with other priceless paintings, was sent away from the British capital, to Scotland, to the National Gallery, which did not stop working even during the war. After the end of the war, it was decided to leave the painting in Edinburgh.

Raphael Santi 1507

P Ushkin did not forget the reproaches of the St. Petersburg ladies and in the very first year they family life ordered by A.P. Bryullov’s portrait of his dear “wife”. Alexander Pavlovich Bryullov (not to be confused with his younger brother, Karl, author of " Last day Pompeii"!) became famous in Europe for his watercolor portraits. It is not surprising that the poet wanted him to paint the watercolor portrait of Natalya Nikolaevna. His wife was already presented in the world and had a dazzling success in society, where not only her poetic beauty, but also her always taciturnity and melancholy were hotly discussed. Countess Daria Fikelmon writes just in the days of painting the portrait “His wife is good, good, good! But the pained expression on her forehead makes me tremble for her future.”

A.P. Bryullov Portrait of N.N. Pushkina 1831

Bryullov begins the portrait in December 1831. N.N. is in her fourth month of pregnancy, which is still undetectable. In this portrait she is 19 years old. She is wearing a light pink ballgown with two rows of lush lace around the neckline. Long diamond earrings and a large ferroniere on the forehead give the portrait a grand appearance. Despite the pomp of the portrait, the image turned out to be unusually touching and airy. This is the only full-face portrait in which N.N. looks directly at the artist and the audience. The poet was sincerely proud of his “wife” when he wrote to her “ be young because you are young and reign because you are beautiful! This portrait remained the only portrait of N.N. made during the poet’s lifetime. In May 1836, Pushkin wanted to order another portrait of his wife from the famous Bryullov, but he flatly refused to paint her portrait. And when this wayward painter didn’t like the model, no one and nothing could force him to paint. The very type of beauty of Pushkin’s wife is visible. wasn't his type. Karl Bryullov loved to paint women of the Rubensian type, and here Natalie, with her wasp waist...

After the death of her husband, Natalya Nikolaevna and her children lived on her brother’s estate for 2 years, then returned to St. Petersburg, where she settled in a rented apartment and led a very secluded life for a long time. At the end of 1841, a costume ball was being prepared in the Anichkov Palace, to which N.N. received a personal invitation from the Tsar, her rich childless aunt Zagryazhskaya again did not skimp and gave “her hermit” a wonderful robe in the Hebrew style, according to famous painting based on a biblical story depicting Rebecca. A long purple velvet caftan, almost covering the wide fawn shalwars, tightly fitted a slender, almost girlish figure; a bright national headdress, one end thrown over the shoulder, added expressiveness to the beautiful face. Appearance such"Rebecca" in the palace was a real triumph and caused a general wave of admiration. As soon as the dancing began, Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich went to N.N. and led him by the hand to the Empress, saying publicly: “Look and admire!” Empress Alexandra Feodorovna pointed her lorgnette at her and answered with a complacent smile: “Yes, she is beautiful, indeed, beautiful! Your image like this should be passed down to posterity.” No sooner said than done. The court painter (presumably V.I. Gau) painted the portrait.

N.N. Pushkin. V.I.Gau. 1841

There are two more known portraits of N.N. Pushkina, dating back to the period 1841-1843, which definitely belong to the brush of V.I. Gau. They were ordered by Aunt Zagryazhskaya for the 30th birthday of her beloved niece. One portrait shows her in a modest closed dress, combed in the fashion of that time with curls along her cheeks. This is no longer the “airy creature” from Bryullov’s portrait of 1831. But everything in her appearance is reminiscent of Pushkin’s “ the purest beauty the purest specimen", and she still looks so much like Raphael's Madonna!

V. Gau Portrait of N.N. Pushkina 1842 -1843

As in the most famous portrait by V.I. Gau, where Natalya Pushkina is in a dazzling ball gown and a hat with an ostrich feather falling on her bare shoulder.

V. I. Gau. N. N. Pushkin. 1843

Seven years after Pushkin’s death, Natalya Nikolaevna accepted General Lansky’s proposal and married him. There are portraits of Pushkina-Lanskaya. But this is from her other life...

In 1830, A. S. Pushkin creates an incredibly tender work - a sonnet with the lyrical title “Madonna”. Literary scholars clearly saw here the image of his, at that time, bride - Natalya Nikolaevna Goncharova. Indeed, there are many reasons to interpret “Madonna” as a declaration of love to this beautiful woman: “The Creator sent you to me, my Madonna...”

Returning from St. Petersburg to Moscow in the summer of 1830, A. Pushkin wrote a letter to his bride in which he compared her with Raphael’s Bridgewater Madonna. Shortly before his departure, he saw a copy of this work at an exhibition on Nevsky Prospekt. The prohibitive price of 40 thousand rubles did not allow the poet to purchase the painting. In the letter, he lamented that he did not have the opportunity to keep this image with him, which was like two drops of water similar to the image of Natalya. Goncharova herself, in response to this, wrote that there is no need to be sad, because very soon he will be admiring not the painting, but her face. The wedding took place six months later, in March 1831.

Later, A. Pushkin nevertheless acquired an engraving of this painting. It still hangs in the museum in Tsarskoye Selo, in the poet’s study.

And you can read the text of the verse “Madonna” below:

Sonnet

Not many paintings by ancient masters
I always wanted to decorate my abode,
So that the visitor might superstitiously marvel at them,
Heeding the important judgment of experts.

In my simple corner, amidst slow labors,
I wanted to be forever a spectator of one picture,
One: so that from the canvas, like from the clouds,
Most Pure One and our divine savior -

She with greatness, he with reason in his eyes -
They looked, meek, in glory and in the rays,
Alone, without angels, under the palm of Zion.

My wishes came true. Creator
Sent you to me, you, my Madonna,
The purest example of pure beauty.

MADONNA

~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~

1830

Analysis of Pushkin's poem "Madonna"

Among the love lyrics of Alexander Pushkin there are several works that he dedicated to his wife Natalya Goncharova. One of them is the poem “Madonna,” written in 1830, six months before the wedding.
At this time, the poet is in Moscow, where he again asks Natalya Goncharova to become his wife. Having received consent, Pushkin is euphoric and begins to prepare for the wedding, while his bride and her family leave the capital for a while, going to the family estate. To brighten up the days of separation, Pushkin hangs in his room a portrait of a “blond Madonna,” who, according to the poet, is like two peas in a pod like his chosen one. He even reports about this amazing similarity in a letter addressed to Natalya Goncharova, receiving a very encouraging answer in which the young girl reports that very soon Pushkin will not need to admire the painting, since he will have a wife.

Inspired by this message, the poet dedicates the poem “Madonna” to Natalya Goncharova, which is written in the form of a sonnet. In the very first lines, the author states that all his life he dreamed not of decorating a house with portraits of famous artists, but of having love and mutual understanding reign in it. According to the poet, it is a happy marriage that can create in the house that amazing atmosphere of harmony and well-being that is so easily captured by others. And it is precisely this that attracts people who enjoy being in families built on love, mutual respect and trust.

Pushkin sees his future marriage as happy and harmonious, so the poet notes in the poem that he dreams of “eternally being a spectator” of just one picture that would reflect his life. The heroes of this canvas are “she with greatness, he with reason in his eyes,” i.e. an ideal married couple destined to live a long and happy life together.

Pushkin sees his upcoming marriage as if from the outside, but this does not prevent him from indulging in dreams of family well-being. It would seem that there is every reason for this, because Natalya Goncharova is pretty, quite smart and educated. That is why the poet thanks the Almighty for “sending you down to me, you, my Madonna,
the purest beauty, the purest example.” The author does not suspect that literally in a few months the first serious conflict related to the wedding dowry will occur between him and his chosen one. Pushkin knew that his bride belonged to a noble, but, alas, impoverished family. However, he did not imagine that together with his wife he would end up with a bunch of family debts. Paying them off was not part of the poet’s plans, so his marriage was on the verge of failure. Having gone to Boldino in order to take ownership of the estate, Pushkin even wrote to his future mother-in-law that Natalya Goncharova was free from any obligations to him, although if he himself married, it would only be to her. In the end, the wedding took place, but the image of Madonna, created by the poet in the poem of the same name, faded. It is known that after the wedding the poet did not devote a single poem to his wife. There are several reasons for this, although the poet himself claims that he found true happiness in this marriage. However, during the wedding in the Church of the Great Ascension, Natalya Goncharova first dropped the poet’s wedding ring, and later the candle in his hands went out. Being a rather superstitious person, Pushkin took this as a bad sign. And from then on, he perceived his marriage not as a gift from heaven, but as a punishment that is inevitable.

As a matter of fact, the poet turned out to be right in this, since the fatal duel with Dantes, which ended his life, took place precisely because of Natalya Goncharova. Nevertheless, until her death, the wife remained for the poet the most desired and beloved woman in the world, for whose possession he paid with his life.

Notes

See N. Goncharova’s letter dated July 30, 1830. The poem and the letter talk about the same painting.

Analysis of the poem “Madonna” by Pushkin (2)

Brief Analysis

History of creation

Subject

Composition

The analyzed work is a monologue of the lyrical hero, which gradually reveals the author’s idea of ​​an ideal family, an ideal woman. According to the meaning, the poem is divided into three parts: a story about a dream picture, a description of the images of the Most Pure One and the Savior, a story about the fulfillment of a wish. The formal composition is a sonnet (two quatrains and two tercets).

Genre

The genre of the poem is elegy, as the lyrical hero indulges in dreams and leisurely thoughts. The poetic meter is iambic hexameter. A. Pushkin used all types of rhymes.

Means of expression

The poet does not oversaturate the work with means of expressiveness. However, tropes help to develop the theme and show the feelings and emotions of the characters. The text contains metaphors - ““I wanted to be forever a spectator of one picture”, “looked... in glory and in the rays”, “The Creator sent you to me, my Madonna”, “epithets - “ancient masters”, “superstitiously marveled” “an important judgment”, “pure beauty”” comparison – ““from the canvas, like from the clouds.”

The love lyrics of A. S. Pushkin reveal to the reader those facets of the poet that are invisible in insipid biographies. The poem “Madonna,” studied in the 9th grade, preserves the innermost dreams of Alexander Sergeevich, his ideas about an ideal family. We invite you to familiarize yourself with a brief analysis of “Madonna” according to plan.

Brief Analysis

History of creation- was created in 1830, after Natalya Goncharova agreed to marry Pushkin.

Theme of the poem– a dream of an ideal, happy family; the immaculate image of the Madonna.

Composition– the poem is written in the form of a monologue of the lyrical hero. According to the meaning, the poem is divided into three parts: a story about a dream picture, a description of the images of the Most Pure One and the Savior, a story about the fulfillment of a wish. The form of the work is a sonnet (two quatrains and two tercets).

Genre- elegy.

Poetic size– iambic hexameter, ring rhyme ABBA, cross ABAB and parallel AABB.

Metaphors – “I wanted to be a viewer of one picture forever,” “looked... in glory and in the rays,” “The Creator sent you to me, my Madonna.”

Epithets – “ancient masters”, “superstitiously marveled”, “important judgment”, “pure beauty”.

Comparisons – “from the canvas, like from the clouds.”

History of creation

The poem “Madonna” appeared in A. S. Pushkin’s notebook in 1830. The poet was inspired to write it by Natalia Goncharova’s consent to marry him. It is known that the first beauty from the capital accepted the proposal only the second time. It is not surprising that Alexander Sergeevich was very happy about this.

Before receiving the good news, the poet corresponded with Natalya. In one of his letters, he admitted that he was fascinated by a painting by the Italian artist P. Peruggio. The Madonna depicted on it very much reminded the poet of his chosen one. In his own house, Pushkin also hung a portrait of the Madonna with white hair. Soon Natalya replied that the poet would admire his wife, and not the painting. So, in anticipation of family life, six months before the wedding, the poet wrote “Madonna.”

Subject

In the poem, the poet reveals two themes, closely intertwining them with each other: the dream-idea of ​​an ideal family and the image of the Madonna. It is difficult to determine which topic is the main one. This interweaving of motifs is unusual for Russian literature. To reveal the themes, the author created an original system of images: the lyrical hero, the Madonna and the “savior” depicted in the picture, the Creator and the Madonna-lover of the lyrical hero. The system of images is formed gradually, each stanza supplements it with a new hero.

In the first lines, the lyrical hero admits that he would not like to decorate his house with paintings by famous artists in order to show them to guests and listen to the judgments of “experts.” His dream is to forever look at the picture depicting the Most Pure One and the Savior. In the following verses it turns out that the author is not talking about the icon. This is how he imagines an ideal family: “she with greatness, he with reason in his eyes.” The sacred attributes in the painting symbolize the pure relationship between spouses.

In the last terzetta of the poem, the hero says that the Creator heard him and fulfilled his wish. The hero met his Madonna. The man does not say a word about the woman’s appearance, but emphasizes her purity: “the purest beauty, the purest example.” Knowing the biography of A. S. Pushkin and the history of the creation of the analyzed poem, it is not difficult to guess that Natalya Goncharova is hiding under the image of Madonna.

Composition

The analyzed work is a monologue of the lyrical hero, which gradually reveals the author’s idea of ​​an ideal family, an ideal woman. According to the meaning, the poem is divided into three parts: a story about a dream picture, a description of the images of the Most Pure One and the Savior, a story about the fulfillment of a wish. The formal composition is a sonnet (two quatrains and two tercets).

Genre

The genre of the poem is elegy, as the lyrical hero indulges in dreams and leisurely thoughts. The poetic meter is iambic hexameter. A. Pushkin used all types of rhymes.

Means of expression

The poet does not oversaturate the work with means of expressiveness. However, tropes help to develop the theme and show the feelings and emotions of the characters. The text contains metaphors- “I wanted to be a viewer of one picture forever”, “they looked... in glory and in the rays”, “The Creator sent you to me, my Madonna”, epithets- “ancient masters”, “superstitiously marveled”, “important judgment”, “pure beauty” comparison - “from the canvas, like from the clouds”.

Poem test

Rating Analysis

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