Noah the cruel fate of immortality is a worthy husband. To help a schoolchild

Composition

M. V. Lomonosov is a great scientist and poet. He became a luminary of science in the 18th century. and to this day his works have not been forgotten. For Lomonosov, poetry is not fun, not an immersion in the narrow, in his opinion, world of a private person, but a patriotic, civic activity. It was the ode that became the main lyrical genre in Lomonosov’s work.

One of the most famous works Lomonosov became an ode “On the day of the accession of Elizabeth Petrovna.” Lomonosov begins it with glorification of the world:

Kings and kingdoms of the earth are a delight,
Beloved silence,
The bliss of the villages, the city fence,
How useful and beautiful you are!

When she took the throne,
How the Supreme One gave her a crown,
Brought you back to Russia
Put an end to the war.

Sent a man to Russia
What has not been heard since ages.
Through all the obstacles he ascended
Head, crowned with victories,
Russia, I will trample on barbarism,
He raised him to the skies.

Describing Peter I, Lomonosov resorts to ancient mythology. He uses the images of Mars and Neptune to symbolize war and the sea, which adds even more solemnity to the ode.

The ode “On the day of the accession of Elizabeth Petrovna” is not only praise for the empress, but also an instruction to her. The Russia that Lomonosov wants to see is great country, she is powerful, wise and at peace, but the main thing is that such a future is possible if Russia is a sacred power, the existence of which is impossible without an enlightened monarch. In a digression to the era of Peter I, Lomonosov seems to be telling Elizabeth that she should take an example from her father and continue his great works, in particular, contribute to the development of science, as her father did:

...Divine sciences
Through mountains, rivers and seas,
They extended their hands to Russia...

Look at the mountains above,
Look into your wide fields,
Where is the Volga, Dnieper, where the Ob flows;
Wealth is hidden in them,
Science will be frank,
What blooms with your generosity.

Such a huge country, the vastness of which stretches from the western plains, through the Urals and Siberia to the Far East, needs educated people. After all, only knowledgeable people will be able to reveal all the natural resources of Russia:

O you who await
Fatherland from its depths,
And he wants to see them,
What calls from foreign countries!
Be of good cheer, now you are encouraged,
Show with your speech,
What can Platonov's own
And the quick-witted Newtons
Russian land gives birth.

In these lines, the poet also draws the readers’ attention to the fact that the Russian land is capable of producing minds equal to those “which it calls from foreign countries!” He makes it clear that Russia is rich not only natural resources, but also capable people. People who can not only absorb science, but also sow their fruits. The natural continuation of the ode is the following lines:

Sciences nourish youths,
Joy is served to the old,
In a happy life they decorate,
Take care in case of an accident;
There's joy in troubles at home
And long journeys are not a hindrance.
Sciences are used everywhere -
Among the nations and in the desert,
In the city noise and alone,
Sweet in peace and in work.

Reading these lines, one cannot but agree with the author. A person who does not have knowledge is not only uninteresting and boring in himself, he also leads the same life. Without knowledge, a person is not able to develop spiritually, therefore, while praising science, the author also glorifies the human soul. The glorification of man, his soul and genius is the main idea of ​​the ode; it is the connecting thread. Science and knowledge connect not only generations, but also peoples. Knowledge is the fundamental principle of everything.

Lomonosov's ode is more than just literary work- this is the message. A message not only to the empress and contemporaries, but also to descendants. An excellent example of the fact that his descendants followed his behests is the State University named after Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov.

“Ode on the Day of the Accession...” was written by M.V. Lomonosov after August 13, 1747, when Empress Elizaveta Petrovna approved the new charter and staff of the Academy of Sciences, doubling the allocations for its needs. Here the poet glorifies the world, fearing a new war: Austria, England and Holland, then fighting with France and Prussia for the Austrian inheritance, dragged Russia into the European battle, demanding the sending of Russian troops to the banks of the Rhine. In this ode, the poet glorifies Elizabeth and “silence,” setting out a program for the peaceful development of the country, where the first place is given to the promotion of science and knowledge.

Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov. Ode on the day of Elizabeth Petrovna’s accession to the All-Russian throne. Read by Arseny Zamostyanov

Kings and kingdoms of the earth are a delight,
Beloved silence,
The bliss of the villages, the city fence,
How useful and beautiful you are!
Flowers are colorful around you,
And the fields in the fields turn yellow;
The ships are full of treasures
They dare to follow you into the sea;
You sprinkle with a generous hand
Your wealth on earth.

Great light of the world,
Shining from the eternal heights
On beads, gold and purple,
For all the earthly beauties,
He lifts his gaze to all countries,
But he doesn’t find anything more beautiful in the world
Elizabeth and you.
Besides that, you are above everything;
The soul of her zephyr is quieter,
And the vision is more beautiful than paradise.

When she took the throne,
As the Most High gave her a crown,
Brought you back to Russia
Put an end to the war;
She kissed you when she received you:
I'm full of those victories, she said,
For whom blood flows.
I enjoy Russian happiness,
I don't change their calmness
The whole west and east.

Befitting the divine lips,
Monarch, this gentle voice:
O how worthily exalted
This day and that blessed hour,
When from a joyful change
The Petrovs raised the walls
Splash and click to the stars!
When you carried the cross with your hand
And she took her to the throne with her
Your kindness is a beautiful face!

So that the word can be equal to them,
Our strength is small;
But we can't help ourselves
From singing your praises.
Your generosity is encouraging
Our spirit is driven to run,
Like a swimmer's show-off, the wind is capable
The waves break through the ravines;
He leaves the shore with joy;
The food flies between the depths of the water.

In the bloody fields Mars was afraid,
Petrov’s sword is in vain in his hands,
And with trembling Neptune imagined,
Looking at the Russian flag.
The walls are suddenly fortified
And surrounded by buildings,
Doubtful Neva advertisement:
“Or am I now forgotten?
And I bowed down from that path,
Which I flowed before?”

Then the sciences are divine,
Through mountains, rivers and seas
They extended their hands to Russia,
To this monarch saying:
“We are extremely careful to
Submit in the Russian gender new
Fruits of the purest mind."
The monarch calls them to himself,
Russia is already waiting
It is useful to see their work.

But ah, cruel fate!
A worthy husband of immortality,
The reason for our bliss,
To the unbearable sorrow of our souls
The envious one is rejected by fate,
He plunged us into deep tears!
Having filled our ears with sobs,
The leaders of Parnassus rebelled,
And the muses saw off with a cry
The most luminous spirit enters the heavenly door.

In so much righteous sadness
Their path was doubtful;
And just as they walked they wished
Look at the coffin and the deeds.
But meek Catherine,
There is only one joy in Petra,
Accepts them with a generous hand.
Oh, if only her life could last longer,
Sekwana would have been ashamed long ago
With your art in front of the Neva!

What kind of lordship surrounds
Is Parnassus in great sorrow?
Oh, if it rattles in agreement there
Pleasant strings, sweetest voice!
All the hills are covered with faces;
Cries are heard in the valleys:
Great Peter's daughter
Father's generosity exceeds
The muses' satisfaction aggravates
And fortunately he opens the door.

Worthy of great praise
When the number of your victories
A warrior can compare battles
And he lives in the field all his life;
But the warriors are subject to him,
His praises are always included,
And noise in the shelves from all sides
The sounding glory drowns out,
And the thunder of trumpets disturbs her
The lamentable groan of the vanquished.

This is your only glory,
Monarch, belongs,
Vast is your power
Oh how he thanks you!
Look at the mountains above,
Look into your wide fields,
Where is the Volga, Dnieper, where the Ob flows;
Wealth is hidden in them,
Science will be frank,
What blooms with your generosity.

A lot of land space
When the Almighty ordered
Happy citizenship to you,
Then I opened the treasures,
What India boasts of;
But Russia demands it
By the art of approved hands.
This will cleanse the vein of gold;
The stones will also feel the power
Sciences restored by you.

Although the constant snow
The northern country is covered,
Where the frozen wings of Boris
Your banners flutter;
But God is between the icy mountains
Great for its miracles:
There Lena is pure rapids,
Like the Nile, he will give the peoples drink
And Bregi finally loses,
Comparing the width of the sea.

Since many are unknown to mortals
Nature creates miracles,
Where the density of animals is cramped
There are deep forests
Where in the luxury of cool shadows
On the flock of galloping fir trees
The cry did not disperse the catchers;
The hunter did not aim his bow anywhere;
The farmer knocks with an ax
Didn't frighten the singing birds.

Wide open field
Where should the muses stretch their path!
To your magnanimous will
What can we repay for this?
We will glorify your gift to heaven
And we will put up a sign of your generosity,
Where the sun rises and where is Cupid
Spinning in the green banks,
Wanting to come back again
To your power from Manzhur.

Behold the gloomy eternity of the cuff
Hope opens to us!
Where there are no rules, no law,
Wisdom there builds the temple;
Ignorance pales before her.
There the wet fleet path turns white,
And the sea tries to give in:
Russian Columbus through the waters
Hastens to unknown nations
Proclaim your bounties.

There the darkness of islands is sown,
The river is like the ocean;
Heavenly blue blankets,
The peacock is put to shame by the corvid.
There are clouds there different birds fly,
What variegation exceeds
Tender spring clothes;
Eating in fragrant groves
And floating in pleasant streams,
They don't know harsh winters.

And behold, Minerva strikes
To the top of Rifeyski with a copy

“Our literature begins with Lomonosov... he was its father, its Peter the Great,” as defined by V.G. Belinsky, the place and significance of the work of the outstanding Russian educator, scientist, naturalist Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov in the history of Russian literature. He became not only a reformer of Russian versification, but also the author of wonderful poetic creations that formed a special page of Russian poetry.

Perhaps now we are not very interested in those statesmen to whom Lomonosov’s poems are addressed, and for some the name of Elizaveta Petrovna, to whom his ode, written in 1747, is dedicated, is completely unfamiliar. But the thoughts and feelings of a great man, citizen and patriot, a tireless researcher and discoverer of the unknown in natural world, is something that has not lost its value to this day and will probably remain so forever.

What does Lomonosov write about in his ode, called, as was customary in poetry of the 18th century, very ornately: “Ode on the day of the accession to the All-Russian throne of Her Majesty the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, November 25, 1747”?

The composition of the ode, in accordance with the requirements of classicism, is distinguished by its logical harmony. Each of the main topics receives its own justification and detailed development, each new thought logically follows from the previous one.

Like any solemn ode, in accordance with the rules of classicism, this poem begins with a majestic glorification of the world:

Kings and kingdoms of the earth are a delight,

Beloved silence,

The bliss of the villages, the city fence,

How useful and beautiful you are!

A natural continuation of this majestic picture is the praise of Elizabeth, who ensured the prosperity of the country primarily by bringing peace to it - after all, during her reign the wars that Russia had waged for a long time actually stopped:

When she took the throne,

How the Supreme One gave her a crown,

Brought you back to Russia

Put an end to the war.

Sent a Man to Russia

What has been unheard of since ages.

Through all the obstacles he ascended

The head, crowned with victories,

I will trample Russia under barbarism,

He raised him to the skies.

Lomonosov, like Pushkin later, considered Peter I a great reformer, an enlightened monarch and a brilliant military leader - a true national hero. Talking about him, the poet resorts to personifications associated with images of ancient mythology. For example, Mars and Neptune serve as symbols of the concepts of war and the elements of the sea. This imagery, along with the widespread use of Slavicisms, rhetorical questions, exclamations and appeals, creates a particularly solemn “high” style of the ode, corresponding to the subject of its depiction. This is very clearly visible in the description of Peter I, his military victories that strengthened the power of Russia:

In the bloody fields Mars was afraid,

Petrov’s sword is in vain in his hands,

And with trembling Neptune imagined,

Looking at the Russian flag.

For Lomonosov, as for Pushkin, Peter I is also the great builder of the northern capital, which opened new paths of development for Russia:

The walls are suddenly fortified

And surrounded by buildings,

Doubtful Neva advertisement:

“Or am I now forgotten?

And I bowed down from that path,

Which I flowed before?”

It is quite logical after this description that the idea develops that under Peter I

...divine sciences

Through mountains, rivers and seas,

They extended their hands to Russia...

Concluding the story about Peter I with a description of his tragic death, Lomonosov moves on to the next part of the poem: he again turns to modernity and expresses the hope that Elizabeth will follow the example of her father and begin to patronize the sciences, promote the strengthening and prosperity of Russia. He wants to see Elizabeth as an enlightened queen who cares about the good of the fatherland, and further in his ode he presents her with a kind of “program of action” that should ensure further development countries.

Calling on Elizabeth to be the patroness of education, sciences and crafts, Lomonosov shows that the country where she reigns is amazingly beautiful and has inexhaustible natural resources:

Look at the mountains above,

Look into your wide fields,

Where is the Volga, Dnieper, where the Ob flows;

Wealth is hidden in them,

Science will be frank,

What blooms with your generosity.

The further logic of the development of thought is quite obvious: unfolding before the reader’s eyes a grandiose landscape of a gigantic country, washed by seas and oceans, stretching from the distant North, through the mountains of the Urals (“the tops of Rifeyski”), the expanses of the Siberian taiga to the Far East and the Amur, which “is on the green banks is spinning,” the poet argues that such a country cannot be left in the darkness of ignorance. To develop its natural resources, educated people are required, and therefore he further calls:

Oh you who are waiting

Fatherland from its depths,

And he wants to see them,

What calls from foreign countries!

Be of good cheer, now you are encouraged,

Show with your speech,

What can Platonov's own

And the quick-witted Newtons

Russian land gives birth.

This logic of development of poetic thought allows the author to complete his ode not only with the traditional praise of Elizabeth, but also with a genuine hymn in honor of science:

Sciences nourish youths,

Joy is served to the old,

In a happy life they decorate,

Take care in case of an accident;

There's joy in troubles at home

And long journeys are not a hindrance.

Sciences are used everywhere -

Among the nations and in the desert,

In the noise of the city and alone,

Sweet in peace and in work.

These words about science are known to everyone, even to those who are not very familiar with the work of Lomonosov the poet. They reflect the position modern society and man in the best possible way, and therefore can serve as a kind of emblem of our time, when science has received unprecedented development. We can say that the dream of the great scientist and poet has gone astray: Russia has proven that it is truly capable of giving the whole world “its own Platos and quick-witted Newtons.” And Moscow, which occupies one of the first places in the world State University rightfully bears the name of Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov.

Kings and kingdoms of the earth are a delight,
Beloved silence,
The bliss of villages, city walls,
How useful and beautiful you are!
The flowers around you are full of flowers
And the fields in the fields turn yellow;
The ships are full of treasures
They dare to follow you into the sea;
You sprinkle with a generous hand
Your wealth on earth.
Great light of the world,
Shining from the eternal heights
On beads, gold and purple,
For all the earthly beauties,
He lifts his gaze to all countries,
But he doesn’t find anything more beautiful in the world
Elizabeth and you.
Besides that, you are above everything;
The soul of her zephyr is quieter,
And the vision is more beautiful than heaven.
When she took the throne,
As the Most High gave her a crown,
Brought you back to Russia
Put an end to the war;
She kissed you when she received you:
I'm full of those victories, she said,
For whom blood flows.
I enjoy Russian happiness,
I don't change their calmness
The whole west and east.
Befitting the divine lips,
Monarch, this gentle voice:
O how worthily exalted
This day and that blessed hour,
When from a joyful change
The Petrovs raised the walls
Splash and click to the stars!
When you carried the cross with your hand
And she took her to the throne with her
Your kindness is a beautiful face!
So that the word can be equal to them,
Our strength is small;
But we can't help ourselves
From singing your praises.
Your generosity is encouraging
Our spirit is driven to run,
Like a swimmer's show-off, the wind is capable
The waves break through the ravines;
He leaves the shore with joy;
The food flies between the depths of the water.
Be silent, fiery sounds,
And stop shaking the light;
Here in the world to expand science
Elizabeth did so.
You impudent whirlwinds, don’t dare
Roar, but meekly divulge
Our times are wonderful.
Listen in silence, universe:
Behold, the lyre is delighted
The names are great to say.
Terrible with wonderful deeds
Creator of the world from time immemorial
He laid down his destinies
Glorify yourself in our days;
Sent a Man to Russia
What has been unheard of since ages.
Through all the obstacles he ascended
The head, crowned with victories,
Russia, trampled by rudeness,
He raised him to the skies.
In the bloody fields Mars was afraid,
Petrov’s sword is in vain in his hands,
And with trembling Neptune imagined,
Looking at the Russian flag.
The walls are suddenly fortified
And surrounded by buildings,
Doubtful Neva advertisement:
“Or am I now forgotten?
And I bowed down from that path,
Which I flowed before?”
Then the sciences are divine
Through mountains, rivers and seas
They extended their hands to Russia,
To this monarch saying:
“We are extremely careful to
Submit in the Russian gender new
Fruits of the purest mind."
The monarch calls them to himself,
Russia is already waiting
It is useful to see their work.
But ah, cruel fate!
A worthy husband of immortality,
The reason for our bliss,
To the unbearable sorrow of our souls
The envious one is rejected by fate,
He plunged us into deep tears!
Having filled our ears with sobs,
The leaders of Parnassus rebelled,
And the muses saw off with a cry
The most luminous spirit enters the heavenly door.
In so much righteous sadness
Their path was doubtful;
And just as they walked they wished
Look at the coffin and the deeds.
But meek Catherine,
There is only one joy in Petra,
Accepts them with a generous hand.
Oh, if only her life could last longer,
Sekwana would have been ashamed long ago
With your art in front of the Neva!
What kind of lordship surrounds
Is Parnassus in great sorrow?
Oh, if it rattles in agreement there
Pleasant strings, sweetest voice!
All the hills are covered with faces;
Cries are heard in the valleys:
Great Peter's daughter
Father's generosity exceeds
The muses' satisfaction aggravates
And fortunately he opens the door.
Worthy of great praise
When the number of your victories
A warrior can compare battles
And he lives in the field all his life;
But the warriors are subject to him,
His praises are always included,
And noise in the shelves from all sides
The sounding glory drowns out,
And the thunder of trumpets disturbs her
The lamentable groan of the vanquished.
This is your only glory,
Monarch, belongs,
Vast is your power
Oh how he thanks you!
Look at the mountains above,
Look into your wide fields,
Where is the Volga, Dnieper, where the Ob flows;
Wealth is hidden in them,
Science will be frank,
What blooms with your generosity.
A lot of land space
When the Almighty ordered
Happy citizenship to you,
Then I opened the treasures,
What India boasts of;
But Russia demands it
By the art of approved hands.
This will cleanse the vein of gold;
The stones will also feel the power
Sciences restored by you.
Although the constant snow
The northern country is covered,
Where the frozen boar's wings
Your banners flutter;
But God is between the icy mountains
Great for its miracles:
There Lena is pure rapids,
Like the Nile, he will give the peoples drink
And Bregi finally loses,
Comparing the width of the sea.
Since many are unknown to mortals
Nature creates miracles,
Where the density of animals is cramped
There are deep forests
Where in the luxury of cool shadows
On the flock of galloping fir trees
The cry did not disperse the catchers;
The hunter did not aim his bow anywhere;
The farmer knocks with an ax
Didn't frighten the singing birds.
Wide open field
Where should the muses stretch their path!
To your magnanimous will
What can we repay for this?
We will glorify your gift to heaven
And we will put up a sign of your generosity,
Where the sun rises and where is Cupid
Spinning in the green banks,
Wanting to come back again
To your power from Manzhur.
Behold the gloomy eternity of the cuff
Hope opens to us!
Where there are no rules, no law,
Wisdom there builds the temple;
Ignorance pales before her.
There the wet fleet path turns white,
And the sea tries to give in:
Russian Columbus through the waters
Hastens to unknown nations
Proclaim your bounties.
There the darkness of islands is sown,
The river is like the ocean;
Heavenly blue blankets,
The peacock is put to shame by the corvid.
There are clouds of different birds flying there,
What variegation exceeds
Tender spring clothes;
Eating in fragrant groves
And floating in pleasant streams,
They don't know harsh winters.
And behold, Minerva strikes
To the top of Rifeyski with a copy;
Silver and gold are running out
In all your inheritance.
Pluto is restless in the crevices,
What the Russians are putting into their hands
Dredge his metal from the pores,
Which nature hid there;
From the brilliance of the daylight
He turns away his gaze gloomily.
O you who await
Fatherland from its depths
And he wants to see them,
Which ones are calling from foreign countries,
Oh, your days are blessed!
Be of good cheer now
It’s your kindness to show
What can Platonov's own
And the quick-witted Newtons
Russian land gives birth.
Sciences nourish youths,
Joy is served to the old,
In a happy life they decorate,
In case of an accident they take care of it;
There's joy in troubles at home
And long journeys are not a hindrance.
Science is used everywhere
Among the nations and in the desert,
In the noise of the city and alone,
Sweet in peace and in work.
To you, O source of mercy,
O angel of our peaceful years!
The Almighty is your helper,
Who dares with his pride,
Seeing our peace,
To rebel against you with war;
The creator will save you
In all ways I am without stumbling
And your life is blessed
It will be compared with the number of your bounties.

1747

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Let us turn to the analysis of one of Lomonosov’s best odes, “On the day of the accession to the All-Russian throne of Her Majesty the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, 1747.” The term “ode” (from the Greek “ωδή, which means song) became established in Russian poetry, thanks to Trediakovsky, who, in turn, borrowed it from Boileau’s treatise. In the article “Discourse on Ode,” Trediakovsky described this genre as follows: “In ode material that is always and certainly described is noble, important, rarely tender and pleasant, in very poetic and magnificent speeches." Despite the hostility towards his literary opponent, Trediakovsky gave a definition of the genre, essentially based on Lomonosov's poetic experiments. This is exactly what Lomonosov's ode is. She addressed thematically to “noble and important matter”: peace and tranquility in the country, the wise rule of an enlightened monarch, the development of domestic sciences and education, the development of new lands and the prudent use of wealth in old lands.

Lomonosov developed in practice and approved for decades to come the formal characteristics of the genre, or, in other words, its poetics. In the ode we encounter large-scale images; a majestic style that raises the described pictures above the everyday; “lush” poetic language, rich in Church Slavonicisms, rhetorical figures, colorful metaphors and hyperboles. And at the same time - the classicist rigor of construction, the “harmony of verse”: consistent iambic tetrameter, ten-line stanza, unbreakable flexible rhyme scheme ababvvgddg.

Let's start analyzing the text from the first stanza:

The joy of kings and kingdoms of the earth, Beloved silence, The bliss of villages, the fence of cities, Since you are useful and beautiful! Around you the flowers are colorful and the fields in the fields are turning yellow; Ships full of treasures dare to follow you into the sea; With your generous hand You scatter Your wealth across the earth.

As if from a bird's eye view, the poet surveys villages, cities, eared grain fields, ships plowing the seas. They are all covered and protected by “blessed silence” - there is peace and quiet in Russia. The ode is dedicated to the glorification of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, but even before her appearance in the ode, the poet manages to express his main and cherished idea: peace, not war, contributes to the prosperity of the country. The Empress, who enters the ode in the next stanza, turns out to be, according to artistic logic, derived from this all-encompassing peaceful silence (“The soul of her zephyr is quieter”). A very interesting move! On the one hand, the poet maintains the parameters of the laudatory genre (“nothing in the world can be more beautiful than Elizabeth”). But on the other hand, from the first lines of the work he firmly outlined his author’s position. And then the poet’s lyrical voice, and not a projection onto the image of the empress, will more and more clearly lead the development of the narrative. The dominant role of the lyrical hero in the ode is an undoubted artistic achievement of Lomonosov in this traditional classic genre.

Lomonosov strives to adhere to the compositional norms of the genre, that is, the principle of constructing an odic poem. The introductory part states the subject of chanting and the main idea works (though, as we have seen, the poet swapped them). This is the thesis. The main part substantiates and proves the stated thesis about the greatness and power of the glorified subject. And finally, the conclusion (or ending) gives a look into the future, into the further prosperity and power of the glorified phenomena. The norms of classicism are rationalistic, therefore one compositional part of the work strictly and consistently follows the prescribed other.

The introductory part, or, as it is also called, the exposition, occupies twelve stanzas in this Lomonosov ode. The poet glorifies Elizabeth against the background of her predecessors on the throne, strictly following one after another. In the royal portrait gallery, the father of the current ruler, Peter I, is especially highlighted. This is the idol of the poet. It is clear to the reader from the detailed and highly pathetic characterization of Peter that it was from him that his daughter took over the baton of great deeds.

From the fourteenth stanza the ode enters its main part. The idea expands, and its artistic implementation suddenly begins to exhibit new, unconventional features. The lyrical pathos moves from the dynasty of rulers to the majestic image of the Fatherland, to its inexhaustible natural resources, enormous spiritual and creative possibilities:

This glory belongs to You alone, Monarch, Your vast power, Oh, how it thanks You! Look at the high mountains, Look at your wide fields, Where the Volga, the Dnieper, where the Ob flows; The wealth in them is hidden, Science will reveal, That blooms with Your generosity.

This is where there is scope for the inspiration of the lyrical hero! The virtues of “beautiful Elizabeth” are gradually fading into the background. The poet's thoughts are now occupied with something else. It changes itself thematic direction odes. And the author himself is now not just a copyist. He is a patriotic scientist who draws readers' attention to pressing problems for Russia. The development of science will help to develop the riches of the North, the Siberian taiga and Far East. Russian sailors, with the help of cartographers, discover new lands, paving the way to “unknown peoples”:

There the wet path of the fleet turns white, And the sea strives to give way: Russian Columbus through the waters Hastens to unknown nations to proclaim Your bounties.

Pluto himself, the mythical owner of underground wealth, is forced to give in to the mineral developers of the Northern and Ural (Rifean) mountains. Let us remember, by the way, that Lomonosov perfectly studied the mining business:

And behold, Minerva strikes the top of Rifeyski with a spear. Silver and gold flow through all your inheritance. Pluto is restless in the crevices, That Ross is given into his hands Dragging his metal from the mountains, Which nature hid there; From the brilliance of the daylight He turns away his gloomy gaze.

And yet, the main thing that will bring Russia into the ranks of world powers is, according to the poet, new generations of people: educated, enlightened Russian youths devoted to science:

O you, whom the Fatherland expects from its depths, And desires to see such, Whom it calls from foreign countries, Oh, your days are blessed! Dare, now encouraged, to show with your zeal that the Russian land can give birth to its own Platos And quick-witted Newtons. Sciences nourish young men, serve joy to the old, decorate them in a happy life, protect them in an unfortunate event; There is joy in difficulties at home And in distant travels there is no hindrance, Sciences are used everywhere: Among peoples and in the desert, In the city garden and alone, In sweet peace and in work.

The topic of the decisive role of science and education in the development of the country was stated, as we remember, by Cantemir. Trediakovsky served science with his creativity and his entire life. And now Lomonosov perpetuates this theme, puts it on a poetic pedestal. Exactly so, because the two stanzas just quoted are the culmination of the ode, its highest lyrical peak, the pinnacle of emotional animation.

But the poet seems to come to his senses, remembering that the ode is dedicated to an official event: the annually celebrated date of the empress’s accession to the throne. The final stanza again directly addresses Elizabeth. This stanza is obligatory, ceremonial and therefore, I think, not the most expressive. The poet effortlessly rhymes the boring word “without stumbling” with the epithet “blessed”:

To you, O Source of mercy, O Angel of our peaceful years! The Almighty is a helper to him who dares with his pride, seeing our peace, to rebel against you in war; The Creator will preserve you in all your paths without stumbling, and will compare your blessed life with the number of your bounties.

Clearly not the best stanza! Let's try to pose the question as follows: if the genre of the classicist ode is an expression of certain political and state views, then in Lomonosov's ode whose views are these to a greater extent, the empress or the poet himself? In answering this question, the third stanza is especially important. In it, Elizabeth is presented as a peacemaker who stopped all wars for the sake of peace and happiness of the Russians:

When She ascended the throne, As the Most High gave her a crown, She returned You to Russia, Put an end to the war; Having received you, she kissed you: “I am full of those victories,” she said, “For which blood flows.” I enjoy Ross's happiness, I do not exchange their peace for the whole West and East.

But in reality, Elizabeth was not a peacemaker at all! The warlike ruler conceived new and new campaigns on the borders Russian state. Military battles placed a heavy burden on the families of Russian working people. How little did the real Elizaveta Petrovna correspond to the ideal of the ruler of the country that is recreated in the work! And what kind of person you had to be, not just brave, but daring, to praise the empress for foreign policy, the opposite of what she established in relation to military operations! With his ode, Lomonosov told Elizaveta Petrovna that Russia needs peace and does not need war. The pathos and style of the work are peacemaking, and not invitingly aggressive. The stanzas become beautiful and magnificent in terms of the abundance of expressive means when the poet addresses the theme of peace together with the sciences and demands that the “fiery”, that is, military, sounds fall silent:

Be silent, fiery sounds, And stop shaking the light: Here in the world, Elizabeth deigned to expand science. You impudent whirlwinds, do not dare to roar, but meekly divulge Our beautiful names. In silence, listen, universe: Behold, the delighted Lyra wants to say great names.

Lomonosov's metaphors are especially colorful. Metaphor (in Greek metaphora´ means transfer) is an artistic technique that combines different phenomena or objects into one image, transferring the properties of these different objects to each other. Because phenomena or objects are compared within the image, it receives additional emotional and semantic meanings, its boundaries are expanded, the image becomes three-dimensional, bright and original. Lomonosov loved metaphors precisely for their ability to connect disparate details into a coherent grandiose picture, to lead to the main idea of ​​the work. “Metaphor,” he noted in his “Rhetoric” (1748), “ideas appear much more lively and more magnificent than simply.” Lomonosov's artistic thinking was essentially, as they would say now, synthesizing.

Here is one example of Lomonosov's metaphor. The fifth stanza from the ode “On the Day of Ascension...”:

So that the word can be equal to them, the abundance of our strength is small; But we cannot refrain From singing Your praises; Your generosity encourages Our spirit and directs us to run, Like a capable wind in a swimmer’s show-off, The waves break through the ravines, He leaves the shore with joy; The food flies between the depths of the water.

Most of the space in this stanza is occupied by a complex and florid metaphor. More often, metaphors are several words or one sentence long. Here you are amazed at the scale of the metaphorical image. To isolate it, you will have to think carefully about the text. Before us is an exquisite compliment to the Empress. The poet complains that he does not have sublime words equal to the virtues of Elizabeth, and nevertheless, he decides to sing these virtues. At the same time, he feels like an inexperienced swimmer who has dared to swim alone “through the raging waves” of the “pont” (that is, the Black Sea). The swimmer is guided and supported along the way by a “capable”, that is, tailwind. In a similar way, the poetic spirit of the author is ignited and guided by the remarkable deeds of Elizabeth, her “generosity.”

To convey the greatness and scope of thought to the ode, Lomonosov had to resort to difficult turns of phrase. In his "Rhetoric" he theoretically substantiated the legitimacy of the "decoration" of the poetic syllable. Each phrase, obeying the high odic style, should give rise to a feeling of pomp and splendor. And here, in his opinion, even inventions are commendable: for example, such “sentences in which the subject and predicate are combined in some strange, unusual or unnatural way, and thus constitute something important and pleasant.” G.A. Gukovsky figuratively and accurately spoke about this poet’s desire for both colorful splendor and harmonious harmony: “Lomonosov builds entire colossal verbal buildings, reminiscent of Rastrelli’s huge palaces; his periods, by their very volume, by their very rhythm, give the impression of a gigantic rise of thought and pathos. Groups of words and sentences symmetrically located in them seem to subordinate the immense elements of the present and future to human thought and the human plan.”

The splendor and splendor of the poetic style help Lomonosov to recreate the powerful energy and colorful clarity of the paintings described. For example, in an ode from 1742 there is a surprisingly vivid picture of a military battle, in the center of which is the personified image of Death. The contemplation of this image gives me goosebumps:

There the horses with stormy feet fling up thick ashes to the sky, There Death between the Gothic regiments Runs, furious, from rank to rank, And the greedy jaw opens, And stretches out cold hands, Their proud spirit is snatched away.

And what wonderful horses with “stormy legs”! You can’t express yourself like that in ordinary speech, but you can in poetic speech. Moreover, the “stormy legs” of the horses, flying thick dust to the sky, is almost a cosmic image. Carried out along a very thin poetic blade. A little to the side, and everything will break into absurdity.

Half a century later, the innovative poet, founder of Russian romanticism V.A. Zhukovsky, describing a special state of mind inspired by the twilight descending in rural silence, will write: “The soul is full of cool silence.” He will amaze his contemporaries with an unprecedentedly bold combination of words. "Can silence be cool!" - strict critics will reproach the poet. But Lomonosov was the first in Russian poetry to resort to bold combinations of words and concepts in his metaphorical style!