Near the forest, you can sleep in peace and space as if in a soft bed. Railway

At the beginning of 1842, Nicholas I issued a decree on the start of construction. It was supposed to connect Moscow and St. Petersburg. All work, which was supervised by the chief railway manager P. A. Kleinmichel, was completed in record time short time. Already in 1852 the road was launched.

The Russian poet, Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov, dedicated one of the most significant poems of a civic nature to this event. But his attention is attracted to a greater extent not so much by the benefits that the road provided, which made it possible to reduce travel time from one week to a day, but by the price at which Russia got it.

From the history of the creation of the work

Nekrasov's poem "The Railway" was written in 1864 and published in the Sovremennik magazine. By that time Railway between Moscow and St. Petersburg was named Nikolaevskaya, and P. A. Kleinmichel, who was distinguished by incredible cruelty towards his subordinates and compromised power, was removed from office by Alexander II.

At the same time, the problem raised by the author of the work was very topical in the 60s of the 19th century. At this time, the construction of railways began in other parts of the country. At the same time, the working and maintenance conditions of the peasants involved in the work differed little from those described by Nekrasov.

While working on the poem, the poet studied a number of journalistic documents, including articles by N. Dobrolyubov and V. Sleptsov about the cruel attitude of managers towards subordinates, published in 1860-61, which expands the time boundaries of the work. Kleinmichel's surname should have been more likely to distract the censor's attention from the relevance of the topic. But even this did not make it any less damning, as detailed analysis makes clear. Nekrasov’s “Railroad” was perceived by many contemporaries as a bold denunciation of the order that existed under Alexander II.

Poem composition

The work consists of 4 chapters, united by images of the narrator (lyrical hero), the general and his son Vanyusha, who find themselves together in a Moscow-Petersburg train carriage. The role of exposition is played by the epigraph, designed in the form of a dialogue between father and son. It was the general’s answer to his son’s question about who built this railroad that forced the narrator to intervene in their conversation. The dispute that arose as a result was the basis for the poem (the outline is given below) “The Railway.”

Nekrasov addresses his work to children like Vanya. According to the poet, they must certainly know the bitter, but still true history of their country, since the future of Russia lies with them.

Chapter 1. Autumn landscape

The beginning of the poem “The Railway” by Nekrasov is imbued with a feeling of admiration and peace. The very first line sets this tone: “Glorious autumn!” For the author, the pictures of nature flashing outside the carriage window personify the whole of our dear Rus' (from the very name, ancient and already a thing of the past, it emanates warmth and love), so unique and dear to the heart. Everything here is beautiful and harmonious, even the “kochi”, “moss swamps and stumps” that come into view. From general plan Only one word stands out, which makes the reader wary: “there is no ugliness in nature...”. The question involuntarily arises: “Then where is it?”

Chapter 2. Railway builders

Next, Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov returns the reader to the epigraph and asks the “dad” not to hold his son in “charm” (here - a delusion), but to tell him the bitter truth about the creation of the road. At the beginning of the conversation, the narrator notes the fact that “this work... is not up to one person,” which means that Kleinmichel could not carry out the construction himself. Only one king could be stronger than the ruler and even the Russian emperor - Hunger. It was he who at all times decided the fate of millions of people. The following pictures drawn by the author and their analysis help to understand how right the narrator is in this statement.

Nekrasov’s “Railroad” continues with a story about how innumerable were the troubles and suffering of the people during the construction of the road. The first conclusion that the author makes is that these wonderful roads were built on the bones of the Russians. “How many are there?!” - in this case speaks more eloquently than any words and numbers. And suddenly, Vanya, dozing to the sound of wheels, sees a terrible picture. Until recently, such a beautiful landscape was replaced by a description of the dead - road builders - running after the carriage. The silence and peace are disturbed by the clanking of shovels, moaning, crying and a loud song about the suffering experienced. Many, instead of bread and money, found a grave here, since work was carried out all daylight hours from early spring to late autumn, and sometimes even in winter. But the words of the dead are filled with triumph (the author speaks on their behalf, which adds even more credibility to what is depicted): “We love to see our work.” It is this “habit... noble” - working - that the narrator draws the boy’s attention to.

Description of a Belarusian

The frozen figure of one of the workers stands out from the crowd running after the train. He does not move, but only “pecks the frozen ground with a rusty shovel.”

To fully understand the consequences of unbearable work and inhuman living conditions, detailed description his figure and appearance, as well as their analysis (“The Railway” by Nekrasov is a deeply realistic work that shows everything without embellishment). Fallen eyelids and bloodless lips, skinny arms covered with ulcers and swollen legs (“always in the water”), a “pitted chest” and a hunchbacked back... The author even describes tangles in the hair - a sign of unsanitary conditions and constant painful illness. And also monotonous movements brought to the point of automaticity. Here the distinction between a dead and a living, but very sick person, as Nikolai Nekrasov portrays the Belarusian, is erased. As a result, the railway becomes a source of glory for some, and a grave for others. Thousands of unknown tortured people are buried in it.

So the feeling of delight caused by the beauty of nature in chapter 1 is replaced by a description of the cruel exploitation of some people by others.

Chapter 3. The role of the people in history

The locomotive whistle, like the crow of a rooster, dispelled the visions that seemed so real (I recall the features of a ballad, which Nekrasov successfully uses in the poem “The Railway”).

The narrator’s idea of a great feat accomplished by the people and Vanya’s story about an amazing dream only cause the general to laugh. For him, ordinary men are nothing more than drunkards, barbarians and destroyers. In his view, only true creators of beauty are worthy of admiration, and these must certainly be talented, spiritual people. An esthete at heart, having recently seen the best works of art in Rome and Vienna, the general despises the uneducated man, who, in his opinion, is not capable of anything. Including the construction of the railway. This dispute between the heroes reflected the current mid-century confrontation between materialists and aesthetes about what is more useful: practicality (i.e. clay pot) or beauty - a statue of Apollo (A. Pushkin, “The Poet and the Crowd”).

Father thinks that similar stories are initially harmful to the child’s heart, and asks to be shown the “bright side” of construction. Nekrasov’s poem “The Railway” ends with a story about what reward the people received for their work.

Chapter 4. “The bright side” of construction

And now the rails are laid, the dead are buried, the sick are in dugouts. The time has come to receive a reward for your efforts. The foremen calculated everything during their work: “did you go to the bathhouse, did you lay sick?” As a result, each clerk still owes money. Against this background, the words of the meadowsweet farmer who rolled out a barrel of wine sound ironic: “... I’m giving away the arrears!” The last chapter and its analysis evoke sad thoughts. Nekrasov’s “Railroad” is a work not only about the labor feat of the Russian people, but also about its servile essence, which cannot be broken by anything. The tortured, beggar, accustomed to obedience, the man rejoiced and “the merchant with a cry of “Hurray!”” rushed along the road...

The image of the lyrical hero in the poem “Railroad”

Nekrasov, for whom the theme of humiliation and enslavement of the people was one of the main ones, showed himself as a citizen who felt personal responsibility for the fate of his native country.

The lyrical hero openly declares his position and attitude towards what becomes the subject of the image. Recognizing the downtroddenness and submissiveness that are, in fact, inherent in the Russian peasant, he admires his fortitude, strength of character, perseverance and incredible hard work. Therefore, he remains hopeful that the moment will come when a sense of human dignity will prevail, and the humiliated masses will be able to rise to their defense.

The attitude of contemporaries to the poem

N. Nekrasov's new work caused a wide public response. It is no coincidence that one of the censors called it “a terrible slander that cannot be read without shuddering.” And the Sovremennik magazine, which was the first to publish the text, received a warning about closure.

G. Plekhanov recalled his acquaintance with the poem in the graduating class of a military gymnasium. According to his testimony, the first desire of him and his comrades was one thing: to take a gun and go “to fight for the Russian people.”

Glorious autumn! Healthy, vigorous
The air invigorates tired forces;
Fragile ice on a chilly river
It lies like melting sugar;

Near the forest, like in a soft bed,
You can get a good night's sleep - peace and space!
The leaves have not yet faded,
Yellow and fresh, they lie like a carpet.

Glorious autumn! Frosty nights
Clear, quiet days...
There is no ugliness in nature! And kochi,
And moss swamps and stumps -
Everything is fine under the moonlight,
Everywhere I recognize my native Rus'...
I fly quickly on cast iron rails,
I think my thoughts...

Analysis of the poem “Glorious Autumn” by Nekrasov

N. Nekrasov was convinced that the poet’s real calling was to protect the interests of the common people, describe their troubles and suffering, and criticize the unjust situation of the Russian peasantry. Therefore, purely lyrical works are rarely found in his work. But individual landscape sketches confirm Nekrasov’s enormous poetic skill. The small fragment from which the work “The Railway” (1864) begins can be separated into a separate integral poem, “Glorious Autumn.”

The poet describes the landscape that opens before his eyes from the window of the carriage. A fast-moving picture autumn forest makes him delighted. The lyrical hero regrets that he is watching her from the side and cannot breathe “vigorous air” and “sleep” on a carpet of fallen leaves.

Nekrasov was very fond of using figurative comparisons. In this poem, he compares the ice on the river with “melting sugar,” and the leaves with a “soft bed.” He considers “peace and space” to be one of the main advantages of the surrounding nature. The endlessly changing forests, plains, and rivers are rarely disturbed by human sounds. This benign surrounding picture evokes peace and quiet bliss in the soul of the lyrical hero.

The invasion of railway transport can be considered a blasphemy against virgin nature, in which “there is no ugliness.” Nekrasov gradually leads the reader to the idea that the construction of the railway upset the fragile natural balance. Human suffering and grief rudely invaded the beautiful and pure world.

Remaining an ardent patriot of his land, the poet concludes: “I recognize my native Rus' everywhere.” For Nekrasov, it was very important to emphasize his national identity. He could not abstractly admire nature as a whole, making sure to point out its connection with the long-suffering Russian people. It is the surrounding beauty and harmony that leads the author to deep thoughts about the fate of those people who inhabit this land. He is especially outraged by the sharp contradiction between perfect nature and the plight of the Russian peasantry.

"Glorious Autumn" is a magnificent example landscape lyrics Nekrasova. Without even paying attention to this genre a lot of attention, the poet, in a burst of inspiration, could create surprisingly heartfelt and deeply lyrical poems.

Nekrasov is a poet whose works are imbued with genuine love for the people. He was called the “Russian folk” poet, folk not only because of the popularity of his name, but also because of the very essence of poetry, in content and language.

The time of the highest development of Nekrasov’s literary gift is considered to be the period that lasted from 1856 to 1866. During these years, he found his calling; Nekrasov became an author who showed the world a striking example of the cohesion of poetry with life.

Lyrics by Nekrasov in the first half of the 1860s. affected by the difficult atmosphere that dominated society: the liberation movement was gaining momentum, peasant unrest either grew or faded. The government was not loyal: arrests of revolutionaries became more frequent. In 1864, the verdict in the Chernyshevsky case became known: he was sentenced to hard labor with subsequent exile to Siberia. All these alarming, confused events could not but affect the poet’s work. In 1864, Nekrasov wrote one of his outstanding works - the poem (sometimes called a poem) “The Railway”.

Russian road... What poet has not written about it! There are many roads in Rus', since it is big, Mother Rus'. Road... you can put something special into this word, double meaning. This is the track along which people move, but this is life, it is the same road, with its stops, retreats, defeats and forward movements.

Moscow and St. Petersburg are two cities, two symbols of Russia. A railway between these cities was certainly needed. Without a road there is no development, no movement forward. But at what price did it come, this road! At a price human lives, crippled destinies.

When creating the poem, Nekrasov relied on documentary materials about the construction of the Nikolaev railway, published in newspapers and magazines of that time. These publications often mentioned the plight of people working in construction. The work is based on a polemical dialogue between a general who believes that the road was built by Count Kleinmichel, and the author, who convincingly proves that the true creator of this road is the people.

The action of the poem “The Railway” takes place in the carriage of a train traveling along the Nikolaev railway. Outside the window, autumn landscapes flash, colorfully described by the author in the first part of the poem. The poet unwittingly witnesses a conversation between an important passenger in a general's coat and his son Vanya. To his son’s question about who built this railway, the general replies that it was built by Count Kleinmichel. This dialogue is included in the epigraph of the poem, which was a kind of “objection” to the words of the general.

The author tells the boy about who actually built the railroad. Collected from all over Russia simple people for the construction of an embankment under the railway. Their work was hard. The builders lived in dugouts and struggled with hunger and disease. Many died unable to withstand the hardships. They were buried right there, near the railway embankment.

The poet’s emotional story seems to revive to life the people who gave their lives to build the road. It seems to the impressionable Vanya that the dead are running along the road, looking into the windows of the cars and singing a plaintive song about their difficult lot. They tell how they froze in the rain, languished under the heat, how they were deceived by foremen and how they patiently endured all the hardships of working on this construction site.

Continuing his gloomy story, the poet urges Vanya not to be ashamed of these terrible-looking people and not to shield himself from them with a glove. He advises the boy to adopt the noble habit of work from the Russian people, to learn to respect the Russian peasant and the entire Russian people, who endured not only the construction of the Nikolaev road, but also much more. The author expresses the hope that someday the Russian people will pave a clear path for themselves into the “beautiful time”:

“He will endure everything - and a wide, clear
He will pave the way for himself with his breast.”

These lines can be considered the peak in the development of the lyrical plot of the poem.

Impressed by this story, Vanya tells his father that it was as if he had seen with his own eyes the real builders of the road, ordinary Russian men. At these words, the general laughed and expressed doubt that ordinary people are capable of creative work. According to the general, ordinary people are barbarians and drunkards, capable only of destruction. Next, the general invites his fellow traveler to show his son the bright side of railroad construction. The author readily agrees and describes how the men who completed the construction of the embankment were calculated. It turned out that each of them also owed their employers. And when the contractor informs the people that they are forgiven for the arrears, and even give the builders a barrel of wine, the delighted men unharness the horses from the merchant’s cart and carry it themselves with enthusiastic shouts. At the end of the poem, the poet ironically asks the general if it is possible to show a more pleasant picture than this?

Despite the gloomy descriptions that fill the work, the poem can be classified as one of Nekrasov’s optimistic creations. Through the lines of this great work, the poet calls on the youth of his time to believe in the Russian people, in their bright future, in the victory of goodness and justice. Nekrasov claims that the Russian people will endure not only one road, they will endure everything - they are endowed with special strength.

the main idea Nekrasov’s poem “The Railway” is to prove to the reader that the true creator of the railway is the Russian people, and not Count Kleinmichel.

main topic works - reflections on the harsh, dramatic fate of the Russian people.

Novelty works is that this is the first poem dedicated to the creative work of the people.

Specifics works“The Railway” is as follows: in its essential part, the poem represents one or another form of overt and secret polemic.

When analyzing N.A. Nekrasov’s poem “The Railway,” it should be noted that it is distinguished by the variety of its component parts. The poem also contains a colorful description of autumn nature, and there is also a dialogue between carriage companions, which smoothly flows into a mystical description of a crowd of dead people following the train. People who died during the construction of the road sing their sad song about the hardships that they had to endure. But at the same time they are proud of the results of their work. The locomotive whistle destroys the eerie mirage, and the dead disappear. But the dispute between the author and the general is not over yet. Nekrasov managed to maintain all this diversity in content in a single song style.

The melodiousness and musicality of the work is emphasized by the size of the verse chosen by the author - dactyl tetrameter. The stanzas of the poem are classic quatrains, which use a cross rhyme scheme (the first line of the quatrain rhymes with the third line, and the second with the fourth).

In the poem “Railroad” Nekrasov used a variety of facilities artistic expression . There are numerous epithets in it: “frail ice”, “frosty nights”, “good dad”, “narrow embankments”, “humpbacked back”. The author also uses comparisons: “ice... like melting sugar”, “leaves... lie like a carpet”, “meadowsweet... red as copper.” Metaphors are also used: “healthy, vigorous air”, “frosty glass”, “deep chest”, “clear road”. In the last lines of the work, the author uses irony, asking the general a question: “It seems difficult to paint a more pleasant picture / To draw, general?..” In the poetic work there are also stylistic figures, for example, addresses: “Good dad!”, “Brothers!” and exclamations: “Choo! menacing exclamations were heard!”

The poem “Railroad” is from a cohort of works related to civil poetry. This work is the highest achievement of Nekrasov’s poetic technique. It is strong in its novelty and laconicism. It solves compositional problems in an interesting way, and is distinguished by the special perfection of its poetic form.

I liked the poem “Railroad” for its character. Nekrasov always believed in the best; his poems are addressed to the people. Nekrasov never forgot that the purpose of poetic creativity is to remind a person of his high calling.

"Railway"

Vanya (in a coachman's jacket).
Dad! who built this road?
Papa (in a coat with a red lining),
Count Pyotr Andreevich Kleinmichel, my dear!
Conversation in the carriage

Glorious autumn! Healthy, vigorous
The air invigorates tired forces;
Fragile ice on the icy river
It lies like melting sugar;

Near the forest, like in a soft bed,
You can get a good night's sleep - peace and space!
The leaves have not yet had time to fade,
Yellow and fresh, they lie like a carpet.

Glorious autumn! Frosty nights
Clear, quiet days...
There is no ugliness in nature! And kochi,
And moss swamps and stumps -

Everything is fine under the moonlight,
Everywhere I recognize my native Rus'...
I fly quickly on cast iron rails,
I think my thoughts...

Good dad! Why the charm?
Should I keep Vanya the smart one?
You will allow me in the moonlight
Show him the truth.

This work, Vanya, was terribly enormous
Not enough for one!
There is a king in the world: this king is merciless,
Hunger is its name.

He leads armies; at sea by ships
Rules; rounds up people in the artel,
Walks behind the plow, stands behind
Stonemasons, weavers.

It was he who drove the masses of people here.
Many are in a terrible struggle,
Having brought these barren wilds back to life,
They found a coffin for themselves here.

The path is straight: the embankments are narrow,
Columns, rails, bridges.
And on the sides there are all Russian bones...
How many of them! Vanechka, do you know?

Chu! menacing exclamations were heard!
Stomping and gnashing of teeth;
A shadow ran across the frosty glass...
What's there? Crowd of the dead!

Then they overtake the cast-iron road,
They run in different directions.
Do you hear singing?.. "On this moonlit night
We love to see your work!

We struggled under the heat, under the cold,
With an ever-bent back,
They lived in dugouts, fought hunger,
They were cold and wet and suffered from scurvy.

The literate foremen robbed us,
The authorities flogged me, the need was pressing...
We, God's warriors, have endured everything,
Peaceful children of labor!

Brothers! You are reaping our benefits!
We are destined to rot in the earth...
Do you still remember us poor people kindly?
Or have you forgotten a long time ago?..”

Do not be horrified by their wild singing!
From Volkhov, from Mother Volga, from Oka,
From different ends of the great state -
These are all your brothers - men!

It's a shame to be timid, to cover yourself with a glove,
You're not little!.. With Russian hair,
You see, he’s standing there, exhausted by fever,
Tall sick Belarusian:

Bloodless lips, drooping eyelids,
Ulcers on skinny arms
Always standing in knee-deep water
The legs are swollen; tangles in hair;

I'm digging into my chest, which I diligently put on the spade
Day after day I worked hard all my life...
Take a closer look at him, Vanya:
Man earned his bread with difficulty!

I didn’t straighten my hunchbacked back
He is still: stupidly silent
And mechanically with a rusty shovel
It's hammering the frozen ground!

This noble habit of work
It would be a good idea for us to adopt...
Bless the work of the people
And learn to respect a man.

Don’t be shy for your dear fatherland...
The Russian people have endured enough
He also took out this railway -
He will endure whatever God sends!

Will bear everything - and a wide, clear
He will pave the way for himself with his chest.
It’s just a pity to live in this wonderful time
You won't have to - neither me nor you.

At this moment the whistle is deafening
He squealed - the crowd of dead people disappeared!
“I saw, dad, I had an amazing dream,”
Vanya said, “five thousand men,”

Representatives of Russian tribes and breeds
Suddenly they appeared - and he said to me:
“Here they are - the builders of our road!..”
The general laughed!

"I was recently within the walls of the Vatican,
I wandered around the Colosseum for two nights,
I saw St. Stephen in Vienna,
Well... did the people create all this?

Excuse me for this impudent laugh,
Your logic is a little wild.
Or for you Apollo Belvedere
Worse than a stove pot?

Here are your people - these thermal baths and baths,
It’s a miracle of art - he took everything away!”
“I’m not speaking for you, but for Vanya...”
But the general did not allow him to object:

"Your Slav, Anglo-Saxon and German
Do not create - destroy the master,
Barbarians! wild bunch of drunkards!..
However, it’s time to take care of Vanyusha;

You know, the spectacle of death, sadness
It is a sin to disturb a child's heart.
Would you show the child now?
The bright side..."

Glad to show you!
Listen, my dear: fatal works
It’s over - the German is already laying the rails.
The dead are buried in the ground; sick
Hidden in dugouts; working people

A tight crowd gathered around the office...
They scratched their heads:
Every contractor must stay,
Walking days have become a penny!

The foremen entered everything into the book -
Did you take to the bathhouse, did you lie sick:
"Maybe there is a surplus here now,
Here you go!.." They waved their hand...

In a blue caftan - a venerable meadowsweet,
Thick, squat, red as copper,
A contractor is traveling along the line on holiday,
He goes to see his work.

The idle people part decorously...
The merchant wipes the sweat from his face
And he says, putting his hands on his hips:
“Okay... nothing... well done!.. well done!..

With God, now go home - congratulations!
(Hats off - if I say!)
I expose a barrel of wine to the workers
And - I give the arrears!..”

Someone shouted “hurray”. Picked up
Louder, friendlier, longer... Lo and behold:
The foremen rolled the barrel singing...
Even the lazy man could not resist!

The people unharnessed the horses - and the purchase price
With a shout of "Hurray!" rushed along the road...
It seems difficult to see a more gratifying picture
Shall I draw, general?..