A brief analysis of the ode on the day of Elizabeth Petrovna’s accession to the throne: theme, idea, main characters, artistic means (M. V. Lomonosov). Analysis of “Ode on the day of accession to the All-Russian throne of Her Majesty Empress Elisaveta Petrovna” Lom
Ode on the day of Elizabeth Petrovna’s accession to the throne is a work by Lomonosov from 1747. It is completely dedicated to the new empress. The ode genre itself implies strong exaltation and admiration.
Artistic means occupy one of the main places here, since with the help of vivid epithets, metaphors and comparisons, Lomonosov speaks of the queen as the sun, as the mother of nations, as a great personality whose fame has spread throughout the world.
The main characters of the ode are Elizabeth herself, her father, with whom Lomonosov compares his daughter, and the author himself, from whose lips the speech comes.
The main theme and idea is the creation of a significant image of the queen, which would serve as a support for her powerful reign. Many people had never seen the queen with their own eyes, but with the help of the ode they got the impression that they were ruled by the goddess.
Oda also provided an opportunity to show all the advantages of the queen's reign. She led a peaceful international policy, was wise, developed science, took care of the new generation, and always delved into people's problems.
Lomonosov's ode is considered the best ode of that time, since it was ahead of all other works with its artistic sketches, style and idea.
Updated: 2017-08-08
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“Our literature begins with Lomonosov... he was its father, its Peter the Great,” defined 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 explorer and discoverer of the unknown in the natural world, are something that has not lost its value to this day and will probably remain so forever.
What does Lomonosov write about in his ode, titled, as was customary in poetry of the 18th century, very ornately: “Ode on the day of accession to the All-Russian throne of Her Majesty 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 been waging 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,
Raised with me 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 1, 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 trepidation Neptune seemed to wonder.
Looking at the Russian flag.
For Lomonosov, as for Pushkin, Peter I is also the great builder of the northern capital, which opened up 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 1
...divine sciences Through mountains, rivers and seas,
They extended their hands to Russia...
Concluding the story about Peter 1 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 “action program” that should ensure the further development of the country.
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.
Analysis of the ode by M.V. Lomonosov "On the day of the accession to the All-Russian throne of Her Majesty the Empress Elisaveta Petrovna, 1747."
One of Lomonosov’s most famous odes is “On the day of the accession to the All-Russian throne of Her Majesty the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, 1747.” This ode amazes with the scale of its images, majestic writing style, rich and “lush” poetic language of the author, Church Slavonicisms, rhetorical figures, colorful metaphors and hyperboles. And at the same time, Lomonosov, throughout the entire ode, managed to maintain the classic rigor of construction: consistent iambic tetrameter, ten-line stanza and a single rhyme scheme (ababvvgddg).
Let us begin a detailed analysis of this ode from the first stanza.
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!
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.
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 ode begins with an introduction containing praise for this silence, that is, peaceful times that contribute to the prosperity of the state and the well-being of the people. Lomonosov paints a vast picture, as if he is observing all this from above. Everything that the author describes (villages, cities, earing grain fields, ships plowing the seas) is surrounded and protected by “beloved silence”; peace and tranquility reigns in Russia. Both in this stanza and in others, sound writing helps to create an image of silence: the author often uses words with the sounds sh, sh, s, k, t, p, x (ti w ina, blessed st in, P e st ray T, To la With s, With O To rovi sch, With s P le w b, etc.).
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.
In the second stanza, Lomonosov already introduces the image of Elizabeth herself, to whom this ode is dedicated. Drawing her portrait, he uses colorful comparisons (“the soul of her zephyr is quieter, and her vision is more beautiful than paradise”). And here you can also observe a very interesting author’s move in the author’s expression of his position. Beginning his ode with praise for silence, Lomonosov does not at all try to belittle the dignity of the empress, on the contrary, he glorifies her beauty and greatness, but at the same time he does not deviate from his initial thoughts (“you are above all else besides that”).
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.
In the third stanza, Lomonosov, to make the ode more solemn, calls the people of Russia “Russians.” He also uses words here such as “whom”, “current”, “calmness”, “having received”, “completely”, “enjoy”, which also give the sound of the lines solemnity, regularity, “pomp”. The sound design here is completely different than in the first stanza: not dull sounds are used, but voiced ones, and thereby a rhythm of solemnity is created ( To O gd a, t R O n, V e n e ts, V O yn e, etc.). Lomonosov in his ode reflects historical events, but he does not describe them completely, but only mentions them, weaving them into the ode itself. This stanza contains the following line: “she put an end to the war,” which says that, having ascended the throne, Elizabeth began peace negotiations with Sweden.
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!
In the fourth stanza, Lomonosov again, with the help of rich metaphors and epithets, draws the image of the empress (“to the divine lips”, “the beautiful face of your kindness”). At the same time, he calls her “monarch,” and this word brings a new note of sound to the melodic and harmonious image of Elizabeth. Here we also find another “speaking” line: “when you carried the cross with your hand.” It says that, having appeared at the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Elizabeth swore in the grenadiers. And already in this stanza Lomonosov mentions the father of the current empress, Peter I, who was his idol and whom the poet greatly revered (“when the Petrovs raised the walls out of joyful change”). And to show the emotionality of this stanza, its sublime and joyful mood, Lomonosov turns to exclamatory sentences for help.
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 fifth stanza, the poet continues to extol and praise Elisaveta Petrovna and writes that “we cannot resist singing your praises” and that the empress is for the people like the wind for a swimmer: she inspires and helps them. And when writing this stanza, Lomonosov again uses high-style words (“onym”, “generosity”, “wind”, “through”, “yars”, “breg”, “subsoil”).
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.
The sixth stanza is very emotional and tense in its sound. Lomonosov refers to abstract phenomena, such as sounds (“be silent, fiery sounds”), wind (“you impudent whirlwinds, do not dare to roar”) and even the universe (“listen in silence, universe”). He orders them to be silent and listen to Elizabeth, who deigned “to expand science here in the world.” You can understand why this stanza is one of the most emotional in the ode. Lomonosov writes here that the Empress commands science and education in Russia, but Lomonosov himself was one of the prominent and significant scientists of that time and this topic was more than close to him.
Terrible with wonderful deeds, Mars was afraid in the bloody fields,
The creator of the world from time immemorial His sword in Peter’s hands was in vain,
Decided with his destinies And with trembling Neptune imagined,
Glorify yourself in our days; Looking at the Russian flag.
He sent a Man to Russia, The walls were suddenly fortified
What has been unheard of since ages. And surrounded by buildings,
Through all the obstacles he raised the Doubtful Neva advert:
The head crowned with victories, “Or have I now forgotten
Russia, trampled upon by rudeness, and bowed from that path,
He raised him to the skies. Which I flowed before?"
In the seventh stanza, Lomonosov already fully introduces the image of Peter into the ode and continues to reveal it in the eighth stanza. He writes about the emperor and calls him “Man,” but he uses this word with a capital letter, thereby showing his respect for Peter I. And in order for this image, so revered by the poet, to be worthy of a great emperor, to be bright and colorful and sublime, Lomonosov turns to ancient classical mythology. In his lines, Peter is higher than Mars and Neptune themselves (“In the bloody fields, Mars was afraid, his sword in Peter’s hands was in vain, and Neptune seemed to tremble, looking at the Russian flag”). Lomonosov praises Peter for his military successes, for the creation of the navy, as well as for the construction of St. Petersburg, and here he uses an interesting move: he writes about this as if on behalf of the Neva (“Or have I now forgotten myself and bowed down from the path that I previously did I flow?") and thus uses personification here. The paths of these two stanzas are distinguished by their festive, jubilant character. And greatness here is also given by such words as “creator”, “from time immemorial”, “obstacles”, “crowned”, “trampled”, “fortified”, “surrounded”, “doubtful”, “this”.
Then the sciences are divine
Through mountains, rivers and seas
They extended their hands to Russia,
To this monarch saying:
"We are ready with utmost care
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.
In the ninth stanza, the poet writes about what is closest to him - about the sciences. Here he uses personification: the sciences turn to the monarch: “With extreme care we are ready to present the fruits of the new purest mind to the Russian race.” He also creates here the image of Russia, which is looking forward to “it will be useful to see their works.” For a more elevated image of the sciences, Lomonosov calls them “divine”; he also uses words such as “this”, “thoroughness”, “new”, “useful”.
But ah, cruel fate! In so much righteous sadness
A worthy husband of immortality, their path was doubtful;
The cause of our bliss, And only the marching desires,
To the unbearable sorrow of our souls Look at the coffin and at the deeds.
The envious one is rejected by fate, But meek Catherine,
He plunged us into deep tears! There is only one joy in Petra,
Having filled our ears with sobs, He accepts them with a generous hand.
The leaders of Parnassus groaned, Oh, if only her life would last,
And the muses saw off with a cry Long ago Sequana would have been ashamed
Into the heavenly door, the bright spirit With his art before the Neva!
In the tenth and eleventh stanzas, Lomonosov writes about one of the saddest events of his time - the death of Peter I. He speaks of the emperor with great respect and in the most flattering terms (“a worthy husband of immortality, the cause of our bliss”). Drawing the grief that Peter's death brought to everyone, Lomonosov writes that even the muses on Parnassus groaned. Aren’t these lines proof that Peter was one of the poet’s favorite rulers, whom he revered very much? In the eleventh stanza, Lomonosov continues to grieve for the emperor, but here there is no such sadness as in the previous one. It also talks about Catherine I, the wife of Peter. And Lomonosov writes about its merits. And here he mentions Sequana, a famous Parisian university of that time, and regrets that Catherine was unable to complete her undertakings, otherwise St. Petersburg could have surpassed Paris. In these two stanzas there are exclamatory sentences, and it is they that carry the greatest emotional load. And for greater “pomp” and solemnity, words such as “fate”, “fate”, “groaned”, “heaven”, “blessed”, “little”, “doubtful”, “only” are used here.
Which lordship surrounds is worthy of great praise,
Is Parnassus in great sorrow? When the number of your victories
Oh, if in agreement there is a rattle, a warrior can compare the battles
Pleasant strings, sweetest voice! And he lives in the field all his life;
All the hills are covered with faces; But the warriors are subject to him,
Cries are heard in the valleys: His praises are always involved,
Great Peter's daughter And noise in the shelves from all sides
The father's generosity exceeds, the sounding glory drowns out,
The muses' contentment aggravates And the thunder of trumpets disturbs her
And fortunately he opens the door. The lamentable groan of the vanquished.
In the twelfth and thirteenth stanzas, Lomonosov no longer sadly remembers Peter, he writes about the one whom the great emperor left behind - about his daughter Elizabeth. He shows her as a great blessing for Russia, as a continuator of Peter’s reforms and initiatives, places great hopes on her and extols her above Peter himself (“the great Peter’s daughter exceeds her father’s generosity”). To make the stanzas more sonorous, the words “tolkoy”, “sweetest”, “daughter”, “opens”, “sounding” are used here.
This is your only glory, So much of the earth's space
Monarch, belongs, When the Almighty ordered
Your vast power is your happy subject,
Oh how he thanks you! Then I opened the treasures,
Look at the high mountains that India boasts of;
Look into your wide fields, But Russia demands that
Where is the Volga, Dnieper, where the Ob flows; By the art of approved hands.
The wealth hidden in them will cleanse the vein of gold;
Science will be frank, and the stones will feel the power
What blooms with your generosity. Sciences restored by you.
From the fourteenth stanza the ode enters its main part. And the fourteenth stanza is inextricably linked in meaning with the fifteenth. Here Lomonosov immediately moves completely to the image of the one to whom this ode is dedicated - to the image of Elizabeth. He paints a picture of a rich, vast and prosperous country that thanks the empress for her wise and fair rule (“This glory belongs to you alone, monarch, oh how your vast power thanks you!”). In order to strengthen this image of the greatness and power of the monarchine-educator, Lomonosov uses words such as “this”, “extensive”, “look”, “these”, “so much”, “citizenship”, “restored”.
Although the everlasting snows are unknown to many mortals
The northern country is covered, nature works wonders,
Where the wings of frozen boreal trees Where the density of the animals is cramped
Your banners flutter; There are deep forests
But God is between the icy mountains, where in the luxury of cool shadows
Great for its miracles: On the flock of galloping trees
There Lena, a pure rapid, did not disperse the catchers;
Like the Nile, the people will be given water by the Hunter where he did not aim his bow;
And Bregi finally loses, The farmer knocks with an ax
Comparing the width of the sea. Didn't frighten the singing birds.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth stanzas, Lomonosov continues to paint the image of Russia, making it more and more broad. He writes about the snow with which “the northern country is covered”, about the “icy mountains” among which the Lena flows, which the poet likens to the Nile - one of the deepest and richest rivers in the world. He also mentions the dense, dense Russian forests, where no human has yet set foot. This whole picture of Russia is so broad and majestic that it is even difficult for the human imagination to imagine it. To create this majestic image, Lomonosov uses colorful epithets ("everlasting snow", "northern country", "frozen wings", "icy mountains", "pure rapids", "deep forests", "cool shadows", "leaping fir trees") .
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.
In the seventeenth stanza, Lomonosov glorifies Elizabeth, and he expresses this not only on his own behalf, but also on behalf of the entire people and the entire country (“we will glorify your gift to heaven”). He paints an image of Cupid, who wants to return from the Manzhur Empire to Russia, and thereby emphasizes the scale and greatness of our country.
Behold the gloomy eternity, where the darkness of the islands is sown,
Hope opens to us! The river is like the ocean;
Where there are no rules, no law, Heavenly blue blankets,
Wisdom there builds the temple; The peacock is put to shame by the corvid.
Ignorance pales before her. There are clouds of different birds flying there,
There the wet path of the fleet turns white, Which exceeds the motley
And the sea strives to yield: The clothes of tender spring;
Russian Columbus through the waters, feeding in fragrant groves
Hastens to unknown nations and floating in pleasant streams,
Proclaim your bounties. They don't know harsh winters.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth stanzas, Lomonosov writes about the achievements of Russia, namely about the “Russian Columbus” - Vitus Bering, who was a famous Russian navigator and explorer. Lomonosov, speaking about Bering, creates a general picture of foreign countries and uses rich epithets for this ("heavenly blue", "gentle spring", "in fragrant groves", "in pleasant streams", "the severity of winter").
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
His metal is precious from the mountains,
Which nature hid there;
From the brilliance of the daylight
He turns away his gaze gloomily.
In the twentieth stanza, Lomonosov writes about Russia's mining successes in the Urals ("Rifean peaks"). And in this stanza he uses the images of the gods of ancient mythology: Minerva and Pluto. And in order to fully show how important this is for Russia, the poet uses such high-style words as “se”, “verkhi”, “copy”, “serebro”, “zlato”, “rossam”, “dragoy” ", "nature", "disgustes".
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.
The twenty-first stanza is one of the most famous stanzas not only of this ode, but of Lomonosov’s entire literary work. It contains a call to the younger generations: to show “that the Russian land can give birth to its own Platos and quick-minded Newtons.” For greater emotionality, Lomonosov uses a rhetorical exclamation, as well as words such as “encouraged”, “care” and uses the names of famous scientists (Plato, Newton).
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.
In the twenty-third stanza, Lomonosov writes about the benefits of science and it should be noted that for this stanza Lomonosov translated into verse an excerpt from Cicero’s speech in defense of the poet Archius. This stanza contains many epithets (“in a happy life”, “in an accident”, “in domestic difficulties”, “in distant travels”, “in the noise of the city”). These epithets are not as colorful as in the previous stanzas, but they depict the everyday life of people and this only increases the importance of the sciences.
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.
In the last, twenty-fourth stanza, Lomonosov again turns to Elizabeth, calling her “the angel of our peaceful years.” He again mentions the time of peace, which he sees as the cause of the empress, and the generosity and love of the empress herself for the people.
He created fame for himself with odes, which can be divided into laudable, or solemn, and spiritual odes. To the first ( commendable, solemn ) include those that he wrote for different occasions: there are odes dedicated to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter III, Catherine II. The best of these odes was written “On the day of the accession to the throne of Empress Elizabeth” (see its full text and summary on our website). In this ode, Lomonosov sings of the “silence” that Elizabeth brought with her to Russia, ending the wars and establishing peace for a long time.
“The delight of kings and kingdoms of the earth,
Beloved silence,
Bliss of villages, joy of cities,
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."
Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov
In the era of Lomonosov, odes were often written praising some military exploits or conquests: Lomonosov, on the contrary, praises the cessation of war, peace, silence. Then, turning to his favorite topic, Lomonosov praises Elizabeth for her patronage of the sciences.
“Be silent, fiery sounds,
And stop shaking the light,
Here in the world to expand science
Elizabeth deigned.”
Odes of Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. Video presentation
But who in Russia opened the door to science? - Peter the Great . This honor belongs to him; he discovered it through war and conquest of the Baltic shores.
“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 daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth, taking advantage of her father’s conquests, following his path, established peace and in “beloved silence” patronizes the spread of science.
“To You alone is glory,
Monarch, belongs to;
Vast Your power
Oh, how he thanks You!”
Only the spread of education can enhance the well-being of a country in which lies such a rich reserve of its own strengths and talents; Russian people, inspired by science, will be able to show:
“The sciences nourish young men,
Joy is served to the elders,
In a happy life they decorate,
Take care in case of an accident!”
This ode, like other laudable odes by Lomonosov, is built according to all the rules of classical odes, as required by the false-classical school. In imitation of the ancient classics, who sang their odes in honor of some hero, the word “I sing” is used. Mythological deities are often mentioned - Mars, Neptune; for greater effect, to express delight, the technique of “lyrical disorder” of thoughts, a quick transition from one subject to another, is used.
In almost all of his laudatory odes, Lomonosov speaks of Peter the Great, who was always his favorite hero. Lomonosov admired Peter and his reforms, he saw only good things in them; he bowed to the mighty energy with which Peter “defeated barbarism” and elevated Russia. “Creator,” says Lomonosov,
He sent a man (Peter) to Russia,
What has not been heard since ages.”
The image of Peter the Great created by Lomonosov, the image of a “giant miracle worker,” was reflected in the literature that followed him and undoubtedly had an influence on Pushkin.
Spiritual odes Lomonosov are among his best poetic works. The “Ode Selected from Job” is beautiful; This is a translation of the biblical text into verse. The poet’s deep religiosity is felt in his two odes: “Morning reflection on the Majesty of God” and “Evening reflection on the Majesty of God on the occasion of the great northern lights.” The description of the evening and the starry sky is wonderfully poetic:
“The day hides its face;
The fields were covered with gloomy night;
A black shadow has ascended the mountains;
The rays leaned away from us.
An abyss full of stars opened;
The stars have no number, the abyss has no bottom.
A grain of sand like in sea waves,
How small is the spark in the eternal ice,
Like fine dust in a strong whirlwind,
So I am deep in this abyss,
I’m lost, tired of thoughts.”
This is followed by a description of the northern lights suddenly lighting up in the sky in the middle of a dark night:
“But where, nature, is your law?
The dawn rises from the midnight lands -
Doesn't the sun set his throne there?
Aren’t the icemen putting out the fire of the sea?”
Lomonosov gives a bright, colorful description of the northern lights and, turning to the “wise” (scientists), asks: what is this wonderful natural phenomenon? None of the scientists could yet explain it completely!
“Your answer is full of doubts”
Lomonosov finishes:
Unknown to the creatures you are finished:
Tell me, how great is the Creator?
This ode (1747) is one of Lomonosov's best odes. It is dedicated to Empress Elizabeth and was written on the day of celebration of her accession to the throne (November 25). In 1747, Elizabeth approved a new charter and new staff of the Academy of Sciences, according to which the amount of money allocated to the Academy was doubled. In the same year, the Russian government was going to enter the war on the side of Austria, England and Holland, which were then fighting against France and the German states. These circumstances determine the content of Lomonosov's ode. He welcomes Elizabeth as a champion of enlightenment and praises peace and silence as the key to the success of the sciences. ( This material will help you write correctly on the topic of Ode on the Day of Empress Elizabeth’s Accession to the Throne. A summary does not make it possible to understand the full meaning of the work, so this material will be useful for a deep understanding of the work of writers and poets, as well as their novels, novellas, short stories, plays, and poems.) Lomonosov develops his main thoughts in a strict and harmonious manner. The ode begins with an introduction containing praise for silence, that is, peaceful times that contribute to the prosperity of the state and the well-being of the people. Turning further to Elizabeth, Lomonosov glorifies her as a champion of peace who, upon accession to the throne, stopped the war with the Swedes.
He then makes a lyrical digression in which he warns the government against interfering in the war. This digression allows him to move on to a new topic - the glorification of Peter as the creator of a new Russia. Lomonosov glorifies Peter as a fighter against the backwardness in which Russia was before him, glorifies him for the creation of a powerful army and navy, for the spread of science.
Having briefly mentioned the reign of Catherine I, Lomonosov again turns to Elizabeth, in whom he would like to see a worthy daughter of his great father, the same patroness of science and art. And then, as if giving a “order” to the empress, Lomonosov draws the vast expanses of her empire, gives a geographically accurate picture of Russia with its seas, rivers, forests and the richest subsoil of the earth. These enormous wealth of the country must be seized and turned to the benefit of the state and the people. This can be done by people of science, scientists. This is how a new topic is introduced into the ode - the topic of science, the training of scientists from among the Russian people. Deep faith in the Russian people and a firm conviction in their talent resonate with Lomonosov’s words that
What can Platonov's own
And the quick-witted Newtons
Russian land gives birth.
(The names of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato and the great English mathematician Newton are given as the names of genuine scientists.)
Calling on future scientists to fruitful activity, Lomonosov in the next stanza composes an enthusiastic hymn to science.
The final stanza of the ode echoes the introductory one: the poet again praises silence and Elizabeth and addresses a warning to the enemies of Russia.
The harmony of the ode will be clearly presented if we make the following graphic diagram of its construction:
Stanzas 1-4 - praise to the world (silence) and its champion - Elizabeth
5-6th stanzas - lyrical digression - transition to the main part
Stanzas 7-21 are the main part. Glorification of Peter; “instruction” for Elizabeth to follow in her father’s footsteps, glorification of her homeland, its riches, the need to develop them
Stanzas 22-23 - a lyrical appeal to compatriots and glorification of science
The 24th stanza is the ending. Appeal to Elizabeth
The richness of the ideological thematic content of the ode corresponds to the richness of the poetic techniques and means used by Lomonosov, closely related to the genre of the solemn ode. Lomonosov widely uses the images of Greco-Roman gods and goddesses: Mars (god of war), Neptune (god of the sea), Pluto (god of the underworld), Boreas (north wind), Minerva (goddess of wisdom), muses (patrons of science and art); speaks of Mount Parnassus as the home of the muses. He often uses the technique of personification, depicting abstract concepts as living beings - silence, science, fatherland, etc. Metaphors are abundantly presented in the ode: “Behold, the lyre in admiration wants to say great names”; “The stones will also feel the power of the sciences You have restored,” etc.; metonymy: “Long ago Sequana would have been ashamed of her art before the Neva,” etc.; epithets: beloved silence; the lyre is delighted; cruel fate; pleasant strings, the sweetest voice, etc. The tone of speech - elevated, enthusiastic - is created by an abundance of rhetorical questions and exclamations, appeals, instructions. The solemnity of the ode and its oratorical attitude corresponds to the Gothic “high calm” of the language in which it was written. Speech is periodic, consisting of a number of sentences closed into a single whole. The ten-line stanza, typical of Lomonosov's ode, usually contains a single phrase-period. The solemnity of the language of the ode is promoted by the Slavic words used by the poet: this, look, so much, opens, behold, builds, etc.
Lomonosov strives to impart solemnity and strength to the language of the ode by the poetic meter itself - iambic tetrameter, which, in his words, is characterized by “sublimity and splendor.” This was Lomonosov’s favorite meter, and he knew how to use it very skillfully, giving a special sonority and musicality to his verse. The language of the ode is rich in various intonations. The beginning of the ode, for example, is given in a solemn, but relatively calm tone, but already in the fifth stanza (“Be silent, fiery sounds ...”) the tone rises, becomes stronger, and takes on an imperative character. The next two stanzas, dedicated to the chanting of Peter, also sound majestically. And so until the end of the ode, in accordance with the content of the stanzas, the poet modifies the intonations, still remaining within the limits of sublime oratorical speech.
It should also be noted that the rhyme is consistent in the stanzas of the ode. The ode has a ten-line stanza. The first four lines have cross rhymes, then there are two lines with adjacent rhymes, and the last four lines give encircling rhymes.
Lomonosov's odes were an exceptional phenomenon for their time in terms of the sonority and musicality of the verse, and the ease and clarity of the language. We can rightfully say that for the first time in Russian book poetry such truly artistic works appeared in which unity of form and content was achieved.
