Captured Knight. Analysis of the poem “The Captured Knight. Analysis of Lermontov's poem "The Captured Knight"

Silently I sit under the window of the dungeon,
I can see the blue sky from here:
All free birds play in the sky;
Looking at them, I am both hurt and ashamed.

There is no sinful prayer on my lips,
There is not a song to the glory of the beloved:
I remember only old battles,
My heavy sword and iron shell.

I am now shackled in a stone shell,
The stone helmet crushes my head,
My shield from arrows and sword is enchanted,
My horse runs, and no one rules it.

Fast time is my horse unchanged,
Helmet visor - loophole grate,
Stone shell - high walls,
My shield is the iron doors of the dungeon.

Run faster, flying time!
I felt stuffy under the new armor!
Death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup, -
I’ll tear and pull off the visor from my face.

Once imprisoned this time, Lermontov did not feel guilty. The initiator of the duel was Barant. Women and politics were involved in the quarrel. Lermontov was prejudiced against the French because of the death of Pushkin. Lermontov admitted in court that he fired in the direction. Barant assured that the poet aimed at him, but missed. Lermontov was demanded to apologize to Ernest Barant for his testimony in court, but he categorically refused, and even wrote to Beckendorf about this. All these events led to the appearance of such a hopeless, sad poem. An analysis of the poem "The Captured Knight" helps to understand the state of mind of the poet at the moment when he created this work.

The history of the creation of the poem "The Captured Knight"

The poem "The Captured Knight" dates from 1840. It is known that when Lermontov was arrested for a duel with the Frenchman Barant, Belinsky visited him. The memory of this event was recorded by I.I. Panaev from the words of Vissarion Grigorievich, who came to see him after meeting with the poet.

It can be assumed that Lermontov wrote the poem "The Captured Knight", being impressed by the conversation with Belinsky. Or maybe, on the contrary, he started talking about the Scottish author of historical novels because at that moment he was creating a new poem about a captive knight. After all, as you know, the “little poetic” Walter Scott wrote just fascinating chivalric novels.

Theme and idea of ​​the poem

Being in the ordinance house, Lermontov has the opportunity to work. Grandmother procured permission for Lermontov to visit Shan Giray. Tom was only not allowed to bring his sword into the cell. Shang Giray does not write about any other prohibitions in his memoirs. According to his testimony, the play “The Neighbor” was written in captivity, which in terms of the theme has something in common with “The Captured Knight”. The lyrical hero is a captive knight. The theme of the poem is the feelings and thoughts of the prisoner. In the poem "The Captured Knight" Lermontov positions himself with the hero of the poem. The main idea, of course, is freedom. The work is written in the genre of lyric-epic poem.

Composition, verse construction

According to the composition, this is a one-part poem, in which the thoughts of a prisoner imprisoned behind bars are expressed. The prisoner sits at the window and looks at the sky, in which free birds play. This is the only corner of nature available to him. Free birds are opposed to the captive. The prisoner-Lermontov recalls the horse, the battles in which he managed to take part during the first exile to the Caucasus, but he conveys his thoughts to the prisoner knight. How else can he express his feelings without offending the loyal feelings of his readers? Only by changing the time and place of what is happening.

In form, the poem consists of five quatrains, written in poetic size, a four-foot dactyl, which gives the poem length and conveys the hopelessness, despondency of the captive. Rhyming in the work is cross, all rhymes are female.

Means of artistic expression

The means of artistic expression help the reader to feel the state of mind of the hero, who is dejected by captivity.

It is noteworthy that when Lermontov speaks of freedom, he calls a spade a spade blue sky, free birds, a heavy sword, an iron shell. As soon as he talks about the conclusion, metaphors appear (sinful prayer, stone shell). A whole stanza is built on allegories.

Silently I sit under the window of the dungeon,
I can see the blue sky from here:
All free birds play in the sky;
Looking at them, I am both hurt and ashamed.

There is no sinful prayer on my lips,
There is not a song to the glory of the beloved:
I remember only old battles,
My heavy sword and iron shell.

I am now shackled in a stone shell,
The stone helmet crushes my head,
My shield from arrows and sword is enchanted,
My horse runs, and no one rules it.

Fast time is my horse unchanged,
Helmet visor - loophole grate,
Stone shell - high walls,
My shield is the iron doors of the dungeon.

Run faster, flying time!
I felt stuffy under the new armor!
Death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup, -
I’ll tear and pull off the visor from my face.

Analysis of Lermontov's poem "The Captured Knight"

Despite his noble origin, Mikhail Lermontov felt truly free only in early childhood. However, from the age of 7, his life was subject to a strict routine, in which study alternated with the development of secular manners. As a teenager, Lermontov dreamed that he would become a great commander and be able to accomplish at least one feat worthy of mention in history. But very soon he realized that the time of real heroes was in the past, and even if he managed to conquer half of Europe, like Napoleon, no one would appreciate it anyway.

Thus, Lermontov considered himself a hostage of time and social foundations, realizing that it was impossible to gain spiritual freedom in this case. In 1840, shortly before his death, the poet wrote the poem "The Captured Knight", in which he revealed his thoughts and feelings, albeit in a veiled form.
Already from the first lines it becomes clear that Lermontov identifies himself with the hero of this work - an exhausted knight who is forced to sit "under the window of the dungeon", experiencing pain and shame. What causes such emotions? First of all, the lack of freedom. The poet describes his hero as an experienced warrior who is tired of inaction, but for some incomprehensible reason is forced to be locked up, realizing that his shield is "the cast-iron doors of the dungeon", his shell is "high walls", and "quick time is my horse unaltered".

Drawing a similar analogy, Lermontov makes it clear that he feels exactly the same as a captive knight who would like to fulfill his life's mission, but is deprived of such an opportunity. At the same time, the author notes that “my horse is running, and no one rules it”, meaning by this his own life, which he considers aimless, worthless and useless to anyone. Lermontov considers death to be the only way out of this situation, and this character appears in the last lines of the poem “The Captive Knight”. Moreover, the poet perceives death as an ally who will “hold my stirrup” and help get rid of mental anguish associated with the impossibility of realizing one’s own dreams.

In the last months of his life, Mikhail Lermontov returned to the topic of life and death many times, each time noting that he would gladly give preference to the latter option. Today, psychologists would call such behavior a midlife crisis, when a person looks back and realizes that he has nothing to leave to his descendants. However, it should be borne in mind that Lermontov was very self-critical, and considered his own works, which the whole world admires today, to be youthful fun, not worthy of attention. Perhaps if his poems were recognized in society, then the fate of the poet would have been completely different, and he would have been able to understand that literature is his main life purpose.

Sections: Literature

Class: 8

The purpose of the lesson.

1. To teach the ability to compare poetic texts, to find common motives and images.
2. Continue work on the ability to determine the poetic size, find means of expression, explain their function in understanding the idea of ​​a lyrical work.
3. Learning to expressively read poetry.

Dictionary. Motive, antithesis, composition of the poem, rhythmic organization of the poem, lyrical hero, artistic space of the lyrical work.

Equipment. multimedia complex. Presentation for the lesson. (see Attachment)

During the classes

Teacher's word. Today we continue talking about the work of M.Yu. Lermontov. Remember what is characteristic of the poet's attitude, what are the main motives of his lyrics. (Loneliness, thirst for freedom).

(See Appendix. Slide No. 1) For the first time, we have to compare two poems by different poets: “The Prisoner” by Pushkin and “The Captive Knight” by Lermontov. Write down the topic of the lesson in your notebook.

The main content of the lesson Acquaintance with Lermontov's poem "The Captured Knight".

I. Expressive reading by the teacher(or by a trained student) of the poem “The Captured Knight”.

Silently I sit under the window of the dungeon;
I can see the blue sky from here:
All free birds play in the sky;
Looking at them, I am both hurt and ashamed.
There is no sinful prayer on my lips,
There is not a song to the glory of the beloved:
I remember only old battles,
My heavy sword and iron shell.
I am now shackled in a stone shell,
The stone helmet crushes my head,
My shield from arrows and sword is enchanted,
My horse runs, and no one rules it.
Fast time is my horse unchanged,
Helmet visor - loophole grating,
Stone shell - high walls,
My shield is the iron doors of the dungeon.
Run faster, flying time!
I felt stuffy under the new armor!
Death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup;
I’ll tear and pull off the visor from my face.

II. Identification of primary perception.

• Who is the lyric hero of this poem? (Knight).
• What did you learn about the lyrical hero of the poem? Who imprisoned the knight in a dungeon? (He is in prison, but the poet does not say who put him there and why, because the main thing in this poem is the expression of the suffering of the soul from the inconsistency of reality with ideals).
• Does he take any active action or is he passively immersed in sorrowful thoughts? (The captive knight is immersed in sorrowful thoughts, he recalls the “old battles”).

III. Expressive reading by heart of Pushkin's poem "Prisoner".

I am sitting behind bars in a damp dungeon.
A young eagle raised in captivity
My sad comrade, waving his wing,
Bloody food pecks outside the window,
Pecks and throws and looks out the window
As if he thought the same thing with me;
Calls me with his eyes and his cry
And he wants to say: “Let's fly away!
We are free birds; it's time, brother, it's time!
There, where the mountain turns white behind the cloud,
There, where the sea edges turn blue,
There, where we walk only the wind ... yes, I! .. ”

IV. Questions session.

• What brings these two works together? (The general motive of captivity, captivity).
• Is it possible to say that the comparison of these two poems is dictated by common motives, and not by our whim?

Teacher's word. We have to compare two poems by different authors. The task of comparative analysis is not to find the sum of similar and different features, but to reveal the essential features inherent in the work of a particular poet. Therefore, it is important not only to name some feature, but also to show what functions it performs in the compared works of poets, what the most important features of their worldview embody. During the lesson, we have to answer the following questions: (see Appendix. Slide No. 2)

• Is it a coincidence that Lermontov's poem is compared with Pushkin's work?
• Why did poets develop the same motif in their works in different ways?
• What are the essential features inherent in the poetry of Pushkin and Lermontov, manifested in these poems?

(See Appendix. Slide No. 3) At the same time, we will master such concepts as motive, antithesis, composition of a poem, rhythmic organization of a poem, lyrical hero, artistic space of a lyrical work. Write these concepts down in your notebook.

V. Comparative analysis of poems by Pushkin and Lermontov.

1. General.(Entry in a notebook). Establish common and distinctive features of these poems based on the text. (see Appendix. Slides No. 4, 5)

• Title (“Prisoner”, “Captured Knight”)
• Location (dungeon)
• Characters (eagle, horse)
• Lyrical hero (prisoner, captive knight)
• Appeal (brother, flying time)
• Contrast of dungeon and will (dungeon - sky, mountains, sea edges; dungeon - blue sky)

Question. Try, based on the data obtained, to show what brings these two works together, and what is the main difference in the poets' solution of the theme of "captivity" - one of the main motives of world literature. (The lyrical hero of Pushkin's poem is not as lonely as the hero of Lermontov's poem: next to him is an eagle - a proud, free bird. Moreover, freedom is an innate quality of an eagle, because it is "bred in captivity." And for a lyrical hero - a "prisoner" - an eagle becomes brother). Remember, in what work, studied by us, we met with this topic? (L.N. Tolstoy “Prisoner of the Caucasus”). The same motif is also characteristic of such works that we have yet to read, such as “Prisoner of the Caucasus” by A.S. Pushkin, “Mtsyri” by M.Yu. Lermontov.

2. Compositional structure.(see Appendix. Slide No. 6)

• In what form are these poems written? (The poem "The Captured Knight" is a monologue, and Pushkin's poem has the features of a dialogue).
• Describe the conflict between the lyrical hero and the world in these works? (The conflict of will and bondage, freedom and imprisonment).
• How is it transmitted? (In these poems, images are contrasted: blue sky - dungeon; sky - earth. Such a stylistic device is called antithesis). (see Appendix. Slide No. 7)
• Let's try to figure out how the theme “land (dungeon) - will” develops in these poems.
• In which poem is the sky inaccessible to the lyrical hero (“The Captured Knight”), and in which one is it given to a person as an opportunity, the implementation of which depends entirely on his freedom-loving impulse? ("Prisoner").
• How does this manifest itself in the image of birds? (“Prisoner”: “We are free birds ...”; the birds are perceived by the lyrical hero as kindred spirits. “The Captured Knight”: “All free birds play in the sky; looking at them I am both hurt and ashamed.” The birds present a contrasting plan to the lyrical hero. The unexpected note that appeared in the first stanza: the knight is not only hurt, but also ashamed to be in prison - immediately turns the outlined comparison with Pushkin's "Prisoner" into opposition. Therefore, the lyrical hero sees liberation only in death. There is no such motive in Pushkin's poem).
• In which poem is the lyrical hero in the present tense and his desire to break free can come true right now? (“Prisoner”: I sit, peck, throw, look, call, want to say).
• In which poem is the present shown as a meaningless vegetative life, everything heroic is left in the past, and the future promises only death? (“The Captive Knight”: “there is no ... sinful prayer”, “I remember ... ancient battles”; “now I am chained in a stone shell ...”; “death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup ...”).
• In which work is the compositional scheme of the following type “it was, is not and will not be” (“The Captured Knight”) realized, and in which “is it not, but it will be” (“Prisoner”)? (see Appendix. Slide No. 8)
• How do both poems end? (Reading the last stanzas of poems).
• What state in the minds of the lyrical heroes, who have long been languishing in prison, do the appeals express? (“P.r.”: “flying time”; “U.”: “brother”).
• What conclusions do these observations lead to? (The lyrical hero of Pushkin's poem believes in the coming deliverance, but sees it among the natural world, in which there is no man. Lermontov's hero sees his deliverance in death; he enters into a completely different relationship with the world: time is a horse, death is a stirrup. And only having escaped from the captivity of an alien life, the knight can finally “pull off his visor” and reveal his true face, which is why he rushes “flying time” so much).

3. Rhythmic organization of poems.(see Appendix. Slide No. 9)

• Let's determine the rhyming method and the size of the poems. How do we do it? (Underline all the vowels in the first line; put stress; draw a conclusion about the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables). (See Appendix. Slides 10, 11, 12)
• Let's think about how the rhythmic organization of the verse helps to understand its role in creating an artistic image. Match the number of syllables and stops in these verses. What common? (Total number of syllables and feet).
• How does the size of the verse affect the expression of the general mood of the lyrical work? (The use of three-syllable sizes - dactyl and anapaest - especially with an increase in the number of feet (up to four) often expresses despondency, deep and difficult feelings).
• Read the first lines of the poem aloud. Pay attention to the number of pauses - caesuras. Which poem has a pause after each word? ("Captured Knight"). In which poem should there be a pause in the middle of the verse? ("Prisoner")
• Pay attention to where the stress is in rhyming lines. Which poem uses a masculine rhyme? ("Prisoner"). Which one is female? ("Captured Knight"). What rhyme lengthens the verse, gives it length, and what rhyme makes it energetic, clear, complete?
• In which work does the author use many words with the sonorant consonant p? What tone does this give to the poem? (“Prisoner” - energy, cheerfulness). Which poem has a lot of words with hissing consonants? Why? (“The Captured Knight” - tragedy, hopelessness). Using the right words and expressions from the set, try to write down the answer to the question “How do I see the lyrical hero in these poems?” Based only on the intonation of the verses. (see Appendix. Slide No. 13)
• Do the elements of poetics we have considered help create the image of a lyrical hero in our perception, or is it just a collection of features that exist regardless of the meaning of the poem? (The rhythmic organization of the poems helps to better understand the mood of the lyrical hero: life-affirming pathos in Pushkin's poem and despondency, hopelessness in Lermontov's poem).

4. Lexico-morphological expressiveness of words.(see Appendix. Slide No. 14)

• Pay attention to the pronouns in the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov. What conclusions can be drawn from this observation? How does the use of pronouns help poets show: in one poem - the loneliness of the lyrical hero, and in the other - abandonment? (Pushkin uses personal and possessive pronouns of the 1st person “my”, “with me”, “me” and, finally, “we”. In Lermontov, along with personal pronouns “I”, “me” and possessive “my”, “my ” the negative pronoun “nobody” also appears).
• Which poem has a lot of verbs of active action, which has a lot of words showing the passivity, powerlessness of the hero? (“Prisoner” - pecks, throws, looks, calls; “Captured knight” - chained, bewitched, crushes, does not rule, I felt stuffy ...)
• How do the morphological features of the words used help poets to paint a portrait of a lyrical hero? (The lyrical hero of the poem “The Prisoner” is filled with a thirst for freedom, active action, faith in deliverance, and the hero of the poem “The Captured Knight” is passive, he is from ancient, chivalrous times, modern life itself is cramped for such a hero, he suffocates in it).
• What image in the poem “The Captured Knight” is created by the relative adjectives stone, iron? (see Appendix. Slide No. 15)
• What lexical connotation becomes the main one: the strength of knightly armor; the weight of a tombstone, from under which a person cannot get out; the inviolability of the knightly code of honor; the fragility of any material before the cold breath of eternity.

5. Artistic space.(see Appendix. Slide No. 16)

• Where is the lyrical hero in these poems? (In the dungeon).
• Where are the eyes of the prisoner and the captive knight? (Into the sky).
• What kind of space opposes Pushkin's "damp dungeon"? (Mountains, sea edges, sky).
• What takes up more space in the plot of the poem - a dungeon or a “blue sky”? (Of course, the sky).
• How does the poem “The Prisoner” by Pushkin end, why does the author use the verb we walk in the present tense, and not in the future? (The real will is in the soul of a person, and no dungeons can stop a person in his thirst for freedom).
• Where did the lyrical hero end up with his “brother” in the finale of the poem? (at will).
• What space opposes the dungeon in Lermontov's poem? (Also the sky).
• What takes up more space in the poem - a description of a country with “blue skies” or a description of a dungeon? (Description of the "dungeon").
• Is a captive knight able to rise into the “blue sky” along with free birds? Why? (No, it is incapable, because “now I am chained in a stone shell”).
• Pay attention to the adjectives stone, iron. What image associated with death do they create? (The image of a crypt, a grave from which it is impossible to get out).
• In what poem does a small, damp dungeon confront a vast, boundless world of freedom? ("Prisoner").
• And in what poem does the whole world turn out to be a dungeon, and the country of freedom is barely visible from a tiny window? ("Captured Knight").
• How does the artistic space help the authors to create the image of a lyrical hero? (The artistic space of the works allows a deeper understanding of their main idea: the possibility of freedom and faith in its acquisition in Pushkin's poem and the hopelessness of these expectations in Lermontov's poem).

Conclusion. We have completed our work. Let's go back to the questions we posed at the beginning of the lesson. (see Appendix. Slide No. 17)

• Is it a coincidence that Lermontov's poem is compared with Pushkin's work? (No, not by chance. Both poems are united by the common motif of “captivity”, but they are solved differently by each poet).

• Why did poets develop the same motif in their works in different ways? (This reflected the difference in the attitude of the poets: the life-affirming pathos of Pushkin's poem and the feeling of the eternal captivity of the soul in Lermontov's poem).
• What are the essential features inherent in the poetry of Pushkin and Lermontov, manifested in these poems? (Pushkin's poetry, despite many tragic motives, is full of life-affirming pathos, faith in life. Lermontov's poetry reflects the main thing in the poet's attitude: the tragedy of life, the understanding that freedom is possible only outside of earthly existence).

Perhaps it seemed to you that we “digged” into every word with unnecessary meticulousness in order to formulate conclusions that a person can come to as a result of fluent reading. It was important for us to show the inexhaustibility of the artistic meaning, since every element of the artistic system becomes significant, from the name to the punctuation marks. In addition, we have shown that the purpose of the analysis of a poetic work is a deeper understanding of the meaning. Therefore, we not only singled out individual elements in poetry, but tried to find out these functions in creating the image of a lyrical hero, because the main thing in working with a poetic work is not to find the means of expression used by the authors, but to reveal the connection of these elements with a poetic idea.

What do we see? Both composition, vocabulary, and rhythmic organization in one poem show the inextinguishable faith of the lyrical hero in the proximity of the desired freedom, and in the other, tragic hopelessness.

Homework. Learn by heart the poem “The Captured Knight”.

Silently I sit under the window of the dungeon,
I can see the blue sky from here:
All free birds play in the sky;
Looking at them, I am both hurt and ashamed.

There is no sinful prayer on my lips,
There is not a song to the glory of the beloved:
I remember only old battles,
My heavy sword and iron shell.

I am now shackled in a stone shell,
The stone helmet crushes my head,
My shield from arrows and sword is enchanted,
My horse runs, and no one rules it.

Fast time is my horse unchanged,
Helmet visor - loophole grate,
Stone shell - high walls,
My shield is the iron doors of the dungeon.

Run faster, flying time!
I felt stuffy under the new armor!
Death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup, -
I’ll tear and pull off the visor from my face.

Analysis of the poem "The Captured Knight" by Lermontov

The poem "The Captured Knight" (1840) was written by Lermontov while under arrest for a duel with the son of the French ambassador, de Barante. It fully reflects the mood of the poet in the last years of his life.

In the late period of creativity, Lermontov is increasingly seized by despair from a feeling of incredible loneliness. Misunderstanding and indifference of society hurt the soul of the poet. According to contemporaries, Lermontov strove for his death. The duel and subsequent imprisonment further embittered him against the surrounding society.

Even in the wild, the author did not feel absolutely free for a long time. Physical bondage plunged him into a state of extreme pessimism. The lyrical hero watches the “free birds” through the window, experiencing pain and shame. He does not blame anyone for anything and does not ask for forgiveness. Loneliness is emphasized by the fact that the hero does not even have a beloved woman, in whose glory he could compose a song. From all his life, he remembers only the "old battles", symbolizing the literary struggle of Lermontov for the highest ideals of goodness and justice.

Once upon a time, the lyrical hero felt like a mighty knight on a war horse in full armor. He remains a real warrior in captivity, but his appearance has changed dramatically. Describing his current state, the poet uses very successful comparisons: “stone shell - high walls”, “visor - grate of the loophole”, “shield ... - iron doors”, and a zealous horse - “fast time”.

The lyrical hero calls on a new horse to speed up his run. The "new armor" makes it difficult for him to breathe. The author foresees that at the end of the path only death will await him. But he is not afraid to meet her. This meeting will finally allow the "captive knight" to free himself from his armor and gain true freedom. This sad conclusion contains Lermontov's deep thought about the impossibility of achieving spiritual freedom in the material world. The poet believes that physical bondage, in fact, does not matter much. A person suffers all his life from heavy armor, symbolizing human prejudices, public opinion, his own doubts, etc. It is impossible to get out of this battle. It remains only to spur your horse (time) and prepare for the desired death. Such a philosophical position is extremely pessimistic, but not without appeal.

The work "The Captured Knight" can be attributed to a number of prophetic poems by Lermontov, in which he predicts his imminent death. The poet wrote this poem a year before his death in another duel.

Reading the verse “The Captured Knight” by Lermontov Mikhail Yuryevich, which he wrote while he was under arrest due to a duel, is necessary as one of the works related to his mature lyrics. His main motive is captivity, he rose to this in “Neighbor” and “Prisoner”. The poet conveys his attitude, tied to loneliness - he is in conflict with the world and therefore feels like a prisoner. When studying this poem in a literature lesson in a class, you should also know that it is written according to the canons of a knightly ballad, in particular, there is no developing plot in it, only the main image.

At its core, the text of Lermontov's poem "The Captured Knight" is a monologue of the lyrical hero, in which he expresses his thoughts about the conflict between the individual and society. At the same time, he does not try to change something, but passively suffers because of hurt pride. Learning this work of five stanzas is completely worth it in order to feel the tragedy and hopelessness of the situation in which the knight found himself. And after reading it online, you can trace the looping of the composition, which demonstrates the completeness of the author's idea, putting his own thoughts into the mouth of the lyrical hero.

Silently I sit under the window of the dungeon,
I can see the blue sky from here:
All free birds play in the sky;
Looking at them, I am both hurt and ashamed.

There is no sinful prayer on my lips,
There is not a song to the glory of the beloved:
I remember only old battles,
My heavy sword and iron shell.

I am now shackled in a stone shell,
The stone helmet crushes my head,
My shield from arrows and sword is enchanted,
My horse runs, and no one rules it.

Fast time is my horse unchanged,
Helmet visor - loophole grate,
Stone shell - high walls,
My shield is the iron doors of the dungeon.

Run faster, flying time!
I felt stuffy under the new armor!
Death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup, -
I’ll tear and pull off the visor from my face.

March or April 1840?