"I go out on the road": Analysis of the Lermontov poem

This article provides an analysis of Lermontov’s poem.

The lyrical works of M. Yu. Lermontov became a poetic autobiography of his life. The author’s poems outlines his spiritual experiences, hopes and disappointment. A deep trace left works about the meaning of life, about the values \u200b\u200bof love and friendship, about the purpose of poetic literature.

"I go out on the road": analysis and content of the poem

The unlucky Lermontov’s life has filled many of his poems with tragedy and loneliness. In lyrical works, the complex psychological state of the poet is visible. Analyzing his internal experiences, Lermontov fully revealed the inner world of man, thereby playing importance in the history of Russian literature.

In his late work, Lermontov revises his life values. Based on the author’s work done, it summarizes the results and draws the appropriate conclusions. The notes of his colleagues mention the detached state of the poet on the eve of death. He seemed to foresee further events and tried to accelerate his tragic death. According to the author, to die in a worthy battle, this is the most favorable outcome for his life.

On the eve of the fatal duel, Lermontov says one of his most famous works “I go out on the road.” The lyrical work is saturated with a penetrating meaning. Despair familiar to the poet is replaced by bright regrets about the failed events of his life. The author once again emphasizes his loneliness, depicting himself with a sad lost wanderer. He floats along the course of life without setting himself the goal.

In addition to semantic content, the mood of this work conveys many literary elements.

The author specially rhymes the female and male syllable, which gives the narrative a smooth measured pace. The expressiveness of words is emphasized by multiple metaphors and epithets.
An abundance of hissing sounds creates a special atmosphere when reading. Helps to tune in to an intimate spiritual conversation.
The work is represented by the reader a few years after the death of Lermontov. Critics designated this poem as one of the most successful. Poetic lines are written in the genre of lyrical monologue. The hero asks questions to his heart and tries to answer them himself.
By content, the poem can be divided into two parts. At the beginning of the verse, attention is focused on a fabulously beautiful night.
In the second part, night calm is replaced by mental torment. Lermontov revives nature, thereby showing that everything around is in harmony. He is alone in his spiritual experiences and does not find support either in nature or in society.

Lermontov emphasizes the emotionality of his statements by an exclamation mark, thus further emphasizes their despair: “I would like to forget and fall asleep!”, “I'm looking for freedom and peace!”
Stars and heaven emphasizes the height of the desire of the author, the road indicates temporary space, appeal to God characterizes the depth of his statements. The changeable mood of the poem makes its content deeper.
With each new reading, a new understanding of the words of the author comes. The sequence and rationality of the presentation emphasizes Lermontov’s skill.

The author tells that he is grateful to fate for the difficulties of life, for the experience gained. He does not regret the past, but he lacks wisdom to avoid a rash death. Lermontov’s thoughts give the work a worldview meaning.

As a literary trick, the author complements the lines of the work with a description of the world. Elements of nature emphasize the mood and thoughts of the lyrical hero. Harmony in nature is contrasted with his mental torment. Even the night silence does not give him calm. Even the stars in the sky are not as alone as our literary hero. He has no one to share his thoughts with. Next to him is neither an interlocutor nor a listener.

In romanticism, the relationship between nature and people was often used. Human fear and experiences reinforced natural elements. Quiet and cloudless weather opened up new opportunities for the heroes.

The author is trying to figure out what is the cause of his pain and sadness. Why nothing is pleasing around and does not bring a feeling of happiness. The answers to these questions are concluded in the hero itself. He does not expect anything from life, respectively, he does not receive anything. He does not regret the past and does not plan the future. A person is immersed in an apathetic state. He is trying to gain peace of mind.

The lyrical hero dreams of plunging into eternal sleep. He no longer sees the meaning of his physical existence, but wants to leave a significant mark after his work. It is important for him to know what will be remembered about him. The last lines of the poem are set out in the form of a farewell testament:

So that all night, all day my hearing is cherishing,
About love to me a sweet voice sang,
Over me to be always green
The dark oak was inclined and noisy.

Lermontov pulled the desired circumstances to himself. He became a participant in an unjustified duel, which led to his death. Despite the lonely lifestyle, the poet remained in the hearts of millions of people. His eternal struggle for justice has become an example for the younger generation. Perhaps if Lermontov gave the great significance of his life, he would have gained the meaning of his existence.

Sincere loneliness accompanied Lermontov from an early age. The poet’s mother died when he was about three years old. He did not receive the warmth and care that every child needs. Soul pain has become an eternal companion of his life. Next to him in life there is no understanding and loving person. The author wonders why it is so difficult for him to exist in this world. Because he had no one to divide his feelings with, no one to rely on. His vulnerable creative soul needed mutual understanding. His difficult fate is displayed in the work as a “siliceous path”.

The life of the lyrical hero is summarized in words where he does not expect anything from life and does not spare the past at all. Such a statement suggests that the hero’s expectations from life have not come true into reality, so the future is also drawn before him hopeless.

At the beginning of the poem, the reader appears to be the image of the road that implies the poet’s life path. The hero does not know where to go and what awaits him ahead. I go out alone - from the first lines of the work his companion becomes loneliness.

He becomes a wanderer going into the unknown. His need for love and understanding acquires a new form. Now he wants affection and peace.
He finds close spiritual state in the surrounding nature, tries to comprehend the laws of nature. The wanderer’s life is filled with pain and difficulties, while in nature everything is “solemn and wonderful”.
He was tired of hopeless everyday life and wants to relax with his soul, but at the same time does not want to give up life. The hero asks the universe to comprehend the answers to eternal global questions and dreams of falling asleep under the auspices of the forces of nature.
He is sure that such a dream will give him more happiness and strength than real life.

Each element of the work contains a deep meaning. Dark time of the day and the end of the day imply the end of life. Oak in literature symbolizes continuation and development. The hero of the oak is associated with a living monument on the grave. The combination of opposite associations in the poem suggests that our hero anticipates the inevitable end of his life. But he is trying to find his continuation in creativity, thus gaining immortality. The picture of a fairy -tale sleep described by Lermontov transfers a hero from reality to a world of dreams and hopes.

Despite the sadness of the literary hero, the work is filled with light sadness. The reasoning is saturated with calmness. He is not afraid of his death, does not experience either timidity or fear. The author presents death not as a death, but as an eternal deep dream. He emphasizes that his dreams are not about the "cold dream of the grave."

A peculiar mood of the protagonist is a way to overcome dissatisfaction with his own life, correct the imperfect world. He is trying to find happiness by changing the conditions of his existence. Understanding the hopelessness of reality, he makes desperate attempts to achieve the ideal.

Philosophical reasoning in the poem echoes the author’s spiritual warmth. Such a content did not go unnoticed by composers. The words of the poem “I go out on the road” were repeatedly used for musical works. The most popular was the romance of the singer Elizabeth Shashina.