It's not scary under dead bullets. Analysis of Anna Akhmatova’s poem “Courage”

There is probably no other people in the world who have experienced as many wars as the Russians had to experience. But despite this, we are free, our language is free. Thanks to the fact that our people showed courage in all the clashes and strife that occurred during different periods of Russian history, millions of people speak Russian. It is precisely this same courage that the poem by Anna Andreevna Akhmatova, the great Russian poetess of the 20th century, who, together with the entire country, experienced the greatest grief of that century, is dedicated to.

The poem was written in 1942, just when the Great Patriotic War began. I think that everyone who reads this work cannot help but be overwhelmed by a feeling of patriotism and pride in their homeland. In it, Anna Andreevna not only hopes that the people of our country will be able to protect her, she is confident in this, which she proves with the help of the verbs “we will save”, “we will carry”, “we will give”, “we will save”, thereby instilling this confidence in the souls of all who read.

The poem sounds like an oath, it even ends with the word “forever”, which in meaning could be replaced by the verb “we swear”. In general, it is organized in one stanza, there are no micro-themes in it, one idea can be traced throughout the entire content - the promise to preserve the Russian language, no matter what the cost to us.

“It’s not scary to lie under dead bullets, it’s not bitter to be left homeless...” - with these words Akhmatova shows what sacrifices the people are ready to make in order to save our Russian speech.

The poetess writes in amphibrach tetrameter; thanks to this size, the poem is not read quickly, while attention is focused on almost every word. This again emphasizes the significance of future events. Thus, the person who reads these lines is inspired and ready to fight. I think they actually served as good moral support for many people in a huge country during those difficult war years.

Akhmatova does not use too many figurative and expressive means, which makes the poem unusual, which indicates that it is written on a very serious topic. And yet, in the Russian language that Anna Andreevna so glorifies, it is impossible to express absolutely no feelings without emotions. Therefore, the text highlights the paths through which the author manages to show love for his native country and everything connected with it; epithets (“the great Russian word”, “free and pure...”) play a special role in creating this effect. No less important is the use of personification (“courage will not leave”), metaphor (“the hour of courage has struck on our clock”).

In several lines of the work one of the stylistic figures is observed - inversion (“what now lies on the scales”, “courage will not leave us”). At the beginning of the poem there is a repetition of the words “now”, “courage”, which is usually used to focus our attention on individual, especially important points. For the same purpose, the author also uses anaphora (“it’s not scary to lie under dead bullets, it’s not bitter to be homeless”). The last sentence is exclamatory, which seems to call for action.

The alliterative series of sounds [m], [n], [r] makes the poem, one might say, loud, with the help of this it sounds solemn, abrupt, creating a clear feeling that these inspiring words are addressed to the entire country, to each of its inhabitants.

Anna Akhmatova writes the first eight lines in cross rhyme, alternating female and male rhymes. The last two lines rhyme with each other using a masculine rhyme and sound like a conclusion, a conclusion. The poem ends with one succinct word - “forever.”

This work by the greatest Russian poetess, I think, clearly contributed to the rise in morale of our entire people during the war years. Anna Andreevna Akhmatova is a true patriot of our homeland, which she confirmed with her poem, her true love for her native speech.

“A great Russian word,” she writes, showing us all the importance of our Russian language. We should all think about and realize how important it is to preserve the value of these concepts in modern society, just as our ancestors preserved it for us. We are obliged to carry it through the centuries, pass it on to our descendants, and swear that we will “give it to our grandchildren and save it from captivity forever.”

Anna Akhmatova - Poems about war

Courage

We know what's on the scales now
And what is happening now.
The hour of courage has struck on our watch,
And courage will not leave us.
It's not scary to lie dead under bullets,
It's not bitter to be left homeless, -
And we will save you, Russian speech,
Great Russian word.
We will carry you free and clean,
We will give it to our grandchildren and save us from captivity
Forever!
February 23, 1942
Tashkent

“... Anna Akhmatova’s creative destiny developed in such a way that only five of her poetic books are “Evening” (1912), “Rosary” (1914), “White Flock” (1917), “Plantain” (1921) and “Anno Domini” “(in two editions, 1921 and 1922-1923) compiled by herself. Over the next two years, Akhmatova’s poems occasionally appeared in periodicals, but in 1925, after the next Ideological Conference, at which, in the words of Anna Andreevna herself, she was sentenced to “civil death,” they stopped publishing it.<...>This edition includes the texts of the first five books by Anna Akhmatova, in the edition and in the order in which they first saw the light. The first four collections - “Evening”, “Rosary”, “White Flock” and “Plantain” are published according to the first edition, “Anno Domini” - according to the second, more complete, Berlin one, printed in October 1922, but published with the note: 1923...."

Anna Andreevna Akhmatova (surname at birth - Gorenko; June 11 (23), 1889, Odessa, Russian Empire - March 5, 1966, Domodedovo, Moscow region, RSFSR, USSR) - Russian poetess, writer, literary critic, literary critic, translator, one of the greatest Russian poets of the 20th century.

The work of a great artist - whether a realist or a modernist - contains within itself the whole world, all of existence in its diversity. However, there are always some most general, universal themes and images inherent in the works of a particular author. Likewise, A. Akhmatova’s work as a whole is determined by a number of basic ideas and motives that found their development in her poems.
Perhaps, for me, Akhmatova is, first of all, a singer of love - that “high and fiery feeling” that Anna Andreevna considered the ruler of the world (Shakespeare once said: “Love and hunger rule the world”). Akhmatova develops the theme of love in her own way, not in the same way as her great contemporaries. She has neither mystical insights nor social conditioning of love conflicts: the first is characteristic of Blok’s poetry, the second is characteristic of Mayakovsky’s work. In Akhmatova’s lyrics, the drama of passion is based on the relationship of two characters, a psychological approach. Recreating the feminine essence in poetry, she avoids abstractions, symbolism, philosophical and social generalizations: Akhmatova’s love lyrics are realistic and psychological in the best traditions of Russian classical literature. Love is a feeling that determines the meaning of life for the heroine, its course; it is the natural state of the human heart. It is a “fatal fusion of souls” and their “fatal duel,” in the words of Tyutchev. It is pain and torment, to describe which the poet resorts to almost naturalistic details:

"Courage" Anna Akhmatova

We know what's on the scales now
And what is happening now.
The hour of courage has struck on our watch,
And courage will not leave us.

It's not scary to lie dead under bullets,
It's not bitter to be homeless,
And we will save you, Russian speech,
Great Russian word.

We will carry you free and clean,
We will give it to our grandchildren and save us from captivity
Forever.

Analysis of Akhmatova’s poem “Courage”

Poetess Anna Akhmatova lived an amazingly bright life, full of tragedy, ups and downs. She happened to live through several eras, since one of the most odious and unpredictable representatives of Russian poetry was born 17 years before the revolution, witnessed Stalin’s repressions, the Leningrad blockade and the restoration of the country after the Great Patriotic War. In 1941, while in evacuation, Anna Akhmatova began work on a poetic cycle called “Wind of War,” which included the poem “Courage.” It should be noted right away that the poetess was never a supporter of Soviet power, quite openly expressing her monarchist views. However, the poems from “Wind of War” are devoid of even the slightest hint of this.

The fact is that during this period the poetess rethought many issues that were important to her and came to the conclusion that it was thanks to Soviet power that the Russian people were united, who were able to give a worthy rebuff to the Nazi invaders. No, Anna Akhmatova did not become an ideological communist. The arrest and execution of her husband, poet Nikolai Gumilev, as well as the Siberian exile of her son, accused of anti-Sovietism, were still too fresh in my memories. Therefore, the poem “Courage,” filled with patriotism, has nothing to do with Soviet power. AND it should be viewed not from a political, but from a civic position.

Having fully experienced the millstones of Stalin's repressions, during the war Anna Akhmatova again felt necessary and useful to her people. This was expressed in the fact that her poems, filled with faith in victory, at some point turned out to be in demand. In the past, strict censorship and all sorts of obstacles remained, thanks to which the poetess was deprived of the opportunity to convey her works to readers. And it was the war that radically changed this humiliating situation for Akhmatova.

However, the poetess remained true to herself, clearly distinguishing between concepts such as “people” and “power.” Therefore, in the poem “Courage” she addresses the destitute, hungry and tired people who, nevertheless, did not break under the weight of the military burden. “The hour of courage has struck on our watch, and courage will not leave us,” the poetess asserts, and this line is key in this work, restrained, succinct and striking in its harsh beauty. For Akhmatova, being together with her people means sharing a common destiny with them. Therefore, in the poem “Courage” she identifies herself with him and speaks on his behalf. The poetess notes that she, like thousands of other people, “is not afraid to lie under dead bullets” in order to preserve the “great Russian word.” It is in this that she sees her main task as a poet and citizen, a native speaker of the Russian language, who is obliged to pass it on to future generations “free and pure.” Thus, Anna Akhmatova in the poem “Courage” very clearly outlined her goal and role in the historical process. Even then, the poetess understood that restoring factories and factories destroyed by bombing would be much easier than returning to people the spiritual wealth that was wasted and virtually trampled during the war. Therefore, poetry is one of the few means that can make people learn to feel beauty again. However, in fairness, it is worth noting that in her work, after the war, Akhmatova never returned to the lyrics, thanks to which she became famous in the 20s of the last century. Her poems became sharper, with a pronounced social overtones and accusatory overtones addressed to those in power.

Anna Andreevna Akhmatova's poem "Courage" was written in 1942. This was the height of the Great Patriotic War. At the same time, St. Petersburg (then Leningrad), where the poetess spent most of her life, was under siege. However, despite the difficult events, I wanted to believe in the best.

The main theme of the poem

The theme of the poem is the courage of the people in the struggle for survival, preservation of their identity and culture. The author calls on the people to fight and maintain faith in the future Victory, to cherish the Russian language and culture, and not to be afraid of difficulties. And most importantly, Akhmatova believes that the Russian language must be given to future generations (“...We’ll give it to our grandchildren and save us from captivity”).

The main images of the poem are the great Russian word, personifying all the richness of our culture, and courage - fearlessness before death and ordeal. Also presented here is the image of grandchildren - future generations who will live after the war. And who will also have to protect their native language and culture.

The poetess is sincerely proud of the Russian language, saying that it is “a great Russian word.” She believes that it is in linguistic and cultural community that the unity and identity of the people lie.

It is important that the poetess refers in the poem to the word, to Russian speech. And she writes not only on her own behalf, but on behalf of the entire people: “we know,” “on our watch,” “will not leave us,” “we will carry through.” She feels part of both the people and their struggle.

Akhmatova understands that her contemporary war has a special meaning not only for the people of the 40s. twentieth century, but also for the future of Russia and, possibly, humanity. The life and freedom of both the Russian people and their cultural heritage depended on its outcome, according to the author. This can be seen from the first lines: “We know what now lies on the scales...”

Structural analysis of the poem

The work is small, but full of poetic devices - epithets ("the great Russian word", "free and pure"), synecdoche ("Russian word)", metaphor ("we will give it to our grandchildren and save us from captivity"). All of them give “Courage” an emotional overtones, recalling the value of native speech and the need to protect it even in difficult circumstances.

The meter of "Courage" is amphibrachic trimeter + iambic foot, interspersed with amphibrachic trimeter - in the first two stanzas. The last stanza is two lines of a trimeter amphibrachium and an incomplete line from a monometer amphibrachium - the word “forever” is written in a separate line.

The first two stanzas are characterized by an alternation of male and female rhymes, the rhyme is complete. The last stanza is two lines with complete masculine rhymes, and the third is represented by a final word that does not rhyme with anything, which draws the reader's attention to it. It is this, standing out from the rest, that “gives out” the main meaning of the entire work: one must maintain courage and take care of the Russian language for the sake of the future, for the sake of the eternal.

The poem consists of three stanzas. It includes two quatrains and one tercet.

This is a classic example of civil poetry.

Conclusion

Anna Akhmatova wrote her “Courage” not only for her era and under its influence. At all times - “forever” - one should treat the Russian language with care. It was this idea that the poetess wanted to convey to the reader.

And we must preserve it not only for ourselves, now living, but also for future generations. And not only in memory of the victims of the Great Patriotic War, but also of all generations of our ancestors. After all, the language was created over more than one or two centuries.

A people is alive as long as its culture is alive, as long as there are people for whom it is native. Let's appreciate this treasure - our culture!