Analysis of the poem "The Twelve" (Alexander Blok)

In the twentieth century, Russia went through many trials: coups d'état, regime change, revolution after revolution ... Troubled times dictated their conditions and required changes in public and political life. For the decision of many pressing took "the master of doom" - literature. Talented poets of the twentieth century treated the revolution in different ways. Some did not accept it and left their native lands, while others remained and longed for changes for the better. Alexander Blok assured that it is necessary to listen to the revolution with all the heart and consciousness, for him it is "music that has ears to hear."

The history of the creation of the poem "Twelve". Recognition of the poet, criticism

The work was written after the February and October Revolution. Blok himself admits that the poem took shape very quickly, because he wrote it, being in anticipation of change. First he wrote separate stanzas, and then collected them into a single composition, and in the end was amazed at how little of it crossed out. It is curious that the poem grew from just a few words ("I'll cut a knife with a knife"), behind which instantly appeared 8 stanzas. The blazing January days were standing, and this mood the poet carried through his entire work. Blok's poem could not have survived until our days, as the author, in his dying delirium, demanded that his wife Lubov Mendeleevna burn his child, but she did not. Alexander Alexandrovich immediately turned into an enemy of the people and poets, for which Nikolai Gumilev handed him the verdict: the service of Antichrist, the secondary crucifixion of Christ and the execution of the sovereign.

The summary of the poem "The Twelve"

Events take place in winter in Petrograd. There is a blizzard through which a cry is heard, a squeal. A detachment of twelve Red Army soldiers, the so-called wrestlers with the old world, is moving along the night city, shooting mercilessly and destroying everything on their way. One of them, the sensual Vanka, kills his girlfriend Katka and later experiences her death, but his comrades tell him to gather strength: "It's not the time to babysit you." The detachment warns citizens about the upcoming robbery: they will eradicate everything that reminds them of the old world. They forget about God, march "without the name of a saint" and the praying Petka remind that he already has "the blood of a girl", and therefore he should not expect the help of the gentleman. However, in the last, twelfth chapter, He appears: "In the white halo of roses Ahead - Jesus Christ." Who it is - the savior or the destroyer, - The block of the answer does not give, therefore the meaning of the finale of the poem "Twelve" is treated differently.

The Image of Jesus

The appearance of Christ in the final is an unexpected phenomenon, as several times have already been shot in Holy Russia and the cross was removed. A century has passed since the writing of the poem, and literary scholars still consider this question and put forward several guesses. Jesus leads a detachment of Red Guards and leads them to a new world - criminals have become saints. Other researchers believe that these are the apostles who are taking the revolutionary step under the leadership of Peter. Mikhail Voloshin assures us that the image of Christ in the poem "Twelve" was introduced for another purpose: he does not save the detachment, but, on the contrary, tries to hide from him. Pavel Florensky drew attention to the changes in the name of Jesus - he had "Jesus" in Blok, but one should not be naive and assume that a misprint was made by chance. The detachment is led by the Antichrist, who is also all-powerful, invulnerable, and invisible beyond the blizzard. "

Composition of the poem

"Twelve" is the answer to the music of the revolution heard by Blok, and the musicality of the work is achieved by a clear rhythm. The poem is not like the previous works of Alexander Alexandrovich, and the poet seems to be in search of a new form, which he successfully succeeds. The tradition of the march later in his work will continue futurist Vladimir Mayakovsky. The poem consists of twelve differently shaped parts that are connected to each other and form a single whole. If you analyze the poem "Twelve", you can identify the dots between the stanzas, which are inserted by the editors after publication - obviously, the censors deemed it necessary to omit some places. At certain points the narrative part goes to the background, and the actions are described in dialogues and monologues. Rhyme is unstable, and in some episodes it is not at all, often the action is interrupted by shooting - "trah-tah-tah!"

Features of language in the poem "The Twelve"

The brightest symbolist of the twentieth century - Alexander Blok - came a turning point in creativity. The poet, who wrote earlier poems about women and love, begins to be interested in new topics, and the offensive of the revolution finally convinced him to rethink the motives of his work. The story of the creation of the poem "The Twelve" is very unusual - Blok wrote it in a fit of expectations and passions and collected urban folklore, without disregarding even common speech and abusive language. The phrase "Chocolate" Mignon "gorged" belongs to Lubov Mendeleeva. The prostitute Katya at Blok is "thick-haired", the lantern is "electric", the Junkers are "Junkers", and Rus is "fat-eating". The author beautifully transmitted the color of street life, but, after a full analysis of the poem "Twelve", you can identify and winged phrases. The stanza "... The wind, the wind - in all God's light!" Soon became a proverb.

This mysterious number is twelve ...

Deepening into the history of writing poems, you can identify some contradictory points. In the history of world culture there are some numbers, the peculiarity of which was noticed by ancient people: one they brought good luck, the other - misfortune. Figure 12 is the embodiment of cosmic order and is found in European, Chinese, Vedic and pagan cultures. Since in Russia from the tenth century preached Christianity, the sacred significance of this number is of interest to Christians. So, 12 is the number of the apostles of Jesus, 12 fruits of the spirit, 12 tribes of Israel; In the foundation of the Holy City were 12 gates and stones, which is also very symbolic. Also, everyone knows that this figure is often found not only in religion, but also in the daily life of a person. 12 hours a day and night, 12 months a year. In ancient Greece and Rome, just such a number of the main gods sat on Olympus.

The twelve-figure is truly unusual and mysterious, but Blok Alexander himself warned that the poem is very symbolic, and any symbol and hint can be interpreted in different ways. Perhaps the meaning of this number in the poem is very realistic, since at the time of the revolution the Red Guard patrols really numbered 12 people each.

Two Worlds in a Work

The opposition of the past and the new time is the main theme of the poem "The Twelve." Blok saw in the revolution "getting rid of the spiritual swamp" and piously believed that sooner or later it should happen. The old world with its foundations was not destined to exist for long - for the sake of change society is ready to make sacrifices. The poem begins with a blizzard, which is the image of the coup. "The wind, the wind - in all God's light!" - against this wind of change, which as if captured not only Russia, but the whole world, not everyone can resist. Twelve Red Army men go through the blizzard, not being afraid of anything. The old world is powerless before the coming new, and the precursors of the revolution are as uncontrollable and irresistible.

Democracy or anarchy?

Twelve Red Army soldiers - the main images of the poem "Twelve". They are intransigent to the old foundations - they go, and they do not care. They are a reflection of the true face of the revolution, which sweeps everything in its path, just like a blizzard. Krasnogvardeytsy warn residents to lock the "floor" and unlock the cellars, as "today there will be looting." Such exclamations symbolize anarchy, but not the struggle of the proletariat for a better life. They despise the old world, but what can they offer in return? Destroying, they are not ready to create. They do not say: "We will build our new world, we will create!" Analysis of the poem "The Twelve" will make it possible to see the death of the country in the ongoing events. The old woman confirms the needlessness of the revolution, which, seeing the poster "All Power to the Constituent Assembly!" Is amazed why it is needed. From such a huge flap it would be possible to sew a footcloth for the children, because in the current hungry and cold times, when "everyone is naked, the time", the state needs to take care of the welfare of the people.

Even the church is deprived of its former power. Alexander Blok depicts a priest who, if previously "walked forward with his belly" and beamed with a cross, is now subdued by the Red Guard, like everyone else, and they turn to him "comrade pop." The new government does not need a church and faith, and the Red Guards call for a firing into Holy Russia from a rifle.

Victims for what?

For the revolution, the life of one person does not mean anything against the background of a worldwide blizzard. When one of the twelve Red Army men named Petka accidentally kills his girlfriend Katya, he begins to wail, not believing what is happening. In the eyes of eleven others, this looks like a weakness, for it is not right to relax at such an important moment when the fate of Russia is being decided.

Katya is the symbol of all human vices, the anti-heroine, who walks with cadets, goes to bed with everyone. She "wore gray leggings, chocolate" Mignon "guzzled" and, in general, was an atypical representative of a Russian woman. Perhaps Blok's poem was written in support of the fact that such people as Katya really should be sacrificed for the sake of revolution.

Chaos or harmony: what will win?

The old world is worthless, and it can no longer exist. He is about to collapse. The author compares it with the image of a stray dog, which stands behind a burzhu, with its tail pinched. The struggle does not last long: the dark future has already passed, but is there a clear path? What awaits the people after this blizzard? Red Guards promise even greater destruction, because you can not consider light future built on blood. While analyzing the poem "Twelve", one can not help but notice that at the end of the storm it calms down, and the revolutionary people go to the future "in a powerful step" accompanied by a certain one in the "white halo of roses." This is Jesus Christ. His sudden appearance promises salvation and the hope that the horrors of destruction will be lifted, and the people will have enough strength to overcome everything in the revived Russia. It seems that harmony will soon be revived from chaos. For the sake of a happy life, the twelve Red Guard apostles are ready to kill and die themselves.

Disappointment in the changes

Alexander Blok's revolution can be compared to an element that, although it cleans the world, but does not yet have the capacity for creation. The old one is destroyed, but the new one, built on blood, is no better. Once Blok Alexander waited for the revolution, believed in it, said: "Those who are full of music will hear the sigh of the universal soul, if not today, then tomorrow"; Later, disillusioned with the changes that were taking place, he ceased to hear the "music of the revolution." It can be concluded that it is impossible to build anything new by destroying it - it is much better to preserve and improve what has been built up through the ages for centuries.