Fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale": the triumph of ignorance

An unfair situation, when an ignoramus is taken to judge things, his mind and the taste of uncontrollable ones, meets upsetting often. This is the fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale" by Ivan Krylov.

Conflict

Contemporaries said that inspired the poet to create a work of chance from his life. A high-ranking grandee, after listening to the artistic performance of Krylov's fables, praised the writer, but chided him for not taking an example from another author (who wrote much weaker than Krylov). Spitting out his insult in the fable, Ivan Andreevich nevertheless managed to create an illustration of the typical disagreement between an indisputably talented creator and an ignorant but self-assured critic. Conflict is doomed to be eternal. His multiple projection into our life happened with the onset of times when "the cook began to rule the state." Creators who have experienced moments of agonizing perplexity, when influential persons patted them on the shoulder patronizingly, saying frank stupidity about their works, it is gratifying to see the allegorical image of this collision as the fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale".

Artistic means

The author generously uses literary techniques for depicting characters, the style of speech of heroes, a description of the absurdity of the situation. First of all, the opposition comes into play. Donkey, the personification of stubbornness and stupidity, contrasts with Nightingale - a symbol of inspiration and poetry. Rough speech Donkey immediately reveals his uncouth and ambitious nature. He speaks to the Nightingale in a simple way: friend, workman ... The donkey heard about the charming singing of the Nightingale, but doubts: "... is it really great ... skill?" The Nightingale's answer - heavenly singing - brings everything around in delight. The noun "skill" used by the Donkey is opposed to the art that was revealed by the Nightingale. The author suggests a cascade of mutually reinforcing verbs, conveying a unique beautiful trill: "clicked", "whistled", "poured", "pulled", "tenderly weakened", "poured out", "fell apart". The fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale" paints the complete harmony that arises in nature and in the souls of people from the song of the Nightingale. No wonder the author here uses a high vocabulary: the favorite of the goddess of the dawn dawn was listening, it was quiet, herds lay down. The pastoral motive is felt. The narration reaches its culmination, when the shepherd listens to Nightingale "breathing a little". As soon as the song ceases, the Donkey throws down his heavy assessment: "Fairly!" Krylov multiplies the satirical effect by describing how the "thoughtful" critic reacts to the quivering art of the singer: "stupidly staring at the ground with his forehead." He can only listen to Nightingale "without boredom." And of course, he thinks himself a great connoisseur, so he believes that his duty is to teach. The donkey is important notices, inserting here a common word "pricked up" that the Nightingale would sing better if the cock had "learned a little". The moral of the fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale" is expressed in a short and capacious phrase: "Spare, God, and us from such judges". And in fact, a false donkey authority is a big obstacle to the art, designed to ennoble life.

Krylov's fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale" in notes

The plot of Krylov's narrative inspired Russian composers to create works of the same name on this theme. Dmitry Shostakovich in the composition "Two Fables of I. Krylov" with extraordinary expression conveyed in a melodic language the clash of the life positions of the characters. Very expressive and romance Rimsky-Korsakov in the words of the popular fable.

Incompetence, stagnation, lack of tact, incapacity for subtle spiritual impulses - these are the qualities that the fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale" derides, or rather its author is a brilliant publicist, poet and translator Ivan Andreevich Krylov.