The role of lyrical digressions in the novel "Eugene Onegin" by Pushkin

The role of lyrical digressions in the novel "Eugene Onegin" is so high, and the information contained in them is so comprehensive that the largest literary critic VG Belinsky compared this brilliant work about Russian life with an encyclopedia. In addition, he also considered this work a historical novel, a folk and most lyrical of all creations of the genius of Russian literature. Indeed, the lyrical digressions in the novel "Eugene Onegin" are full of reflections and the author's calculations about human relationships, about the historical path of Russia, about poetic creativity, and about many other things.

Historical evidence of the era

In "Eugene Onegin" reflected all the events of Russian life of the first third of the century before last. AS Pushkin worked on his work from 1823 to 1931, and the novel describes the events that occurred from 1819 to 1925. Who is not familiar with this greatest masterpiece of world literature, who does not know the plot and heroes on the teeth? Quotations from the novel entered the everyday language. The charm of this work was added and the brilliant music of PI Tchaikovsky from the opera of the same name. The popularity of Lensky's romance in front of a duel can not be said. And every Russian knows the famous lines dedicated to Moscow. Therefore, the great literary critic called this work popular - it is not written for a narrow circle of aesthetes.

Retreats - source of information

But the famous novel in verse was made not by a simple love story, so beautifully described by the author, namely lyrical digressions. In the novel "Eugene Onegin" nine chapters. Many residents of the CIS countries of the older generation knew by heart the beginnings of almost every chapter, and the first to know the whole was generally considered something remarkable. And already in it the reader encounters the first non-contractual elements of the work. This is also the memories of his love for Maria Volkonskaya, whose family he was friends with while in exile in Odessa, and the arguments about the Russian ballet, his repertoire, the talent of Avdotya Istomina, the theatrical mores, the public. Alexander Sergeevich names the names of all the major representatives of literature and art of that time.

In the first chapter, AS Pushkin tells about the life and mores of St. Petersburg, the high society of the capital, to which belonged the young handsome Eugene Onegin. The role of lyrical digressions in the novel is difficult to overestimate. In all there are 27 and slightly less than 50 lyrical inserts. It was in them that a section of the society of that time was given - it is told in detail how people from all classes were dressed, who ate, what they were talking about, whether they were reading or not reading at all. The first chapter is fully devoted to the protagonist, tells about who was the father, how he squandered the state, what education Onegin received, with what ecstasy he entered the world and how after a while the morals and way of life of the representatives of high society turned against the hero of the work. Along with the plot line, there are enough deviations in which Pushkin expresses his attitude to everything that a young nobleman encounters. The role of lyrical digressions in the novel "Eugene Onegin" was highly esteemed as the poet's contemporaries, recognizing himself in himself, and all subsequent generations grateful to the author for such valuable information.

Historical canvas

Why does Vissarion Belinsky characterize the novel as historical if it lacks historical personalities and events? Because it is in the digressions that Pushkin paints a picture of the life of the country, which won the united army of Europe under the leadership of Napoleon, with bright and accurate colors. The author deals with absolutely all topics, including the economy - he talks about serfdom and taxation of peasants. This is interesting, because the action of the novel ends with the year of the December uprising. The role of lyrical digressions in the novel "Eugene Onegin" is also highly appreciated, including because small details are emerging from them, forming a general picture of feudal Russia. Even the kindest rural landowner, Tatyana Larina's mother, forced the girls who clean strawberries to sing songs so that they could not eat a single berry. And Eugene Onegin, who is sympathetically approached by the author, upon his arrival in the village, replaced excessive taxes with a light dibs. Someone from the researchers of the novel even suggested that later the main character would become a Decembrist.

Favorite heroine

All the sympathies of the author on the side of the main character. If the enthusiastic Lensky and even Onegin, with whom Pushkin was a friend, he describes with mild irony, then "sweet" Tatiana in the novel are given only warm or enthusiastic lines. It is with her that these lyrical digressions are connected in A. Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin", which are devoted to Russian nature. The author draws an analogy between the simple and direct character of the main character and Pushkin's beloved at any time of the year Russian nature. He says that Tatiana loves winter, and then there is a beautiful sketch of a winter day, village boys, riding on a hill, trees in the snow, bright sun. All this is written in such an amazing language that the picture just comes to life, and it seems, is about to smell frost. A deep connoisseur of life, a subtle observer, the author believed that a Russian person is inextricably and harmoniously connected with nature, which is given a lot of space in the work.

The author is one of the heroes of the novel

The reader meets the reasoning on the subject throughout the whole masterpiece, the name of which is "Eugene Onegin". The role of lyrical digressions in the novel is also significant in that Pushkin, when he talks about something, shares his views on this subject or phenomenon with the reader, expresses his point of view. It should be noted that the author's conversation with the reader takes place in a casual manner, and the work is written in an amazing language that is close and understandable to the people of the 21st century, and therefore is read easily and freely. Gradually, thanks to digressions, the author becomes one of the protagonists of the work. We are faced with the image of a man of erudite, wise and infinitely loving Russia.

Great converter

It should be noted that this work was both innovative and unique in its way - and this is the great role of lyrical digressions. In the novel "Eugene Onegin" everything that does not concern the storyline, all the information about manners, feelings, relationships of people, the destiny of the people - everything that makes this genius creation unique, all this information is contained in digressions. Pushkin himself spoke of a "diabolical difference" between the great literary forms written in verse and prose. But in order to read the novel in verse with such ease, the story of this, great love unfolded so smoothly, so grabbed the reader, and yet there was such an informative component for everything - there was nothing like this before or after this work. An ingenious, incomparable creature stands apart. In connection with the foregoing, it is necessary to recognize the enormous role of lyrical digressions in the novel "Eugene Onegin". Pushkin AS was a great reformer of literary forms, a talented translator of the Russian language. And in the described work this topic is given enough space. Pushkin even sneers at the difficulties of spelling, saying that both beautiful lips can not be imagined without a smile, and the Russian language without spelling mistakes. The author of "Eugene Onegin" made the literary language folk. The digressions in this novel occupy the largest place and give it a philosophical depth. Their range is so vast that even in the 21st century the validity of VG Belinsky's words about the encyclopedic nature of the work is understandable. Indeed, the digressions contain information about Russian life from A to Z.