“Captive Knight” M. Lermontov

I sit silently under the window of the dungeon,
I can see the blue sky from here:
All the free birds are playing in the sky;
Looking at them, I feel both painful and ashamed.

There is no sinful prayer on my lips,
There is not a single song in praise of the dear:
I only remember ancient battles,
My sword is heavy and my armor is iron.

I am now chained in a stone shell,
The stone helmet is crushing my head,
My shield from arrows and swords is enchanted,
My horse runs, and no one controls it.

Fast time is my unchanging horse,
The helmet visor is a lattice loophole,
Stone shell - high walls,
My shield is the cast iron doors of the dungeon.

Rush faster, flying time!
I felt stuffy under the new armor!
Death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup, -
I tear up and pull the visor off my face.

Analysis of Lermontov's poem "The Captive Knight"

Despite his noble origin, Mikhail Lermontov felt truly free only in early childhood. However, from the age of 7, his life was subject to a strict routine, in which study alternated with the development of secular manners. As a teenager, Lermontov dreamed of becoming a great commander and being able to accomplish at least one feat worthy of mention in history. But very soon he realized that the time of real heroes was in the past, and even if he managed to conquer half of Europe, like Napoleon, no one would appreciate it.

Thus, Lermontov considered himself a hostage of time and social foundations, realizing that it was impossible to gain spiritual freedom in this case. In 1840, shortly before his death, the poet wrote the poem “The Captive Knight,” in which he revealed his thoughts and feelings, albeit in a veiled form.
Already from the first lines, it becomes clear that Lermontov identifies himself with the hero of this work - an emaciated knight who is forced to sit “under the prison window”, experiencing pain and shame. What causes such emotions? First of all, the lack of freedom. The poet describes his hero as an experienced warrior who is tired of inaction, but for some unknown reason is forced to be locked up, realizing that his shield is “the cast-iron doors of the dungeon,” his armor is “high walls,” and “fast time is my horse.” unaltered".

By drawing a similar analogy, Lermontov makes it clear that he feels exactly the same as a captive knight who would like to fulfill his life’s destiny, but is deprived of such an opportunity. At the same time, the author notes that “my horse runs, and no one rules it,” meaning by this his own life, which he considers aimless, worthless and useless to anyone. Lermontov considers death to be the only way out of this situation, and this character appears in the last lines of the poem “The Captive Knight.” Moreover, the poet perceives death as an ally who will “hold my stirrup” and help me get rid of the mental torment associated with the inability to realize my own dreams.

In the last months of his life, Mikhail Lermontov returned to the topic of life and death many times, each time noting that he would gladly give preference to the latter option. Nowadays, psychologists would call this behavior a midlife crisis, when a person looks back and realizes that he has nothing to leave to his descendants. However, it should be borne in mind that Lermontov was very self-critical, and considered his own works, which the whole world admires today, to be youthful fun, not worth attention. Perhaps, if his poems had been recognized in society, the poet’s fate would have been completely different, and he would have been able to understand that literature was his main purpose in life.

I sit silently under the window of the dungeon,
I can see the blue sky from here:
All the free birds are playing in the sky;
Looking at them, I feel both painful and ashamed.

There is no sinful prayer on my lips,
There is not a single song in praise of the dear:
I only remember ancient battles,
My sword is heavy and my armor is iron.

I am now chained in a stone shell,
The stone helmet is crushing my head,
My shield from arrows and swords is enchanted,
My horse runs, and no one controls it.

Fast time is my unchanging horse,
The helmet visor is a lattice loophole,
Stone shell - high walls,
My shield is the cast iron doors of the dungeon.

Rush faster, flying time!
I felt stuffy under the new armor!
Death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup, -
I tear up and pull the visor off my face.

Finding himself in prison this time, Lermontov did not feel guilty. The initiator of the duel was Barant. The quarrel involved women and politics. Lermontov was prejudiced against the French because of the death of Pushkin. Lermontov admitted in court that he shot to the side. Barant assured that the poet was aiming at him, but missed. Lermontov was demanded to apologize to Ernest Barant for his testimony in court, but he categorically refused, and even wrote to Beckendorf about this. All these events became the reason for the appearance of such a hopeless, sad poem. Analysis of the poem “The Captive Knight” helps to understand the poet’s state of mind at the moment when he created this work.

The history of the creation of the poem “The Captive Knight”

The poem "The Captive Knight" dates from 1840. It is known that when Lermontov was arrested for a duel with the Frenchman Barant, Belinsky visited him. The memory of this event was recorded by I.I. Panaev according to Vissarion Grigorievich, who came to him after meeting with the poet.

It can be assumed that Lermontov wrote the poem “The Captive Knight”, being impressed by his conversation with Belinsky. Or maybe, on the contrary, he started talking about the Scottish author of historical novels because at that moment he was creating a new poem about a captive knight. After all, as you know, the “little poetic” Walter Scott wrote fascinating chivalric novels.

Theme and idea of ​​the poem

While in the Ordinance House, Lermontov has the opportunity to work. The grandmother obtained permission for Lermontov to visit Shan-Girey. Tom was not allowed to bring his sword into the cell. Shan-Girey does not write about any other prohibitions in his memoirs. According to his testimony, the play “The Neighbor” was written while in captivity, which in its theme has something in common with “The Captive Knight”. The lyrical hero is a captive knight. The theme of the poem is the feelings and thoughts of the captive. In the poem “The Captive Knight,” Lermontov positions himself with the hero of the poem. The main idea, of course, is freedom. The work is written in the genre of lyric-epic poem.

Composition, verse construction

In composition, it is a one-part poem that expresses the thoughts of a prisoner behind bars. The prisoner sits by the window and looks at the sky in which free birds play. This is the only corner of nature accessible to him. Free birds are contrasted with the captive. The prisoner-Lermontov remembers the horse, the battles in which he managed to take part during his first exile to the Caucasus, but he conveys his thoughts to the prisoner knight. How else can he express his feelings without offending the loyal feelings of his readers? Only by changing the time and place of what is happening.

In form, the poem consists of five quatrains, written in the meter of a tetrameter dactyl, giving the poem lingering, and conveying the hopelessness and despondency of the captive. The rhyming pattern in the work is cross, all rhymes are feminine.

Means of artistic expression

Means of artistic expression help the reader to feel the mental state of the hero, who is depressed by captivity.

Noteworthy is the fact that when Lermontov talks about freedom, he calls a spade a spade: the blue sky, free birds, a heavy sword, an iron shell. As soon as he starts talking about imprisonment, metaphors appear (sinful prayer, stone shell). And an entire stanza is built on allegories.

Sections: Literature

Class: 8

The purpose of the lesson.

1. Teach the ability to compare poetic texts, find common motifs and images.
2. Continue working on the ability to determine poetic meter, find means of expression, and explain their function in understanding the idea of ​​a lyrical work.
3. Teaching expressive reading of poetry.

Dictionary. Motif, antithesis, composition of the poem, rhythmic organization of the poem, lyrical hero, artistic space of the lyrical work.

Equipment. Multimedia complex. Presentation for the lesson. (see Attachment)

During the classes

Teacher's word. Today we continue the conversation about the work of M.Yu. Lermontov. Remember what is characteristic of the poet’s worldview, what are the main motives of his lyrics. (Loneliness, thirst for freedom).

(see Appendix. Slide No. 1) For the first time, we have to compare two poems by different poets: “The Prisoner” by Pushkin and “The Captive Knight” by Lermontov. Write down the topic of the lesson in your notebook.

The main content of the lesson. Introduction to Lermontov's poem “The Captive Knight”.

I. Expressive reading by the teacher(or by a trained student) of the poem “The Captive Knight”.

I sit silently under the window of the dungeon;
I can see the blue sky from here:
All the free birds are playing in the sky;
Looking at them, I feel both painful and ashamed.
There is no sinful prayer on my lips,
There is not a single song in praise of the dear:
I only remember ancient battles,
My sword is heavy and my armor is iron.
I am now chained in a stone shell,
The stone helmet is crushing my head,
My shield from arrows and swords is enchanted,
My horse runs, and no one controls it.
Fast time is my unchanging horse,
The helmet visor is a lattice loophole,
Stone shell - high walls,
My shield is the cast iron doors of the dungeon.
Rush faster, flying time!
I felt stuffy under the new armor!
Death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup;
I tear up and pull the visor off my face.

II. Identification of primary perception.

• Who is the lyrical hero of this poem? (Knight).
• What did you learn about the lyrical hero of the poem? Who imprisoned the knight? (He is in prison, but the poet does not say who put him there and why, because the main thing in this poem is the expression of the suffering of the soul from the inconsistency of reality with ideals).
• Does he take any active actions or is he passively immersed in sorrowful thoughts? (The captive knight is immersed in sorrowful thoughts, he recalls “ancient battles”).

III. Expressive reading by heart of Pushkin’s poem “The Prisoner”.

I'm sitting behind bars in a damp dungeon.
A young eagle raised in captivity,
My sad comrade, flapping his wing,
Bloody food is pecked outside the window,
He pecks and throws and looks out the window,
It’s as if he had the same idea with me;
He calls me with his gaze and his cry
And he wants to say: “Let’s fly away!”
We are free birds; it's time, brother, it's time!
There, where the mountain turns white behind the clouds,
To where the sea edges turn blue,
Where we walk only the wind... yes I!..”

IV. Conversation on issues.

• What brings these two works together? (General motive of captivity, prisonerhood).
• Can we say that the comparison of these two poems is dictated by common motives, and not by our whim?

Teacher's word. We have to compare two poems by different authors. The task of comparative analysis is not to find the sum of similar and different features, but to identify the essential features inherent in the work of a particular poet. Therefore, it is important not only to name some feature, but also to show what functions it performs in the compared works of poets, what important features of their worldview it embodies. During the lesson we will have to answer the following questions: (see Appendix. Slide No. 2)

• Is it a coincidence that Lermontov’s poem is compared with Pushkin’s work?
• Why did poets develop the same motif in different ways in their works?
• What essential features characteristic of the poetry of Pushkin and Lermontov appeared in these poems?

(see Appendix. Slide No. 3) At the same time, we will master such concepts as motive, antithesis, composition of a poem, rhythmic organization of a poem, lyrical hero, artistic space of a lyrical work. Write these concepts down in your notebook.

V. Comparative analysis of poems by Pushkin and Lermontov.

1. General.(Write in notebook). Establish the common and distinctive features of these poems based on the text. (see Appendix. Slides No. 4, 5)

• Title (“Prisoner”, “Captive Knight”)
• Location (dungeon)
• Characters (eagle, horse)
• Lyrical hero (prisoner, captive knight)
• Appeal (brother, flying time)
• Contrast between prison and freedom (dungeon - sky, mountains, sea edges; prison - blue sky)

Question. Try, based on the data obtained, to show what brings these two works together, and what is the main difference in the poets’ solution to the theme of “captivity” - one of the main motifs of world literature. (The lyrical hero of Pushkin’s poem is not as lonely as the hero of Lermontov’s poem: next to him is an eagle - a proud, free bird. Moreover, freedom is an innate quality of an eagle, because it is “fed in captivity.” And for the lyrical hero - a “prisoner” - an eagle becomes a “brother”). Remember in which work we studied we encountered this theme? (L.N. Tolstoy “Prisoner of the Caucasus”). The same motif is also characteristic of such works that we have yet to read, such as “Prisoner of the Caucasus” by A.S. Pushkin, “Mtsyri” M.Yu. Lermontov.

2. Compositional structure.(see Appendix. Slide No. 6)

• In what form are these poems written? (The poem “The Captive Knight” is a monologue, and Pushkin’s poem has the features of a dialogue).
• Describe the conflict between the lyrical hero and the world in these works? (Conflict of will and captivity, freedom and imprisonment).
• How is it transmitted? (In these poems, images are contrasted: blue sky - prison; sky - earth. This stylistic device is called antithesis). (see Appendix. Slide No. 7)
• Let's try to figure out how the theme “earth (dungeon) - will” develops in these poems.
• In which poem is the sky inaccessible to the lyrical hero (“The Captive Knight”), and in which is it presented to man as an opportunity, the implementation of which depends entirely on his freedom-loving impulse? ("Prisoner").
• How does this manifest itself in the depiction of birds? (“Prisoner”: “We are free birds...”; birds are perceived by the lyrical hero as kindred spirits. “Prisoner Knight”: “All the free birds are playing in the sky; looking at them, I feel pain and shame.” Birds present a contrasting plan to the lyrical hero. The unexpected note that appears in the first stanza: the knight is not only in pain, but also ashamed to be in prison - immediately turns the emerging comparison with Pushkin’s “Prisoner” into a contrast. Therefore, the lyrical hero sees liberation only in death. There is no such motif in Pushkin’s poem).
• In which poem is the lyrical hero in the present tense and his desire to break free can be realized right now? (“Prisoner”: I sit, peck, throw, look, call, want to say something).
• In which poem is the present shown as a meaningless vegetation, everything heroic remains in the past, and the future promises only death? (“Captive knight”: “there is no… sinful prayer”, “I remember… ancient battles”; “I am now chained in a stone shell…”; “death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup…”).
• In which work is the following compositional scheme implemented: “it was, is not and will not be” (“Captive Knight”), and in which “is not, but will be” (“Prisoner”)? (see Appendix. Slide No. 8)
• How do both poems end? (Reading the last stanzas of poems).
• What state in the minds of the lyrical heroes, who have been languishing in prison for a long time, do the appeals express? (“P.r.”: “flying time”; “U.”: “brother”).
• What conclusions do these observations lead to? (The lyrical hero of Pushkin’s poem believes in future deliverance, but sees it in the midst of the natural world, in which there is no man. Lermontov’s hero sees his deliverance in death; he enters into a completely different relationship with the world: time is a horse, death is a stirrup. And only Having escaped from the captivity of an alien life, the knight can finally “pull off the visor” and reveal his true face. That’s why he hurries “flying time”).

3. Rhythmic organization of poems.(see Appendix. Slide No. 9)

• Let's determine the rhyming method and size of the poems. How do we do this? (Underline all vowels in the first line; put stress; draw a conclusion about the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables). (see Appendix. Slides 10, 11, 12)
• Let's think about how the rhythmic organization of a verse helps us understand its role in creating an artistic image. Match the number of syllables and feet in these verses. What common? (Total number of syllables and feet).
• How does the meter of a verse affect the expression of the overall mood of a lyric work? (The use of three-syllable meters - dactyl and anapest - especially when the number of feet increases (up to four) often expresses despondency, deep and difficult feelings).
• Read the first lines of the poem aloud. Pay attention to the number of pauses - caesuras. Which poem requires a pause after each word? (“Captive Knight”). In which poem should you pause in the middle of the verse? ("Prisoner")
• Pay attention to where the stress is in the rhyming lines. Which poem uses masculine rhyme? ("Prisoner"). Which one is it for women? (“Captive Knight”). Which rhyme lengthens a verse, gives it protractedness, and which rhyme makes it energetic, clear, complete?
• In which work does the author use many words with the sonorant consonant r? What intonation does this give to the poems? (“Prisoner” - energy, cheerfulness). Which poem has a lot of words with sibilant consonants? Why? (“Captive knight” - tragedy, hopelessness). Using the necessary words and expressions from the set, try to answer in writing the question “How do I see the lyrical hero in these poems?”, based only on the intonation of the poems. (see Appendix. Slide No. 13)
• Do the elements of poetics we have considered help create the image of a lyrical hero in our perception, or is it just a set of signs that exist regardless of the meaning of the poem? (The rhythmic organization of the poems helps to better understand the mood of the lyrical hero: life-affirming pathos in Pushkin’s poem and despondency, hopelessness in Lermontov’s poem).

4. Lexico-morphological expressiveness of words.(see Appendix. Slide No. 14)

• Pay attention to the pronouns in the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov. What conclusions did this observation lead to? How does the use of pronouns help poets show: in one poem - the loneliness of the lyrical hero, and in another - abandonment? (Pushkin uses personal and possessive pronouns of the 1st person “my”, “with me”, “me” and, finally, “we”. In Lermontov, along with personal pronouns “I”, “me” and possessive “my”, “my” ” the negative pronoun “nobody” also appears).
• Which poem has a lot of active verbs, and which one has a lot of words showing the hero’s passivity and powerlessness? (“Prisoner” - pecks, throws, looks, calls; “Captive knight” - chained, bewitched, presses, does not rule, I feel stuffy...)
• How do the morphological features of the words used help poets draw a portrait of a lyrical hero? (The lyrical hero of the poem “The Prisoner” is filled with a thirst for freedom, active action, faith in deliverance, and the hero of the poem “The Captive Knight” is passive, he is from ancient, knightly times, modern life itself is cramped for such a hero, he is suffocating in it).
• What image in the poem “The Captive Knight” is created by the relative adjectives stone, iron? (see Appendix. Slide No. 15)
• Which lexical connotation becomes the main one: the strength of knightly armor; the weight of a gravestone from under which a person cannot get out; the inviolability of the knightly code of honor; the fragility of any material before the cold breath of eternity.

5. Art space.(see Appendix. Slide No. 16)

• Where is the lyrical hero in these poems? (In the dungeon).
• Where are the gaze of the prisoner and the captured knight? (Into the sky).
• What space is opposed to Pushkin’s “damp prison”? (Mountains, sea edges, sky).
• What takes up more space in the plot of the poem – the dungeon or the “blue sky”? (Of course, heaven).
• How does Pushkin’s poem “The Prisoner” end, why does the author use the verb we walk in the present tense and not in the future? (True will is in the soul of a person, and no dungeons can stop a person in his thirst for freedom).
• Where did the lyrical hero end up with his “brother” at the end of the poem? (At liberty).
• What space is opposed to the dungeon in Lermontov's poem? (Also the sky).
• What takes up more space in the poem - a description of a country with “blue skies” or a description of a prison? (Description of the “dungeon”).
• Is a captive knight able to rise into the “blue sky” together with free birds? Why? (No, I am incapable, because “I am now chained in a stone shell”).
• Pay attention to the adjectives stone, iron. What image do they create associated with death? (Image of a crypt, a grave from which it is impossible to get out.)
• In what poem is a small, damp dungeon opposed to a huge, boundless world of freedom? ("Prisoner").
• And in what poem does the whole world turn out to be a prison, and the land of freedom is barely visible from a tiny window? (“Captive Knight”).
• How does artistic space help authors create the image of a lyrical hero? (The artistic space of the works allows us to more deeply comprehend their main idea: the possibility of freedom and faith in its acquisition in Pushkin’s poem and the hopelessness of these expectations in Lermontov’s poem).

Conclusion. We have completed our work. Let's go back to the questions we asked at the beginning of the lesson. (see Appendix. Slide No. 17)

• Is it a coincidence that Lermontov’s poem is compared with Pushkin’s work? (No, not by chance. Both poems are united by the common motif of “captivity,” but each poet solves them differently).

• Why did poets develop the same motif in different ways in their works? (This reflected the difference in the poets’ worldview: the life-affirming pathos of Pushkin’s poem and the feeling of eternal captivity of the soul in Lermontov’s poem).
• What essential features characteristic of the poetry of Pushkin and Lermontov appeared in these poems? (Pushkin’s poetry, despite many tragic motives, is filled with life-affirming pathos and faith in life. Lermontov’s poetry reflects the main thing in the poet’s worldview: the tragedy of life, the understanding that freedom is possible only beyond the boundaries of earthly existence).

Perhaps it seemed to you that we “dug” into every word with unnecessary meticulousness in order to formulate conclusions that a person can come to as a result of a quick reading. It was important for us to show the inexhaustibility of artistic meaning, since every element of the artistic system becomes significant, from the name to punctuation marks. In addition, we have shown that the purpose of analyzing a poetic work is a deeper comprehension of the meaning. Therefore, we not only isolated individual elements in poetry, but tried to find out these functions in creating the image of a lyrical hero, because the main thing in working with a poetic work is not to find the means of expression used by the authors, but to identify the connection between these elements with a poetic idea.

What do we see? Both the composition, the vocabulary, and the rhythmic organization in one poem show the unquenchable faith of the lyrical hero in the proximity of the desired freedom, and in the other - tragic hopelessness.

Homework. Learn the poem “The Captive Knight” by heart.

You need to read the poem “The Captive Knight” by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, which he wrote while he was under arrest because of a duel, as one of the works related to his mature lyrics. Its main motive is prisonerhood; it was raised before in “The Neighbor” and “The Prisoner”. The poet conveys his worldview, tied to loneliness - he is in conflict with the world and therefore feels like a prisoner. When studying this poem in a literature lesson in class, you should also know that it was written according to the canons of a knightly ballad, in particular, it does not have a developing plot, only the main image.

At its core, the text of Lermontov’s poem “The Captive Knight” is a monologue of the lyrical hero, in which he expresses his thoughts about the conflict between the individual and society. At the same time, he does not try to change anything, but passively suffers because of his wounded pride. It is entirely worth learning this work of five stanzas in order to feel the tragedy and hopelessness of the situation in which the knight found himself. And after reading it online, you can trace the circularity of the composition, which demonstrates the completeness of the author’s idea, putting his own thoughts into the mouth of the lyrical hero.

I sit silently under the window of the dungeon,
I can see the blue sky from here:
All the free birds are playing in the sky;
Looking at them, I feel both painful and ashamed.

There is no sinful prayer on my lips,
There is not a single song in praise of the dear:
I only remember ancient battles,
My sword is heavy and my armor is iron.

I am now chained in a stone shell,
The stone helmet is crushing my head,
My shield from arrows and swords is enchanted,
My horse runs, and no one controls it.

Fast time is my unchanging horse,
The helmet visor is a lattice loophole,
Stone shell - high walls,
My shield is the cast iron doors of the dungeon.

Rush faster, flying time!
I felt stuffy under the new armor!
Death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup, -
I tear up and pull the visor off my face.

March or April 1840?

I sit silently under the window of the dungeon,
I can see the blue sky from here:
All the free birds are playing in the sky;
Looking at them, I feel both painful and ashamed.

There is no sinful prayer on my lips,
There is not a single song in praise of the dear:
I only remember ancient battles,
My sword is heavy and my armor is iron.

I am now chained in a stone shell,
The stone helmet is crushing my head,
My shield from arrows and swords is enchanted,
My horse runs, and no one controls it.

Fast time is my unchanging horse,
The helmet visor is a lattice loophole,
Stone shell - high walls,
My shield is the cast iron doors of the dungeon.

Rush faster, flying time!
I felt stuffy under the new armor!
Death, when we arrive, will hold my stirrup, -
I tear up and pull the visor off my face.

Analysis of the poem “The Captive Knight” by Lermontov

The poem “The Captive Knight” (1840) was written by Lermontov while he was under arrest for a duel with the son of the French ambassador de Barent. It fully reflects the poet’s mood in the last years of his life.

In the late period of his creativity, Lermontov became increasingly overcome by despair from a feeling of incredible loneliness. The misunderstanding and indifference of society painfully wound the soul of the poet. According to contemporaries, Lermontov strove for his death. The duel and subsequent imprisonment further embittered him against the surrounding society.

The author has not felt absolutely free for a long time. Physical captivity plunged him into a state of extreme pessimism. The lyrical hero watches the “free birds” through the window, experiencing pain and shame. He does not blame anyone for anything and does not ask for forgiveness. Loneliness is emphasized by the fact that the hero does not even have a beloved woman in whose glory he could compose a song. From his entire life, he remembers only “ancient battles”, symbolizing Lermontov’s literary struggle for the highest ideals of goodness and justice.

Once upon a time, the lyrical hero felt like a mighty knight on a war horse in full armor. Even in captivity, he remains a real warrior, but his appearance has changed radically. Characterizing his current state, the poet uses very successful comparisons: “stone shell - high walls”, “visor - lattice loopholes”, “shield ... - cast iron doors”, and a zealous horse - “fast time”.

The lyrical hero calls on the new horse to speed up his run. The "new armor" makes it difficult for him to breathe. The author has a presentiment that at the end of the journey only death will await him. But he is not afraid to meet her. This meeting will finally allow the “captive knight” to free himself from his armor and gain true freedom. This sad conclusion contains Lermontov’s deep thought about the impossibility of achieving spiritual freedom in the material world. The poet believes that physical captivity, in essence, does not matter much. A person suffers all his life from heavy armor, symbolizing human prejudices, public opinion, his own doubts, etc. It is impossible to get out of this battle. All that remains is to spur your horse (time) and prepare for the desired death. This philosophical position is extremely pessimistic, but not without appeal.

The work “The Captive Knight” can be attributed to a number of prophetic poems by Lermontov, in which he predicts his imminent death. The poet wrote this poem a year before his death in another duel.