Like a withered leaf will fall from the tree. To rulers and judges

History of creation. Derzhavin’s unusually courageous, decisive and independent character was evident in everything, including his poetic creativity. One of his poems almost caused expulsion and disgrace. It was an ode to “Lords and Judges” written in 1787, which the author called an “angry ode.”

Service in high government positions, including work as governor, convinced Derzhavin that Russian Empire Laws are constantly being broken. His fight against this phenomenon as a high-ranking civil servant was unsuccessful: he did not find support either in society or in the government. Lawbreakers successfully avoided deserved punishment. But at the same time, the poet firmly believed that Catherine herself was a virtuous monarch, surrounded by evil dignitaries. Indignation and anger needed an outlet. And then the poet decided to write an arrangement of the 81st Psalm - this is how biblical hymns addressed to God were called in ancient times. Their author is the Old Testament King David, whose works constitute one of the most poetic books Old Testament- Psalter.

The theme of this psalm turned out to be in tune with the spirit of the times. It is no coincidence that this 81st psalm was paraphrased by the Jacobins during the French Revolution in Paris, and the people sang it in the streets of the city, expressing indignation at King Louis XVI, who was subsequently executed.

Derzhavin made the first version of his transcription of Psalm 81 several years before its publication. He gave the poem to the St. Petersburg Bulletin. But the publishers, being frightened, cut it out from the already printed book of the magazine. In the new version, written five years later, the poet even strengthened the accusatory pathos of the poem. He managed to achieve its publication. Moreover, he removed former name- “Psalm 81” - and published the work under his own title “To Rulers and Judges”.

Main themes and ideas. The content of Derzhavin’s ode, based on the biblical text, is associated with modern poet life Russian state. It is here that he sees the violation of justice, the violation of laws, the oppression of the weak, the triumph of untruth and evil, the analogy of which he finds in the Old Testament history:

How long, rivers, how long will you be
Spare the unrighteous and evil?

The need to subordinate everyone to the single law of supreme truth and justice is affirmed by Derzhavin in this poem, as in many others;

Your duty is: to protect the laws,
Don't look at the faces of the strong,
Do not leave orphans and widows without help, without defense.
Your duty: to save the innocent from harm, to provide cover to the unfortunate;
To protect the powerless from the strong,
Free the poor from their shackles.

But in real life he sees the evasion of this supreme law by those in power, who must first of all monitor compliance with the laws:

They won't listen! They see - but they don’t know!
Covered with bribes of tow:
Atrocities shake the earth,
Untruth shakes the skies.

That is why the voice of the poet-accuser of the “unrighteous and evil” sounds so angry. He asserts the inevitability of punishment for those “evil” rulers who do not obey the highest law of truth and justice - this is the main idea and the main idea Derzhavin's ode:

And you will fall like this.
Like a withered leaf falling from the tree!
And you will die like this,
How your last slave will die!

It is not surprising that the ode to “Rulers and Judges” was perceived not only by the court circle, but even by the empress, who was usually favorable to Derzhavin, as a revolutionary proclamation. After all, it talks about the fact that unrighteous power cannot be durable; it will inevitably face the wrath of God and fall. The poet seeks to warn the empress about this, in whose virtue he continued to believe. Otherwise, such “rulers and judges,” as the author asserts in the final quatrain of the ode, will inevitably be replaced by those who will be guided by the ideals of goodness and justice:

Resurrect, God! God of the right!
And they heeded their prayer:
Come, judge, punish the evil ones
And be one king of the earth!

Artistic originality. An innovative poet, Derzhavin boldly goes to destroy the norms of classicism that were already familiar to his time and creates his own special poetic system, At the end of his life, Derzhavin, summing up the results of his work, writes “Explanations on Derzhavin’s works,” containing a kind of auto-commentary to the works, and ends the work with “Reflections on lyric poetry, or about an ode", where he sets out his theory of literature and the history of world lyric poetry, explains his creative method and style. It is here that he speaks in detail about those genre varieties of ode that appear in his work starting with “Felitsa”. If the poet classifies this work as a mixed ode, the author calls the poem “To Rulers and Judges” an angry ode. If we follow tradition, then it would have to be attributed to the genre of spiritual ode, which was well developed by that time in Russian literature - after all, it is based on biblical text. Moreover, in Derzhavin’s ode the vocabulary and many images really remind us of biblical poetry: in a host of them; covered with bribes of tow; listen to their prayers, etc. The solemn style of the ode is created not only due to the abundance of Slavicisms, but also with the help of special syntactic means: rhetorical exclamations, questions, appeals: “how long will you spare the unjust and evil?”; “Kings! I thought you gods were powerful..."; “Rise up God! Good God! In addition, the poet uses the technique of anaphora and syntactic repetitions: “Your duty is: to preserve the laws...”, “Your duty: to save the innocent from harm...”; “They don’t listen! They see and don’t know!”

All this gives the poem an oratorical sound, which helps the author to maximize the attention of readers and listeners. After all, of course, what we have before us is not so much a spiritual ode as, using the author’s definition, an “angry” ode, that is, one that is designed to express the bitterness of the author, who sees the depravity of his contemporary life, and to reflect the accusatory pathos of the poem, which should awaken in readers not only anger, but also the desire for cleansing and correction of vices.

The meaning of the work. We know that Derzhavin himself did not put into his work revolutionary meaning, he was a monarchist in his political convictions, but such a vividly and emotionally expressed protest against the “unrighteous and evil” began to be perceived by many as a political proclamation. The author of “Felitsa,” praising the “virtues” of the empress and sincerely believing in her wisdom and justice, in the ode “To Rulers and Judges” appeared in a completely new guise: he became an angry denouncer of the vices of rulers who trampled on law and morality, and thereby opened literature one of its most important trends. Subsequently, it received brilliant development in the works of Pushkin, Lermontov and many other remarkable Russian writers of subsequent decades. But for the contemporary reader, this work may also turn out to be close and understandable: after all, the vices of the unjust government, its desire to act in its own, and not the public, state interests, trampling laws and justice, unfortunately, remain relevant today.

G.R. Derzhavin. "To Rulers and Judges"

History of creation

From 1786 to 1788 Derzhavin served as governor in Tambov province. As in other services, here he showed active work, tried to change a lot in the existing orders of the edge. But he soon realizes that local nobles are hindering his transformation, and the ideals of education, duty and justice arouse open hostility from officials. He sees how the law is violated in high government positions, and the violators do not receive any punishment. He tries to restore order, but does not find like-minded people. It was at this time, in 1787, that he wrote the civil ode “To Rulers and Judges.”

As the basis for this work, Derzhavin took a previously written poem on a biblical theme, which was called “Psalm 81.”

Psalm - This biblical song addressed to god. The author of such songs is considered to be the Old Testament King David.

Derzhavin translated the ancient work into modern language, filled it with accusatory content and gave the poem a new title: “To Rulers and Judges.”

Main themes and ideas of the poem

Based on the biblical text, the author talks about modern life Russian state. In his home country Laws are violated with impunity, the weak are oppressed, injustice and evil triumph, and there is nowhere to look for justice. We can only trust in God, only he can restore order in the country. And if the Lord asks the rulers how they carry out the laws established by them?

The Almighty God has risen and judges

Earthly gods in their host;

How long, river, how long will you be

Spare the unrighteous and evil?

Your duty is: to protect the laws,

Don't look at the faces of the strong,

No help, no defense

Do not leave orphans and widows.

Your duty: to save the innocent from harm,

Give cover to the unlucky;

To protect the powerless from the strong,

Free the poor from their shackles.

They won't listen! They see - but they don’t know!

Covered with bribes of tow:

Atrocities shake the earth,

Untruth shakes the skies.

The poet angrily denounces the “unrighteous and evil.” The author reminds them that people endowed with power still remain people, and not omnipotent gods. Therefore, they should remember the highest punishment, how easily they violated the law of justice established by God himself. This is the main idea of the poem.

And you will fall like this.

Like a withered leaf falling from the tree!

And you will die like this,

How your last slave will die!

Of course, this work was perceived as a revolutionary proclamation. Indeed, in the last quatrain the poet calls for justice against the unjust government.

Resurrect, God! God of the right!

And they heeded their prayer:

Come, judge, punish the evil ones

And be one king of the earth!

The artistic originality of the poem

On the one hand, this the work can be classified as a spiritual ode, because it is based on the biblical text. The vocabulary and images of the poem indeed resemble a psalm, for example, the following words are used: in a host; they don’t listen; covered with bribes of tow; listen to their prayer. Author includes rhetorical exclamations, questions, requests:“How long will you have mercy on the unjust and evil?”; “Kings! I thought you gods were powerful..."; “Rise up God! Good God! Thanks to such techniques an oratorical sound is created that convinces readers that the poet is right.

On the other hand, this poem is aimed at awakening the reader’s consciousness, arousing a desire to correct vices, it is a kind of warning, instruction from the “rulers”.

What is the meaning of this ode? Of course, Derzhavin was not a revolutionary, he was a monarchist, and his poem did not intend to cause a rebellion in society. But the lack of justice in the country greatly outraged him. In the future, a similar theme will appear in the works of Pushkin, Lermontov and other poets.

Derzhavin in this ode acts as an innovator: he combines Old Slavonic vocabulary with commonly used words, speaks about power from the point of view of universal, moral ideals. The poet does not glorify the ruler, as should be the case in an ode to classicism, but exposes the vices of kings and nobles.

The poet Derzhavin wrote the poem “To Rulers and Judges” in 1780. At that time he worked as an official of the military department in the province and often encountered injustice towards ordinary people. This work is the cry of a desperate man, whose heart aches with compassion for the oppressed, the weak, the powerless. And at the same time, the author does not see any way out of this situation except the judgment of the Almighty God.

It should be noted that Derzhavin treated with great respect royal family, believing that all troubles come not from the ruler, but from those who are endowed with the power to judge and determine the fate of ordinary people.

It is to them that the author devotes angry lines on behalf of God himself. He lists their responsibilities - to administer a fair trial, protect the innocent, punish the guilty. But the “earthly gods” do not do this. They commit atrocities, their eyes are closed with bribes, and the iniquities they commit shake the earth and reach the heavens.

In the second part of the poem, the poet reminds all the wicked that the rich are as mortal as the poor, that they too will die in due time. Then they will face God's judgment, but people do not think about this and continue to do evil deeds. And the author himself does not see a way out of this situation; it seems completely hopeless to him. According to Derzhavin, only God is able to establish justice in Russia, ordinary people You can't deal with this. And the poet calls on God to come, punish all the guilty and rule over the whole earth.

The poem is accusatory in nature; the author himself called it an “angry ode.” Gabriel Derzhavin was one of the first poets who was not afraid to openly condemn the lawlessness and abuses of the authorities. In 1780, the poem was not published because censorship did not allow it to pass. Only 8 years later the work finally saw the light of day, and almost became the reason for the poet’s disgrace. The ode caused discontent and anger among those to whom it was dedicated. In those days, it was not customary to condemn those in power; this was the first attempt, but it was supported by poets of the next century, devoting their best works to this topic.

Analysis of the poem to the Rulers and Judges of Derzhavin

Gavriil Derzhavin wrote the ode “To Rulers and Judges” in 1787. Being statesman, he wrote, he was able to feel for himself all the injustice and anger of that society. Derzhavin’s independent struggle against violations of the law and the suppression of criminal activities of the upper strata of society did not bear any fruit. Then the poet decided to write an ode on the theme of Psalm 81.

Its whole essence was turning to God through righteous chants.

The poet's first work on this topic was never published due to editors who did not allow the release of Derzhavin's psalm. The publishing house of the St. Petersburg Bulletin considered the ode too pretentious and angry.

However, Gavriil Derzhavin achieved publication of his revised verse five years later. Having changed the title to “To Rulers and Judges”, the poet’s new creation is published.

The writer finds his thoughts and feelings in biblical tales, which he exalts into the poem in a revised form. Injustice, anger, human vices, oppression of the weak, anger, power and violation of laws - all these themes are absorbed in the ode to “Rulers and Judges”.

Derzhavin lashes out in an angry tirade about non-compliance with these laws in real life. These lines of the poem reveal all the injustice towards the weak and their oppression.

But according to the writer, punishment for rulers for injustice and neglect of their duties is inevitable:

And you will fall like this.
Like a withered leaf falling from the tree!

This passage of the poem is literally saturated with Derzhavin’s anger towards people in power who turn a blind eye to all violations of the laws and encourage them.

In the last lines of the ode, the writer shows his faith in justice and a bright future, based on which we can say that good will definitely defeat evil and injustice.

The main theme that Gabriel Derzhavin raises in his poem “To Rulers and Judges” remains significant to this day. “Evil” rulers, whose actions are filled with anger, injustice and vices, remain one of the main problems of society at all times. But according to the writer, the day will definitely come when justice will triumph and defeat evil.

Analysis of the poem to Rulers and judges according to plan

Analysis of Pushkin's poem Autumn

This work was created in 1833. It is considered one of the most difficult to express in number. huge amount poem by A. S. Pushkin. This was the peak of his creativity, since it was already the second Boldino autumn season

Derzhavin. To rulers and judges

The Almighty God has risen and judges
Earthly gods in their host;
How long, rivers, how long will you be
Spare the unrighteous and evil?

Your duty is: to preserve the laws,
Don't look at the faces of the strong,
No help, no defense
Do not leave orphans and widows.

Your duty: to save the innocent from harm,
Give cover to the unlucky;
To protect the powerless from the strong,
Free the poor from their shackles.

They won't listen! they see - but don’t know!
Covered with bribes of tow:
Atrocities shake the earth,
Untruth shakes the skies.

Kings! I thought you gods were powerful,
No one is your judge
But you, like me, are passionate,
And they are just as mortal as I am.

And you will fall like this,
Like a withered leaf falling from the tree!
And you will die like this,
How your last slave will die!

Resurrect, God! God of the right!
And they heeded their prayer:
Come, judge, punish the evil ones,
And be one king of the earth!

Derzhavin’s ode to Rulers and Judges (see its summary and analysis) had three editions. The first did not satisfy the poet. The second ode was published in St. Petersburg. Vestnik,” however, the issue of the magazine that opened with the ode was suspended, and the sheet on which the ode had previously been reprinted. The ode truly came to the reader only in 1787, when it was published in its final edition in the magazine “Mirror of Light” under the title “Ode. Extracted from Psalm 81." In 1795, trying to ask permission to publish a collection of his works, Derzhavin presented Catherine II with a handwritten copy of the first part, where he included this ode. However, what went unnoticed in 1787, in 1795, after the Great French Revolution, the execution of King Louis XVI, etc., gave the impression of a bomb exploding. Then there was a rumor that the 81st Psalm was used by the Jacobin revolutionaries against the king.

When Derzhavin now appeared at court, the nobles avoided him and simply “ran” from him. The poet immediately wrote an explanatory note - “Anecdote”, in which he “clearly proved” that the author of the psalm “King David was not a Jacobin”, and sent it to the most influential persons at court. After that, everything “just disappeared: everyone treated him as if nothing had happened.” Despite this, Derzhavin did not receive permission to publish his works, and the manuscript was given to Prince Zubov, who kept it until the death of Catherine II. In the 1798 edition, the ode was crossed out by censorship, and in the final edition it appeared under the title “To Rulers and Judges” only in Volume I of the 1808 edition.

It is possible that the immediate external impetus for writing the ode was next case, described by the poet himself: “In 1779, the Senate was rebuilt under the supervision of him [Derzhavin], and especially the hall general meeting, decorated... with stucco bas-reliefs..., among other figures, Truth was depicted naked by the sculptor Rashet, and that bas-relief stood in front of the senators present at the table; then when that hall was made and the Prosecutor General Prince Vyazemsky examined it, then, seeing the naked Truth, he said to the executor: “Tell her, brother, to cover her up a little.” And truly, from then on they began to hide the truth more and more in the government.”

The accusatory ode to “Rulers and Judges” is one of the most important works in Derzhavin’s work, which in an expressive and emotional manner draws public attention to the problem of corruption of officials. Can be used brief analysis“To Rulers and Judges” according to the plan for a literature lesson in the 9th grade and so that schoolchildren understand not only the meaning of the poem, but also the situation in Russia in the 18th century.

Brief Analysis

History of creation– Gabriel Romanovich wrote his work in 1870 and with great difficulty achieved its publication in the popular newspaper of that time – “St. Petersburg Bulletin”.

Composition– the poem is a complete story, not divided into specific parts, the theme develops sequentially.

Theme of the poem- the need to live according to the laws of universal human virtue, of which Derzhavin is trying to convince people in power.

Genre- an ode, but an angry and accusatory ode, for its time - almost revolutionary.

Poetic size– iambic using cross rhyme.

Epithets – “the last slave”, “withered leaf”, “earthly gods”.

Comparisons – “like a withered leaf will fall from the tree”, “you will die like your last slave will die”.

History of creation

The poem is a sick translation of one of the psalms, which Derzhavin supplemented with his own indignation at those in power. It was written in 1870 and, after great effort on the part of the poet, it was finally published - in the newspaper “St. Petersburg Bulletin”.

Derzhavin was not only a poet, but also a statesman who held quite high positions for many years. And such activity showed him all the shortcomings of the management system in the Russian Empire - and there were many of them. Over the years of his service, Gabriel Romanovich became firmly established in the idea that the system needed fundamental changes - this idea was expressed by him in the poem “To Rulers and Judges.” Thus, the history of the creation of this ode is closely connected with historical and political realities his time.

Despite the fact that Derzhavin was a convinced monarchist, his ode was perceived by the courtiers and the empress herself, who generally favored the poet, as a revolutionary call. And, despite the fact that the poet did not put ideas of overthrow into his lines existing system, simply expressing accumulated bitterness about the reigning injustice, the accusatory tendency he set was subsequently developed in the Russian literary tradition.

Subject

The topic of this incriminating work- the arbitrariness of officials and other statesmen who use their power to the detriment of both the people and the state. They are power-hungry, greedy, vile and incapable of understanding common man, nor help him. The poet addresses the rulers, urging them to live according to their conscience, and the judges (meaning specifically the empress), urging them to carry out a fair trial and punish the rulers who have become so arrogant. However, at the end the poet expresses the idea that only God can truly rule people fairly.

Composition

It corresponds to the composition of the original source, that is, the 81st Psalm of King David, of which it is a free translation.

Throughout the entire verse, the poet develops the same idea about the corruption of those in power and the need for change. So, at the beginning he expresses his views on what is fair social order, when those in power protect those who need it. He goes on to point out that nothing like that is actually happening, everyone is just looking out for their own interests.

And in the end, he, firstly, affirms the idea that such a violation of the laws of humanity cannot go unpunished, and secondly, he appeals to God as the highest authority.

Genre

It is not difficult to determine the genre of this work - it is an ode. But the ode is angry - that’s what the author himself called it. It also contains elements of a spiritual ode, since it is based on the biblical text. The ode is written in iambic and uses cross rhyme.

Expressive means

The artistic originality of Derzhavin’s work is expressed not only in the mixture of subgenres, but also in the means of expression he uses to convey his message. So, it contains the usual methods:

Epithets- “the last slave”, “withered leaf”, “earthly gods”.
Comparisons- “like a withered leaf will fall from the tree”, “you will die like your last slave will die.”

However, they act as aids. The main ones are Slavicisms, with the help of which the poet makes his poem more solemn, and rhetorical exclamations. They play very important role in the fabric of the work, giving it a resemblance to oratorical speech. In this way, Derzhavin attracts the attention of readers.