Who wrote to love others is a heavy cross. “Loving others is a heavy cross...”, analysis of Pasternak’s poem

Surprisingly, the first two lines of this lyrical poem by Boris Pasternak have long become aphorisms. Moreover, they are quoted in different situations and with different emotional overtones: - with bitterness and a sense of doom, and sometimes sarcasm; “And you are beautiful without gyrations”- with humor or irony. Poetic lines that contain frank antithesis, took on a life of their own and people stopped associating directly with Pasternak’s poem. Well, this situation can be corrected by understanding what the author actually wrote about and what lay at the heart of his work.

The writer's biography shows that the poem “Loving others is a heavy cross”, dated 1931, had its addressees and more than specific life plot. The first line of the poem expresses the whole severity of life with the poet’s first wife, artist Evgenia Lurie, who was once passionately loved by him, who was engaged in creativity around the clock and did not touch everyday life at all. As a result, the poet was forced to master the skills of a housewife and completely lost interest in the prospect of indulging the whims of a “bohemian” wife.

The second line of the poem should be taken almost literally. It was dedicated to the poet’s new muse, which was radically different from its predecessor. At the time of her meeting with Brice Pasternak, she was married to his friend, pianist Heinrich Neuhaus, but, involuntarily breaking with conventions, she completely charmed the poet with her spontaneity and naivety. Apparently, in contrast to Evgenia, his wife, Zinaida Neuhaus significantly benefited with her down-to-earthness and lack of "convolutions". Under this metaphor the poet implies both the simplicity of the character of his new muse and a lack of intelligence (a special case when this is perceived as a virtue).

Interest in Zinaida, with whom the poet married after a divorce, subsequently justified itself, since Pasternak lived together with his second wife for many more years in spiritual and domestic comfort. “Strange, mysterious,” someone will say. And he will be right. Even for the poet himself, the “charm” of his wife was “It’s tantamount to the solution to life”. That is, incomprehensible, and therefore, probably, interesting.

Dear to the poet's heart "rustle of dreams", And "rustle of news and truths", of which, thanks to his wife, his serene family life consists. Obviously, metaphor "rustle of news and truths" means talking about simple and understandable, and therefore real, things that the poet accepts with all his heart. A "rustle of dreams" can mean both frequent discussion of dreams and light and happy days that are similar to a dream. This assumption is confirmed by the phrase: “Your meaning, like air, is selfless”, - in which there is a characteristic comparison - "like air". This is how the lyrical hero of the poem sees his beloved. But Pasternak also notices the sources of such an easy disposition and attitude to life: “You are from a family of such basics,” and this evokes his undeniable approval. Surprisingly, an intelligent and intelligent person, in whose head there is a constant creative process, it is pleasant...

It's easy to wake up and see clearly,
Shake verbal trash out of the heart
And live without getting clogged in the future,

Without clogging? ... What does the poet mean? Perhaps, not just verbal rubbish, but the rubbish of a long and painful showdown. He contrasts them with the families of other “foundations” and summarizes: “All this is not a big trick”.

A simple but melodious poem, consisting of 3 stanzas, is easily remembered by the reader thanks to the use of iambic tetrameter(two-syllable foot with stress on the second syllable) and cross rhyme.

Pasternak, having discovered noticeable confusion and misunderstanding of his poems in his new lover, made a promise that he would write poems especially for Zinaida in a simpler and more understandable language. The work “Loving Others is a Heavy Cross” may well be confirmation that the poet sought to be understood by his wife and, most likely, achieved his goal.

Morozova Irina

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This poem was written in 1931. The creative period since 1930 can be called special: it was then that the poet glorified love as a state of inspiration and flight, and came to a new understanding of the essence and meaning of life. Suddenly he begins to understand earthly feeling differently in its existential, philosophical meaning. An analysis of the poem “Loving others is a heavy cross” is presented in this article.

History of creation

The lyrical work can be called a revelation, since in it Boris Pasternak captured the difficult relationships with two significant women in his life - Evgenia Lurie and Zinaida Neuhauz. The first lady was his wife at the very beginning of his literary career, and the poet met the second much later. Evgenia was in approximately the same circle as the poet; he knew how she lived and breathed. This woman understood art, and literature in particular.

Zinaida, on the other hand, was a person far from bohemian life; she coped well with the daily duties of a housewife. But for some reason, at some point, it was the simple woman who turned out to be clearer and closer to the poet’s refined soul. Nobody knows why this happened, but after a short time Zinaida became the wife of Boris Pasternak. The poetic analysis “Loving others is a heavy cross” emphasizes the depth and strain of these difficult relationships with two women. The poet involuntarily compares them and analyzes his own feelings. These are the individual conclusions Pasternak comes to.

“Loving others is a heavy cross”: analysis

Perhaps this poem can be considered one of the most mysterious poetic creations. The semantic load in this lyrical work is very strong; it takes the breath away and excites the soul of true aesthetes. Boris Pasternak himself (“Loving others is a heavy cross”) called the analysis of one’s own feelings the greatest mystery that cannot be solved. And in this poem he wants to understand the essence of life and its integral component - love for a woman. The poet was convinced that the state of falling in love changes everything inside a person: significant changes occur in him, the ability to think, analyze, and act in a certain way is revised.

The lyrical hero feels a sense of reverence for a woman, he is determined to act for the benefit of the development of a great and bright feeling. All doubts recede and fade into the background. He is so amazed by the greatness and beauty of the state of integrity that has revealed itself to him that he experiences delight and rapture, the impossibility of living further without this feeling. The analysis of “Loving others is a heavy cross” reveals the transformation of the poet’s experiences.

The state of the lyrical hero

In the center is the one who experiences all the transformations most directly. the lyrical hero changes with each new line. His previous understanding of the essence of life is replaced by a completely new understanding and acquires a shade of existential meaning. What does the lyrical hero feel? He suddenly found a safe haven, a person who could love him selflessly. In this case, the lack of education and the ability for high thoughts is perceived by him as a gift and grace, as evidenced by the line: “And you are beautiful without convolutions.”

The lyrical hero is ready to devote himself to unraveling the mystery of his beloved until the end of his days, which is why he compares it with the mystery of life. An urgent need for change awakens in him; he needs to free himself from the burden of previous disappointments and defeats. The analysis of “Loving others is a heavy cross” shows the reader how deep and significant changes took place in the poet.

Symbols and meanings

This poem uses metaphors that would seem incomprehensible to the average person. To show the full power of the ongoing rebirth in the hero’s soul, Pasternak puts certain meanings into words.

“The rustle of dreams” personifies the mystery and incomprehensibility of life. This is something truly elusive and piercing, which cannot be comprehended only by reason. It is also necessary to connect the energy of the heart.

“The rustle of news and truths” denotes the movement of life, regardless of external manifestations, shocks and events. No matter what happens in the outside world, life amazingly continues its inexorable movement. Against all odds. Contrary to that.

“Verbal litter” symbolizes negative emotions, experiences of the past, accumulated grievances. The lyrical hero speaks about the possibility of renewal, about the need for such a transformation for oneself. The analysis “Loving others is a heavy cross” emphasizes the importance and need for renewal. Love here becomes a philosophical concept.

Instead of a conclusion

The poem leaves pleasant feelings after reading. I would like to remember it for a long time and the meaning that it contains. For Boris Leonidovich, these lines are a revelation and an open secret of the transformation of the soul, and for readers - another reason to think about their own life and its new possibilities. The analysis of Pasternak’s poem “Loving others is a heavy cross” represents a very deep disclosure of the essence and meaning of human existence in the context of a single human existence.

In Pasternak’s life there were three women who were able to win his heart. A poem is dedicated to two of the lovers, the analysis of which is presented in the article. It is studied in 11th grade. We invite you to familiarize yourself with a brief analysis of “Loving others is a heavy cross” according to plan.

Brief Analysis

History of creation- the work was written in the fall of 1931, two years after meeting Zinaida Neuhaus.

Theme of the poem- Love; qualities of a woman that deserve love.

Composition– The poem was created in the form of a monologue-address to a loved one. It is laconic, but, nevertheless, is divided into semantic parts: the hero’s attempt to unravel the mystery of his beloved’s special beauty, brief reflections on the ability to live without “dirty” in the heart.

Genre- elegy.

Poetic size– written in iambic tetrameter, cross rhyme ABAB.

Metaphors – “to love others is a heavy cross”, “your charm is tantamount to the secret of life”, “the rustle of dreams”, “the rustle of news and truths”, “shake out verbal rubbish from the heart.”

Epithets – “you are beautiful”, “the meaning... is selfless”, “not a big trick”.

Comparison – “your meaning is like air.”

History of creation

The history of the creation of the poem should be found in the biography of Pasternak. The poet's first wife was Evgenia Lurie. The woman was an artist, so she did not like and did not want to deal with everyday life. Boris Leonidovich had to take care of household chores himself. For the sake of his beloved wife, he learned to cook and do laundry, but it didn’t last long.

In 1929, the poet met Zinaida Neuhaus, the wife of his pianist friend Heinrich Neuhaus. Pasternak immediately liked the modest, pretty woman. Once he read his poems to her, instead of praise or criticism, Zinaida said that she did not understand anything from what she read. The author liked this sincerity and simplicity. He promised to write more clearly. The love relationship between Pasternak and Neuhaus developed, she left her husband and became the poet's new muse. In 1931, the analyzed poem appeared.

Subject

The poem develops the theme of love, popular in literature. The poet’s life circumstances leave an imprint on the lines of the work, so you need to read the poems in the context of Pasternak’s biography. The lyrical hero of the work completely merges with the author.

In the first line, Pasternak hints at a relationship with Evgenia Lurie, whom it really was not easy to love, since the woman was hot-tempered and capricious. Next, the lyrical hero turns to his beloved. He considers its advantage to be “lack of convolutions,” that is, not too high intelligence. The poet believes that this is what gives a woman her charm. Such a representative of the fairer sex is more feminine and can be an excellent housewife.

The author believes that the beloved lives not so much with her mind as with her feelings, which is why she can hear dreams, news and truths. She is as natural as air. In the last stanza, the poet admits that next to such a woman it is easy for him to change. He realized that it is very easy to “shake the verbal rubbish out of the heart” and prevent new contamination.

Composition

The poem is created in the form of a monologue-address to a loved one. It can be divided into semantic parts: the hero’s attempt to unravel the mystery of his beloved’s special beauty, brief reflections on the ability to live without “dirty” in the heart. Formally, the work consists of three quatrains.

Genre

The genre of the poem is elegy, as the author reflects on an eternal problem; in the first line one feels sadness, apparently because he felt this “heavy cross” on himself. There are also signs of a message in the work. The poetic meter is iambic tetrameter. The author uses ABAB cross rhyme.

Means of expression

To reveal the theme and create the image of an ideal woman, Pasternak uses artistic means. Plays the main role metaphor: “to love others is a heavy cross”, “your charm is tantamount to the secret of life”, “the rustle of dreams”, “the rustle of news and truths”, “to shake out verbal rubbish from the heart”.

Much less in the text epithets: “you are beautiful”, “the meaning... is selfless”, “not a big trick”. Comparison just one thing: “your meaning is like air.”

Loving others is a heavy cross,
And you are beautiful without gyrations,
And your beauty is a secret
It is tantamount to the solution to life.

In spring the rustling of dreams is heard
And the rustle of news and truths.
You come from a family of such fundamentals.
Your meaning, like air, is selfless.

It's easy to wake up and see clearly,
Shake verbal trash out of the heart
And live without getting clogged in the future,
All this is not a big trick.

Analysis of the poem “Loving others is a heavy cross” by Pasternak

B. Pasternak's work always reflected his personal feelings and experiences. He dedicated many of his works to his love relationships. One of them is the poem “Loving others is a heavy cross.” Pasternak was married to E. Lurie, but his marriage could not be called happy. The poet's wife was an artist and wanted to devote her whole life to art. She practically did not do housework, putting it on her husband’s shoulders. In 1929, Pasternak met his friend’s wife, Z. Neuhaus. He saw in this woman an ideal example of the mistress of a family hearth. Literally immediately after meeting, the poet dedicated a poem to her.

The author compares his love for his wife to bearing a “heavy cross.” Creative activities once brought them closer together, but it turned out that this was not enough for family life. E. Lurie neglected her direct female responsibilities for the sake of painting a new picture. Pasternak had to cook and do the laundry himself. He realized that two gifted people were unlikely to be able to create an ordinary cozy family.

The author contrasts his new acquaintance with his wife, and immediately points out her main advantage - “you are beautiful without gyrations.” He hints that E. Lurie is well educated and you can talk with her on equal terms about the most complex philosophical topics. But “scholarly” conversations will not bring happiness in family life. Z. Neuhaus almost immediately admitted to the poet that she did not understand anything in his poems. Pasternak was touched by this simplicity and gullibility. He realized that a woman should not be valued for her great intelligence and education. Love is a great mystery that cannot be based on the laws of reason.

The poet sees the secret of Z. Neuhaus's charm in the simplicity and selflessness of her life. Only such a woman is able to create a calm family atmosphere and bring happiness to her husband. Pasternak is ready to descend from stratospheric creative heights for her sake. He actually promised Z. Neuhaus that he would part with vague and unclear symbols and begin to write poems in simple and accessible language (“verbal rubbish ... shake out”). After all, this is “not a big trick,” but the reward for it will be long-awaited family happiness.

Pasternak was able to take his friend’s wife away. In the future, the couple still experienced family troubles, but Z. Neuhaus greatly influenced the poet and his work.