What is Aesopian language examples. Aesopian language as an artistic technique (on the example of one or several works)

We have repeatedly heard the expression "Aesopian language." What does this term mean and where does it come from? It is not known for certain whether such a person lived, or is this a collective image. There are many legends about him, and in the Middle Ages his biography was compiled. According to legend, he was born in the VI century BC. e. in and was a slave of Croesus, however, a dodgy mind, ingenuity and cunning helped him gain freedom and glorified him for many generations.

Naturally, it was the founding father of this technique who first applied the Aesopian language. Examples of it are given to us by a legend that tells that Croesus, having drunk too much, began to assure that he could drink the sea, and made a bet, putting his entire kingdom at stake. The next morning, having sobered up, the king turned to his slave for help, and promised to grant him freedom if he would help him out. The wise servant advised him to say: “I promised to drink only the sea, without the rivers and streams that flow into it. Shut them down and I will keep my promise." And since no one could fulfill this condition, Croesus won the bet.

Being a slave and then a freedman, the sage wrote fables in which he ridiculed stupidity, greed, lies and other vices of people he knew - mainly his former master and his slave-owning friends. But since he was a bonded man, he clothed his narrative in allegories, paraphrases, resorted to allegories, and brought out his heroes under the names of animals - foxes, wolves, crows, etc. This is the Aesopian language. The characters in the funny stories were easily recognizable, but the "prototypes" could do nothing but rage silently. In the end, ill-wishers planted a vessel stolen from the temple for Aesop, and the priests of Delphi accused him of theft and sacrilege. The sage was given the choice to declare himself a slave - in this case, his master had to pay only a fine. But Aesop chose to remain free and accept the execution. According to legend, he was thrown off a cliff at Delphi.

Thus, thanks to his ironic, but allegorical style, Aesop became the ancestor of such a fable. In subsequent eras of dictatorships and infringement of freedom of expression, the fable genre was very popular, and its creator remained a real hero in the memory of generations. It can be said that the Aesopian language has outlived its creator by a long way. So, an antique bowl with a picture of a hunchback is kept in it (according to legend, Aesop had an ugly appearance and was a hunchback) and a fox that tells something - art historians believe that the ancestor of the fable is depicted on the bowl. Historians claim that in the sculptural row of the "Seven Wise Men" in Athens there was once a statue of Aesop the chisel of Lysippus. At the same time, a collection of the writer's fables appeared, compiled by an anonymous author.

The Aesopian language was extremely popular: the famous “Tale of the Fox” was composed in just such an allegorical style, and in the images of the fox, wolf, rooster, donkey and other animals, the entire ruling elite and clergy of the Roman Church are ridiculed. This manner of speaking vaguely, but aptly and caustically, was used by Lafontaine, Saltykov-Shchedrin, the famous composer of fables Krylov, the Ukrainian fabulist Glibov. Aesop's parables were translated into many languages, they were composed in rhyme. Many of us from school probably know the fable about the crow and the fox, the fox and the grapes - the plots of these short moralizing stories were invented by an ancient sage.

It cannot be said that the Aesopian language, the meaning of which during the times of regimes where censorship ruled the ball, is irrelevant today. The allegorical style, which does not directly name the target of satire, seems to be addressed with its “letter” to a tough censor, and with its “spirit” - to the reader. Since the latter lives in realities that are subject to veiled criticism, he easily recognizes it. And even more than that: a dodgy manner of ridicule, full of secret hints that require a guess, hidden symbols and images is much more interesting to readers than a direct and undisguised accusation of the authorities of any offenses, therefore even those writers and journalists who have nothing to do resort to elements of Aesopian language. afraid. We see its use in journalism, and in journalism, and in pamphlets on current political and social topics.

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Aesopian language is a special style of narration, which uses a set of allegorical devices - allegories, allusions, paraphrases, ironies, etc. to express a specific thought.

Often used to disguise, hide, veil the true thoughts of the author or the names of the characters.

Aesop the fabulist

The very term "Aesopian language" was introduced by Saltykov-Shchedrin.

Little is known about Aesop's life. The sage Aesop lived in the VI century BC in ancient Greece. The historian Geradot claimed that Aesop was born on the island of Samos, but a century later Heraclides of Pontus stated that Aesop was from Thrace. The ancient Greek writer Aristophanes was also interested in his life.

In the end, on the basis of some facts and references, there was a certain legend about the sage Aesop. He was lame, foolish, very inquisitive, smart, quick-witted, cunning and resourceful. Being a slave of a businessman from the island of Samos, Aesop could not speak openly, freely about what he thought, saw.

He composes parables (as they will later be called fables), where the characters were animals and objects, but their character and mannerisms were presented in such a way that human nature was easily captured. Aesop's allegorical fables ridiculed human vices: stupidity, avarice, greed, envy, pride, vanity and ignorance. For his service, the fabulist was released and gained freedom.

According to legend, the death of the sage was tragic. While in Delphi, Aesop, with his caustic remarks, turned several inhabitants of the city against him. And in retaliation, they planted the stolen golden cups from the temple on him, sounded the alarm about the loss and indicated which of the pilgrims could allegedly steal them. After a search, the cup was found, and Aesop was stoned. Later, his innocence was proven and the descendants of the then murderers were forced to pay the viru - a fine for killing a free man.

Aesopian language - the meaning of phraseology

Phraseologism “Aesopian language” is widely used today. Aesopian languages ​​​​will be called speech full of hints, omissions and; or a deliberately veiled meaning of what was said.

Aesopian language in literature

Aesopian language is common in such literary genres as fable, fairy tale, legend, in the genres of journalism, political satire.

Aesop's language became an integral element in the works of times of strict censorship, when writers could not openly express their thoughts and evaluate current events, which often contradicted the official ideology.

A striking example of the use of the Aesopian language is the story-parable written by J. Orwell in a satirical manner "Animal Farm". It depicts the historical events of revolutionary Russia in 1917. The main characters are animals that live on the English farm of Mr. Jones. Each animal represents a social stratum. The conditions in which they live seem unfair to them, so the animals decide to make a revolution and create an equal classless fair existence. However, equality has not been achieved.

Examples from Saltykov-Shchedrin

Among Russian writers, Saltykov-Shchedrin used the language of Aesop most vividly. Let us turn to his allegorical work “The History of a City”. The writer introduces the reader to the city of Foolov and its inhabitants - the Foolovites. He describes them as lazy, inactive, unable to make their own decisions, wanting to quickly find someone who will decide for them, take responsibility for their fate.

At the very beginning, the Foolovites go in search of the prince, and give preference to foreign rulers, admitting their own failure: "Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no order in it ...".

Reading the work, you understand that the author does not describe a specific city, but the whole of Russia and its people. You can also find more obvious correspondences: Scoundrels - Pavel I, Benevolensky - Speransky, Gloomy-Burcheev - Arakcheev, Sadtilov - Alexander I. And the ending of the work is symbolic: how unsuccessful are the efforts of Grim-Burcheev to stop the flow of the river, it is also in vain to try to impede the decisions of tyrants, standing in power.

Saltykov-Shchedrin's Aesopian language is also present in his fairy tale "Gudgeon" about a cowardly fish, which symbolizes cowardice, selfishness of people who remain indifferent to everything except themselves.

In “The Tale of How One Man Feeded Two Generals,” the author tells about the obedience of the people through the images of the allegorical image of a peasant who, on orders, began to twist a rope to tie himself; or about the stupidity, short-sightedness of officials who are far from the pressing everyday problems, who believe that French rolls grow on trees.

Aesopian language, or allegory, is a form of artistic speech dating back to time immemorial. No wonder it is associated with the name of Aesop, the semi-legendary creator of the Greek fable, who apparently lived in the sixth century BC. As the legend says, Aesop was a slave, and therefore could not openly express his convictions and in fables based on scenes from the life of animals depicted people, their relationships, advantages and disadvantages. However, Aesopian language is far from always a forced measure, the result of a lack of determination; there are people who have an indirect, allegorical

The manner of expressing thoughts becomes like a magnifying glass, helping to see life more deeply.

Among Russian writers, the most notable talents who used the Aesopian language are I. A. Krylov and M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. But if in Krylov's fables the allegory is "deciphered" in morality (let us assume that Demyanov's ear is likened to the works of a graphomaniac writer), then in the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin the reader himself must understand what kind of reality stands behind the semi-fairy-semi-fantastic world of the writer.
Here is the "History of a City" built entirely on allegory. What -

Silly City? A typical, "average - statistical" Russian provincial city?

No. This is a conditional, symbolic image of the whole of Russia, it is not for nothing that the writer emphasizes that its borders are expanding to the borders of the whole country: “The pasture lands of Byzantium and Glupov were so ridiculous that the Byzantine herds almost constantly mixed with the Foolov’s, and incessant bickering came out of this.” And who are these fools? It is sad to admit, but the Foolovites are Russians.

This is evidenced, firstly, by the events of Russian history, which, although given in satirical coverage, are still easily recognizable. So, the struggle of the Slavic tribes known from the annals (Polyans, Drevlyans, Radimichi, etc.) and their subsequent unification are parodied by Saltykov-Shchedrin in the image of how the bunglers were at enmity with the neighboring tribes - onion-eaters, frogmen, hand-slingers. In addition, such qualities noticed by the writer as laziness, inactivity, inability to be courageous builders of their own lives, and hence the passionate desire to hand over their fate to someone, just not to make responsible decisions themselves, are also forced to see Russians in the Foolovites.

One of the first pages of Foolov's history is the search for a ruler. After the distant ancestors of the Foolovites kneaded the Volga with oatmeal, then bought a pig for a beaver, met a crayfish with a bell ringing, exchanged a father for a male, they decided to find a prince, but only by all means a stupid one: “For us, a stupid prince, perhaps it will be even better! Now we have a gingerbread in his hands: chew, but don’t hush us!” Through this story depicted by Saltykov-Shchedrin, the annalistic legend about the invitation of the Varangian princes to the Russian land is clearly visible; moreover, the chronicler emphasizes that the Russians decide on foreign power over themselves, convinced of their own insolvency: “Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no order in it ...”
In addition to these allegories, there are more specific correspondences in the “History of a City”: Negodyaev - Pavel I, Benevolensky - Speransky, Ugryum-Burcheev - Arakcheev. In the image of Sadtilov, who raised the tribute from the ransom to five thousand a year and died of melancholy in 1825, a satirical portrait of Alexander I is given. However, it cannot be said that bitter laughter at the Russian fate testifies to the historical pessimism of the writer. The finale of the book speaks of the impotence of Ugryum-Burcheev to stop the flow of the river, which can be seen as an allegory that the efforts of tyrants to stop the flow of life are futile.
Understanding the Aesopian language is also necessary when reading the fairy tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin. For example, the tale “The Wise Gudgeon”, which tells about a fish trembling with fear for its life, of course, goes beyond the “life of animals”: ​​the gudgeon is a symbolic embodiment of a cowardly, selfish inhabitant, indifferent to everything except himself. “The story of how one man fed two generals” is also full of allegories. The peasant, who, on the orders of the generals, weaves a rope to tie himself, personifies the slavish obedience of the people.

The generals think that French rolls grow on a tree; this satirical detail allegorically depicts how far the big officials are from real life.
Saltykov-Shchedrin said about himself: "I am Aesop and a pupil of the censorship department." But, probably, Shchedrin's allegory is not only a necessity caused by censorship considerations. Of course, Aesop's language helps to create a deep, generalized image of reality, which means a better understanding of life itself.

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Aesopian language in the works of ME Saltykov-Shchedrin Aesopian language, or allegory, is a form of artistic speech dating back to time immemorial. No wonder it is associated with the name of Aesop, the semi-legendary creator of the Greek fable, who apparently lived in the sixth century BC. As the legend says, Aesop was a slave, and therefore he could not openly express his convictions and in fables depicted people, their relationships, advantages and disadvantages on plots from the life of animals. However, Aesop's language is far from always a forced measure, the result of a lack of determination: there are people in which an indirect, allegorical manner of expressing thoughts becomes like a magnifying glass, helping to see life more deeply.

Among Russian writers, the most notable talents who used the Aesopian language are Krylov and Saltykov-Shchedrin. But if in Krylov's fables the allegory is "deciphered" in morality (suppose Demyanov's ear is likened to the works of a graphomaniac writer), then in the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin the reader himself must understand what kind of reality stands behind the half-fairy-half-fantastic world of the writer.

Here is the "History of a City" built entirely on allegory. What is the city of Foolov? A typical, "average" Russian provincial city? No. This is a conditional, symbolic image of the whole of Russia, it is not for nothing that the writer emphasizes that his borders are expanding to the borders of the whole country: “The pasture lands of Byzantium and Foolov were so adjacent that the Byzantine herds almost constantly mixed with Foolov’s, and this resulted in incessant bickering.” And who are these fools? It is sad to admit, but the Foolovites are Russians.

This is evidenced, firstly, by the events of Russian history, which, although they are given in satire; lighting, but still easily recognizable. So, the struggle of the Slavic tribes known from the annals (Polyans, Drevlyans, Radimichi, etc.) and their subsequent unification are parodied by Saltykov-Shchedrin in the image of how bunglers were at enmity with neighboring tribes - cannibals, frogmen , with hands.

In addition, such qualities noticed by the writer as laziness, inactivity, inability to be courageous builders of their own lives, and hence the passionate desire to hand over their fate to someone, just not to make responsible decisions themselves, are also forced to see Russians in the Foolovites. One of the first pages of Foolov's history is the search for a ruler. After the distant ancestors of the Foolovites kneaded the Volga with oatmeal, then they bought a pig for a beaver, they met a crayfish with a bell ringing, they exchanged a father for a dog, they decided to find a prince, but only by all means stupid: “We are stupid - the prince, perhaps, will be even better! Now we have a gingerbread in his hands: chew, but don’t hush us! Through this story depicted by Saltykov-Shchedrin, the chronicle legend about the invitation of the Varangian princes to the Russian land is clearly visible; moreover, the chronicler emphasizes that the Russians decide on foreign power over themselves, convinced of their own insolvency: “Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no order in it." I, Benevolensky - Speransky, Grim-Grumbling - Arakcheev.

In the image of Sadtilov, who raised the tribute from the ransom to five thousand a year and died of melancholy in 1825, a satirical portrait of Alexander I is given. However, it cannot be said that bitter laughter at the Russian fate testifies to historical pessimism. writer.

The finale of the book speaks of the impotence of Ugryum-Burcheev to stop the flow of the river, which can be seen as an allegory that the efforts of tyrants to stop the flow of life are futile.

It is also necessary to understand the Aesopian language when reading the fairy tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin. For example, the fairy tale “The Wise Minnow”, which tells about a fish trembling with fear for its life, of course, goes beyond the “life of animals”: ​​the minnow is a symbolic embodiment of a cowardly, selfish layman, indifferent to everything but himself. “The story of how one man fed two generals” is also full of allegories.

The peasant, who, on the orders of the generals, weaves a rope to tie himself, personifies the slavish obedience of the people. The generals think that French rolls grow on a tree; this satirical detail allegorically depicts how far major officials are from real life. Saltykov-Shchedrin said about himself: "I am Aesop and a graduate of the censorship department." But, probably, Shchedrin's allegory is not only a necessity caused by censorship considerations.

Of course, Aesop's language helps to create a deep, generalized image of reality, which means a better understanding of life itself.

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Aesopian language, or allegory, is a form of artistic speech dating back to time immemorial. No wonder it is associated with the name of Aesop, the semi-legendary creator of the Greek fable, who apparently lived in the sixth century BC. As the legend says, Aesop was a slave, and therefore could not openly express his convictions and in fables based on scenes from the life of animals depicted people, their relationships, advantages and disadvantages. However, Aesopian language is far from always a forced measure, the result of a lack of determination; there are people who have an indirect, allegorical

The manner of expressing thoughts becomes like a magnifying glass, helping to see life more deeply. Among Russian writers, the most notable talents who used the Aesopian language are I. A. Krylov and M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. But if in Krylov's fables the allegory is "deciphered" in morality (let us assume that Demyanov's ear is likened to the works of a graphomaniac writer), then in the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin the reader himself must understand what kind of reality stands behind the semi-fairy-semi-fantastic world of the writer.
Here is the "History of a City" built entirely on allegory. What is the city of Foolov? A typical, "average - statistical" Russian provincial city? No. This is a conditional, symbolic image of the whole of Russia, it is not for nothing that the writer emphasizes that its borders are expanding to the borders of the whole country: “The pasture lands of Byzantium and Glupov were so ridiculous that the Byzantine herds almost constantly mixed with the Foolov’s, and incessant bickering came out of this.” And who are these fools? It is sad to admit, but the Foolovites are Russians. This is evidenced, firstly, by the events of Russian history, which, although given in satirical coverage, are still easily recognizable. So, the struggle of the Slavic tribes known from the annals (Polyans, Drevlyans, Radimichi, etc.) and their subsequent unification are parodied by Saltykov-Shchedrin in the image of how the bunglers were at enmity with the neighboring tribes - onion-eaters, frogmen, hand-slingers. In addition, such qualities noticed by the writer as laziness, inactivity, inability to be courageous builders of their own lives, and hence the passionate desire to hand over their fate to someone, just not to make responsible decisions themselves, are also forced to see Russians in the Foolovites. One of the first pages of Foolov's history is the search for a ruler. After the distant ancestors of the Foolovites kneaded the Volga with oatmeal, then bought a pig for a beaver, met a crayfish with a bell ringing, exchanged a father for a male, they decided to find a prince, but only by all means a stupid one: “For us, a stupid prince, perhaps it will be even better! Now we have a gingerbread in his hands: chew, but don’t hush us!” Through this story depicted by Saltykov-Shchedrin, the annalistic legend about the invitation of the Varangian princes to the Russian land is clearly visible; moreover, the chronicler emphasizes that the Russians decide on foreign power over themselves, convinced of their own insolvency: “Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no order in it.”
In addition to these allegories, there are more specific correspondences in the “History of a City”: Negodyaev - Pavel I, Benevolensky - Speransky, Ugryum-Burcheev - Arakcheev. In the image of Sadtilov, who raised the tribute from the ransom to five thousand a year and died of melancholy in 1825, a satirical portrait of Alexander I is given. However, it cannot be said that bitter laughter at the Russian fate testifies to the historical pessimism of the writer. The finale of the book speaks of the impotence of Ugryum-Burcheev to stop the flow of the river, which can be seen as an allegory that the efforts of tyrants to stop the flow of life are futile.
Understanding the Aesopian language is also necessary when reading the fairy tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin. For example, the tale “The Wise Gudgeon”, which tells about a fish trembling with fear for its life, of course, goes beyond the “life of animals”: ​​the gudgeon is a symbolic embodiment of a cowardly, selfish inhabitant, indifferent to everything except himself. “The story of how one man fed two generals” is also full of allegories. The peasant, who, on the orders of the generals, weaves a rope to tie himself, personifies the slavish obedience of the people. The generals think that French rolls grow on a tree; this satirical detail allegorically depicts how far the big officials are from real life.
Saltykov-Shchedrin said about himself: "I am Aesop and a pupil of the censorship department." But, probably, Shchedrin's allegory is not only a necessity caused by censorship considerations. Of course, Aesop's language helps to create a deep, generalized image of reality, which means a better understanding of life itself.

1. Tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin are usually defined as the result of the work of the great satirist. And this conclusion is justified to some extent. Tales chronologically complete the satirical works of the writer. As a genre, Shchedrin's fairy tale gradually matured in ...
2. The “History of a City” by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin was written in the form of a chronicler-archivist’s story about the past of the city of Glupov, but the writer was not interested in the historical topic, he wrote about real Russia, about what worried ...
3. Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin in his work chose the satirical principle of depicting reality as a sure weapon. He became the successor of the traditions of D. I. Fonvizin, A. S. Griboedov, N. V. Gogol in that he made satire his political ...
4. For Russian literature, this sense of tragedy became obvious in the 20th century. D. Merezhkovsky, for example, concludes his reasoning on this topic with characteristic conclusions: “... stones at Judas must be thrown more carefully - too ...
5. The great satirist M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin raised the fairy tale to the top of political journalism. There lived a landowner, he says, his body was “soft, white and crumbly”; he had enough of everything: peasants, and bread, ...
6. Saltykov-Shchedrin's work "Abroad" is remarkable precisely by the "variety of themes". Many countries, cities and villages, a kaleidoscope of faces, images, dazzling conclusions, comparisons and generalizations. What is only the symbol of “a boy in pants and without ...
7. “Golovlevs” is a novel about a family, but, first of all, it is a novel about real and imaginary values, about why a person lives on Earth. In "Mr. Golovlyov" the author explores...
8. Saltykov-Shchedrin is one of the world's greatest satirists. All his life he castigated the autocracy, serfdom, and after the reform of 1861, the remnants of serfdom that remained in everyday life, in the psychology of people. Satire...
9. JUDUSHKA GOLOVLEV - the hero of the novel by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin "Lord Golovlevs" (1875-1880). Porfiry Vladimirovich Golovlev, nicknamed Yudushka and Krovopivushka, is “the last representative of a swindled family”. The prototype of the hero was the "evil demon" of the Saltykov family - the elder ...
10. Saltykov-Shchedrin is one of the outstanding satirical writers of classical Russian literature. His talent is original, original and interesting, it is impossible to pass by his work. The writer worked hard and fruitfully, improving from work to work...
11. A special place in the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin is occupied by fairy tales with their allegorical images, in which the author managed to say more about Russian society in the 60-80s of the XIX century than the historians of those years. Saltykov-Shchedrin writes...
12. In 1876, Saltykov-Shchedrin wrote to one of his correspondents: “It is hard for a modern Russian person to live, and even somewhat ashamed. However, a few are still ashamed, and most even people of the so-called culture are simply ...
13. Saltykov-Shchedrin is a world-renowned master of satire. His talent showed itself in a difficult time for Russia. Contradictions that corroded the country from the inside, discord in society became apparent. The appearance of satirical works was ...
14. So let's start this story. ME Saltykov-Shchedrin Explaining the "History of one city", Saltykov-Shchedrin argued that this is a book about modernity. In modern times, he saw his place and never believed that the created ...
15. The novel "Lord Golovlevs" closed the stage of creativity of Saltykov-Shchedrin. This work and its theme of the family did not arise by chance. Already in the mid-80s, a number of Shchedrin's satirical works appeared, which exposed the noble bourgeois ...
16. The novel by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin “Lord Golovlevs” can be called the story of an escheated family doomed to death because of the thirst for acquisition that struck it, because of the loss of human ties between people. The latter especially concerns Porfiry Vladimirych...
17. He was smart, honest, stern and never hushed up the truth, no matter how sad it was. M. Gorky It seems to me that without the writer Saltykov-Shchedrin it is impossible to understand the political life of the second half...
18. In his outstanding novel The Golovlevs, Saltykov-Shchedrin depicted the story of the moral vulgarization and extinction of the Golovlev family of landowners. The family was a collective artistic image in which the author summarized all the typical features of life, ...
19. The main themes of the works of M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin are the denunciation of the autocracy, the ruling class, as well as the problem of the people. Folklore traditions are strong in fairy tales and in the novel “The History of a City”. Many fairy tales start like...
20. Most of the novels and stories of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol are saturated with fantasy and satirical depiction of reality, as are the tales of Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin. Many works of these truly Russian Writers reveal the image of that bureaucratic ...