I love my homeland, but it's strange. Mikhail Lermontov - Motherland (I love my homeland, but with a strange love): Verse

I love my homeland, but with a strange love!
My mind won't defeat her.
Nor glory bought with blood
Nor full of proud trust peace,
No dark antiquity cherished legends
Do not stir in me a pleasurable dream.

But I love - for what, I don’t know myself -
Her steppes are cold silence,
Her boundless forests sway,
The floods of her rivers are like the seas;
On a country road I like to ride in a cart
And, with a slow gaze piercing the shadow of the night,
Meet around, sighing about an overnight stay,
The flickering lights of sad villages.
I love the smoke of the burnt stubble,
In the steppe, an overnight convoy,
And on a hill in the middle of a yellow field
A couple of whitening birches.
With joy unknown to many
I see a complete threshing floor
Thatched hut,
Carved shuttered window;
And on a holiday, dewy evening,
Ready to watch until midnight
To the dance with stomping and whistling
To the sound of drunken men.

Analysis of the poem "Motherland" by Lermontov

In the late period of Lermontov's work, deep philosophical themes appear. The rebelliousness and open protest inherent in his youth are replaced by a more mature outlook on life. If earlier, when describing Russia, Lermontov was guided by lofty civic ideas associated with martyrdom for the good of the Fatherland, now his love for the Motherland is expressed in more moderate tones and resembles Pushkin's patriotic poems. An example of such an attitude was the work "Motherland" (1841).

Lermontov already in the first lines admits that his love for Russia is “strange”. At that time it was customary to express it in grandiloquent words and loud statements. This was fully manifested in the views of the Slavophiles. Russia was declared the greatest and happiest country, having a very special path of development. All shortcomings and troubles were ignored. Autocratic power and the Orthodox faith were declared a guarantee of the eternal well-being of the Russian people.

The poet, on the other hand, declares that his love does not have any reasonable grounds, it is his innate feeling. The great past and the heroic deeds of the ancestors do not evoke any response in his soul. The author himself does not understand why Russia is so incredibly close and understandable to him. Lermontov perfectly understood the backwardness of his country from the West, the poverty of the people and their slavish position. But it is impossible not to love your own mother, so he is delighted with the pictures of the immense Russian landscape. Using bright epithets (“borderless”, “whitening”), Lermontov depicts a majestic panorama of his native nature.

The author does not speak directly about his contempt for the life of high society. It is guessed in the loving description of a simple rural landscape. Lermontov is much closer to a trip on an ordinary peasant cart than a walk in a brilliant carriage. This allows you to feel the life of the common people, to feel your inseparable connection with them.

At that time, the opinion prevailed that the nobles differ from the peasants not only in education, but in the physical and moral structure of the body. Lermontov, on the other hand, declares the common roots of the whole people. Otherwise, how else can one explain the unconscious admiration for village life. The poet is happy to exchange fake metropolitan balls and masquerades for a "dance with stomping and whistling."

The poem "Motherland" is one of the best patriotic works. Its main advantage lies in the absence of pathos and the enormous sincerity of the author.

Poem by M.Yu. Lermontov
"Motherland"

The feeling of the motherland, ardent love for it permeates all Lermontov's lyrics.
And the thoughts characteristic of the poet about the greatness of Russia found a kind of lyrical
expression in the poem "Motherland". This poem was written in 1841, shortly before the death of M.Yu. Lermontov. In poems belonging to the early period of M.Yu. Lermontov's work, the patriotic feeling does not reach that analytical clarity, that awareness that is manifested in the poem "Motherland". "Motherland" is one of the most significant works of Russian lyrics of the 19th century. The poem "Motherland" has become one of the masterpieces not only of the lyrics of M.Yu. Lermontov, but of all Russian poetry. The feeling of hopelessness gave rise to a tragic attitude, which was reflected in the poem "Motherland". Nothing seems to give such peace, such a feeling of peace, even joy, as this communication with rural Russia. This is where the feeling of loneliness recedes. M.Yu. Lermontov draws Russia folk, bright, solemn, majestic, but, despite the general life-affirming background, there is a certain shade of sadness in the poet's perception of his native land.

I love my homeland, but with a strange love!
My mind won't defeat her.
Nor glory bought with blood
Nor full of proud trust peace,
No dark antiquity cherished legends
Do not stir in me a pleasurable dream.

But I love - for what, I don’t know myself -
Her steppes are cold silence,
Her boundless forests sway,
The floods of her rivers are like the seas;
On a country road I like to ride in a cart
And, with a slow gaze piercing the shadow of the night,
Meet around, sighing about an overnight stay,
The flickering lights of sad villages.
I love the smoke of the burnt stubble,
In the steppe, an overnight convoy,
And on a hill in the middle of a yellow field
A couple of whitening birches.
With joy unknown to many
I see a complete threshing floor
Thatched hut,
With carved shutters window;
And on a holiday, dewy evening,
Ready to watch until midnight
To the dance with stomping and whistling
To the sound of drunken men.

Date of writing: 1841

Eduard Evgenyevich Martsevich (born 1936) - Soviet and Russian theater and film actor, People's Artist of the RSFSR.
Currently, the actor continues to work in films and regularly appears on the stage of the State Academic Maly Theater.

Motherland and people... What short words. But what a great meaning they have. For each person, the concept of homeland is associated with various aspects and aspects of life. For M. Yu. Lermontov, it is life itself, it is part of his fiery, passionate, sincere soul. Lermontov could not imagine himself without a homeland, without Russia. But Russia could not be imagined without the Russian people. Therefore, all his lyrics are imbued with a reverent love for the motherland and a great sense of national heroism. I love my homeland, but with a strange love! My mind will not defeat her, - the poet admits in the poem "Motherland". This love came from the very heart, which was infinitely dear to “the cold silence of the steppes”, and “forests of boundless swaying”, and “the floods of its rivers, like seas”, and “the trembling lights of sad villages”. Lermontov subtly felt the beauty of Russian nature, he was close and dear to the poetic life of the people: I love the smoke of the burnt stubble, In the steppe the overnight convoy And on the hill among the yellow fields A couple of whitening birches. His heart was filled with tenderness and warmth when he saw straw-covered peasant huts, windows “with carved shutters”, when he watched cheerful folk festivals. Surrounded by native nature, primordially Russian peasant landscape, the poet's heart was filled with calmness and harmony. Only in his homeland could he, at least for a short time, feel truly happy. When the yellowing field is agitated, And the fresh forest rustles at the sound of the breeze, And the crimson plum hides in the garden Under the shade of a sweet green leaf; When, sprinkled with fragrant dew, On a ruddy evening or in the morning at a golden hour, From under a bush, a silver lily of the valley amiably nods its head to me; When the icy spring plays along the ravine And, plunging the thought into some kind of vague dream, It babbles to me a mysterious saga About the peaceful land from which it rushes, - Then anxiety subsides my soul ... ... And I can comprehend happiness on earth ... In these lines Lermontov says the heart itself, only true, strong feelings appear here, the main of which is a feeling of love for one's native land. But the poet's view of his beloved homeland was by no means idealized. His soul, striving for harmony and happiness, was not worried about either “glory bought with blood”, “nor peace full of proud trust”, “nor cherished legends of dark antiquity”. He perfectly saw all the hardships of the life of his people, their suffering, was indignant at the serfdom, the gendarmerie empire with its division into masters and slaves, into gendarmes and "the people obedient to them." Lermontov saw all the sores on the body of his native land, he saw and did not understand the slavish obedience of the people, he rebelled against his humility, voicelessness and immobility. And the poet's heart was torn to pieces. Because he still loved and could not stop loving everything that he called "my home." In this house he is "condemned to suffer", but only in it can he be calm. That is why Lermontov called his love for his homeland "strange" - it combined happiness and pain, the desire to do everything possible for his native land and the consciousness of his own impotence. Love for Russia is inextricably linked in the heart of the poet with love for the great capital - Moscow. It is she who is the central image of the poem "Borodino", in which the author openly swore allegiance to his homeland. It was Moscow that taught the poet to appreciate the freedom and independence of the people, it was she who showed the real heroic character of the Russian people. It was here that M. Yu. Lermontov was formed as a poet and as a citizen, here his mighty mind manifested itself, thought made itself known, great philosophical ideas were born. The poet cherished the civil exploits of his ancestors, who knew how to stand up for the truth, for human dignity, for the honor of the fatherland. Therefore, in his poems, he constantly glorifies the Russia of the people, which he loves with all his soul, with all his heart, "truly holy and reasonable." And, recalling the heroic past of the Russian people, Lermontov looks with sadness and doubt at future generations, whom life "torments, like a smooth path without a goal."

What is patriotism? Literally translated from ancient Greek, this word means “fatherland”, if you look for information even deeper, you can understand that it is as ancient as the human race. Perhaps that is why philosophers, statesmen, writers, poets have always talked and argued about him. Among the latter, it is necessary to single out Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. He, who survived exile twice, knew better than anyone else the true value of love for the motherland. And the proof of this is his amazing work "Motherland", which he writes literally six months before his tragic death in a duel. You can read the verse "Motherland" by Lermontov Mikhail Yuryevich completely online on our website.

In the poem "Motherland" Lermontov speaks of love for his native patronymic - Russia. But from the very first line, the poet warns that his feeling does not correspond to the established “pattern”. It is not “stamped”, not official, not state-owned, and therefore “strange”. The author goes on to explain his "weirdness". He says that love, for whom or for whatever it may be, cannot be guided by reason. It is the mind that turns it into a lie, demands from it immeasurable sacrifices, blood, relentless worship, glory. In this guise, patriotism does not touch Lermontov's heart, and even the ancient traditions of the humble chronicler monks do not penetrate into the soul. Then what does the poet love?

The second part of the poem "Motherland" begins with a loud statement that the poet loves in spite of everything, and the truth of this statement is felt in the words that he himself does not know why. Indeed, a pure feeling cannot be explained, seen. It is inside, and it connects a person, his soul with some invisible thread with all living things. The poet speaks of this spiritual, blood, endless connection with the Russian people, land and nature, and thereby contrasts the homeland with the state. But his voice is not accusatory, on the contrary - nostalgic, gentle, quiet and even humble. He describes his innermost experience by creating vivid, expressive and figurative pictures of Russian nature (“the boundless swaying of forests”, “sad trees”, “a sleeping convoy in the steppe”), and also thanks to the repeated repetition of the verb “I love”: “I love to ride in cart”, “I love the smoke of burnt stubble”. It is now easy to learn the text of Lermontov's poem "Motherland" and prepare for a literature lesson in the classroom. On our site you can download this work absolutely free.

I love my homeland, but with a strange love!
My mind won't defeat her.
Nor glory bought with blood
Nor full of proud trust peace,
No dark antiquity cherished legends
Do not stir in me a pleasurable dream.

But I love - for what, I do not know myself -
Her steppes are cold silence,
Her boundless forests sway,
The floods of her rivers are like seas;
On a country road I like to ride in a cart
And, with a slow gaze piercing the shadow of the night,
Meet around, sighing about an overnight stay,
The trembling lights of sad villages;
I love the smoke of the burnt stubble,
In the steppe, an overnight convoy
And on a hill in the middle of a yellow field
A couple of whitening birches.
With joy, unknown to many,
I see a complete threshing floor
Thatched hut,
With carved shutters window;
And on a holiday, dewy evening,
Ready to watch until midnight
To the dance with stomping and whistling
To the sound of drunken men.