"She" N. Gumilev

"She" Nikolay Gumilev

I know a woman: silence,
Bitter fatigue from words
Lives in a mysterious twinkle
Her pupils are dilated.

Her soul is open eagerly
Only the copper music of the verse,
Before life is dolny and joyful
Arrogant and deaf.

Inaudible and unhurried
So strangely smooth is her step,
You can't call her beautiful
But all my happiness is in her.

When I yearn for self-will
And dare and proud - I'm going to her
Learn to wise sweet pain
In her languor and delirium.

She shone in the hours of languor
And holds lightning in his hand
And her dreams are clear, like shadows
On the paradise sand of fire.

Analysis of Gumilyov's poem "She"

The relationship between Nikolai Gumilyov and Anna Akhmatova was very difficult. Having met in early youth, the future spouses remained just friends for a very long time. When Gumilyov made an offer to his chosen one, he received a soft but decisive refusal. This was not surprising, since Akhmatova dreamed of a prince whom she drew in her own imagination. Nikolai Gumilev did not fit this fictitious image at all, so for several years he unsuccessfully sought the favor of his beloved. Only a series of suicide attempts forced Akhmatova to reconsider her decision and consent to the marriage, which took place in 1910.

From the very beginning, the family life of the two poets was difficult and rough. They did not want to give in to each other even in small things, they constantly quarreled and put forward mutual accusations. But at the same time, they were still truly happy, as only lovers can be happy. Nikolai Gumilyov very carefully kept this feeling in his heart and constantly nourished with the help of observations of his wife, whom he did not consider to be a beauty. Moreover, the poet was convinced that he got a real witch as his wife, and now he is in her complete power. Nevertheless, such a discovery did not prevent Gumilev from writing the poem "She" in 1912, filled with tenderness and warmth. He dedicated it to his beloved wife, from whom, due to another trip, he was separated. Akhmatova received poems in a letter, and already at an old age admitted that they touched her to the depths of her soul. But at that moment, when Gumilev was expecting at least some manifestation of feelings from her, the poetess did not react to the message in any way.

Feigned coldness in the relationship with the spouse was part of the game. The rules of which only Akhmatova knew. Therefore, the poet in the very first lines of his poem admits that in the eyes of his wife "bitter fatigue from words" constantly lives. He sees that his feelings still remain unanswered, although he expects reciprocity. Gumilyov does not even know how dearly loved he is. But Akhmatova considers it beneath her dignity to openly demonstrate her feelings. It is for this reason that the author thinks that "her soul is open eagerly only to the copper music of the verse." At the same time, the poet's chosen one remains "arrogant and deaf" to everything that surrounds her, not even noticing that the closest and dearest people need her.

But for Gumilyov it is still quite enough that he can call this mysterious and headstrong woman his wife. “All my happiness is in her,” the poet notes, delighted with the fact that Akhmatova “lives in a mysterious flicker,” creating her own world, into which from time to time she lets only the elite. Gumilyov is also one of them, but comes to his beloved only in order to "learn the wise sweet pain in her languor and delirium." Cheerful and romantic, he is a sharp contrast to the pale, indifferent to everything and full of inner nobility Akhmatova. However, the poet knows that in her soul she is pure and serene, and her dreams are clear, like "shadows on the paradise sand of fire."

The fact that the game of love and indifference has dragged on, Anna Akhmatova will understand too late, when Gumilyov is pretty tired of society with her eternally gloomy, restrained and indifferent wife to everything. It will be very difficult for him to come to terms with the fact that his wife is making progress in the literary field, which he himself chose to realize his personal ambitions. Akhmatova, on the other hand, is not ready to put up with the generally accepted role of a wife and mother, who should only worry about home comfort and a delicious dinner. As a result, Gumilyov more and more often gives preference to travel, rather than family, and even volunteers for the front after the outbreak of the First World War. His feelings for Anna Akhmatova are gradually fading away, although the poet admits that this woman left an indelible mark on his soul.

I know a woman: silence,
Bitter fatigue from words
Lives in a mysterious twinkle
Her pupils are dilated.

Her soul is open eagerly
Only the copper music of the verse,
Before life, dolny and joyful
Arrogant and deaf.

Inaudible and unhurried
So strangely smooth is her step,
You can't call her beautiful
But all my happiness is in her.

When I yearn for self-will
And bold and proud - I'm going to her
Learn to wise sweet pain
In her languor and delirium.

She shone in the hours of languor
And holds lightning in his hand
And her dreams are rosary like shadows
On the paradise sand of fire.

Analysis of the poem "She" by Gumilyov

The poem "She" by Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilyov was created during the period of the poet's transition from symbolism to acmeism. The image of a woman in the work is revealed both from a psychological and romantic point of view. The heroine of the poem is the wife of N. Gumilyov, the poetess Anna Andreevna Akhmatova.

The poem "She" appeared in 1912 on the pages of the collection "Alien Sky". The author at this time is 26 years old and he is married to his beloved woman - A. Akhmatova. In the same year, the couple had a son, Leo.

By genre - love lyrics, meter - iambic tetrameter with cross rhyme, 5 stanzas. According to the composition, it is conventionally divided into 3 parts. In the first, the poet looks as if from the outside at his beloved, in the second part there is a hint of the painfulness of their relationship, in the third he elevates the heroine to a pedestal, recognizing himself as a mere mortal in front of her. He is like in paradise, but the sand burns him, and the lightning in her hand does not allow him to approach, prevents them from understanding, accepting and holding each other.

The vocabulary is sublime, bookish, there are many short adjectives: dolny, languor, yearning, thirst, before, self-will, smooth, light, arrogant, deaf. The form of the word "happiness" emphasizes the depth of the poet's feelings. The third quatrain has something in common with. The poem stands out from the general row of world love lyrics in that its heroine is not just a beloved woman, but also a poet.

The poet describes her appearance with several strokes: dilated pupils, smooth step, you cannot call her a typical beauty. He is shy in front of her silence, because even her step is “inaudible, unhurried,” and her coldness hurts him. However, the lyric hero is aware of the uniqueness of this meeting and relationship, values ​​this love, considers it to be the only one of its kind, a dream come true for any poet. It is known that his wife seemed to answer him to his verses with her own verses. In the same year, 1912, she wrote that to her.

There are many bright epithets: mysterious, coppery, gratifying, fiery heavenly, wise sweet. There is also a comparison: dreams are like shadows. Oxymoron: sweet pain. Metaphors: bitter fatigue, copper verse music, the soul is open. Hyperbole: holds lightning bolts in hand.

The feeling, which was undivided for a long time, the difficult love of two talented people, N. Gumilyov and A. Akhmatova, formed the basis of the poem "She". This work is a test of the strength of the young poet, who was looking for new ways in modern literature.

The relationship between Nikolai Gumilyov and Anna Akhmatova was very difficult. Having met in early youth, the future spouses remained just friends for a very long time. When Gumilyov made an offer to his chosen one, he received a soft but decisive refusal. This was not surprising, since Akhmatova dreamed of a prince whom she drew in her own imagination. Nikolai Gumilev did not fit this fictitious image at all, so for several years he unsuccessfully sought the favor of his beloved. Only a series of suicide attempts forced Akhmatova to reconsider her decision and consent to the marriage, which took place in 1910.

Gumilyov, Akhmatova

From the very beginning, the family life of the two poets was difficult and rough. They did not want to give in to each other even in small things, they constantly quarreled and put forward mutual accusations. But at the same time, they were still truly happy, as only lovers can be happy. Nikolai Gumilyov very carefully kept this feeling in his heart and constantly nourished with the help of observations of his wife, whom he did not consider to be a beauty. Moreover, the poet was convinced that he got a real witch as his wife, and now he is in her complete power. Nevertheless, such a discovery did not prevent Gumilev from writing the poem "She" in 1912, filled with tenderness and warmth. He dedicated it to his beloved wife, from whom, due to another trip, he was separated. Akhmatova received poems in a letter, and already at an old age admitted that they touched her to the depths of her soul. But at that moment, when Gumilev was expecting at least some manifestation of feelings from her, the poetess did not react to the message in any way.

Feigned coldness in the relationship with the spouse was part of the game. The rules of which only Akhmatova knew. Therefore, the poet in the very first lines of his poem admits that in the eyes of his wife "bitter fatigue from words" constantly lives. He sees that his feelings still remain unanswered, although he expects reciprocity. Gumilyov does not even know how dearly loved he is. But Akhmatova considers it beneath her dignity to openly demonstrate her feelings. It is for this reason that the author thinks that "her soul is open eagerly only to the copper music of the verse." At the same time, the poet's chosen one remains "arrogant and deaf" to everything that surrounds her, not even noticing that the closest and dearest people need her.

But for Gumilyov it is still quite enough that he can call this mysterious and headstrong woman his wife. “All my happiness is in her,” the poet notes, delighted with the fact that Akhmatova “lives in a mysterious flicker,” creating her own world, into which from time to time she lets only the elite. Gumilyov is also one of them, but comes to his beloved only in order to "learn the wise sweet pain in her languor and delirium." Cheerful and romantic, he is a sharp contrast to the pale, indifferent to everything and full of inner nobility Akhmatova. However, the poet knows that in her soul she is pure and serene, and her dreams are clear, like "shadows on the paradise sand of fire."

L.N. Gumilyov with his parents - Russian poets Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilyov (1886-1921) and Anna Andreevna Akhmatova (1889-1966). Tsarskoe Selo, circa 1916

The fact that the game of love and indifference has dragged on, Anna Akhmatova will understand too late, when Gumilyov is pretty tired of society with her eternally gloomy, restrained and indifferent wife to everything. It will be very difficult for him to come to terms with the fact that his wife is making progress in the literary field, which he himself chose to realize his personal ambitions. Akhmatova, on the other hand, is not ready to put up with the generally accepted role of a wife and mother, who should only worry about home comfort and a delicious dinner. As a result, Gumilyov more and more often gives preference to travel, rather than family, and even volunteers for the front after the outbreak of the First World War. His feelings for Anna Akhmatova are gradually fading away, although the poet admits that this woman left an indelible mark on his soul.

******
She
Collection "Pearls"

I know a woman: silence,
Bitter fatigue from words
Lives in a mysterious twinkle
Her pupils are dilated.

Her soul is open eagerly
Only the copper music of the verse,
Before life is dolny and joyful
Arrogant and deaf.

Inaudible and unhurried
So strangely smooth is her step,
You can't call her beautiful
But all my happiness is in her.

When I yearn for self-will
And dare and proud - I'm going to her
Learn to wise sweet pain
In her languor and delirium.

She shone in the hours of languor
And holds lightning in his hand
And her dreams are rosary like shadows
On the paradise sand of fire.

Who became Gumilyov's wife in 1910, claimed that the text was about her. According to legend, Gumilev sent her a poem in a letter written on a long journey, as a declaration of love, but received no answer.

Literary direction and genre

The poem is an example of Gumilyov's acmeistic intimate lyrics. The poet managed to create the image of his beloved without describing her appearance. For Gumilyov, the inner world is important, but it is so concrete that a woman is almost tangible.

Theme, main idea and composition

The poem consists of five stanzas. The name of the beloved is not included in the title. The pronoun "she" allows you to trace the feminine principle in union with the lyric hero, which is called the pronoun "I". The poem is written in the first person. She is yin, a necessary part of the whole - the union of two hearts. The names of the characters in the poem are inappropriate. Therefore, it would be erroneous to analyze the poem only as a reflection of the relationship between Gumilyov and Akhmatova.

The first three stanzas reveal the character traits and general appearance of the heroine. The fourth and fifth stanzas speak of the complexity and inconsistency of her character. The lyrical hero exalts her, for him she is almost a goddess.

The theme of the poem is admiration for the woman, the beloved of the lyric hero. The main idea: only love makes a person happy. The state of happiness makes it possible to consider the best features of the beloved.

Trails and images

The poem begins with the statement that the lyric hero knows the woman to whom he dedicated the poem. Verb I know here does not mean the fact of acquaintance, but rather knowledge in the biblical sense: the hero penetrates into her soul. The poem is constructed as an insight into the soul of the heroine.

In silence, where words are superfluous, cause bitter fatigue, a close-up face appears, on which only dilated pupils are visible. Through them, into their mysterious flickering (epithet) the hero sees the soul described in the second stanza: it is also eagerly open (metaphor), but not for the whole world, but only for the copper music of the verse (metaphor and epithet). This strange image goes back to the sound of wind instruments and trumpets. It's about the power of talent with which a woman makes herself known.

It is difficult for a lyrical hero to understand how a soul open to poetry can be simultaneously arrogant and deaf (metaphorical) to something else. In this antithesis, the question is outlined, the problem of the lyrical hero. The beloved is arrogant and deaf "before a life that is long and gratifying" (epithets). That is, the beloved does not accept the pleasures of earthly, material life, which gives joy to the lyrical hero.

In the third stanza, the point of view of the lyric hero changes again. This is not a view of maximum closeness, as in the first stanza, and not detached reasoning about the inner world, as in the second. In the third stanza, the lyrical hero looks at the figure of his beloved. As in the first stanza, he emphasizes its ability to not make noise. Her smooth step inaudible and leisurely(epithets). The ending of the third stanza becomes unexpected: "You cannot call her beautiful." So the lyrical hero emphasizes that his beloved is an earthly woman, that it is to the love of an ordinary woman that he strives, in her is all his happiness.

The poem might well end with a third stanza. But it is important for the lyric hero to show his own relationship with his beloved. In the fourth stanza, she appears as a wise mentor. Like any man, the lyrical hero is ready to put at the feet of his beloved all his victories, which he is "brave and proud", for her he breaks stereotypes, longs for self-will. Perhaps we are talking about poetry. Gumilyov, who discovered poetic talent in Akhmatova, was amazed at his strength, learned a lot from her, paying tribute to the "wise sweet pain" (an epithet) that she poured out in poetry.

The languor and delirium of the heroine, which the lyrical hero mentions, testifies to the notes of misunderstanding on the part of the lyric hero, although he highly appreciates the talent of a woman, but fears her inconsistency and impulsiveness. They say that it was these qualities, combined with coldness, that led to the rupture of Gumilyov and Akhmatova.

The last stanza depicts a woman in everyday life: in the hours of languor, during sleep. The heroine appears before the reader in a form similar to the divine. Even in the hours of languor, she remains light (an epithet), and she has lightning in her hand (a metaphor). The woman combines the image of a formidable, striking, directly Zeus in a woman's guise, and light, humility, which does not overshadow even vexation.

The last two lines reveal the most intimate that a person has, hidden from outsiders - the world of dreams. They come into conflict with the languor, delirium, yearning of a woman, because they are clear (epithet). By this quality, Gumilev compares them to shadows that fall on the sand. And the sand is not simple, but "fiery paradise" (metaphorical epithets). Probably, Gumilev saw such sand far from home, missing his beloved.

To create a sublime image, Gumilev uses Old Slavicisms: pre, dolny, joyful, self-will, longing, thirst, languor.

Size and rhyme

The poem is written with iambic tetrameter. Cross rhyme, feminine rhyme alternates with masculine. A clear form, verified composition - everything conveys a masculine point of view on a feminine essence.