Pasternak “Winter Night. “Winter Night” by B. Pasternak - between life and death

It happens to you when your subconscious produces some kind of melody, and it accompanies you all day. What is this? Some kind of symbol, a hint from above through the subconscious? Or a cry from the soul, bursting out through memory and subconscious? Don't know. But these New Year's days I'm drawn to music and poetry. For two days now I have been waking up with the melody of the verse " Winter night" Remember Boris Pasternak in the novel “Doctor Zhivago”?

When Zhivago saw a candle in the window of a room on Kamergersky Lane and “from this flame seen outside...penetrating into the street with an almost conscious look» and poetry awakened in my soul. And this happened, if my memory serves me right, on Christmas night 1907. And now, more than 100 years later, at almost the same time, through some threads unknown to me, this mood, throughdivine musicthe verse was passed on to me. I get up. It's still dark outside. I take a book and start reading...

Chalk, chalk all over the earth
To all limits.
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

Like a swarm of midges in summer
Flies into the flames
Flakes flew from the yard
To the window frame.

A snowstorm sculpted on the glass
Circles and arrows.
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

To the illuminated ceiling
The shadows were falling
Crossing of arms, crossing of legs,
Crossing fates.

And two shoes fell
With a thud to the floor.
And wax with tears from the night light
It was dripping on my dress.

And everything was lost in the snowy darkness,
Gray and white.
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

There was a blow on the candle from the corner,
And the heat of temptation
Raised two wings like an angel
Crosswise.

It was snowy all month in February,
Every now and then
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

It's true, verse!

Now, listen and watch two videos and you will forever remain in your heart and memory, like mine .

It's really beautiful!

Have you read this amazing novel? I read it a long time ago, but the events of those years and the images of the heroes of the novel are still before my eyes. The fact that this work shocked me is not enough to say. It shocked me with its truth about that era and the generation that had to live through it all. If you haven't read it, be sure to read it. Get a lot of impressions. By the way, for this novel Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1958, which he was forced to refuse and the novel was not published in the Soviet Union for 32 years. Two series have been filmed. One is Russian, the other, it seems, was filmed by the Americans. I watched both with pleasure, but the Russian one is closer to my heart.

These are the feelings and mood with which I greeted this morning.

Did you like the poem? Parsnip« Winter night»? But more often it is remembered like a poem Parsnip Candle burning on the table.

Have a nice day.

Chalk, chalk all over the earth
To all limits.
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

Like a swarm of midges in summer
Flies into the flames
Flakes flew from the yard
To the window frame.

A snowstorm sculpted on the glass
Circles and arrows.
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

To the illuminated ceiling
The shadows were falling
Crossing of arms, crossing of legs,
Crossing fates.

And two shoes fell
With a thud to the floor.
And wax with tears from the night light
It was dripping on my dress.

And everything was lost in the snowy darkness
Gray and white.
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

There was a blow on the candle from the corner,
And the heat of temptation
Raised two wings like an angel
Crosswise.

It was snowy all month in February,
Every now and then
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

Analysis of the poem “Winter Night” by Pasternak

Nowadays, B. Pasternak is considered one of the most talented Russian poets. Recognition in his homeland came to him after his death. After the publication of the novel “Doctor Zhivago” in the West, Pasternak’s work was banned in the USSR. In its own famous work the writer devoted most poetry, which is the fruit of the protagonist’s creativity. These philosophical and love lyrics become an organic part of the novel, explaining and connecting the various parts. In this lyric, one of the central poems is “Winter Night”. Subsequently, it was published as an independent work. The exact date of writing is unknown, since the writer worked on the entire novel for about ten years.

The central image of the poem is a burning candle, symbolizing a saving light among the surrounding darkness. She is able to warm and calm a tormented soul. This image permeates the entire novel as a whole. The candle becomes for the lovers the center of the universe, which attracted them to itself and gave them shelter in the midst of the “snowy darkness.” Love relationship are outlined with only a few catchy strokes: “crossing of arms,” “crossing of legs,” “heat of temptation.” They are not so important in a general philosophical sense. Much more important is the “crossing of fate,” that is, the union of two lonely hearts around the life-giving true source of light.

In the context of the novel, the image of a candle symbolizes human life, and the surrounding bad weather - inevitable death. A flickering flame can easily be extinguished by a careless movement; this reminds a person that death can come suddenly at the most unexpected moment. On the other hand, the flame of a candle is immeasurably weaker than a harsh blizzard, but continues its unequal struggle. Philosophical meaning of this symbolic fight - a person should never give up and use the time allotted to him to the end.

Pasternak uses a variety of means of expression. The refrain “the candle was burning” is repeated several times, emphasizing the significance of the image. Epithets are used mainly in describing the February bad weather: “snowy”, “gray-haired and white”. Almost everything that surrounds the main characters is endowed with human traits through personification (“a snowstorm sculpted”, “shadows lay down”). The comparisons used are very expressive: “like a midge”, “wax with tears”, “like an angel”.

The poem became very popular in the post-Soviet space. His words were set to music.

Boris Pasternak is rightfully considered one of the brightest Russian poets and writers of the 20th century. It was he who came up with the idea to combine prose and poetry in one work, which caused a flurry of criticism from his contemporaries, but was appreciated by his descendants.

In particular, we are talking about famous novel"Doctor Zhivago", the last part of which is dedicated to the poems of the main character. The reader learns that Yuri Zhivalo is a subtle lyricist and lover of rhymed phrases in the first chapters of the novel. However, Boris Pasternak tries not to distract readers lyrical digressions, therefore, he decides to combine all the poems of Yuri Zhivago into a separate collection.

The first poem attributed to the authorship of the main character is called “Winter Night”. Later it was often published as an independent literary work called “Candle” and was even set to music, adding to the repertoire of Alla Pugacheva and ex-leader of the Gorky Park group Nikolai Noskov

Boris Pasternak worked on the novel Doctor Zhivago for 10 years, from 1945 to 1955. Therefore, today it is no longer possible to establish exactly when exactly the poem “Winter Night” was written. Although some researchers of Pasternak’s work argue that the immortal lines were born during the war, which their author spent in evacuation, living for more than a year in the city of Chistopol. However, given the manner of writing and the maturity of thoughts, critics are inclined to believe that the poem was created shortly before the end of work on the novel, when Boris Pasternak, like the main character, already had a presentiment of his death.

It is the theme of death and life that is key point poem “Winter Night”, It should not be taken literally, but should be read between the lines, since each quatrain is a vivid metaphor, so contrasting and memorable that it gives the poem amazing grace. Considering “Winter Night” in the context of the struggle for survival, one can easily guess that the blizzard, February cold and wind symbolize death. And the candle flame, uneven and barely glowing, is synonymous with life, which leaves not only the terminally ill Doctor Zhivago, but also Boris Pasternak himself

The version that the poem was written in 1954-55 is also supported by the fact that in 1952 Boris Pasternak experienced his first heart attack, having experienced first-hand what it means to be between life and death. However, it is possible that, possessing the gift of foresight, Pasternak in “Winter Night” predicted not only physical, but also creative death for himself. And he turned out to be right, because after the publication of the novel “Doctor Zhivago” abroad and the award for the work “ Nobel Prize» famous writer suffered persecution. They stopped publishing him and expelled him from the USSR Writers' Union. Therefore, the only source of livelihood for parsnips during this period were literary translations, which continued to be in demand and quite highly paid.

The author himself wrote letters several times to the General Secretary of the CPSU Nikita Khrushchev, trying to convince the head of state of his political reliability, but this did not help. Moreover, Pasternak’s opponents appealed not to the novel itself as a whole, but to its poetic part, and, in particular, to “Winter Night,” calling the poem an example of decadence, decadence and vulgarity.

Only several decades later, when in 1988 the novel “Doctor Zhivago” was first published in the USSR, the poem “Winter Night” was recognized as one of the most successful and heartfelt works love lyrics, written by Boris Pasternak.

"Winter night". B. Pasternak

Chalk, chalk all over the earth

To all limits.

The candle was burning on the table,

The candle was burning.

Like a swarm of midges in summer

Flies into the flames

Flakes flew from the yard

To the window frame.

A snowstorm sculpted on the glass

Circles and arrows.

The candle was burning on the table,

The candle was burning.

To the illuminated ceiling

The shadows were falling

Crossing of arms, crossing of legs,

Crossing fates.

And two shoes fell

WINTER NIGHT
Chalk, chalk all over the earth
To all limits.
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

Like a swarm of midges in summer
Flies into the flames
Flakes flew from the yard
To the window frame.

A snowstorm sculpted on the glass
Circles and arrows.
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

On the illuminated ceiling
The shadows were falling
Crossing of arms, crossing of legs,
Crossing fates.

And two shoes fell
With a thud to the floor.
And wax with tears from the night light
It was dripping on my dress.

And everything was lost in the snowy darkness
Gray and white.
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.

There was a blow on the candle from the corner,
And the heat of temptation
Raised two wings like an angel
Crosswise.

It was snowy all month in February,
Every now and then
The candle was burning on the table,
The candle was burning.
1946

Translation

WINTER NIGHT
Blizzards were blowing across the land
In all the pieces.
A candle was burning.

Like a swarm of summer midges
Flies to the flame,
The flakes flew from the yard
To the window frame.

The Blizzard sculptured on the glass
Circles and arrows.
A candle burned on the table,
A candle was burning.

On the illuminated ceiling
Lay down the shade,
Crossed arms, crossed legs,
A cross of fate.

And fell down two Shoes
With a thud on the floor.
And wax tears with a lamp
The dress was dripping.

And all was lost in snowy mist
Gray and white.
A candle burned on the table,
A candle was burning.

The candle on the barrel from the corner,
And the heat of temptation
Raised as an angel, two wings
Phillips.

Melo entire month in February
And
A candle burned on the table,
A candle was burning.
1946

Series “Poems about Love”

The publishing house expresses its sincere gratitude to Evgeniy Borisovich Pasternak for his assistance in preparing the collection

The cover design uses a reproduction of Gustav Klimt’s painting “Love”

“And the hug never ends...”

On February 10, 1890, the first child was born into the family of artist Leonid Osipovich Pasternak and pianist Rosalia Isidorovna (née Kaufman). The son was named Boris.

The future poet spent his childhood in an atmosphere of art. The family lived in the premises of the School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where Leonid Osipovich taught. In the Pasternaks’ house, home concerts were often held, and conversations were held about painting, music and literature. Great musicians, writers, and artists visited them. Leonid Osipovich was friends with I. I. Levitan, V. A. Serov, V. D. Polenov, N. N. Ge. In 1893, at the exhibition of the Association of Itinerants, he met Leo Tolstoy.

One of the most important events The poet's adolescence was a meeting with A. N. Scriabin, which took place in 1903. The Pasternaks spent the summer at their dacha, on the Obolenskoye estate, near Maloyaroslavets. The Scriabins lived not far from them. And you could hear someone composing music at the neighboring dacha.

“God, what kind of music was that! The symphony was constantly collapsing and collapsing, like a city under artillery fire, and the whole was built and grew from rubble and destruction,” Pasternak recalled.

Leonid Osipovich made acquaintance with famous composer, and they began to be friends at home. Although Boris began to “babble musically” even before meeting Scriabin, it was his acquaintance with him that most decisively influenced his desire to devote his life to music. Since 1903, from his first meetings with Scriabin, Pasternak could not imagine his life outside of music. “More than anything in the world I loved music,” wrote Pasternak, “more than anyone else in it, Scriabin.”

In 1908, Pasternak graduated from high school with a gold medal. As a medalist, he was enrolled in the first year of the Faculty of Law at Moscow University without entrance exams. The choice of the faculty was due, for the most part, to the fact that the classes there were not too burdensome and there was enough free time to study music, which he studied privately. In 1911, Pasternak intended to take exams for completing the conservatory course.

However, these plans were not allowed to come true. In 1909, Pasternak decided to abandon the musical field. There were many reasons, one of them was his lack of absolute pitch, that is, the ability to recognize the pitch of any arbitrary note. However, he did not stop practicing musical improvisation until 1930.

On Scriabin’s advice, Pasternak was transferred from the Faculty of Law to the Philosophy Department of the Historical and Philological Faculty. His areas of interest are phenomenology and philosophy of history. He studies Kant, Hume and Husserl. His first poetic experiments date back to the same time. Pasternak never included poems from this period in his books, and they were published in drafts only in the 1970s.

Pasternak considered “February. Get some ink and cry..." It was written in 1912. Subsequently, the poet opened to them his first poetic cycle, “The Initial Time,” and then all his collections opened with this very poem.

In the spring of 1912, Pasternak went to Germany - this was his first independent trip abroad. The destination of the trip was Marburg, a small university town, where for three months he had to improve himself in the field of philosophy, and at the same time test whether his soul really belonged to it. It turned out that it was not lying. During his stay in Germany, he completely lost interest in philosophy and parted with it as decisively as he parted with music three years ago. Another breakup occurred in Marburg - his platonic romance with Ida Vysotskaya, with whom Pasternak had been in love since his high school years, ended.

She was the daughter of the tea manufacturer Vysotsky, whose family lived in Chudov Lane, not far from Myasnitskaya, where the School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture was located. The Pasternaks were friends with the Vysotskys, and Boris met Ida when she was still a teenager.

The memory of this love turned out to be long. Years after the breakup, Pasternak addressed Ida Vysotskaya in his lyrics. He dedicated to her the famous “Marburg” (1916) and one of best poems of this period, “Excerpt from a Poem” (1916).

In 1913 he made his debut in print. Five poems (“February...”, “Today we will fulfill his sadness...”, “Twilight,” “I am deaf in thoughts about myself...” and “Like a brazier with bronze ash...”) were included in the anthology “Lyrics,” the first book of the publishing house of the same name. .

The almanac was published in April with a circulation of 300 copies, and a month later Pasternak graduated from the university, submitting a work on Cohen’s theoretical philosophy as a candidate’s essay. It is noteworthy that Pasternak never showed up to receive his diploma, and it is still kept in the archives of Moscow University.

At the end of the same year, the first book of his poems, “Twin in the Clouds,” was published. The book went almost unnoticed. The few reviews were mostly critical. Only in Bryusov’s review article was Pasternak’s book mentioned quite favorably. Pasternak carried the feeling of gratitude to Bryusov throughout his life.

The first one has begun World War, and Pasternak decided to sign up as a volunteer, but he was dissuaded by Sergei Listopad, the son of the philosopher Lev Shestov, who had briefly arrived from the front. With “sober positivity” he told him about the war, warning that Pasternak “will find there something exactly the opposite of what he expects to see.” Sergei Listopad died in the first battle upon returning to position. In Moscow, he left behind a fiancée, Elena Vinograd, to whom, a few years later, Pasternak would dedicate a book of wonderful love lyrics, “My Sister, Life.” However, already in the book “Above Barriers,” published in 1916, Pasternak declared himself as a fully accomplished poet. Here for the first time a poetic declaration was made, which Pasternak followed throughout his life:

For six months, Pasternak experienced the whole gamut of feelings that accompany love dramas: from hope for reciprocity and a passionate desire for intimacy to complete despair due to the irresistible coldness and alienation of his beloved.

The book of poems “My Sister, Life” became a lyrical diary of this story. In it, as the poet wrote, they found the expression “not at all modern sides poetry": "...I became completely indifferent to the name of the power that gave the book, because it was immeasurably greater than me and poetic concepts,