A. S. Pushkin loved to study history. "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg" he created after reading the historical chronicle about the Kiev prince Oleg. The author poetically depicted Oleg's meeting with a magician who predicted his fate. At the beginning of the song, Pushkin informs the reader about the prince's preparations for the next battle with the "unreasonable Khazars." In the field, Oleg and his squad meet a magician who came out of the "dark forest".

From the first line we know that the prince himself foresees a lot. After all, it was not for nothing that he was called "prophetic". But Oleg is interested in the prediction of the sorcerer. He drives up to the "wise old man." Pushkin creates the image of a sorcerer, as a man who is submissive to only one gods and no prince is afraid of him. Through his prayers and fortune-telling throughout his life, the magician earned the right to give advice and predict human fate.

Both characters are presented as equal interlocutors. The prince treats the elder with respect and asks to tell the whole truth about his fate. Oleg tells the old man not to be afraid and he will receive a reward. But the sorcerer does not need "princely gifts" and "magicians are not afraid of mighty lords", because they carry only the truth.

From the predictions of the sorcerer, we learn about the merits of the Kyiv prince, which will bring him glory, the obedience of people, nature, even the envy of enemies. All this will be given to Oleg without any defeat. The horse will be a faithful assistant. But not everything is so rosy in the prediction of the elder. From a faithful horse, the prince will accept his death. In this prediction of the magician, we see a detailed description of Oleg. The strength and power of the prince lies in his just power and military prowess. This is a powerful and wise ruler.

Only the prophetic Oleg wants to deceive fate and lets go of the horse. The prince is trying to change the predictions and show that the magician is wrong. Only fate disposes of it as it is written from above. After all, the magician carries only the truth, and Oleg's death is inevitable.

Composition "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg - Pushkin" Contrasting juxtaposition of the images of the prince and the magician in the "Song of the Prophetic Oleg" by A. S. Pushkin

The image of Prince Oleg in "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg" by A. S. Pushkin

Great Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was the founder of Russian realistic literature. With his poetry, he reveals in people all the best that they have and makes them forget about the little things and worries of life. But to comprehend the full meaning of his thoughts and feelings is impossible. In his poems, the poet highlights all the best features of the Russian character. A.S. Pushkin was always interested in the historical past of the motherland. The "Song of the Prophetic Oleg" describes a historical event, a certain era. The poem was written in 1822, in which the author describes the death of the great Russian prince, who became famous for his military campaigns and victories over enemies:

• How the prophetic Oleg is now going
• Take revenge on the unreasonable Khazars,
• Their villages and fields for a violent raid
• He doomed swords and fires;
• With his retinue, in Constantinople armor,
• The prince rides across the field on a faithful horse.

Oleg makes a trip in the capital of the Greek Empire Tsargrad. At his command, ships were pulled out onto land, put on wheels, and sails were hoisted. When the Greeks saw that ships were moving on them overland, they were willing to pay any tribute. Wanting to somehow change the course of the war, they take out poisoned food and wine to Oleg. Since then, Oleg has been called prophetic (wise), since he did not accept treats. All this happened because he not only guessed the poisoning attempt, but also could predict the course of events, approaching a successful outcome. The poem also speaks of fate, the predestination of the future. We see that the author begins to doubt, he agrees with reality. But there will be moments when the poet believes in a brighter future. The most important place in this work is occupied by the concept of "fate". Pushkin says that life is not only an area of ​​the mind, that it has a place for feelings, excitement, emotions:

• Magi are not afraid of mighty lords,
• And they do not need a princely gift;
• Truthful and free is their prophetic language
• And friendly with the will of heaven.
• The coming years lurk in the mist;
• But I see your lot on a bright forehead.

The poet took as the basis of his works of the Russian prince Oleg, he told us about his exploits, about his bold character. But ideas about predetermination of fate arose long before that, when a person only began to think about the connection between his life and the world around him. Since childhood, Alexander Sergeevich was struck by the drama of the death of Prince Oleg. The poet applied this legend, but at the same time added to it the prince's affection for the horse and added a very important image of a magician. The snake is considered to be a symbol of sin and evil, a sign of death and chaos. The gods can control fate, but often the opposite is true. A person cannot avoid what is predetermined by fate. In his mature years, and throughout his life, any poet is interested in the past of his homeland, his people. Pushkin always considered poetry an art, a manifestation of the creative spirit. The most important thing in his work, he saw the freedom of thought, the independence of the poet as a person. In "Songs about the Prophetic Oleg", the author says that there is a certain space between the hero and fate, which gives the right to choose future events. Indeed, Prince Oleg overcame all the difficulties that were in his way, but he died from his horse. Pushkin admires the strength and courage of his character.

In "Songs. » Oleg is a fearless raiding hero who never loses. Unable to remember the real death of Oleg, the poet supplements the fate of the prince with a folklore motif. "The Tale of the Prophetic Oleg" is a story in poetic form, which lyrically describes the connection between time, fateful moments and happiness. Indeed, fate connects the past with the future. Before us appears a man who predicts the future, he is not afraid of anything and does not depend on anyone. The cause of Oleg's death is the skull of his own horse. Symbols play a special role here: a skull means death, a snake is also considered to be a negative character, symbolizing deceit, temptation, dreams, evil. Oleg does not believe the prediction. Nevertheless, he replaced his horse, abandoning the old one. He has the impression that the prophecies are erroneous: after all, he is alive, but the horse is no more. But you can't run away from what's meant to be:

• “So this is where my death lurked!
• The bone threatened me with death!”
• From the dead head the coffin serpent
• Hissing, meanwhile crawled out;
• Like a black ribbon wrapped around the legs:
• And suddenly the stung prince cried out.

Reading a poem, we draw conclusions that you can't run away from fate, despite all the precautions. Thoughts about fate have long interested a person. They have tormented him for many years, ever since he began to think about life and his place in it. Fate has always been the subject of philosophical reflection because in a person's life there are a large number of emotions, worries, feelings. Fate does not give the right to freedom. Not a person chooses, but he is chosen. In conclusion, I would like to say that in "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg" A.S. Pushkin wants to show us that each person is destined for his own, and he is not able to change this. He also tells us that people dear to you must be loved and appreciated during life, so that it would not be insanely painful later.

According to various legends, he was buried near Staraya Ladoga. As the locals say, one of the ancient hills is the grave of the famous prince. Why "prophetic"? So he was called for the ingenious quality to foresee the situation. It was especially manifested when, having unfolded the sails and put the ships on wheels, he reached his intended goal, one might say, swiftly. It is not for nothing that Pushkin's ballad "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg" according to the school curriculum comes after the study of "The Tale of Bygone Years" - this makes it possible to compare two identical events described by different sources.

History of creation

Why does Pushkin refer to such distant events at all? An analysis of the "Song of the Prophetic Oleg" cannot be carried out without delving into the goals of the poet.

Pushkin's freedom-loving poems served as a pretext for sending the poet into exile to the south by decree of Alexander I. He visits many ancient cities, including Kyiv. Here the poet became interested in one of the ancient burial mounds. Local residents claimed that this is the grave of the deceased with a very mysterious death.

Pushkin studies the works of Karamzin, where he retells the plot of The Tale of Bygone Years about the death of a glorious ruler.

And so his “Song of the Prophetic Oleg” is born. The year of its writing is 1822.

Do not forget that Pushkin was a true connoisseur of history. His writings about the "cases of bygone days" are very numerous. In Oleg, he saw, first of all, a hero capable of uniting Russia, raising patriotic feelings.

Legend and plot

Any literary work of a historical nature relies primarily on historical facts. However, the vision of a writer or poet may differ from the original source: he can bring his own assessment, give life to events, even embellish them somewhere.

The plot of Pushkin's ballad is similar to what it represents. During the next trip to the Grand Duke, the prophetic Oleg, a sorcerer, a magician, turns. He predicts that the master will meet death from his beloved horse, with whom he fought many battles.

Immediately, Oleg orders to take his faithful friend away, but orders that he be well cared for.

Next, we see Oleg already whitened with gray hair. During the feast, he remembers his faithful friend - the horse. He is informed that the animal has died. Oleg decides to visit the resting place of a true friend and ask for forgiveness. The prince comes to the bones of the horse, is sad, laments. At this time, a snake crawls out of the skull and inflicts a deadly bite.

The work ends with Oleg's funeral.

Genre features

If we carry out a genre analysis of the "Song of the Prophetic Oleg", it will become clear that, by definition, this is a poetic work based on some historical or other event. Often the plot is fantastic.

Another feature of the ballad is the dramatic nature of the events depicted and the unexpected ending. All this was embodied in his work by Pushkin. "Song of the Prophetic Oleg" contains a lot of fantastic, starting with the old magician, his prophecy and ending with the death of the prince.

The poet himself immediately, having read about this event, saw in it a plot for his future work. He wrote about this to Alexander Bestuzhev, noting "a lot of poetry" in the story of the death of the illustrious prince.

Subject

Let's consider what the "Song of the Prophetic Oleg" is at the semantic level. The theme of the work does not fit into any one concept. Pushkin raises various themes:

Idea

Analysis of the "Song of the Prophetic Oleg" is impossible without an ideological outline. What does Pushkin want to say with his work? First of all, about the predetermination of what is happening to a person. No matter how hard we try to push the evil fate away, it will still overtake us.

Yes, Oleg was able to delay the moment of death by moving the horse away from him and not contacting him. However, death still overtakes the prince. Thus, Pushkin is trying to reveal a very important philosophical problem, which great minds thought about. Fate and freedom: how are these concepts related? Does a person really choose his own fate (Oleg sends his horse away), or is it impossible to deceive fate (the death of a prince), as Pushkin believes? “The Song of the Prophetic Oleg” unequivocally answers: everything that happens to people and is destined for them from above cannot be changed. The poet was convinced of this.

Artistic and expressive means

We will analyze the "Song of the Prophetic Oleg", based on the means of expression used. Pushkin gave the legend from The Tale of Bygone Years his vision, revived it, made it sparkle with all its facets. At the same time, he also conveyed the verbal flavor of Russia in the 10th century.

Even the name itself is poetic. "Song" is a way of glorification dating back to ancient times. Folklore works that have come to us through the centuries immediately come to mind.

To convey the color of that era, special syntactic constructions were used in the speech, the poet's speech is replete with archaisms ("trizna") and archaic phrases ("you will stain the feather grass").

There are many well-aimed epithets in the text in Pushkin's style, on which he carefully worked (the poet's drafts remained). Thus, the original epithet "proud" as applied to the old sorcerer was replaced by "wise." This is true, because Oleg is proud and arrogant, and the magician is calm and stately. We will also point out the most striking epithets: "the glorious head of the mound", "inspired magician", "prophetic Oleg". Metaphors are also plentiful in the ballad: “years lurk in the mist”, personifications: “ladles are noisy”.

The poem is written in a smooth and calm amphibrach, characteristic of lyrical-epic works. It slowly tells about the sad fate of Prince Oleg.

"The Song of the Prophetic Oleg" was written in 1822, the genre is a ballad.

One of the cross-cutting themes of Pushkin's creativity is reflected in the "Song of the Prophetic Oleg" - the theme of the correlation of earthly power and the power of higher powers, the clash of the "poet" and the "tsar".

A. S. Pushkin based the plot on the story of the mysterious death of one of the ancient Russian princes.

• Oleg asks the wise "wizard" to predict the future: "What will come true in my life?". The elder, like a poet-prophet, is not afraid of the prince. He predicts a glorious life to the “powerful” winner of “Khazar” Oleg: “your name is glorified by victory”, “both waves and land are submissive to you”, death is from a horse, a true friend.
• Oleg tries to escape his destiny by parting with his beloved horse. But the magician's prophecy comes true: Prince Oleg dies from the bite of a snake crawling out of the horse's skull at the moment when the prince comes to the hill to say goodbye to his dead horse, reproaching the "false old man" that his prediction deprived the prince of his fighting friend. Prince Oleg did not manage to deceive fate.

Pushkin shows the clash of two different attitudes to life: the sorcerer and the prince.

sorcerer- a man of "secret knowledge". He is submissive to the will of the gods, neglects "earthly" values. This is an "artist" serving the highest truth, nature.

Habitat of the sorcerer- a dark forest, or rather, an eternity in which he resides, serving the gods.

Prince Oleg- a man of action, a warrior and a conqueror. He tries to outwit the will of the gods, to subdue his human will.

Place of life and actions of the prince- field, open space, hill, battlefields.

The "truth" of the sorcerer wins - it is stronger than the will of the PRINCE. But Oleg is depicted in the poem as a worthy opponent of fate: he is a brave and strong warrior.

The use of archaic words allows you to create an image of the "ancient world". magician, sorcerer, ax, rested in deep sleep, cutting, sling, gates

In addition to the "Song of the Prophetic Oleg", historical themes are developed by A. S. Pushkin in such works as "The Borodino Anniversary", "Boris Godunov", "Poltava"

“If we translate this contest between the magician and the prince from the language of ancient chronicles into the language of history, then Pushkin’s ballad will appear as a poetic depiction of the conflict between the “ruler of thoughts” and the ruler of the state, between the poet and the king, any poet and any king, or, in particular, between Pushkin and Romanov"

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The writing

The drama of A. S. Pushkin's verse "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg" brings to mind those harsh times when our ancient ancestors lived. details about life and
Nestor the Chronicler tells about the activities of the Novgorod prince Oleg in The Tale of Bygone Years. After the death of Prince Novgorod Rurik, the principality became
edit Oleg, his relative, to whom Rurik entrusted the upbringing of his son Igor. Oleg had a strong, decisive and treacherous character. He tried
extend his influence to all the lands adjacent to his possessions. Oleg's life is constant aggressive campaigns with the aim of enriching, strengthening
personal power over tribes and peoples. Winning battles, Oleg increased his power and might at any cost. Particularly striking is the insidiousness with which he
captured Kyiv.

Severe, cruel were the times - times of civil strife and betrayal. In 881, Prince Oleg of Novgorod went on a campaign along the great waterway "from the Varangians to
Greeks" for the sake of joining their cities and lands. “And they came to the mountains of Kyiv, and saw Oleg, who reign here Askold and Dyr,” says Nestor
chronicler. Then Prince Oleg with his fighting wife, pretending to be peaceful merchants and inviting the rulers of Kyiv Askold and Dyra to their tent, treacherously
killed them. “And they killed Askold and Dyra, carried them to the mountain and buried them on the mountain,” the chronicle testifies. "And it will be for all Russian cities," said
Oleg, capturing Kyiv.

A. S. Pushkin vividly, picturesquely, deeply showed in a small but very informative work "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg" full of
adventures and trials of the life of the Prince of Kyiv. In 907, Oleg went on a campaign to Tsaregrad, the capital of Byzantium, powerful, invincible to that
time of the Christian empire. Oleg the pagan challenged the already formed, recognized in the world, strong, believing in the one God, the state, and his own
brutal predatory actions brought "to their knees" its inhabitants. Oleg concluded a very convenient agreement for Russia with his subordinates, and as a sign of victory
hung his shield on the gates of Tsaregrad. This is how A. S. Pushkin describes it:

* Your name is glorified by victory;
* Your shield on the gates of Tsaregrad:
* Both the waves and the land are submissive to you;
* The enemy is jealous of such a wondrous fate.

Prophetic Oleg, as a pagan conqueror, was very superstitious and impressionable, he believed in the signs and divination of the Magi. And like all mighty rulers and
the conquerors desired to know their future. The wizards claimed that, despite the glory, power, invincibility, he is powerless against fate - “but you will accept
death by his horse. Hearing such a verdict from the Magi, Oleg ordered the horse to be set free and to take care of him, deciding for himself that he would no longer
approach your pet. Time passed, and somehow during a banquet Oleg mentioned his comrade-in-arms and wanted to see him, but the servants said
prince that the horse is dead. Oleg, disappointed in the prophecies of the Magi, regretted that he had listened to them;

* And he thinks: “What is fortune-telling?
* Magician, you deceitful, crazy old man!
* Despise your prediction!
* My horse would still carry me.

Oleg remembered the raging past associated with the horse, and decided to see the remains of his fighting friend. But fate is inexorable - when the prince approached the bones of the horse
and put his foot on his skull, -

* From dead head coffin snake
* Hissing meanwhile crawled out;
* Like a black ribbon wrapped around the legs,
* And suddenly the stung prince cried out.

Why did Pushkin turn to the plot of a legend that has come down to us from the depths of centuries? Alexander Sergeevich was a worthy connoisseur of history - he felt romance and
significance of this legend. Prophetic Oleg, the Grand Duke of Kyiv, a hero in his time, died so uselessly. Despite the greatness and merits of the prince as a statesman
and invincible conqueror, fate defeated him. Probably, this is the payment for deceit in the murder of Askold and the Hole. Deceit is punished - in the story of Prophetic Oleg
entered like a prince who died an unusual, inglorious death.

Other writings on this work

One of the founders of Russian literature is rightfully considered the disgraced poet Alexander Pushkin, who in his magnificent works tries to awaken the feelings of a person, awakening only his best qualities. It helps a person to understand and understand the past and the future. The poet easily and unobtrusively in his literary creations makes them forget all the little things and worries that interfere with their happiness. In his works, the reader is faced with a special perception of the modern world, so it is sometimes impossible to fully understand this sensual and emotional.

Pushkin in his works very vividly describes all the main features of the Russian character, showing his best sides. The main theme of his work is history, the past of his homeland. Pushkin's work "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg" is devoted to this topic. In this poetic creation, the disgraced poet easily and freely describes the historical event that really happened in a certain era.

It is known that Pushkin's historical poetic work was written in the nineteenth century. The exact date of writing is 1822. It is believed that this poem reflected the death of the Grand Duke of Ancient Russia, who was famous and famous for his military campaigns, which usually ended very well. There were real legends about his victories. Alexander Pushkin reflected this historical event in his poetic work. According to the content of Pushkin's text, the prophetic Oleg, going on a campaign, decides to fight the Khazars in order to take revenge on them. Oleg goes with his army stubbornly to avenge the way they last attacked his homeland, and now he also burns everything in his path.

And now Prince Oleg, together with his retinue, is riding across the field where the battle is to take place. This is the plot of Pushkin's work, but in the historical chronicle Oleg makes his trip to the Greek Empire, where at that time the city of Tsargrad was the capital. Then, by order of the prince, ships were pulled ashore, which immediately put them on wheels, and it was decided to raise sails on them. Such a vision frightens the Greeks, and they, seeing strange structures that suddenly call in their city, agree to any conditions, even to pay tribute.

Despite their agreement, they are trying to change the course of the entire war at least a little in order to win it. And Oleg, in order to destroy him forever, is presented with food and drinks that are already poisoned. But the prince, realizing that the enemy is in front of him, does not accept their treats and, accordingly, the insidious plan of the enemies is thwarted. After that, the fame of the wise Oleg brought him fame, and soon they began to call him Prophetic Oleg. He was able not only to predict the poisoning attempt, but he was also able to foresee the events that would occur, he was able to use them in a way that was convenient for him. This helped him in this difficult battle to win the desired victory.

But the author also says that fate pursues his hero, he determines what his future will be like. And this theme occupies a special place in Pushkin's work. Pushkin says that the horse under the prince is brave, who is not afraid of battle, understands his master well. If necessary, he will stand still, even if enemy arrows fly past. But as soon as his master spurs him on, the horse will rush quickly across the field. This horse is not afraid of either cold or rainy weather. And suddenly Oleg is predicted that he will accept his death from a faithful horse.

The author shows how his hero begins to doubt, trying to understand the harsh reality. The fate of man occupies a central place in Pushkin's poem. After all, a person does not exist, using only his mind, he lives, and therefore experiences the excitement, emotions and feelings that fill his life, making it richer and brighter. The poet tells his reader that a person cannot change his fate, and she does not choose her victims.

Fortune tellers are not afraid of powerful and rich people of the earthly world, as they obey the divine power. And the Magi do not need a gift from the princes at all, since their truth is free and truthful. They cannot say what they want to hear. Usually a person does not know anything about his fate, this secret is hidden from everyone. But the Magi have the gift of divination. And one of these predictors decides to tell the fate of Prince Oleg.

Pushkin takes as a basis the history of the existence of Prince Oleg, his exploits are also confirmed by ancient chronicles. Therefore, it turns out that the author shows the historical truth. With respect, the poet describes the exploits of Oleg, he also shows what a strong personality was in Ancient Russia, what a bold and courageous character the prince had. But Pushkin's poem about this man is a literary work. Accordingly, the author also introduces figurative expressions when he tries to show that nature has its own laws. And the poet does this with the help of mythological images.

Primitive people still thought about what the fate of a person is and what it depends on. At this time, a person began to gradually realize that he himself was not able to change his life, but depended largely on the people who surrounded him, and on the natural world. The disgraced poet knew an interesting legend about how the glorious Prince Oleg, who glorified himself by military exploits, died from early childhood, and this tragic story at that time struck him very much. Little Pushkin painted this story in his imagination.

And just using this legend, the poet takes it as a basis and reworks it in such a way as to highlight in it the motive of the prince's attachment to his comrade in arms. Pushkin adds to his poetic plot and a magician, who just predicts Oleg's fate. He describes this meeting as follows: from a dark and dense forest, a magician unexpectedly comes out directly towards the prince, who is not subject to people. He only obeys Perun, who helps him in predicting the future. Perun spent his entire life in divination and prayers.

Now the fortuneteller and servant of Perun himself drives up to Oleg. He predicts his death from a faithful comrade, whom the prince tested in battles. The prediction comes true, as Oleg, approaching the skull of his faithful horse, dies. But death comes from a snake that lurks in the skull of a horse. But it is known that the snake and its bites have always been considered signs of death, chaos, it is a kind of symbol of sin and evil. The fate of man is subject only to the gods. Nothing can be changed in human destiny, there is nowhere to go from it, everything is already predetermined.