Letter to a Woman Analysis: Zinaida Reich

In the life of Sergei Yesenin there were many women. He devoted poetry to each of them. But he didn’t make one happy. The analysis of "Letters to a Woman" sheds light on the poet's experiences that he experienced shortly before his death. Many believe that this message was addressed to Zinaida Reich. But the discrepancy between the biographical data and some lines in the work allows one to doubt this.

analysis of a letter to a woman

Only love

In the life of Yesenin, love for the Motherland was in the first place. On the second is poetry. Women just created the backdrop. And although he never suffered from loneliness, whether he loved at least one of them is unknown. A close friend of Anatoly Mariengof constantly convinced him that family life was not for the poet, but attachment to a woman could destroy the delicate poetic world. Yesenin may have believed his imaginative friend, but still got married.

The first official wife was Zinaida Reich. Years later, Mariengof will say that this woman was the only one whom the great Russian poet loved. The analysis of “Letters to a Woman” speaks of resentment, slight disappointment, the desire to prove something. But here is love ... Poetry cannot be a biographical document. It only conveys an instant flash of feelings and emotions.

letter to woman analysis

Who was the letter for?

“A letter to a woman” ... Analysis of this work has been done many times by literary scholars and all those who are interested in the fleeting but vibrant life of Yesenin. The opinion that these lines are dedicated to Zinaida Reich are based primarily on the absence of other options.

The first civil marriage did not last long, and the relations of the former spouses remained friendly until the end of the poet's life. The third wife was Isadora Duncan. The lines “My crazy life tormented you” cannot be applied to this extraordinary woman. In an effort to lead a crazy life and "burn in a drunken stupor" this lady was not inferior to her young husband. In addition to the wives, there were many other persons - casual and transient. The analysis of "Letters to a Woman" speaks of strong emotional stress and that this poem is not a random person.

Family life

Based on the biographical literature, of which there are many, one can make an analysis of the poem “Letter to a Woman” to understand whether these lines were a reproach, a declaration of love, or just a work of a famous native of Ryazan.

Yesenin first saw a refined beauty in the editorial office of one of the newspapers. She seemed so elegant and fragile. Although it later turned out, the impression was misleading. They soon married, and they had a daughter. Very quickly, the marriage broke up at the initiative of Yesenin himself. When Zinaida Reich gave birth to a son, the father did not show much desire to see the child. The analysis of “Letters to a Woman” speaks of the experience of a man who recalls how he was rejected. But all biographers and authors of memoirs devoted to the life of the poet, claim the opposite: Yesenin was not ready for family life due to his age and character.

letter to woman esenin analysis

After abroad

Yesenin spent several months abroad with his second wife. He returned empty, tired, broken. But with a European gloss. It is to the last years of his life that his lyrical works belong. And it was during these years that the famous “Letter to the Woman” was written by Yesenin. Analysis of the poem shows fatigue, quiet sadness.

There are also several memories in the work in which he talks about his life after the break. “Beloved, you didn’t love me” - there is a certain rebuke here that the woman left him and he “went down into the ship’s hold”, which was nothing more than a tavern. In the last lines, the author talks about a serious and smart husband. Meyerhold, the second husband of Zinaida Reich, is meant. Rethinking a lot, Esenin wrote his “Letter to a Woman,” an analysis of the work of which speaks not only of regret, but also of the desire to prove that he has changed, becoming the most furious companion in the Soviet side.

analysis of a poem a letter to a woman

Big seen in the distance

Analysis of Yesenin’s verse “Letter to a Woman” may indicate a rethinking of the poet’s values. He traveled abroad, where his poems did not interest anyone, did not find happiness in a new marriage, another man raised his children. And the ex-wife is an accomplished actress.

He also talks about how he “avoided falling from a steep”, that is, what she predicted did not happen to him. But there is hardly any sincerity in these words. A poet plays a strange role in the last years of his life, which is also evident in the poem “Letter to a Woman”. An analysis of the biographical literature proves the opposite to those words that are dedicated to the beloved: a broken and disappointed person returned from abroad.

“Like a horse driven into soap ...”

Analysis of the poem “Letter to a Woman” allows you to feel the pain of the author, which caused him separation from his family. In fact, Zinaida Reich was seriously worried about the breakup with her husband. And only with time I was able to recover. First of all, thanks to a strong, difficult character.

Undoubtedly, the addressee of this letter is Zinaida Reich. But not because the poet loved her all his life and suffered from separation. Rather, it is all about the depressed mood to which he has been subjected for the last two years of his life. Reich was not the initiator of the break, because many lines diverge from the facts from Esenin's life. Regarding the reproach of dislike, according to eyewitnesses, it is known that the director Meyerhold's wife suffered an extremely painful death from her ex-husband.

analysis of Yesenin's verse letter to a woman

Analysis of Yesenin’s poem “Letter to a Woman” and his biography create a portrait of a man devastated and broken by fate. In his life there is no love and understanding. And the only clue is the family, which he will not return. But the feeling of loss, which is becoming more acute over the years, translates into one of the best poetic confessions of the last century.


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