Analysis of Yesenin's poem "Letter to a Woman". Who is the poem addressed to?

Let us analyze Yesenin’s poem “Letter to a Woman”. To whom did the poet turn? And what did he want to say with his work? Many are interested in the question: “To whom is the“ Letter to the woman “Yesenin addressed?”. After reading this article, you will find out the answer.

The genre of writing in poetry

In prose, the genre of writing has long been known. I recall, for example, the famous novel "Julia, or New Eloise" by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. However, in poetry, writing made the Silver Age popular. At that time, "Letters ..." were created by Yesenin, Mayakovsky, and later Andrei Voznesensky and other prominent masters of lyrics.

However, the most reverent are the works that poets address beloved women. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin called his messages to Anna Kern nothing more than initiations, as if not to a woman, but to a goddess. But Sergei Yesenin called his creation everyday and simple - “Letter to a Woman”. In this article we will analyze this poem.

What is the work dedicated to?

Literary scholars consider this message to be a whole poem. They attribute it to a fundamentally new period in Yesenin's work, when his views on the future of Russia are radically rethought. Despite the fact that the title of the poem is somewhat intimate (because the letters are addressed to someone personally, in this case, to a specific woman), the work is devoted to the topic of identifying an individual person during a historical fracture. It is precisely the form of the letter that helps the lyric hero, addressing his beloved, to reflect on the future and the past, both his own and his own country.

The woman to whom the letter is addressed

In 1924, Sergei Yesenin wrote "A Letter to a Woman." The work was addressed to Zinaida Reich, who was, in fact, the poet’s only wife. Zinaida Reich Yesenin gave birth to two children. After breaking up with him, she became the wife of Vsevolod Meyerhold, the director, as well as the actress of his theater. It was after breaking up with her that he wrote the "Letter to the Woman" Yesenin. To whom this work is dedicated, you now know. Consider some important features of the poem that interests us.

Interweaving of two lines

Analysis of Yesenin’s poem “Letter to a Woman” shows that 2 lines, 2 layers: public and private, love for the motherland and love for the woman are interwoven in it. It begins with a personal memory. The lyrical hero describes a scene of parting with a beloved woman who threw bitter and harsh accusations in his face. The woman wanted to part with him, because she thought that it was time for him to get down to business, that he was tormented by her "crazy life". The lyrical hero in response puts forward his accusations. She simply did not understand him, could not understand the spiritual discord, as well as the tragedy in the world, when one country irrevocably goes into the past, and something unknown and completely new replaces it.

Two parts in a poem

2 parts can be distinguished by analyzing Yesenin’s poem “Letter to a Woman”. They are separated by perfection, and also contrasted in an emotional and meaningful way. “Now” and “then” are divided not only by a temporary relationship - it is as if two split halves of the soul of a lyrical hero: a hope to find the meaning of life associated with his awareness of his “I”, and a painful misunderstanding of what is happening around.

Building a poem

Even the very construction of the poem, which was created by Sergei Yesenin ("Letter to the Woman"), is unusual. The impression of direct, direct reasoning creates a free iambic. A stanza breaking a stanza highlights keywords. This concentrates the reader’s attention on the most significant points.

Hero type

The type of hero is also interesting. He signs the letter as "Your acquaintance, Sergey Yesenin." However, it is clear that the lyrical hero is not a poet. First of all, he is not so young as Sergei Yesenin, who at that time was only 29 years old. The “fatal” time the hero meets with an already established personality. It is difficult for him to accept the “new time”. In addition, it becomes clear that the hero is far from the lyrics. Consequently, he is not a lyrical counterpart of the poet, but an epic embodiment of the image of a person seeking his own way, involved in a conflict with "fate", "rock".

Time for a change

Today it is especially interesting to read "Letter to the Woman" (Yesenin). The history of the difficult post-revolutionary time, which many of us know only from school books, was reflected in it. The hero feels himself like a driven horse, the passenger of a ship dying in a storm. He is looking for sympathy, understanding, love. The lyrical hero himself is suffering and can not find support among those who were nearby. First of all, this refers to the beloved, because the "maya" of spiritual pursuits frightened her away, and she no longer needs a hero. The whole of Russia is compared here with a ship during the pitching. However, people suffer the most. In order to convey their painful condition brighter and stronger, the poet uses vulgarisms and vernacular. The time of change, the poet notes, is always a difficult time, testing people for strength that many people cannot stand. It is very scary to look at a person’s weakness (“human vomiting”). This could not stand the subtle soul of the hero. She hid herself, in a Russian tavern ("ship's hold") finding rest.

The new worldview of the lyrical hero

The lyrical hero, having gone through "frenzy", falling, tormenting, finally came to a different attitude. After analyzing Yesenin’s poem “Letter to a Woman”, you will notice that he accepted that the need to search for “new glory”, “new life” is historically natural. He saw, strangely enough, the desire to realize eternal values, such as “light work” and “liberty” in social transformations. Only being far from his homeland, he could understand this.

"Fellow traveler" in the "Soviet side"

Of course, with a fair amount of self-irony, the words of the lyrical hero sound that he is now "the most furious companion" in the "Soviet side". The word "fellow traveler", by the way, in the language of ideology meant political immaturity, class alienation. And Sergey Yesenin agreed with these definitions in his address. Therefore, the voice of the lyrical hero here seems to be trying to drown out, block the sadness of farewell, and the uncertainty in his own update.

The finale of the work

In the finale, the hero asks his beloved forgiveness. He speaks bitterly about what she does not need. She now has a new family, a smart and serious husband. And the hero for her became only familiar. Indeed, just as you remember, Sergey Yesenin signs the letter. In the traditions of classical Russian literature, he wishes happiness to his beloved.

Yesenin's experiment

Almost a century ago, Yesenin wrote "A Letter to a Woman", the analysis (according to plan) of which we just carried out. However, the work is still relevant today. It is part of the school curriculum in literature and is loved by many of our compatriots.

In the 2nd half of the 20th century, the hero will be called by his exact name: this is Edichka from the work of E. Limonov “It's me, Edichka”, Venichka Erofeev in the work of V. Erofeev “Moscow-Petushki”. However, in the first half of the 20th century, it was a bold experiment, however, which justified itself, “Letter to a Woman” (Yesenin).

Who the work is dedicated to, you now know. We also conducted an analysis of it. We hope that the information presented in this article was useful to you.