Mikhail Lermontov

Бородино

Wynter

Lermontov is probably the second most revered poet in Russia after Alexander Pushkin. If Pushkin can be compared to William Shakespeare in scale of the impact he had on his native language, then I would say Lermontov is like John Keats, who had a bright, albeit brief literary career. Like Pushkin, Lermontov died young in a duel. 

Naturally, Lermontov's themes and stylistic choices were heavily influenced by his great predecessor. This volume collects his most famous poetry, often dedicated to the wild beauty of Caucasus, unrequited love, or admiration for a number of famous people. Both poets seemed to have idolized Byron, and saw his brooding, tragic hero as their ideal, which often translated into their works. 

I did find that Lermontov was more inclined to be experimental with rhythm in his works, often switching to non-standard structures. Some worked for me better than others. To appreciate this variety, I think it's important to read all his work aloud. 

Thematically, I saw myself drawn to his narrative poetry more. Pieces like Three Palm Trees, The Gifts of Terek, Tamara, and Night series were definitely my favourite. More often than not, I reread those at least twice just because I was amazed at the depth of story and brightness of imagery contained within such a constrained format. Out of the three long poems included, I had to single out A Song about Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, the Young Oprichnik, and the Valorous Merchant Kalashnikov (yes, it's a very long title). It was written in a style of an old bard song, without rhyme, but with focus on rhythm. It reminded me a lot of Pushkin's fairytales, but with much darker undertones. I can see myself reading it over and over again in the future, while skipping the other two altogether. 

I am a bit surprised that the collection is titled after Borodino, since the majority of the poetry within is about anything, but war. I guess Borodino is one of Lermontov's most famous poems, and most Russian students have to learn and recite it as part of school program, therefore this would be the most catchy title, but I stand my case. I would rather give the collection a title Prisoner of the Caucasus, given Lermontov's history in the region, as well as his love for Caucasian way of life.

Бородино

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