Philology, pedagogy, and psychology

2023 Issue №2

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. Genre specific of the poem by P.A. Viazemsky “Commemoration of the battle of Borodino”

DOI
10.5922/pikbfu-2023-2-6
Pages
60-74

Abstract

The article focuses on the genre characteristics of P. A. Viazemsky’s miniature “Commemoration of the battle of Borodino”. Connections of the work with genres of an ode and an elegy are explored. The poem contains in itself elements of traditional ode of the Classicism epoch and largely intertwine with poetic of battle ode, this is largely about praise of the great historical event and Russian arms (Battle of Borodino) and commanders (Miloradovich and Kutuzov), colorful description of the battle, many tropes and figures (rhetorical exclamations, metaphors), image of lyrical hero-observer, the effect of presence, epic narration. Meanwhile, the poem is not so much dedicated to the great battle, but to the death of a poet’s friend and fallen warriors. Theme of death is central in the poem by Viazymsky, and many elements of work are close to the genre of elegy on death. It is important to note that the poem “Commemoration of the battle of Borodino” can be regarded as a documentary poem, reflection of the poet-soldier, later described in his memoirs “Memories of 1812”.