Composition
The history of Russian poetry cannot be imagined without the name of Anna Andreevna Akhmatova. She began her creative journey by joining the “Workshop of Poets” and then becoming an “Acmeist”.
Many critics immediately noted, perhaps, main feature her creativity. The first collections of this poet are almost exclusively love lyrics. It would seem that what new can be brought to this long-used topic? Nevertheless, Akhmatova managed to reveal it in a way that no one had done before. Only she managed to become the female voice of her time, a woman poet of universal significance. It was Akhmatova who, for the first time in Russian literature, showed in her work the universal lyrical character of a woman.
Also, Akhmatova’s love lyrics are distinguished by deep psychologism. Her poems were often compared to Russian psychological prose. She knew how to incredibly subtly notice the state of her lyrical heroes and express this through skillfully selected external details.
One of the most famous works related to love lyrics is the poem “Clenched my hands under a dark veil...”. It is included in the collection “Evening” (Akhmatova’s first collection) and was written in 1911. Here is a love drama between two people:
She clasped her hands under a dark veil...
“Why are you pale today?”
Because I am tartly sad
Got him drunk.
The image of a “dark veil” already sets the reader up for tragedy, especially in combination with the antithesis “pale.” Most likely, this is a symbol of death, but not the death of some person. Thanks to the further text, you can understand that this is the death of a relationship, the death of love.
But whose fault is it that feelings are broken? The heroine admits that it was she who “poisoned” her lover with “tart sadness.” It is very interesting that the heroine drinks sadness like wine (the original metaphor is “drunk with sadness”, the epithet “tart sadness”). And the hero gets drunk on her with bitterness and pain. “To get drunk” in the context of this poem means to cause a lot of suffering. Of course, the reader understands that it is the lyrical heroine who is to blame for what happened.
The following lines show the hero’s suffering, conveyed through the perception of the lyrical heroine herself:
How can I forget? He came out staggering
The mouth twisted painfully...
I ran away without touching the railing,
I ran after him to the gate.
The lyrical heroine notes that she will never be able to forget what her lover looked like at that moment. In the phrase “He went out staggering,” the motif of wine again echoes the motif of suffering.
It is important to notice how the hero behaves. He does not insult the woman who betrayed him, does not shout at her. His behavior conveys severe pain, from which “his mouth twisted painfully.” The hero silently leaves the room. And the lyrical heroine already managed to regret what she had done and rushed after her lover.
Akhmatova conveys her swiftness and impulse with just one detail. She ran down the stairs “without touching the railing.” And we understand that this woman is trying to catch up with her departing love, which she herself lost. Regretting her action, the heroine wants to return her beloved:
Gasping for breath, I shouted: “It’s a joke.
All that has gone before. If you leave, I’ll die.”
Smiled calmly and creepily
And he told me: “Don’t stand in the wind.”
Of course, behind her scream lies severe emotional pain. And the heroine herself confirms this with the words “if you leave, I’ll die.” I think she doesn't mean physical death, but rather psychological and emotional death. This is a cry from the soul, a last attempt to stop what has already gone. How does the hero respond to this? His remark “Don’t stand in the wind” combined with a “calm and creepy” smile suggests that you can’t get your lover back. Everything is lost. The hero’s indifferently caring phrase says that feelings are lost forever. The heroes are no longer family, but casual acquaintances. This gives the poem a genuine tragedy.
This poem is plot-driven and lyrical at the same time: it is filled with action, both physical and mental. The heroine’s swift actions help convey the flurry of feelings in her soul and in the hero’s soul: he came out staggering; the mouth twisted; ran away without touching the railing; ran to the gate; gasping for breath, she screamed; smiled calmly and creepily.
The direct speech of the characters is introduced into the poem. This was done in order to more visibly convey the tragedy of two people losing love, to bring the characters closer to the reader, and also to enhance the confessional nature of the poem and its sincerity.
The means she skillfully used help Akhmatova convey all the intensity of feelings, all the mental pain and experiences. artistic expression. The poem is filled with psychological, emotional epithets (tart sadness, twisted painfully, smiled calmly and terribly); metaphors (sadness made me drunk). There are antitheses in the work: the dark one - pale, gasping, screamed - smiled calmly and creepily.
The poem has a traditional cross rhyme, as well as a traditional strophic division - into three quatrains.
She clasped her hands under a dark veil...
“Why are you pale today?”
- Because I am tartly sad
Got him drunk.
How can I forget? He came out staggering
The mouth twisted painfully...
I ran away without touching the railing,
I ran after him to the gate.
Gasping for breath, I shouted: “It’s a joke.
All that has gone before. If you leave, I will die."
Smiled calmly and creepily
And he told me: “Don’t stand in the wind.”
Analysis of the poem “Clenched her hands under a dark veil” by Akhmatova
Russian poetry has given great amount brilliant examples of male love lyrics. The more valuable are love poems written by women. One of them was A. Akhmatova’s work “Clenched her hands under a dark veil...”, written in 1911.
The poem appeared when the poetess was already married to. However, it was not dedicated to her husband. Akhmatova admitted that she never truly loved him and married only out of pity for his suffering. At the same time, she religiously maintained marital fidelity and had no affairs on the side. Thus, the work became an expression of the poetess’s inner love yearning, which did not find its expression in real life.
The plot is based on a banal quarrel between lovers. The reason for the quarrel is not indicated, only its bitter consequences are known. The heroine is so shocked by what happened that her pallor is noticeable to others. Akhmatova emphasizes this unhealthy pallor in combination with a “black veil”.
The man is not in a good position. The heroine indirectly indicates that she was the cause of the quarrel: “she got him drunk.” She cannot banish the image of her loved one from her memory. She did not expect such a strong manifestation of feelings from a man (“the mouth twisted painfully”). In a fit of pity, she was ready to admit all her mistakes and achieve reconciliation. The heroine herself takes the first step towards. She catches up with her loved one and tries to convince him to consider her words a joke. In the cry of “I will die!” there is no pathos or well-thought-out pose. This is an expression of the sincere feelings of the heroine, who repents of her actions.
However, the man had already pulled himself together and made a decision. Despite the fire raging in his soul, he calmly smiles and utters a cold, indifferent phrase: “Don’t stand in the wind.” This icy calm is more terrible than rudeness and threats. She does not leave the slightest hope for reconciliation.
In the work “Clenched Hands Under a Black Veil,” Akhmatova shows the fragility of love, which can be broken because of one careless word. It also depicts the weakness of a woman and her fickle character. Men, in the poetess's mind, are very vulnerable, but their will is much stronger than women's. The decision made by a man can no longer be changed.
The poem is a shining example creativity of the great Russian poetess. Here Anna Akhmatova, as always, colorfully conveyed the inner state of the protagonist in just a few lines, while endowing each of them with a unique set of qualities. The poem reflects the complexity of the relationship between two proud and perhaps impulsive individuals, and also reveals the true weaknesses of human nature, which he hides under the guise of imaginary independence.
The main character of the poem is a proud and independent woman who decided to end her relationship with her lover. Having told him about the breakup, in the blink of an eye she changes her mind and tries to find a way out of the situation, while acting coldly and self-sufficiently, as befits a woman who knows her worth. Despite the fact that parting with her lover is very difficult for her, she does not outwardly show any signs of regret about the loss, but only “clasps her hands under a dark veil,” thereby not wanting to show outward weakness and grieving over the loss. The lover is also not inferior to the main character in pride and self-sufficiency. He shows his disappointment only through actions and short remarks. Thus, a huge wall is built between two loving hearts, which can only be overcome by yielding to each other.
From of this work One can learn that two proud people cannot be together because of all sorts of internal barriers, such as pride, self-sufficiency and independence, which are opposed to the simple feeling of love. The author makes it clear that love is built on the complete surrender of the hearts of lovers to each other with all their weaknesses and shortcomings, and does not tolerate a proud and slightly arrogant attitude.
Analysis 2
As you know, Akhmatova and Gumilyov lived as spouses for about eight years and even had a son, but the poetess never particularly loved Gumilyov. Even Akhmatova herself called this relationship a consequence of compassion. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that the layer of love lyrics is dedicated to a certain stranger, an unknown person, for whom Akhmatova probably had very tender feelings.
Until now, biographers cannot provide accurate data regarding who this person was and what the relationship was between this person and Akhmatova, and, in fact, these details are not so significant when we see a poem like Clenched Hands.. Incredible love lyrics on behalf of a woman allows us to understand the feeling of some kind of doom and hopelessness, female sensuality.
Of course, if you look superficially at the content of this work, then a completely understandable diagram is drawn, which looks like this: a woman tests a man’s character to the limit, brings the situation to the point of absurdity and nerves, and then repents. Next, the woman wants to return the situation to normal, she understands how dear the man is, but he responds with coldness. In general, the situation is more than typical, there are still a huge number of such separations and they happen like the most ordinary people, also among representatives of high society.
Actually, this is to some extent the mystery of the female soul and the peculiarity of the relationship between the two sexes. However, in this poem we see a clear reflection and precise understanding of the situation, which is portrayed by Akhmatova herself rather detachedly.
Thus, the poetess draws a certain universal scheme for the readers. In such a detail as the hands clenched under the veil, an incredibly accurate image appears. It is easy to notice echoes with such meanings as “pull yourself together,” while the veil indicates something hidden and hidden.
To some extent, we see in this detail a depiction of a woman’s inner world, which the woman herself is trying to control, which is not visible to others. However, this cannot be understood by external signs, outwardly, Akhmatova was only “fed with tart sadness” and then she herself does not understand what to do, how to deal with herself and her loved one. The conclusion is a deep sadness for the lost relationship, which is defined by the phrase (typically masculine, logical and rational, which is a kind of antithesis of female sensuality) said by Akhmatova’s chosen one.
Analysis of the poem Clasped my hands under a dark veil... according to plan
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The poem “Clenched my hands under a dark veil...” refers to the early work of A.A. Akhmatova. It was written in 1911 and was included in the collection “Evening”. The work relates to intimate lyrics. Its main theme is love, the feelings experienced by the heroine when parting with a person dear to her.
The poem opens with a characteristic detail, a certain gesture of the lyrical heroine: “She clenched her hands under a dark veil.” This image of the “dark veil” sets the tone for the entire poem. Akhmatova’s plot is given only in its infancy, it is incomplete, we do not know the history of the relationships between the characters, the reason for their quarrel, separation. The heroine speaks about this in half-hints, metaphorically. This entire love story is hidden from the reader, just as the heroine is hidden under a “dark veil.” At the same time, her characteristic gesture (“She clenched her hands…”) conveys the depth of her experiences and the severity of her feelings. Also here we can note Akhmatova’s peculiar psychologism: her feelings are revealed through gestures, behavior, and facial expressions. Dialogue plays a big role in the first stanza. This is a conversation with an invisible interlocutor, as researchers note, probably with the heroine’s own conscience. The answer to the question “Why are you pale today” is a story about the heroine’s last date with her loved one. Here he uses a romantic metaphor: “I made him drunk with tart sadness.” The dialogue here increases the psychological tension.
In general, the motif of love as a deadly poison is found in many poets. Thus, in the poem “Cup” by V. Bryusov we read:
Again the same cup with black moisture
Once again a cup of fire moisture!
Love, an undefeatable enemy,
I recognize your black cup
And the sword raised above me.
Oh, let me fall with my lips to the edge
Glasses of mortal wine!
N. Gumilyov has a poem “Poisoned”. However, the motive of poisoning there unfolds literally in the plot: the hero was given poison by his beloved. Researchers have noted the textual overlap between the poems of Gumilyov and Akhmatova. So, from Gumilyov we read:
You are completely, you are completely snowy,
How strangely and terribly pale you are!
Why are you shaking when you serve?
Should I have a glass of golden wine?
The situation is depicted here in a romantic way: Gumilyov’s hero is noble, in the face of death he forgives his beloved, rising above the plot and life itself:
I'll go far, far away,
I won't be sad and angry.
To me from heaven, cool heaven
White reflections of the day are visible...
And it’s sweet to me - don’t cry, dear, -
To know that you poisoned me.
Akhmatova’s poem also ends with the words of the hero, but the situation here is realistic, the feelings are more intense and dramatic, despite the fact that the poisoning here is a metaphor.
The second stanza conveys the hero's feelings. They are also indicated through behavior, movements, facial expressions: “He came out staggering, His mouth twisted painfully...”. At the same time, the feelings in the heroine’s soul acquire a special intensity:
I ran away without touching the railing,
I ran after him to the gate.
This repetition of the verb (“ran away”, “ran away”) conveys the sincere and deep suffering of the heroine, her despair. Love is her only meaning of life, but at the same time it is a tragedy full of insoluble contradictions. “Without touching the railing” - this expression emphasizes swiftness, recklessness, impulsiveness, and lack of caution. Akhmatova’s heroine does not think about herself at this moment; she is overwhelmed by acute pity for the one whom she unwittingly made to suffer.
The third stanza is a kind of culmination. The heroine seems to understand what she can lose. She sincerely believes in what she says. Here again the swiftness of her running and the intensity of her feelings are emphasized. The theme of love is coupled here with the motive of death:
Gasping for breath, I shouted: “It’s a joke.
All that has gone before. If you leave, I’ll die.”
The ending of the poem is unexpected. The hero no longer believes his beloved, he will not return to her. He tries to maintain external calm, but at the same time he still loves her, she is still dear to him:
Smiled calmly and creepily
And he told me: “Don’t stand in the wind.”
Akhmatova uses an oxymoron here: “He smiled calmly and creepily.” Feelings are again conveyed through facial expressions.
The composition is based on the principle of gradual development of the theme, plot, with a climax and denouement in the third quatrain. At the same time, each stanza is built on a specific antithesis: two loving person cannot find happiness, the desired harmony of relationships. The poem is written in three-foot anapest, quatrains, and the rhyme pattern is cross. Akhmatova uses modest means of artistic expression: metaphor and epithet (“I made him drunk with tart sadness”), alliteration (“My mouth twisted painfully... I ran away from the railing without touching, I ran after him to the gate”), assonance (“Gasping, I shouted: "A joke That's all that happened. If you leave, I'll die").
Thus the poem reflects character traits Akhmatova's early work. The main idea of the poem is the tragic, fatal disunity of loved ones, the impossibility of them gaining understanding and sympathy.
The poem “Squeezed my hands...”, like many other works by Anna Akhmatova, is dedicated to the difficult relationship between a woman and a man. This essay will provide a detailed analysis of this heartfelt poem. It tells that a woman who offended her lover and decided to break up with him suddenly changed her mind (and that’s what women’s nature is all about, isn’t it?!). She runs after him and asks him to stay, but he just calmly replies, “Don’t stand in the wind.” This leads a woman into a state of despair, depression, she feels incredible pain from parting...
The heroine of the poem is a strong and proud woman, she does not cry and does not show her emotions too violently, her intense feelings can only be understood by her clenched hands “under a dark veil.” But when she realizes that she could really lose her loved one, she runs after him, “without touching the railing.” It is worth noting that the heroine’s lover has an equally proud and self-sufficient character; he does not react to her cry that she will die without him, and answers briefly and coldly. The essence of the entire poem is that two people with difficult characters cannot be together, they are hindered by pride, their own principles, etc. They are both close and at the same time different sides an endless abyss... Their confusion is conveyed in the poem not through a long conversation, but through actions and short remarks. But, despite this, the reader can immediately reproduce the complete picture in his imagination.
The poetess was able to convey all the drama and depth of the characters’ experiences in just twelve lines. The poem was created according to all the canons of Russian poetry, it is logically completed, although laconic. The composition of the poem is a dialogue that begins with the question “Why are you pale today?” The last stanza is a culmination and at the same time a denouement; the hero’s answer is calm and at the same time mortally offended by his everyday life. The poem is filled with expressive epithets ( "tart sadness"), metaphors ( "made me drunk with sadness"), antitheses ( "dark" - "pale", "screamed, gasping for breath" - "smiled calmly and creepily"). The meter of the poem is a three-foot anapest.
Undoubtedly, after analyzing “I clasped my hands...” you will want to study essays on other poems by Akhmatova:
- “Requiem”, analysis of Akhmatova’s poem
- “Courage”, analysis of Akhmatova’s poem
- “The Gray-Eyed King,” analysis of Akhmatova’s poem
- "Twenty first. Night. Monday", analysis of Akhmatova’s poem
- “The Garden”, analysis of the poem by Anna Akhmatova
- “Song of the Last Meeting”, analysis of Akhmatova’s poem
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