"Lily of the valley" Samuil Marshak
The forest turns black, awakened with warmth,
Embraced by spring dampness.
And on the strings of pearls
Everyone trembles from the wind.Buds round bells
Still closed and tight
By the sun reveals corollas
At the bluebells of spring.Nature carefully swaddled,
Wrapped in a green leaf
A flower grows in the wilderness untouched,
Cool, fragile and fragrant.The forest languishes in early spring,
And all the happy longing
And all your fragrance
He gave to the bitter flower.
Analysis of Marshak's poem "Lily of the Valley"
For many representatives of the modern generation, the name of S. Ya. Marshak in the minds is closely associated with fervent children's poems. Indeed, many of us grew up on the work of Samuil Yakovlevich. However, this is not a reason to forget about the poet, leaving his work for children. A significant layer of Marshak's lyrics is devoted to eternal problems, therefore it is perfectly perceived in adulthood.
For example, you can turn to the work "Lily of the Valley" to feel the depth of the poet's thought. This poem first saw the light in 1951, when the book “Poems. 1948 - 1951". It was placed in the cycle "From the Lyric Notebook" under the title "Lilies of the Valley". In the collection "Poems. Fairy tales. Translations ”of 1952, it was already included under the name“ The forest is turning black ”.
The poem consists of four stanzas. The size is a slender iambic tetrameter. Odd and even lines rhyme neatly, fitting into the abab pattern. Each stanza has its own melody, which is created using special harmonies. The first quatrain seems to tremble due to the repetition of the vibrating sound “g”: “awakened”, “every one”, “pearls”, “trembling”.
The second resonates with music. While reading it, we hear the playing of instruments: "bells", "corollas", "bells". The third quatrain answers her with a quiet rustle that arises due to alliterations: “Swaddled”, “leaf”, “grows”, “dushiST”. The fourth stanza sounds more minor because of the lingering sonorous consonants - “spring”, “early”, etc.
In the poem, the author appears as a subtle connoisseur of nature, a skilled artist. Thanks to his skill, with the help of precise epithets and personifications, it is easy to imagine that you yourself found yourself in a dense forest and can touch the soul of the forest awakening from its winter sleep. Effective metaphors bring the story to life charmingly:
And on the strings of pearls
Everyone trembles from the wind.
At the same time, the poem is perceived not just as a picturesque reflection of nature. The image of the forest depicted in the text of the work appears surprisingly multifaceted. It is not for nothing that the author uses the method of personification, giving a part of nature contradictory human feelings (“all happy melancholy”). It seems that the picture of a delicate flower carefully cultivated by the forest indicates a complex relationship between parents and children. Like the forest in the poem, any loving parent is ready to give everything he has to his child, even if it does not justify his hopes, appearing as a “bitter flower”. A forest can also be understood as a society that provides a person with the opportunity to open up, to express himself. Many meanings can be found in this simple and beautiful poem.
S. Marshak
Lily of the valley
(The forest turns black, awakened by warmth ...)
The forest turns black, awakened with warmth,
Embraced by spring dampness.
And on the strings of pearls
Everyone trembles from the wind.
Buds round bells
Still closed and tight
But the sun opens the corollas
At the bluebells of spring.
Nature carefully swaddled,
Wrapped up in a wide sheet
A flower grows in the wilderness untouched,
Cool, fragile and fragrant.
The forest languishes in early spring,
And all the happy longing
And all your fragrance
He gave to the bitter flower.
First time on Sat. "Poems. 1948-1951", under the title "Lilies of the valley", in the cycle "From a lyrical notebook". On Sat. "Poems. Tales. Translations", book. 1, 1952, under the title "The forest turns black".
Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak (1887-1964) - Russian Soviet poet, playwright, translator, literary critic. Laureate of the Lenin and four Stalin Prizes.
Poems and fairy tales of Marshak begin to be read from the very first days in kindergartens, then they are put on matinees, in the lower grades they are taught by heart. In the bustle, the author himself is forgotten, but in vain, because Marshak's life was full of events that radically changed his worldview. Perhaps that is why his works are so deep in meaning and truly immortal. Time has no power over art, unable to put an end to the annals of the life of the Master and his works. The work of Samuil Marshak lives and resonates in the hearts of people different countries, cultures and eras. Generations change, new researchers, readers and admirers come. And undoubtedly, Marshak studies, constantly developing, will always be an "unfinished page" of Russian literature.
S. Marshak
Lily of the valley
(The forest turns black, awakened by warmth ...)
The forest turns black, awakened with warmth,
Embraced by spring dampness.
And on the strings of pearls
Everyone trembles from the wind.
Buds round bells
Still closed and tight
But the sun opens the corollas
At the bluebells of spring.
Nature carefully swaddled,
Wrapped up in a wide sheet
A flower grows in the wilderness untouched,
Cool, fragile and fragrant.
The forest languishes in early spring,
And all the happy longing
And all your fragrance
He gave to the bitter flower.
First time on Sat. "Poems. 1948-1951", under the title "Lilies of the valley", in the cycle "From a lyrical notebook". On Sat. "Poems. Tales. Translations", book. 1, 1952, under the title "The forest turns black".
Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak (1887-1964) - Russian Soviet poet, playwright, translator, literary critic. Laureate of the Lenin and four Stalin Prizes.
Poems and fairy tales of Marshak begin to be read from the very first days in kindergartens, then they are put on matinees, in the lower grades they are taught by heart. In the bustle, the author himself is forgotten, but in vain, because Marshak's life was full of events that radically changed his worldview. Perhaps that is why his works are so deep in meaning and truly immortal. Time has no power over art, unable to put an end to the annals of the life of the Master and his works. The art of Samuil Marshak lives and resonates in the hearts of people from different countries, cultures and eras. Generations change, new researchers, readers and admirers come. And undoubtedly, Marshak studies, constantly developing, will always be an "unfinished page" of Russian literature.
