Lyrical digressions. Lyrical digressions in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” Lyrical digressions in Gogol’s novel Dead Souls

“Dead Souls” is a lyric-epic work - a prose poem that combines two principles: epic and lyrical. The first principle is embodied in the author’s plan to paint “all of Rus',” and the second – in the author’s lyrical digressions related to his plan, which form an integral part of the work.

The epic narrative in “Dead Souls” is continually interrupted by lyrical monologues of the author, assessing the character’s behavior or reflecting on life, art, RF and its people, as well as touching on topics such as youth and old age, the purpose of the writer, which help to learn more about the spiritual world of the writer, about his ideals.

The most important are lyrical digressions about RF and the Russian people. Throughout the entire poem, the author’s idea of ​​a positive image of the Russian people is affirmed, which merges with the glorification and celebration of the homeland, which expresses the author’s civic-patriotic position.

Thus, in the fifth chapter, the writer praises the “lively and lively Russian mind”, his extraordinary ability for verbal expressiveness, that “if he rewards a slant with a word, then it will go to his family and posterity, he will take it with him both to the service and to retirement , and to St. Petersburg, and to the ends of the world.” Chichikov was led to such reasoning by his conversation with the peasants, who called Plyushkin “patched” and knew him only because he did not feed his peasants well.

Gogol felt the living soul of the Russian people, their daring, courage, hard work and love for a free life. In this regard, the author’s reasoning, put into Chichikov’s mouth, about serfs in the seventh chapter is of deep significance. What appears here is not a generalized image of Russian men, but specific people with real features, described in detail. This is the carpenter Stepan Probka - “a hero who would be fit for the guard,” who, according to Chichikov, walked all over Rus' with an ax in his belt and boots on his shoulders. This is the shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov, who studied with a German and decided to get rich instantly by making boots from rotten leather, which fell apart in two weeks. At this point, he abandoned his work, started drinking, blaming everything on the Germans, who did not allow Russian people to live.

The book “Dead Souls” by Gogol can rightfully be called a poem. This right is given by the special poetry, musicality, and expressiveness of the language of the work, saturated with such figurative comparisons and metaphors that can only be found in poetic speech. And most importantly, the constant presence of the author makes this work lyrical-epic.

The entire artistic canvas of “Dead Souls” is permeated with lyrical digressions. It is lyrical digressions that determine the ideological, compositional and genre originality of Gogol’s poem, its poetic beginning associated with the image of the author. As the plot develops, new lyrical digressions appear, each of which clarifies the idea of ​​the previous one, develops new ideas, and increasingly clarifies the author's intention.

It is noteworthy that “dead souls” are unevenly filled with lyrical digressions. Until the fifth chapter there are only minor lyrical insertions, and only at the end of this chapter the author places the first major lyrical digression about the “myriad number of churches” and how “the Russian people express themselves strongly.” This author’s reasoning suggests the following thought: here not only the apt Russian word is glorified, but also God’s word, which spiritualizes it. It seems that both the motif of the church, which appears for the first time in the poem precisely in this chapter, and the noted parallel between the folk language and God’s word, indicate that it is in the lyrical digressions of the poem that some spiritual instruction of the writer is concentrated.

On the other hand, the widest range of the author’s moods is expressed in lyrical digressions. Admiration for the accuracy of the Russian word and the liveliness of the Russian mind at the end of chapter 5 is replaced by a sad and elegiac reflection on the passing of youth and maturity, on the “loss of living movement” (the beginning of the sixth chapter). At the end of this digression, Gogol directly addresses the reader: “Take with you on the journey, emerging from the soft youthful years into stern, embittering courage, take with you all human movements, do not leave them on the road, you will not pick them up later! The old age coming ahead is terrible, terrible, and nothing gives back and back!

A complex range of feelings is expressed in a lyrical digression at the beginning of the next seventh chapter. Comparing the fates of two writers, the author speaks with bitterness about the moral and aesthetic deafness of the “modern court”, which does not recognize that “glasses that look at the sun and convey the movements of unnoticed insects are equally wonderful”, that “high enthusiastic laughter is worthy to stand next to the high lyrical movement "

Here the author proclaims a new ethical system, later supported by the natural school - the ethics of love-hate: love for the bright side of national life, for living souls, presupposes hatred for the negative sides of existence, for dead souls. The author understands perfectly well what he is dooming himself to by taking the path of “exposing the crowd, its passions and delusions” - to persecution and persecution from false patriots, to rejection by his compatriots - but he courageously chooses precisely this path.

Such an ethical system forces the artist to perceive literature as a tool for correcting human vices, primarily through the cleansing power of laughter, “high, enthusiastic laughter”; the modern court does not understand that this laughter “is worthy to stand next to the lofty lyrical movement and that there is a whole abyss between it and the antics of a buffoon.”

At the end of this retreat, the author’s mood changes sharply: he becomes an exalted prophet, a “formidable blizzard of inspiration” opens before his gaze, which “will rise from the chapter clothed in holy horror and splendor,” and then his readers “will feel in embarrassed trepidation the majestic thunder of other speeches "

An author who cares for Russia, who sees in his literary work the path to improving morals, instructing fellow citizens, and eradicating vice, shows us images of living souls, a people who carry within themselves a living principle. In a lyrical digression at the beginning of the seventh chapter, the peasants bought by Chichikov from Sobakevich, Korobochka, and Plyushkin come to life before our eyes. The author, as if intercepting the internal monologue of his hero, speaks of them as if they were alive, showing the truly living soul of the dead or runaway peasants.

What appears here is not a generalized image of Russian men, but specific people with real features, described in detail. This is the carpenter Stepan Probka - “a hero who would be fit for the guard”, who, perhaps, went all over Rus' “with an ax in his belt and boots on his shoulders.” This is Abakum Fyrov, who walks on the grain pier with barge haulers and merchants, having worked to the tune of “one endless song, like Rus'.” The image of Abakum indicates the love of the Russian people for a free, wild life, festivities and fun, despite the forced serf life and hard work.

In the plot part of the poem we see other examples of people who are enslaved, downtrodden and socially humiliated. Suffice it to recall the vivid images of Uncle Mitya and Uncle Miny with their bustle and confusion, the girl Pelageya, who cannot distinguish between right and left, Plyushkin’s Proshka and Mavra.

But in the lyrical digressions we find the author’s dream about the ideal of a person, what he can and should be. In the final 11th chapter, a lyrical and philosophical reflection on Russia and the vocation of the writer, whose “head was overshadowed by a menacing cloud, heavy with the coming rains,” gives way to a panegyric for the road, a hymn to the movement - the source of “wonderful ideas, poetic dreams,” “wonderful impressions.”

Thus, two of the most important themes of the author’s reflections – the theme of Russia and the theme of the road – merge in a lyrical digression that ends the first volume of the poem. “Rus'-troika,” “all inspired by God,” appears in it as the vision of the author, who seeks to understand the meaning of its movement; “Rus, where are you going? Give an answer. Doesn't give an answer."

The image of Russia created in this final lyrical digression, and the author’s rhetorical question addressed to her, echoes Pushkin’s image of Russia - a “proud horse” - created in the poem “The Bronze Horseman”, and with the rhetorical question sounding there: “And in what a fire! Where are you galloping, proud horse, / And where will you land your hooves?”

Both Pushkin and Gogol passionately desired to understand the meaning and purpose of Russia's historical movement. Both in “The Bronze Horseman” and in “Dead Souls” the artistic result of the thoughts of each of the writers was the image of an uncontrollably rushing country, directed towards the future, not obeying its “riders”: the formidable Peter, who “raised Russia on its hind legs”, stopping its spontaneous movement, and the “sky-smokers,” whose immobility stands in stark contrast to the country’s “terrifying movement.”

The high lyrical pathos of the author, whose thoughts are directed to the future, in his thoughts about Russia, its path and destiny, expressed the most important idea of ​​the entire poem. The author reminds us of what is hidden behind the “mud of little things that entangle our lives” depicted in volume 1, behind the “cold, fragmented everyday characters that teem with our earthly, sometimes bitter and boring path.”

It is not for nothing that in the conclusion of volume 1 he speaks of the “wonderful, beautiful distance” from which he looks at Russia. This is an epic distance that attracts him with its “secret power”, the distance of the “mighty space” of Rus' and the distance of historical time: “What does this vast expanse prophesy? Isn’t it here, in you, that a boundless thought will be born, when you yourself are endless? Shouldn’t a hero be here when there is a place where he can turn around and walk?”

The heroes depicted in the story of Chichikov’s “adventures” are devoid of such qualities; they are not heroes, but ordinary people with their weaknesses and vices. In the poetic image of Russia, created by the author in lyrical digressions, there is no place for them: they seem to diminish, disappear, just as “dots, icons, low cities stick out inconspicuously among the plains.”

Only the author himself, endowed with knowledge of true Rus', “terrible strength” and “unnatural power” received by him from the Russian land, becomes the only true hero of volume 1 of the poem. He appears in lyrical digressions as a prophet, bringing the light of knowledge to people: “Who, if not the author, should tell the holy truth?”

But, as it has been said, there are no prophets in their own country. The author’s voice, sounded from the pages of the lyrical digressions of the poem “Dead Souls,” was heard by few of his contemporaries, and even less was understood by them. Gogol later tried to convey his ideas in the artistic and journalistic book “Selected Passages from Correspondence with Friends”, and in the “Author’s Confession”, and - most importantly - in subsequent volumes of the poem. But all his attempts to reach the minds and hearts of his contemporaries were in vain. Who knows, maybe only now the time has come to discover Gogol’s real word, and it’s up to us to do this.

In lyrical digressions, Gogol turns to the people and his homeland, expresses his thoughts in them, to the events, phenomena and heroes depicted in the poem, or reflects on life in general, on youth, on human virtues. In total, the poem contains over twenty lyrical digressions.

Many digressions, although sharply contrasting with the comic narrative tone of the poem, are always closely related to its ideological content.
Along with small digressions, such as, for example, the reflection that “everyone has his own enthusiasm” (in the chapter about Manilov) or “The world is not so wonderfully arranged...” (in the chapter about Korobochka), the poem contains more extensive digressions, representing complete arguments or poems in prose.

The first include, for example, the interpretation of “the ability to address” (in the second chapter) and the shortcomings of public meetings in Russia (in the tenth chapter); to the second - a reflection on the power and accuracy of the Russian word (at the end of the fifth chapter). Lyrical passages dedicated to the homeland and people are marked with special strength of feeling. Gogol’s appeal is imbued with ardent love for his native country: “Rus! Rus! I see you from my wonderful, beautiful distance...” (in the eleventh chapter). The vast expanses of Rus' captivate and enchant the author, and he is full of pride in his wonderful homeland, with which he has a strong connection..

In the lyrical digression “How strange, and alluring, and carrying, and wonderful is the word: road!” Gogol lovingly paints pictures of Russian nature. Wonderful ideas and poetic dreams are born in his soul when looking at his native paintings.
Gogol admires the sharp mind of the Russian man and the accuracy of his words: “The short-lived word of a Frenchman will flash and scatter like a light dandy; the German will intricately come up with his own, not accessible to everyone, clever and thin word; but there is no word that would be so sweeping, lively, would burst out from under the very heart, would teem and vibrate as much as a well-spoken Russian word.”
Gogol’s lyrical appeal to Rus', rushing forward like a brisk and unstoppable troika, which closes the first volume of the poem, sounds solemnly: “The bell rings with a wonderful ringing; The air, torn into pieces, thunders and becomes the wind; “everything that is on earth flies past, and, looking askance, other peoples and states step aside and give way to it.”

In addition to those indicated, there are many other places in the poem imbued with deep patriotism. Often Gogol puts his thoughts into the mouth of one of his heroes. Such lyrical digressions included, for example, Chichikov’s reflection on the lists of “dead souls” he bought. In this reflection, Gogol reflected his sympathy for the Russian people, who were then languishing under the yoke of serfdom.
The special significance of the lyrical digressions in the poem is that they balance individual places in the poem: the eerie present that Gogol saw in life is contrasted with the wonderful future of Russia.
The abundance of lyrical passages helps to understand why Gogol called his work not a story or a novel, but a poem.

from Shurikov and a textbook for applicants to universities, written by Krasovsky

With the help of lyrical digressions, the image of the author is created. By introducing the image of the author into the poem, Gogol had the opportunity to expand the subject of the image, to bring to the reader’s attention a whole series of problems that could not be posed and solved at the plot level. This explains the richness of the problematic of lyrical digressions in the poem. They touch upon philosophical questions of the path of life, and the problem of spiritual losses that a person suffers (lyrical digression about the fate of a young man in Chapter 6); problems of true and false patriotism; create the image of Rus' - a bird of three.

In lire In his digressions, G. poses and solves literary questions. In lire In a digression on two possible paths of a creative personality (beginning of Chapter 7), he affirms a new ethical system proclaimed by the natural school - the ethics of love-hate: love for the bright side of national life, for living souls, presupposes hatred for the negative sides of existence, for dead souls. The author understands perfectly well what he is dooming himself to by taking the path of “exposing the crowd, its passions and errors” - to persecution and persecution from false patriots, to rejection by his compatriots - but he courageously chooses this path.

Claiming in lire. In his digressions on the new concept of the creative personality, G. defends his right to choose the subject of the image: the vices of society and the individual are in the center of his attention.

There are also extra-plot elements - in chapter 11 there is a parable about Kif Mokievich and Mokiya Kifovich. Also about patriotism.

In the author's digressions, Gogol looks at Russia with the gaze of an epic writer who understands the illusory, ephemeral nature of the vulgar life of the people he depicts. Behind the emptiness and immobility of the “sky-smokers” the author is able to consider “the whole enormously rushing life”, the future vortex movement of Russia.

In lire The digressions express the widest range of the author’s moods. Admiration for the accuracy of the Russian word and the liveliness of the Russian mind (end of chapter 5) is replaced by a sad and elegiac reflection on youth and maturity, on the loss of “living movement” (beginning of chapter 6). Beginning of chapter 7: comparing the fates of two writers, the author writes with bitterness about the moral and aesthetic deafness of the “modern court”, which does not recognize that “glasses that look at the suns and convey the movements of unnoticed insects are equally wonderful”, that “high enthusiastic laughter is worthy of standing next to with high lyrical movement." The author considers himself to be a type of writer that is not recognized by “modern court”: “His field is harsh, and he will bitterly feel his loneliness.” But in the finale there is a lyre. retreat, the author’s mood changes: he becomes an exalted prophet, his gaze reveals the future “formidable blizzard of inspiration”, which “will rise from the chapter clothed in holy horror and brilliance” and then his readers “will sense in embarrassed trepidation the majestic thunder of other speeches.”

In chapter 11, a lyrical and philosophical reflection on Russia and the vocation of the writer, whose “head was overshadowed by a menacing cloud, heavy with the coming rains” (“Rus! Rus'! I see you, from my wonderful, beautiful distance I see you ...”), is replaced by a panegyric for the road, a hymn movement - the source of “wonderful ideas, poetic dreams”, “wonderful impressions” (“How strange, and alluring, and carrying, and wonderful in the word: road!..”). The 2 most important themes of the author’s thoughts – the theme of Russia and the theme of the road – merge in a lyrical digression that concludes the first volume. “Rus'-troika,” “all inspired by God,” appears in it as a vision of the author, who seeks to understand the meaning of its movement: “Rus', where are you rushing? Give an answer. Doesn't give an answer." The image of Russia echoes Pushkin’s image of Russia - a “proud horse” (in “The Bronze Horseman”). Both P. and G. passionately desired to understand the meaning and purpose of the historical movement of Russia. The artistic result of the writers’ thoughts was the image of an uncontrollably rushing country.

from my notebooks for preparing for admission

In lire The digressions reflected Gogol's high aesthetic ideals, love for the homeland, pain for the country, for the people, tears invisible to the world.

Chapter I: a digression about fat and thin officials (not about their figure, but about the peculiarities of their social status).

Chapter II:

· Everyone has their own “enthusiasm”. Manilov did not have such “enthusiasm” - he was dead.

· Words about good upbringing.

Chapter III: about the shades of Russian treatment of people of different social status. Ridiculing veneration.

Chapter IV: When characterizing a landowner, the author always gives him a generalized description, as if showing this type of people.

Chapter V: Chichikov's meeting with the blonde (the governor's daughter). Constructed using the technique of contrasts. Gogol: “The true effect lies in sharp contrast; beauty is never as bright and visible as in contrast.”

· the meaning of a dream, a brilliant joy that appears at least once in life.

· contrast: dream and everyday life; possible perception of a 20-year-old boy (how Chichikov perceives the governor’s daughter => not at all the same as a 20-year-old boy).

Gogol: “The originality of the Russian mind is especially heard among the peasants,” and this mind is precisely glorified by Gogol at the end of Chapter 5.

Chapter VI: a digression on youth and the cooling that comes in mature years ( impotence is called).

Here Gogol speaks in the first person, i.e. as if from myself. Here is an example of a partial discrepancy between the author and the narrator. Gogol himself retained an interest in life. But the main thing is not this, but the fact that with the help of a first-person narration the author creates the same significant image as with the help of a third-person narration. “I” at the beginning of Chapter VI is also a unique character, and in it it is also important for Gogol to outline a certain psychological appearance.

The change of a person on the “road of life” is what is highlighted in this character. Such a change, which did not occur without his participation, for which he is also to blame. All this is connected with the internal theme of this chapter. The chapter is about Plyushkin, about the amazing changes that he had to endure. And, having described these changes, G. again resorts to the image of the road: “Take it with you on the road, emerging from the soft youthful years into stern, embittering courage, take with you all human movements, do not leave them on the road: you will not pick them up later!”

Again the familiar metaphor of the “road of life”, the contrast of beginning and end.

Chapter VII:

· About a traveler (contrast between road and home, home and homelessness).

· About two types of writers:

1. pure art (writes only about the pleasant and good)

· Chichikov’s long discussion about the peasants he bought (a digression, but not lyrical or the author’s, but Chichikov’s, which the author picks up at the end). The author emphasizes that his thoughts are close to Chichikov’s thoughts.

Chapter VIII:

· about writers and readers in secular society

· continuation of the discussion about fat and thin officials

Chapter X:

· the story of Captain Kopeikin (a war hero of '12, the cat lost an arm and a leg), the government renounces its defenders, thereby showing its anti-national essence. This is the completion and generalization of the theme of dead souls.

There have been many misconceptions in the world

Chapter XI:

· reasoning about the Motherland (patriotic), thought about the hero

· goes into a digression about the road (Gogol spent a lot of time on the road, and that’s where a large number of ideas were born).

· discussion about the hero (Chichikov is openly called a scoundrel)

· inserted parable about Kif Mokievich and Mokiya Kifovich (a hero is born in Rus', but his wealth is not aimed at that purpose)

· bird-troika (where the bird-troika rushes: Gogol’s ideal is high, but abstract. He loved his homeland, the people and believed in a bright future. Russia will find a way to move its poor, homeless life). A naive hope that there should be a person who will open the eyes of all Russian people to the vulgarity of their lives, anti-human morals and customs. Gogol takes on the role of such a person. “Who else but the author should tell the truth.” He did not open his eyes to officials and landowners, but subsequent revolutionaries honored him)

Lyrical digression is an extra-plot element of the work; compositional and stylistic device, which consists in the author’s retreat from the direct plot narrative; author's reasoning, reflection, statement expressing an attitude towards the depicted or having an indirect relation to it. Lyrically, the digressions in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” introduce a life-giving, refreshing beginning, highlight the content of the pictures of life that appear before the reader, and reveal the idea.

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Analysis of lyrical digressions in the poem by N.V. Gogol's "Dead Souls"

Lyrical digression is an extra-plot element of the work; compositional and stylistic device, which consists in the author’s retreat from the direct plot narrative; author's reasoning, reflection, statement expressing an attitude towards the depicted or having an indirect relation to it. Lyrically, the digressions in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” introduce a life-giving, refreshing beginning, highlight the content of the pictures of life that appear before the reader, and reveal the idea. The topics of lyrical digressions are varied.
“About fat and thin officials” (1 chapter); the author resorts to generalizing the images of civil servants. Self-interest, bribery, veneration for rank are their characteristic features. The opposition between thick and thin, which seems at first glance, actually reveals the common negative features of both.
“On the shades and subtleties of our treatment” (chap. 3); speaks of ingratiation to the rich, respect for rank, self-humiliation of officials in front of their superiors and an arrogant attitude towards subordinates.
“About the Russian people and their language” (chap. 5); the author notes that the language and speech of a people reflects its national character; A feature of the Russian word and Russian speech is amazing accuracy.
“About two types of writers, about their destiny and destinies” (chap. 7); the author contrasts a realist writer and a romantic writer, indicates the characteristic features of the work of a romantic writer, and talks about the wonderful destiny of this writer. Gogol writes with bitterness about the lot of a realist writer who dared to portray the truth. Reflecting on the realist writer, Gogol determined the meaning of his work.
“Much has happened in the world of error” (chap. 10); a lyrical digression about the world chronicle of mankind, about its errors is a manifestation of the writer’s Christian views. All of humanity has wandered away from the straight path and is standing on the edge of an abyss. Gogol points out to everyone that the straight and bright path of humanity consists in following the moral values ​​​​founded in Christian teaching.
“About the expanses of Rus', national character and the bird troika”; the final lines of “Dead Souls” are connected with the theme of Russia, with the author’s thoughts about the Russian national character, about Russia as a state. The symbolic image of the bird-troika expressed Gogol’s faith in Russia as a state destined for a great historical mission from above. At the same time, there is an idea about the uniqueness of Russia’s path, as well as the idea about the difficulty of foreseeing specific forms of Russia’s long-term development.

“Dead Souls” is a lyric-epic work - a prose poem that combines two principles: epic and lyrical. The first principle is embodied in the author’s plan to paint “all of Rus',” and the second in the author’s lyrical digressions related to his plan, which form an integral part of the work. The epic narrative in “Dead Souls” is continually interrupted by lyrical monologues of the author, assessing the character’s behavior or reflecting on life, art, Russia and its people, as well as touching on topics such as youth and old age, the purpose of the writer, which help to learn more about the spiritual world of the writer, about his ideals. The most important are the lyrical digressions about Russia and the Russian people. Throughout the entire poem, the author’s idea of ​​a positive image of the Russian people is affirmed, which merges with the glorification and celebration of the homeland, which expresses the author’s civic-patriotic position.

Thus, in the fifth chapter, the writer praises “the lively and lively Russian mind”, his extraordinary ability for verbal expressiveness, that “if he rewards a slant with a word, then it will go to his family and posterity, he will take it with him both to the service and to retirement , and to St. Petersburg, and to the ends of the world." Chichikov was led to such reasoning by his conversation with the peasants, who called Plyushkin “patched” and knew him only because he did not feed his peasants well.

Gogol felt the living soul of the Russian people, their daring, courage, hard work and love for a free life. In this regard, the author’s reasoning, put into Chichikov’s mouth, about serfs in the seventh chapter is of deep significance. What appears here is not a generalized image of Russian men, but specific people with real features, described in detail. This is the carpenter Stepan Probka - “a hero who would be fit for the guard,” who, according to Chichikov, walked all over Rus' with an ax in his belt and boots on his shoulders. This is the shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov, who studied with a German and decided to get rich instantly by making boots from rotten leather, which fell apart in two weeks. At this point, he abandoned his work, started drinking, blaming everything on the Germans, who did not allow Russian people to live.

Next, Chichikov reflects on the fate of many peasants bought from Plyushkin, Sobakevich, Manilov and Korobochka. But the idea of ​​“the revelry of people’s life” did not coincide so much with the image of Chichikov that the author himself takes the floor and, on his own behalf, continues the story, the story of how Abakum Fyrov walks on the grain pier with barge haulers and merchants, having worked “under one, like Rus', a song." The image of Abakum Fyrov indicates the love of the Russian people for a free, wild life, festivities and fun, despite the hard life of serfdom, the oppression of landowners and officials.

In the lyrical digressions, the tragic fate of the enslaved people, downtrodden and socially humiliated, is presented, which is reflected in the images of Uncle Mitya and Uncle Minya, the girl Pelageya, who could not distinguish between right and left, Plyushkin’s Proshka and Mavra. Behind these images and pictures of folk life lies the deep and broad soul of the Russian people. The love for the Russian people, for the homeland, the patriotic and sublime feelings of the writer were expressed in the image of the troika created by Gogol, rushing forward, personifying the mighty and inexhaustible forces of Russia. Here the author thinks about the future of the country: “Rus, where are you rushing to? “He looks into the future and does not see it, but as a true patriot he believes that in the future there will be no Manilovs, Sobakeviches, Nozdrevs, Plyushkins, that Russia will rise to greatness and glory.

The image of the road in the lyrical digressions is symbolic. This is the road from the past to the future, the road along which the development of each person and Russia as a whole takes place. The work ends with a hymn to the Russian people: “Eh! troika! Bird-three, who invented you? You could have been born to a lively people... “Here, lyrical digressions perform a generalizing function: they serve to expand the artistic space and to create a holistic image of Rus'. They reveal the positive ideal of the author - people's Russia, which is opposed to landowner-bureaucratic Rus'.

But, in addition to lyrical digressions glorifying Russia and its people, the poem also contains reflections of the lyrical hero on philosophical topics, for example, about youth and old age, the vocation and purpose of a true writer, about his fate, which are somehow connected with the image of the road in the work . So, in the sixth chapter, Gogol exclaims: “Take with you on the journey, emerging from the soft youthful years into stern, embittering courage, take with you all human movements, do not leave them on the road, you will not pick them up later! ..” Thus, the author wanted to say that all the best things in life are connected precisely with youth and one should not forget about it, as the landowners described in the novel did, the stasis of “dead souls.” They do not live, but exist. Gogol calls for preserving a living soul, freshness and fullness of feelings and remaining like that for as long as possible.

Sometimes, reflecting on the transience of life, on changing ideals, the author himself appears as a traveler: “Before, long ago, in the summer of my youth... it was fun for me to drive up to an unfamiliar place for the first time... Now I indifferently drive up to any unfamiliar village and look indifferently at her vulgar appearance; It’s unpleasant to my chilled gaze, it’s not funny to me... and my motionless lips keep an indifferent silence. O my youth! Oh my freshness! “To recreate the completeness of the author’s image, it is necessary to talk about lyrical digressions in which Gogol talks about two types of writers. One of them “never once changed the sublime structure of his lyre, did not descend from its top to his poor, insignificant brothers, and the other dared to call out everything that is every minute before the eyes and which indifferent eyes do not see.” The lot of a real writer, who dared to truthfully recreate a reality hidden from the eyes of the people, is such that, unlike a romantic writer, absorbed in his unearthly and sublime images, he is not destined to achieve fame and experience the joyful feelings of being recognized and sung. Gogol comes to the conclusion that the unrecognized realist writer, satirist writer will remain without participation, that “his field is harsh, and he bitterly feels his loneliness.” The author also talks about “connoisseurs of literature” who have their own idea of ​​the purpose of a writer (“It’s better to present to us the beautiful and fascinating”), which confirms his conclusion about the fate of two types of writers.

All this recreates the lyrical image of the author, who will continue to walk hand in hand with the “strange hero for a long time, looking around at the whole enormous rushing life, looking at it through laughter visible to the world and invisible tears unknown to him! »

So, lyrical digressions occupy a significant place in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”. They are remarkable from a poetic point of view. In them one can discern the beginnings of a new literary style, which would later find a vibrant life in Turgenev’s prose and especially in the works of Chekhov.