There are two roads in front of the hero of the poem. One is work, hard and monotonous. The other is the love of a beautiful woman, the peace and charm of the nightingale’s garden. The hero leaves his miserable hut and his faithful assistant donkey and goes there, to the alluring nightingale garden. But very soon he realizes that happiness was there, on the rocky paths along which he walked with his donkey. The hero leaves the beautiful garden and his tender beloved, but too late. Neither his hut nor his donkey are any longer there, and another man is descending along the path trodden by his feet.

The poem contrasts two themes. The first is everyday prosaic life, filled with content and action. The second is a heavenly life, without work or purpose. The text of the poem consists of seven chapters. From the very beginning, the first theme arises, which, echoing the second, continues for three chapters. Already from the fourth chapter, the hero finds himself in the garden. Only four stanzas are devoted to being in the garden, the second theme. And then the first theme appears again, but this is no longer life filled with content and action, but the result of being in the garden - loneliness, the meaninglessness of existence.

Behind the fence of the Nightingale Garden, the hero “breaks layered rocks,” his “mind is clouded by knowing,” he “dreams of another life.” And in the nightingale garden the hero, “intoxicated with golden wine,” “forgot about the rocky path.”

When the hero’s stay behind the garden fence is described, “heavy” words are used: “drags,” “pieces,” “starts to scream.” And to describe the hero’s stay in the garden, gentle, romantic expressions are used: “the nightingale’s melody,” “streams and leaves whisper,” “streams began to sing.”

K. Chukovsky reproached A. Blok for the “excessive sweetness” of “The Nightingale’s Garden.” But it is possible to “justify” the poet. The description of the garden can only be “overly mellifluous.” Because such a life cannot be depicted in any other way; no other description can be applied to it.

The image of the sea plays a large role in the poem. The sea symbolizes everyday life, the “rumble” is endless, hard work, noise, life. The “life curse” does not reach the Garden of Eden, but there is no life itself there. The hero is drawn back to the everyday life he abandoned, because a person cannot be happy without work and purpose. In the pink chains, something turned out to be hopelessly lost; the nightingale’s song cannot drown out the “rumble of the sea.”

The main idea of ​​the poem, I think, is precisely this.

To the hero’s question: “Will there be punishment or reward if I deviate from the path?” Blok answers at the end of the poem. It is not for nothing that he gives a scene of a clash of crabs in the poem. This scene emphasizes the depth of the hero’s loneliness, which arose due to the fact that he deviated from the path.

The poem “The Nightingale Garden” is considered romantic. The period of writing this poem is a transitional period in the writer’s work. The transition from symbolism to realism is reflected in the poem. There are a lot of symbols here, even when describing real life, a lot of romance. But realism wins.

"Nightingale Garden"


In the romantic poem “The Nightingale Garden” by A.A. Blok draws two worlds opposed to each other. The first is characterized by heat, layered rocks and a muddy seashore. This is the ordinary world of human existence, filled with daily hard work. And next to it is another world, magical, sublime and sophisticated. This is a wonderful garden with coolness, nightingale trills and beautiful roses and songs. It is into this that the stubborn donkey of the hero of the poem strives to curl up.

What does the sophisticated romantic image of the “nightingale garden” symbolize? The reader receives a more specific answer to this question in the second chapter of the poem, where the image of a woman in white appears, who calls the lyrical hero with her singing and beckons by circling.

A.A. The block shows how poor and monotonous the life of a lonely person is and how it can be transformed when love settles in the hero’s heart. In the third chapter, the magical spell of the nightingale’s garden spreads beyond its fence. The “familiar, empty, rocky” path begins to seem “mysterious” to the lyrical hero of the poem, as it leads to an alluring fence. The roses from the Nightingale Garden are falling lower and lower. The heart tells you that you need to enter the garden and become a welcome guest there.

In the fourth chapter, the lyrical hero finally decides to open doors that previously seemed impregnable. And, to his surprise, they open up for him on their own. Heavenly bliss awaits the lyrical hero in the garden. The image of happiness is depicted in emphatically romantic tones: the coolness of lilies, the monotonous song of streams and the sweet trills of nightingales, the ringing of wrists and, finally, the feeling of intoxication with wine and golden fire. The lyrical hero forgets about his work, about the donkey left behind the fence.

However, in the fifth chapter, the author exclaims: “The Nightingale’s song is not free to drown out the rumble of the sea!” These lines emphasize the essence of Blok’s understanding of happiness. No highest pleasure (even love) can replace a person’s feeling of accomplishment, the understanding that he is on his way. “The Nightingale’s Song” in this context can be perceived as a symbol of dreams of personal happiness, love, and idle pleasures. “Sea,” as is customary in classical literature, symbolizes life in a broad sense, the established world order. If in the first chapter of the poem, when the hero breaks the slopes and transports their pieces on a donkey to the railway, the sea behaves favorably, peacefully, and the tide begins to ebb, then in the fifth chapter the eye rumbles, trying to be heard. And the soul of the lyrical hero hurries to the sound of the surf.

In the sixth chapter, the hero leaves his sleeping beloved and goes to the pitiful cries of a donkey and the measured blows of the waves. Only the thorns of beautiful roses, “like hands from the garden,” try to hold him.

In the seventh chapter, the hero of the poem faces a heavy retribution for breaking his duty: the sea tide destroyed his house on the shore. And another person took his workplace. For short-term happiness I had to pay with everything I had. This is the answer to the question posed in the third chapter of the poem: “Will there be punishment or reward if I deviate from the path?”

Thus, the main compositional device in the poem is antithesis, which extends not only to the organization of the artistic space of the poem, but also to sound images. Along with the general philosophical interpretation of the poem, there is an opinion in criticism that it contains a polemic by A.A. Blok with supporters of “pure art”. In this regard, “The Nightingale Garden” can be understood as a refusal to depict the problems of historical reality, a retreat into some ideal space and a narrowing of the tasks of the author’s contemporary art.

Brief history of creation. The poem “The Nightingale Garden” is dated January 6, 1914 - October 14, 1915. This was the period of Blok’s stormy romance with Lyubov Alexandrovna Andreeva-Delmas, a thirty-four-year-old opera singer. On January 12, 1914, he recorded his first meeting with Delmas. There is a mention of her being a singer:

“And in the garden someone is laughing quietly,
And then he walks away and sings.”

Genre of the work - romantic poem.

Theme of the work. Reflections on the meaning of life. They say that fate is a life-long road. The block symbolically divides life into two roads. One is routine work that provides food. And the other is idle idleness in the “nightingale garden”, where love reigns. The poet is tormented by doubts: what to choose?

Plot. Before us is the difficult life of a simple worker. Every day he and his donkey are forced to do hard, monotonous work: “We’ll carry it to the railway, put it in a heap, and to the sea again...” And not far from the road there is a garden. It attracts with its coolness and shadow and “someone is laughing quietly.” Maybe we should enter this garden? After all, “another life is possible there - mine, not mine...” And he decides to enter the garden, forgetting “about the rocky path, about his poor comrade.” But life, devoid of the usual worries and anxieties, ceases to please. And now “the nightingale’s song is not free to drown out the rumble of the sea.” He hurries into his real, earthly life, “where my home and donkey remain.” But all that was left was a rusty scrap.

Artistic media

Poetic meter, trimeter anapaest (third syllable stressed), diagram:

I/ lo-/ma?-/yu/ slo-/i?-/sty-/e/ ska?-/ly
At the hour/ from-/va/ on/ and?-/lis-/that/ day?,
And /tas-/ka?-/et o-/se?l/ my/ u-/sta?-/ly
Their pieces-/ki?/ on/ moss-/on?-/that/ sleep-not?.

_ _ _?/_ _ _?/_ _ _?/_
_ _ _?/_ _ _?/_ _ _?/
_ _ _?/ _ _ _?/_ _ _?/_
_ _ _?/_ _ _?/_ _ _?/

The rhyme is cross (AbAb), the feminine (stress on the penultimate syllable) rocks-tired and masculine (stress falls on the last syllable) bottom-back rhyme alternate. According to the accuracy of consonance, the rhyme is considered rich (the coincidence of the stressed vowel and the supporting consonant sounds).

I break layered rocks (A)
At low tide on a muddy bottom, (b)
And my tired donkey drags (A)
Their pieces are on their furry back. (b)

tropes and stylistic figures:
There is a hidden antithesis in the poem; the author contrasts the garden with the sea. The sea is the roar of waves, tides, movement and life, and the garden is blue haze, darkness, oblivion.
personification streams and leaves whisper, the day is burning out, the darkness of the night is creeping.
metonymy white dress flashes.
comparison of their thorns, like hands from the garden.
gradation and familiar, empty, rocky, but today - a mysterious path; abandoned scrap, heavy, rusty; The path, familiar and previously short, is flinty and heavy this morning.
a large number of epithets, my tired donkey, extra roses, a restless tune, a cramped hut, a destitute poor man, an unknown tune, a tired donkey, behind the sultry darkness of the night, a sweet song, unfamiliar happiness, a fragrant and sultry darkness.
assonance (repetition of vowels) And the donkey begins to scream. And he screams and trumpets - it’s gratifying. The sounds I O convey to us the cries of a donkey.

The lyrical hero of the poem. The lyrical hero himself calls himself a “poor, destitute man.” His whole life is hard work, and all he has is a donkey, a pickaxe and a hut. “The Nightingale Garden” gives him the opportunity to live a different life, where “curses do not reach life.” Every day he takes the same path, but the desire to enter the garden becomes stronger. And what is there behind the fence: “is there a punishment waiting for you, or a reward”? Once behind the fence, the hero loses contact with the real world “I woke up at the misty dawn of an unknown day.” Life without constant movement loses its usual meaning. Blok uses the image of the sea in his poem. It is a symbol of life. When the hero gets into the garden, he stops hearing the “roar of the sea,” but when the desire to return to real life appears, he again hears the “roar of the waves.” Through symbolic images, the author tried to convey the idea of ​​the triumph of the real over the illusory. Only real life can be complete.

Literary direction. In the mature poetry of Alexander Blok, there is a liberation from abstract mystical-romantic symbols. His works acquire vitality and concreteness. There is a transition from symbolism to realism. The first attempts at changing direction are reflected in the poem “The Nightingale Garden.” But even in descriptions of real life there are still many symbolic images.

Brief history of creation. The poem “The Nightingale Garden” is dated January 6, 1914 - October 14, 1915. This was the period of Blok’s stormy romance with Lyubov Alexandrovna Andreeva-Delmas, a thirty-four-year-old opera singer. On January 12, 1914, he recorded his first meeting with Delmas. There is a mention of her being a singer:

“And in the garden someone is laughing quietly,
And then he walks away and sings.”

Genre works - a romantic poem.

Subject works. Reflections on the meaning of life. They say that fate is a life-long road. The block symbolically divides life into two roads. One is routine work that provides food. And the other is idle idleness in "nightingale garden" where love reigns. The poet is tormented by doubts: what to choose?

Plot. Before us is the difficult life of a simple worker. Every day he and his donkey are forced to do hard, monotonous work. “We’ll take it to the railway, put it in a heap, and to the sea again...” And not far from the road there was a garden. It attracts with its coolness and shadow and yet "someone laughs quietly". Maybe we should enter this garden? After all, it is possible there “life is different - mine, not mine...” And he decides to enter the garden, forgetting “about the rocky path, about your poor comrade”. But life, devoid of the usual worries and anxieties, ceases to please. And now “The nightingale’s song is not free to drown out the roar of the sea”. He hurries into his real, earthly life, “where my house and donkey remain”. But all that was left was a rusty scrap.

Artistic media

  • poetic size, three-foot anapest (third syllable stressed), diagram:

    I/ lo-/ma?-/yu/ slo-/i?-/sty-/e/ ska?-/ly
    At the hour/ from-/va/ on/ and?-/lis-/that/ day?,
    And /tas-/ka?-/et o-/se?l/ my/ u-/sta?-/ly
    Their pieces-/ki?/ on/ moss-/on?-/that/ sleep-not?.

    _ _ _?/_ _ _?/_ _ _?/_
    _ _ _?/_ _ _?/_ _ _?/
    _ _ _?/ _ _ _?/_ _ _?/_
    _ _ _?/_ _ _?/_ _ _?/

  • rhyme cross (AbAb), alternating feminine (stress on the penultimate syllable) rock-tired and masculine (stress falls on the last syllable) bottom-back rhyme. According to the accuracy of consonance, the rhyme is considered rich (the coincidence of the stressed vowel and the supporting consonant sounds).

    I break layered rocks (A)
    At low tide on a muddy bottom, (b)
    And my tired donkey drags (A)
    Their pieces are on their furry back. (b)

  • trails and stylistic figures:
    • present in the poem hidden antithesis, the author contrasts the garden with the sea. The sea is the roar of waves, tides, movement and life, and the garden is blue haze, darkness, oblivion.
    • personification streams and leaves whisper, the day is burning out, the darkness of the night is creeping.
    • metonymy white dress flashes.
    • comparison their thorns are like hands from the garden.
    • gradation and the familiar, empty, rocky, but today - mysterious path; abandoned scrap, heavy, rusty; the path, familiar and previously short, is flinty and heavy this morning.
    • a large number of epithets my tired donkey, extra roses, a restless tune, a cramped hut, a poor destitute, an unknown tune, a tired donkey, behind the sultry darkness of the night, a sweet song, unfamiliar happiness, a fragrant and sultry darkness.
    • assonance (repetition of vowels) And the donkey starts screaming. And he screams and trumpets - it’s gratifying. The sounds of I O convey to us the cries of a donkey.

Lyrical hero poems. The lyrical hero himself calls himself "poor and destitute". His whole life is hard work, and all he has is a donkey, a pickaxe and a hut. "Nightingale Garden" gives him the opportunity to live another life, where “Curses do not reach life”. Every day he takes the same path, but the desire to enter the garden becomes stronger. And what is there behind the fence: “whether punishment or reward awaits”? Once behind the fence, the hero loses contact with the real world “I woke up at the misty dawn of an unknown day”. Life without constant movement loses its usual meaning. Blok uses the image of the sea in his poem. It is a symbol of life. When the hero gets into the garden, he stops hearing "roar of the sea", but when the desire to return to real life appears, he hears again "roar of waves". Through symbolic images, the author tried to convey the idea of ​​the triumph of the real over the illusory. Only real life can be complete.

Literary direction. In the mature poetry of Alexander Blok, there is a liberation from abstract mystical-romantic symbols. His works acquire vitality and concreteness. There is a transition from symbolism to realism. The first attempts at changing direction are reflected in the poem “The Nightingale Garden.” But even in descriptions of real life there are still many symbolic images.

  • “Stranger”, analysis of the poem

L. Delmas and A. Blok

Among the many fans of the artists of the Musical Drama Theater who performed on the stage of the St. Petersburg Conservatory was the poet A.A. Blok, who never missed a single performance directed by Lapitsky.

The role of Carmen in the musical production of the same name was performed by the young singer Lyubov Delmas, who recently returned from Paris, where she watched all the French “Carmen”. They disappointed her - they lacked the inner impulse and fire inherent in this heroine.

Blok, knowing nothing about Lyubov Delmas as a woman, as a person, fell in love with Delmas-Carmen. On January 14, 1914, he sends her a note: “I look at you in Carmen for the third time, and my excitement grows each time. I know very well that I inevitably fall in love with you as soon as you appear on stage. I am not a boy, I know this hellish torment of falling in love, from which there is a groan throughout my entire being and from which there is no end.”

On bad March evenings, the poet wandered along Ofitserskaya Street near house No. 53, where his love lived, wondering where her windows faced, looking for a chance meeting with her. Blok, like a high school student, bought photographs of the singer and tried to meet her. Their paths often crossed. Either he saw the actress at the poster on Ofitserskaya, or in the music store where she bought sheet music. Lyubov Alexandrovna also constantly felt his presence. But neither one nor the other dared to meet.

Blok spent two weeks in a weak-willed, “blissfully stupid” state. But during these two weeks of crazy spring love, the poet created the cycle “Carmen” - poems about the all-conquering passion of love, leading into a world where even the hands that touched her shoulders sing. Terrible love, bought “at the cost of life.”

The heroine of this lyrical cycle of poems was her, the soloist of the L.A. Musical Drama Theater. Delmas.


The angry look of colorless eyes.
Their proud defiance, their contempt.
All lines are melting and singing.
That's how I met you for the first time.
It’s night in the stalls. Can't breathe.
Black bib close, close...
And a pale face... and a strand
Hair falling low...
Oh, not the first time strange meetings
I experienced a silent creepiness!..

Finally they meet. The entire St. Petersburg spring of 1914 was filled with Blok’s thoughts about Delmas and meetings with her. An expressive verbal portrait of the actress of that time was drawn by M.A. Beketova, the poet’s aunt: “Yes, the attractive power of this woman is great. The lines of her high, flexible figure, the magnificent golden fleece of her red hair, the charmingly irregular, changeable face, the irresistibly alluring coquetry are beautiful. And at the same time, talent, fiery artistic temperament and a voice that sounds so deeply on low notes. There is nothing gloomy or heavy in this captivating image; on the contrary, it is all sunny, soft, and festive. He exudes mental and physical health and endless vitality.”

The lovers had many meetings. Both lived in old Kolomna, on Ofitserskaya, they called it “our street.” Here everyone had their favorite places. One of them is the Bridge over the Pryazhka River, visible from the windows of Blok’s apartment. The poet jokingly called it the “Bridge of Sighs.”

In the mid-summer of 1914, World War I began. The life of St. Petersburg residents, including Blok, changed dramatically. Anxieties and worries gradually extinguished the love feelings of this beautiful and talented couple.

On August 17, 1914, Blok sent his photograph and letter to Lyubov Alexandrovna: “I don’t know how it happened that I found you, I don’t know why I’m losing you, but apparently it’s necessary. It is necessary for the months to stretch into years, it is necessary for my heart to bleed now, for me to experience now what I have never experienced - as if with you I am losing the last earthly thing. Only God and I know how much I love you. A.B.

Let me add something else that you yourself know: your is decisive over me, and I confess my defeat, because you turned my whole life upside down and for a long time kept me captive to happiness, which is inaccessible to me.”

When Blok’s poem “The Nightingale Garden” comes out of print as a separate book, in which the hero, who has forgotten his duty, finally leaves this paradise of love and returns to his old shack, the poet will give it to Lyubov Alexandrovna Delmas with the inscription: “To the one who sang in Solovyino garden."

Alexander Blok and Lyubov Delmas will lose each other forever. How insanely sad and piercing the words recorded by the poet sound about this: “My God, what madness that everything in the world passes, nothing lasts forever.”

A.A. Block. Photo from 1916, donated by L.A. Delmas before breaking up