The poet devoted many of his works to nature. For Sergei Yesenin, birch is an eternal symbol of the motherland. In his childhood memories, the image of this Russian beauty was invariably present.
History of creation
The poem is one of the first in the early works of the poet. It was written in 1913, then Sergei was 18 years old, he lived in the capital, but constantly remembered his native land. In the work, the poet seems to say goodbye to his homeland, but does not give up hope someday to return again and take another look at the very birch tree with which he has many childhood memories.
The poem was first published in 1914 in the literary magazine Mirok under the pseudonym of the author Aristan.
Genre, direction, size
The poem is written in the genre of landscape, the direction is lyrics. In his work, the author describes nature and its images, the memories of which warm his soul.
Size: three-footed trochee.
The images
In the image of Yesenin’s birch, everyone is able to see something of their own: for someone it’s echoes of the Motherland, for someone, the image of his beloved mother or girl. In each reader, this image evokes different feelings, but they are invariably sad, because the whole poem is riddled with longing.
White birch is the personification of pure, native Russia. It is in his native village for Yesenin that the image of the country is enclosed. According to the author, all the wealth and beauty of Russia is manifested in beautiful nature and limitless open spaces. Everything around admires the birch, even winter in Yesenin’s poem is not cold and evil, but good. She wraps the tender twigs of birch with snow, decorating her like silver.
Themes and mood
The theme of this poem has remained unchanged for the author: it is a theme of the nature of his native and beloved country. The poet has always found inspiration in the beautiful Russian expanses.
In the poem, birch is the personification of memories of the home and parental warmth. The whole work is permeated with good sadness and longing, the birch is beautiful, and everything around it only adorns it. That is how Yesenin remembered his village, and that image found echoes in his heart.
Main idea
The idea of the work lies in the author’s image of his native land, in which you can always find protection and support. According to Sergei Yesenin, each in his soul must revive that image or place that is dear to him, because only by retaining warm memories in his soul, one can become truly happy.
Parental love and the father’s home - something that should forever remain in our memory, a place of protection and care, childhood memories, images and thoughts - this is exactly what we must so carefully store in our memory.
Means of Expression
- The poem "Birch" by Sergey Yesenin is rich in expressive means. The main role in understanding the meaning of the work is played by personification. The nature around is as if alive, like the birch itself, which “covered itself” with snow.
- The epithets and metaphors also give the poem the most expressiveness: “sleepy”, “golden”, “white fringed brushes”.
- The poet uses another interesting trick — assonance. Using the sounds "o", "a" and "e", Yesenin gives his poem a melodic, smooth sound.
