“I enter dark temples...” Alexander Blok

I enter dark temples,
I perform a poor ritual.
There I am waiting for the Beautiful Lady
In the flickering red lamps.

In the shadow of a tall column
I'm shaking from the creaking of the doors.
And he looks into my face, illuminated,
Only an image, only a dream about Her.

Oh, I'm used to these robes
Majestic Eternal Wife!
They run high along the cornices
Smiles, fairy tales and dreams.

Oh, Holy One, how tender the candles are,
How pleasing are Your features!
I can't hear neither sighs nor speeches,
But I believe: Darling - You.

Analysis of Blok’s poem “I enter dark temples...”

Love lyrics are of key importance in the works of Alexander Blok. And this is not surprising, since the 17-year-old poet, who experienced strong feelings for Lyubov Mendeleeva, managed to preserve them for the rest of his life. This woman was destined to become Blok's muse and his guardian angel. Even after fate separated this couple, the poet continued to love his ex-wife, helped her in every possible way and sincerely believed that they were made for each other.

For the first time, the image of Lyubov Mendeleeva appeared in the poet’s poems, dated to the last year of the 19th century. This period of creativity includes the creation of a series of works dedicated to the mysterious beautiful lady. Its prototype was the poet’s chosen one, who did not reciprocate his feelings for a long time. As a result, the young people separated and did not see each other for several years, during which Blok recreated a sweet image in his works with enviable regularity. The eyes, smile and even the voice of Lyubov Mendeleeva followed the poet everywhere. Blok even admitted that it was like a kind of insanity when in a crowd of people you try to find a familiar figure, you notice a similar head tilt in completely strangers and even the manner of carrying a handbag in your hands.

The poet did not tell anyone about his emotional experiences, but what he felt after parting with his chosen one can be easily read between the lines of his works. One of them is the poem “I Enter Dark Temples...”, created in 1902. Its essence boils down to the fact that even in the image of the Mother of God the poet seems to be beloved, and this fills his soul with double joy. It is difficult to judge how much of what was written corresponded to reality, but acquaintances of the young Blok claim that at some point he became truly devout and rarely missed Sunday services. It can be assumed that with the help of prayer the poet tried to drown out his mental pain and come to terms with the loss of a loved one. However, the author himself explains this behavior somewhat differently, noting: “there I am waiting for the Beautiful Lady in the flickering red lamps.”

It would be foolish to expect that it would be in the temple that Blok would meet his pragmatic and free from religious prejudices lover. The poet understands this very well, but continues to go to church. There, “only an illuminated image, only a dream about Her,” looks into my face. Now there is no longer any doubt that in the images of the “Majestic Eternal Wife” the poet sees the features of the girl with whom he is in love. And this similarity fills Blok’s soul with inexplicable joy; he believes that his love is a gift from heaven, and not a curse. And such an interpretation of such a strong feeling forces Blok not to abandon it, but, on the contrary, to cultivate love in his heart, which gives him the strength to live. “I can’t hear any sighs or speeches, but I believe: Darling, you are,” the poet admits.

The romantic period in Blok’s work, associated with the creation of the cycle “Poems about a Beautiful Lady,” did not pass without a trace for the poet. Until his death, he treated women with great respect, considering them superior beings, more refined and vulnerable. As for Lyubov Mendeleeva, he truly idolized her and was even slightly afraid that with his own feelings, rude and primitive, he could denigrate the soul of the one he loved so much. However, as practice shows, not every woman can appreciate such a reverent attitude towards herself. Mendeleev's love in this regard was no exception, as she betrayed Blok more than once, falling in love with other men. However, after the poet’s death, she admitted that she was unfair to him and could not fully understand what a noble and sublime nature her husband possessed.

This poem was written when young Alexander Blok was barely 22 years old. It was this time that was marked by the poet himself as a period of active creativity, an open spiritual search for his own highest truth and truth. A whole cycle of love poems is dedicated to Lyubov Dmitrievna Mendeleeva. In her person the poet found a dear friend and muse, whom he served all his life. He idolized this girl, who later became his wife, and saw in her manifestations of the divine essence.

The poetic analysis of “I Enter Dark Temples” is intended to show and identify the main feature of Alexander Blok’s spiritual quest at a specific stage in the development of creativity. Namely, serving the image of the Eternal Femininity, trying to find her in the material world, get closer to her and make an integral and indestructible face part of her own existence.

Theme of the poem

“I Enter Dark Temples” is one of the pinnacles of Alexander Blok’s poetry in the cycle dedicated to the Beautiful Lady. The key point should be considered an attempt to find a dream, an image of Eternal Femininity in the everyday world with prevailing material values ​​and attitudes. This clearly shows the moment of discrepancy in ideas, irresponsibility, futility of search.

The analysis of “I Enter Dark Temples” shows how disconnected the lyrical hero of A. Blok is from reality, absorbed in his own obsession. And it is difficult for him to cope with this mystical desire; it subjugates him, deprives him of his will, common sense, and reason.

The state of the lyrical hero

The verse “I enter dark temples” is the eleventh in a number of works addressed to Lyubov Dmitrievna Mendeleeva. The lyrical hero is in a state of anxiety, he wants to find integrity with himself, to find his lost soul mate - a part of himself, without which he cannot be happy. In a holy place, a temple, he sees only echoes of that mysterious, unearthly image to which his search is directed, on which all his attention is focused. Here the author himself connects with the feelings of the lyrical hero in these deep inner experiences.

Image of Eternal Femininity

One of the most beautiful and mysterious is the poem “I Enter Dark Temples.” Blok endowed his heroine with fabulous, mystical features. It is elusive in its essence, beautiful and incomprehensible, like a dream itself. This is how the image of Beauty arises as a hypostasis of divine love. Often the lyrical hero compares her with the Mother of God and gives her mystical names. Alexander Blok called her the Dream, the Most Pure Virgin, the Eternally Young, the Lady of the Universe.

Readers always have rave reviews and impressions after reading poems such as “I enter dark temples.” Blok is a favorite poet of many intellectuals, especially his work is close to young boys and girls. The one whom the lyrical hero serves is shrouded in the greatest mystery. He treats her not as an earthly woman, but as a deity. She is also surrounded by shadows, in which her attraction to the Apollonian principle is discernible - the hero contemplates her and himself receives feelings from the experience. The analysis of “I Enter Dark Temples” demonstrates to the reader an interesting approach to the interpretation of lines known and loved by millions.

Key symbols

In the poem, one can highlight several images that create a kind of background for the development of the action and complement the plot with bright pictures.

The robes emphasize the holiness and sublimity of the image of the Beautiful Lady. This is the material embodiment of the divine principle (Mother of God, church). Everything earthly is alien to her; she represents the sublime element of freedom and light. You can pray to her at night in the moonlight, chanting her unsurpassed beauty with every thought and action.

Red lamps symbolize the unattainability of a dream, its remoteness and unreality, compared to everyday life. This is where the fictional world connects with reality.

Thus, the analysis of “I Enter Dark Temples” emphasizes the idea that the poet’s intimate and personal experiences of youth occurred against the backdrop of a desire to unravel the mystery of Beauty.

Poem “I enter dark temples...”. Perception, interpretation, evaluation

The poem “I enter dark temples...” was created by A.A. Blok in 1902. It was written under the impression of the poet’s meeting with Lyuba Mendeleeva in St. Isaac’s Cathedral. The poem was included in the “Cycle of Poems about the Beautiful Lady.” In his youth, the poet was fascinated by the philosophical teachings of V. Solovyov. According to this teaching, the world, mired in sins, will be saved and revived to life by a certain Divine principle, embodying the Eternal Femininity. Blok endowed this image with ideal features and gave it various names: Beautiful Lady, Majestic Eternal Wife, Kupina. He imagined himself as a knight who had taken a vow of service to the Beautiful Lady. As part of these creative searches, this work was created.

Compositionally, the poem develops the same theme - the hero’s wonderful dream; his meeting with the Beautiful Lady is described. At the beginning of the poem, some signs of reality are given: “dark temples”, “poor ritual”. All these images precede the hero’s date with the Beautiful Lady. And it’s not for nothing that it happens in the temple. This is a world in which love and harmony, kindness, warmth and perfection always reign. Thus, the image of the heroine in the mind of the lyrical hero is equated to the Divine principle. And gradually the image of the hero also becomes clearer for the reader. The second stanza becomes a kind of culmination of the theme of the date:

In the shadow of a high column I tremble from the creaking of doors.

And he looks into my face, illuminated,

Only an image, only a dream about Her.

The reader here understands that the Beautiful Lady is just the hero’s dream. However, there is no bitterness or regret in his soul. He is completely immersed in his dream, endlessly devoted to it. Reality does not burden him, because it seems to not exist in his soul. The hero’s world is a world of “smiles, fairy tales and dreams.” The main thing is faith in the dream: “I can’t hear neither sighs nor speeches, But I believe: Darling - You.”

The poet uses characteristic images and colors here: we see the flickering of “red lamps”, the golden shine of icons, the dullness of yellow candles. The color palette here is symbolic: the red color speaks of sacrifice, hinting at the lyrical hero’s willingness to give his life for the sake of the Beautiful Lady (red color is associated with blood). Yellow and gold, on the contrary, are colors that symbolize life, sun, and warmth. Obviously, the lyrical hero merged so much with his dream that it became an unchanging part of his life.

The poem was written by a dolnik. The poet uses various means of artistic expression: epithets (“dark temples”), metaphor (“Smiles, fairy tales and dreams run high along the eaves”), alliteration (“I tremble from the creaking of doors”).

Thus, the work is “programmatic” for Blok’s early lyrics. The young poet embodied his myth about the World Soul through allegories, mystical premonitions, mysterious hints and signs.

/ / / Analysis of Blok’s poem “I enter dark temples...”

A. Blok is considered one of the first symbolists; this creative direction puts the symbol in first place as a sign that can be perceived in different ways and is ambiguous. Symbolism originates in France and then spreads to other countries.

In the poet’s work, the main importance is the love theme, which takes on different colors. This is not surprising, because the poet himself loved, and carried his love throughout his life. His chosen one was Lyubov Mendeleeva. This woman became for Alexander Blok not only his muse, his inspiration for creativity, but also his guardian angel. Even after the separation, Blok did not stop helping his ex-wife, because he saw in her not only his beloved woman, but also a true friend. He trusted her as he trusted himself.

Blok does not talk about his mysterious feelings and experiences; he reveals everything in his work. The poet has a great attitude towards women; all the poet’s work is connected with poems about the Beautiful Lady. The author considered women to be very delicate and vulnerable natures. Mendeleev's love was for the poet the real ideal of a woman. He was afraid that he could denigrate the soul of the person he loved so much. But the poet knows very well that not everyone can have a reverent attitude. Human nature is deceptive; he himself had been deceived more than once in his life, but he continued to trust his loved ones. Lyubov Mendeleev often betrayed Blok and gave preference to others. And only after a while did she realize how noble the man who had been with her for so long was.

The poem “I enter dark temples...” is dated 1902. The image of the Mother of God becomes central in Blok’s work; it is a symbolic image of a beloved woman who is nearby, but often elusive and inaccessible. This is exactly how the author imagines a Beautiful Lady. In the image of the Mother of God one can discern the poet’s beloved, who for him becomes the embodiment of purity and beauty. The author uses a lot of synonyms; he calls his beloved the Majestic Eternal Wife, Saint, Sweet.

The lyrical hero enters the temple and waits for the Beautiful Lady in the “flickering of red lamps.” Further, the main theme is revealed more and more - love, it becomes clear that the lyrical hero is still waiting for his beloved. All the words indicate that sincere feelings, even if non-reciprocal, are truly important for the poet.

Blok still believes that love is a heavenly gift, not a curse. The image of the Beautiful Lady and the Mother of God are symbolic images in which the ideal woman is embodied. We have the right to love, even when it contradicts rationality, when we see a person’s shortcomings. Alexander Blok, in his love lyrics, shows how to treat a woman, what true high feelings should be. The poems are written with soul and heart, in every phrase there is love and respect. There are a lot of symbols in the works, but they are most often repeated and are constants in creativity. Blok is a great poet of symbolism, praising feminine purity and true beauty.

Analysis of the poem “I enter dark temples”

Symbolist A.A. Blok immortalized his name by creating a cycle of poems about the “Beautiful Lady.” They contain pure adolescent love for beauty, chivalrous humility to the ideal, a dream of sublime love, which was a means for penetration into the higher worlds, for merging with perfect eternal femininity. The cycle of poems about “The Beautiful Lady” is dedicated to the beloved A.A. Block. Lyubov Dmitrievna Mendeleeva, who later became his wife. This is a prayer addressed to the Lady of the Universe, the Eternal Wife, the saint. And I consider the masterpiece “I Enter Dark Temples” to be one of the most heartfelt and mysterious poems.

I enter dark temples

I perform a poor rite

There I am waiting for the Beautiful Lady

In the flickering of red lamps.

The first line of the poem sets the reader up for something mystical, otherworldly, inherent in the abode of an unearthly creature, a Beautiful Lady, a Majestic Wife, dressed in white robes and alien to all earthly quagmire.

The lyrical hero considers the rite of knighting the Beautiful Lady to be poor in comparison with the rich spirituality of his ideal. The internal state of the lyrical hero is magnificently shown with the help of figurative details - red lamps. Red is the color of love and anxiety. The hero loves his ideal, but experiences anxiety before its appearance. Further, the lyrical hero’s anxiety increases (“I’m trembling from the creaking of the doors...”), as her image visibly appears in his imagination, a dream about her, illuminated by an aura of holiness, created by Blok himself. The image of the Beautiful Lady is ethereal, fantastic, but it appears so often before the poet that he is already accustomed to contemplating her in divine robes. Her appearance brings peace to the hero’s lyrical soul, he sees smiles around him, hears fairy tales, and fairy-tale dreams arise in his imagination. All his senses are open to the inspiration of perception of everything that he sees and hears. The lyrical hero finds harmony. He exclaims enthusiastically:

Oh, Holy One, how tender the candles are,

How pleasing are your features

I can't hear any sighs or speeches

But I believe - Darling You.

Admiration fills the narrator's soul. The lexical repetition of the intensifying “how” emphasizes the admiration and admiration of the young poet for perfection. The metaphorical epithet “affectionate candles” is Blok’s real poetic discovery. The hero “cannot hear either the sighs or the speeches” of his beloved, the disembodied spirit, but contemplating the gratifying features that give joy and peace to the heart, elevating the soul and giving inspiration, he believes that she is Darling. An intensifying punctuation mark - a dash - puts a huge emphasis on the short “you”, confirming the indisputability of the poet’s ideal. Blok’s dream of meeting the Beautiful Lady boiled down to leaving the real world, full of quagmires, swamps, “black buildings”, “yellow” lanterns, unworthy people for whom “truth is in wine”, in the deception of the weak, defenseless, in profit and self-interest , into an ideal world inhabited by pure creatures close to the ideal.

The poem makes a huge impression on the reader with its power of narration, the selfless feelings of the youth - the knight Blok, the abundance of visual expressive means that fully reveal the internal state of the lyrical hero, showing the situation surrounding the poet, and creating that religious, mystical flavor. The text contains many words that have a bright emotional connotation, sublime, church vocabulary (temple, lamp, chasuble, gratifying), they emphasize the exceptional solemnity and significance of the events for the poet. The image of the Beautiful Lady meant a lot to Blok; he idolized her, but later the Muse of Eternal Femininity left him.