An unfair situation, when an ignoramus undertakes to judge things that are beyond his mind and taste, is offensively common. About this - the fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale" by Ivan Krylov.
Conflict
Contemporaries said that the poet was inspired to create a work by an incident from his life. A high-ranking nobleman, after listening to Krylov's artistic performance of fables, praised the writer, but scolded him for not taking an example from another author (who wrote much weaker than Krylov). Having thrown out his resentment in the fable, Ivan Andreevich nevertheless managed to create an illustration of a typical disagreement between an undeniably talented creator and an ignorant, but self-confident critic. The conflict is doomed to be eternal. His multiple projection into our lives came true with the onset of times when "the cook began to rule the state." Creators who have experienced moments of agonizing bewilderment, when influential people patted them on the shoulder condescendingly, speaking outright nonsense about their works, are gratified to see the allegorical depiction of this collision as it is represented by the fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale".
Artistic media
The author generously uses to depict the characters, the style of speech of the heroes, the description of the absurdity of the situation. First of all, opposition comes into play. The donkey, the personification of stubbornness and stupidity, contrasts with the Nightingale, a symbol of inspiration and poetry. The rough speech of the Donkey immediately reveals his uncouth and ambitious nature. He addresses the Nightingale in a simple way: friend, craftsman ... The donkey heard about the charming singing of the Nightingale, but doubts: "... is it really great ... skill?" Nightingale's answer - heavenly singing - delights everything around. The noun "skill" used by the Donkey is opposed to the art shown by the Nightingale.
The author offers a cascade of verbs reinforcing each other, conveying a uniquely beautiful trill: “clicked”, “whistled”, “shimmered”, “pulled”, “gently weakened”, “given a flute”, “scattered like a shot”. The fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale" draws the complete harmony that arises in nature and in the souls of people from the song of the Nightingale. No wonder the author uses high vocabulary here: everything listened to the pet, calmed down, the herds lay down. There is a pastoral motive. The story reaches its climax when the shepherd listens to the Nightingale "breathing a little". As soon as the song stops, the Donkey throws his ponderous assessment: “Pretty much!” Krylov multiplies the satirical effect by describing how the "profound" critic reacts to the quivering art of the singer: stupidly "staring at the ground with his forehead." To him, the Nightingale is just "you can listen without boredom." And of course, he considers himself a great connoisseur, so he believes that his duty is to teach. The donkey importantly remarks, inserting here the colloquial word "pricked up", that the Nightingale would sing better if he "learned a little" from the rooster. The moral of the fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale" is expressed in a short and capacious phrase: "Deliver us, God, from such judges." And in fact, a false donkey authority is a big obstacle in the way of art, designed to ennoble life.
Krylov's fable "Donkey and Nightingale" in notes
The plot of Krylov's story inspired Russian composers to create works of the same name on this theme. Dmitri Shostakovich in his work "Two Fables by I. Krylov" with extraordinary expression conveyed in melodic language the clash of the characters' life positions. Rimsky-Korsakov's romance to the words of a popular fable is also very expressive.
Incompetence, inertia, lack of tact, inability to subtle spiritual impulses - these are the qualities that the Donkey and the Nightingale fable makes fun of, or rather, its author, a brilliant publicist, poet and translator Ivan Andreevich Krylov.
Hearing that the nightingale is a great master of singing, the donkey asked him to show him his art. The nightingale burst into a wonderful trill, which people and nature heard. The donkey, however, reservedly praised the nightingale and advised him, in order to “be more sharpened” in singing, to learn from the courtyard rooster.
“God, deliver us from such judges,” Krylov’s morality.
Donkey and nightingale
The donkey saw the Nightingale
And he says to him: “Listen, my friend!
You, they say, are a great master of singing.
I would very much like
Judge for yourself, hearing your singing,
Is your skill really great?
Here the Nightingale began to show his art:
Clicked, whistled
In a thousand frets, pulled, shimmered;
That gently he weakened
And languid in the distance resounded with a flute,
That small fraction suddenly crumbled through the grove.
Everyone was paying attention then
To the favorite and singer of Aurora:
The winds subsided, the choruses of the birds fell silent,
And the herds came.
Breathing a little, the shepherd admired him
And only sometimes
Listening to the Nightingale, the shepherdess smiled
The singer has died. Donkey, staring at the ground with his forehead;
“Fairly,” he says, “it’s not false to say,
You can listen without boredom;
It's a pity that I don't know
You are with our rooster;
Even if you were more aggravated,
If only I could learn a little from him.”
Hearing such a court, my poor Nightingale
He fluttered and - flew to distant fields.
Deliver us, God, from such judges.
_____________________
Aurora is the goddess of the dawn among the ancient Romans.
Listen to the fableDonkey and nightingale
The reason for the creation of the fable was an incident from the life of Krylov: “Some nobleman (according to some, Count Razumovsky, according to others, Prince A.N. Golitsyn), perhaps following the example of Empress Maria Feodorovna, who patronized the poet, or maybe maybe, sincerely wanting to make acquaintance with him, he invited him to his place and asked him to read two or three fables-fables. Krylov artistically read several fables, including one borrowed from La Fontaine. The nobleman listened to him favorably and thoughtfully said: “That’s good, but why don’t you translate like Ivan Ivanovich Dmitriev?” “I don’t know how,” the poet answered modestly. And so the conversation ended. Returning home, the fabulist, hurt to the quick, poured out his bile in the fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale." After the publication of Krylov's fable, they began to call it “The Nightingale”. This nickname has entered the literature.
Fable Donkey and Nightingale - Analysis
In Krylov's fable the Donkey and the Nightingale, each of the characters acts as a symbol of qualities that are worth thinking about. So, Nightingale. The bird, with its beautiful singing, personifies a person - a master of his craft, with a gift from Nature itself. Everyone who hears it listens to the song of the bird, and everyone will highly appreciate the talent of the Nightingale, which he is rightfully proud of. Krylov uses such expressive intonations and words in the address of the Nightingale, which none of the Russian writers seems to have surpassed. Charming, detailed descriptions the environment, the reaction of people and animals to the bird's song, also prove that Krylov is not just a fabulist, he is a great poet. The nightingale is described in such a way that there is nothing more worth adding.
The donkey, on the contrary, does not understand singing at all, but considers it possible to evaluate the Nightingale. For lack of hearing and understanding of beauty, I thought that even a rooster would sing better. Krylov here conveys the absurdity of the current situation and morality in the last line of the fable sums up: it is stupid to undertake to judge something that you don’t even have an idea about. The donkey, comparing the Nightingale with the Rooster, juxtaposes two perfect opposites, showing us the absence of any taste.
This is interesting!
Monument to Krylov in St. Petersburg
In 1848, a competition was announced for the creation of a monument to the fabulist I.A. Krylov. The victory was won by Klodt's project. Klodt created a realistically accurate portrait image. The sculptor depicted the fabulist sitting on a bench dressed in casual clothes in a natural relaxed pose, as if he had sat down to rest under the lindens of the Summer Garden. All these elements focus on the poet's face, in which the sculptor tried to convey the characteristics of Krylov's personality. The sculptor managed to convey the portrait and general likeness of the poet, which was recognized by his contemporaries.
With a kind smile, with a friendly look,
He, as if with an senile slowness of speech,
Tells us from his high chairs
About strange customs and the stupidity of animals,
And everyone laughs around him, and he himself is quietly cheerful.
On the bas-reliefs placed on the pedestal of the monument to Krylov, the sculptor depicted scenes from his fables.
The creation of the monument to I. A. Krylov is the last major work of the sculptor P. K. Klodt. The artist A. A. Agin helped the sculptor to work on the monument.
In the process of creating the monument to Krylov, a lot of birds and animals lived in the sculptor's workshop: a donkey, a cat, dogs, monkeys, a sheep with lambs, a fox, a crane, a frog. From them he sculpted the characters of fables. The master even lived with such large predators as a wolf (sent by the royal huntsmen) and a bear with a bear cub (they were transferred by the sculptor's brother). Such a neighborhood did not cause any particular trouble to Klodt. Only one animal Klodt did not dare to settle in the workshop - a goat. Every time he was taken to Pyotr Karlovich by an old woman who lived nearby. The animals got along well with each other. Only the wolf constantly hunted cats, and the bear became addicted to alcohol, which the workers treated him to. To sculpt a lion from life, Klodt went to the menagerie of the German Zama on the Fontanka. The sculptor observed the elephant in the menagerie in Tsarskoye Selo.
At the end of the work, Klodt transferred all his pets to the Zama menagerie.
From the memoirs of the son of P. K. Klodt:
These animals lived with us as family members. And something that just was not in the vast workshops of his father! They were filled with a continuous roar, howling, bleating, squeaking ... All this motley society lived side by side, not only in cages, many freely walked around the workshop and rooms, and were friendly with each other, except for the wolf, which could not resist not to hunt for cats.
In the spring of 1852, Klodt presented a large model of the monument to the Academy of Arts for consideration. After its approval in May 1853, a bronze monument to Krylov was cast.
On the reliefs of the pedestal there are characters and scenes from the fables: "The Fox and the Grape", "The Frog and the Ox", "The Lion on the Fishing", "The Crow and the Fox", "The Elephant in the Voivodship", "The Rooster and the Pearly Seed", "The Little Crow" , "Quartet", "Lion and Leopard", "Monkey and Glasses", "Wolf and Crane", "Squirrel", "Cuckoo and Rooster", "Demyanova's Ear", "Fortune and the Beggar".
It was opened on May 12, 1855. It is located in the Summer Garden (St. Petersburg), on the site in front of the Tea House.
The donkey saw the Nightingale
And he says to him: “Listen, my friend!
You, they say, are a great master of singing.
I would very much like
Judge for yourself, hearing your singing,
Is your skill really great?
Here the Nightingale began to show his art:
Clicked, whistled
In a thousand frets, pulled, shimmered;
That gently he weakened
And languid in the distance resounded with a flute,
That small fraction suddenly crumbled through the grove.
Everyone was paying attention then
To the favorite and singer of Aurora:
The winds subsided, the choruses of the birds fell silent,
And the herds came.
Breathing a little, the shepherd admired him
And only sometimes
Listening to the Nightingale, he smiled at the shepherdess.
The singer has died. Donkey, staring at the ground with his forehead:
“Fairly,” he says, “it’s not false to say,
You can listen without boredom;
It's a pity that I don't know
You are with our rooster;
Even if you were more aggravated,
If only I could learn a little from him.”
Hearing such a court, my poor Nightingale
He fluttered and - flew to distant fields.
Deliver us, God, from such judges.
Heroes
Donkey and Nightingale 🙂
Summary
The donkey learned that the nightingale was a great singer. He asked the nightingale to demonstrate his own skill. The nightingale began to sing beautifully. Everyone listened to his singing. The donkey, although he praised the singer, gave advice to improve his own talent to take lessons from the rooster in the yard.
Morality
The moral of the fable is that God deliver us from such judges as the donkey.
Fable analysis
History of creation
In 1811, I. A. Krylov's fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale" was published in "Reading in the Conversation of Lovers of the Russian Word". V. Kenevich told the following story about the history of its writing. Krylov was invited to his place by “some nobleman” (probably Count Razumovsky, or Prince A.N. Golitsyn) with a request to read his fables. The fabulist did this with great artistry, hoping for a commendable review. The nobleman reservedly thanked Krylov, asking at the same time: “... why don’t you translate the way Iv. Iv. Dmitriev? Returning home, the annoyed poet described this scene in a new fable.
The meaning of the name
Main theme
The main theme of the work is a mockery of imaginary connoisseurs of poetry.
Krylov should not be blamed for a presumptuous-looking comparison of his work with the wonderful singing of the Nightingale. The poet appreciated his fables, which were included in the golden fund of Russian literature.
No less accurate is the comparison of the ungrateful nobleman with the Donkey. Without attaching much importance to the work of the author invited by himself, he mentions I. I. Dmitriev. This poet, together with Karamzin, stood at the origins of Russian poetry, left a very rich literary heritage, including poems, fairy tales, fables and other works. However, the nobleman is more attracted to Dmitriev's work as a translator. It is precisely the lack of translations that he reproaches Krylov.
Krylov compares translations with crowing. They have a certain value, but still cannot be considered a manifestation of true talent.
Issues
The fable, unpretentious at first glance, contains a very serious problem that has become relevant in Russia since the reign of Peter I: the admiration of high society for European art to the detriment of national art.
Russia has long had its own talented poets (Nightingale), but their judges (Donkeys) still prefer ancient and Western works. They believe that the best activity for national creators is the translation of classical poetry.
The donkey evaluates the Nightingale's song in Krylov's fable. Funny, beautiful and very subtle story.
Fable Donkey and nightingale read
The donkey saw the Nightingale
And he says to him: "Listen, my friend!
You, they say, are a great master of singing.
I would very much like
Judge for yourself, hearing your singing,
How great is your skill?"
Here the Nightingale began to show his art:
Clicked, whistled
In a thousand frets, pulled, shimmered;
That gently he weakened
And languid in the distance resounded with a flute,
That small fraction suddenly crumbled through the grove.
Everyone was paying attention then
Favorite and singer of Aurora;
The winds subsided, the choruses of the birds fell silent,
And the herds lay down
Breathing a little, the shepherd admired him
And only sometimes
Listening to the Nightingale, he smiled at the shepherdess.
The singer has died. Donkey, staring at the ground with his forehead,
"Fairly," he says, "it's not false to say,
You can listen without boredom;
It's a pity that I don't know
You are with our rooster;
Even if you were more aggravated,
If only I could learn a little from him,
Hearing such a court, my poor Nightingale
He fluttered - and flew far away fields.
God save us from such judges.
Moral of the fable The donkey and the nightingale
God save us from such judges (it is absurd to judge without knowing the case, and even more so to take into account such judgments)Fable Donkey and nightingale - analysis
In Krylov's fable the Donkey and the Nightingale, each of the characters acts as a symbol of qualities that are worth thinking about. So, Nightingale. With its beautiful singing, the bird personifies a person - a master of his craft, with a gift from Nature itself. Everyone who hears it listens to the song of the bird, and everyone will highly appreciate the talent of the Nightingale, which he is rightfully proud of. Krylov uses such expressive intonations and words in the address of the Nightingale, which none of the Russian writers seems to have surpassed. Charming, detailed descriptions of the environment, the reactions of people and animals to the bird's song, also prove that Krylov is not just a fabulist, he is a great poet. The nightingale is described in such a way that there is nothing more worth adding.
The donkey, on the contrary, does not understand singing at all, but considers it possible to evaluate the Nightingale. For lack of hearing and understanding of beauty, I thought that even a rooster would sing better. Krylov here conveys the absurdity of the current situation and morality in the last line of the fable sums up: it is stupid to undertake to judge something that you don’t even have an idea about. The donkey, comparing the Nightingale with the Rooster, juxtaposes two perfect opposites, showing us the absence of any taste.
We love to read Krylov's fables since childhood. Krylov's images are stored in memory, which often pop up in our heads in various life situations, we turn to them and each time we never cease to be surprised at Krylov's insight.
It happens that you remember the Pug who barks at the Elephant to give the impression of being brave and fearless, or suddenly the Monkey pops up in front of your eyes, which mocked itself, not recognizing the reflection in the Mirror. Laughter, and more! And how often there are meetings that are involuntarily compared with the Monkey, who, out of her own ignorance, not knowing the value of Points, broke them against a stone. Krylov's little fables are short in size, but not in meaning, because the Krylov word is sharp, and the morals of the fables have long turned into popular expressions. Krylov's fables accompany us through life, become related to us and at any time they will find understanding in us and help us re-realize values.
Krylov is a famous writer. Of all the children's poems and fables, Krylov's works are always the very best, they cut into memory and emerge during life when they meet with human vices. It is often said that, they say, Krylov did not write for children, but is the meaning of his fables not clear to children? Morality is usually clearly written, so even the smallest child can read Krylov's fables with benefit.
The best works of the author in the original presentation, as well as morality for convenience and better memorization of philosophical thoughts. Both a child and an adult will find a lot of meaning in these little life stories in which animals symbolize people, their vices and ridiculous behavior. Krylov's fables online are remarkable in that they contain not only text, but also a remarkable picture, easy navigation, informative facts and reasoning. After reading, the author will surely become your favorite, and his life essays in the form of humorous fables will be remembered for many years.
The fabulist led an absolutely open life, talked a lot, printed books one after another and did not at all shy away from his obesity and laziness. The oddities that happened to Krylov were expressed by him in instructive scenes, the simplicity of which is deceptive. He was not a fabulist, he was a thinker-philosopher, capable of comically describing the shortcomings of people in a stunning form accessible only to him with childish unobtrusiveness and ease. No need to look for satire in Krylov's fables, their value does not end there. The content and meaning is philosophical rather than humorous. In addition to human vices, the truths of being, the foundations of behavior and relationships between people are presented in an easy form. Each fable is a combination of wisdom, morality and humor.
It is better to start reading Krylov's fables to a child from an early age. They will show him what to watch out for in life, what behavior others condemn and what they can encourage. The laws of life according to Krylov are natural and wise, he despises artificiality and self-interest. Morality, cleansed of any impurities and trends, is understandable and concise, contains a division between right and wrong. The remarkable manner of writing has led to the fact that each morality has become a folk proverb or a cheerful aphorism. The works are written in such a language that, although they look like literary forms, they actually carry the intonations and mockery inherent only in the great folk mind. Krylov's little fables changed the general view of this genre. Innovation manifested itself in realism, a philosophical note and worldly wisdom. Fables have become small novels, sometimes dramas, in which the accumulated wisdom and cunning of the mind manifested itself over the centuries. It is remarkable that with all this, the author did not turn the fable into a satirical poem, but managed to preserve a deep meaningful part, consisting of a short story and morality.
Krylov's fable penetrated the essence of things, the characters' characters and became a genre almost unattainable by other authors. Despite the satire, the fabulist loved life in all its manifestations, only he would very much like simple and natural truths to finally replace low passions. The genre of the fable under his pen has become so high and refined that, after re-reading the fables of other authors, you will understand that there is no other like it, and it is unlikely to be.
Fable Donkey and Nightingale
The donkey saw the Nightingale
And he says to him: "Listen, my friend!
You, they say, are a great master of singing. 
I would very much like
Judge for yourself, hearing your singing,
How great is your skill?"
Here the Nightingale began to show his art:
Clicked, whistled
In a thousand frets, pulled, shimmered;
That gently he weakened
And languid in the distance resounded with a flute,
That small fraction suddenly crumbled through the grove.
Everyone was paying attention then
Favorite and singer of Aurora;
The winds subsided, the choruses of the birds fell silent,
And the herds lay down
Breathing a little, the shepherd admired him
And only sometimes
Listening to the Nightingale, he smiled at the shepherdess.
The singer has died. Donkey, staring at the ground with his forehead,
"Fairly," he says, "it's not false to say,
You can listen without boredom;
It's a pity that I don't know
You are with our rooster;
Even if you were more aggravated,
If only I could learn a little from him,
Hearing such a court, my poor Nightingale
He fluttered - and flew far away fields.
God save us from such judges.
Moral of the fable The donkey and the nightingale
God save us from such judges (it is absurd to judge without knowing the case, and even more so to take into account such judgments)Fable Donkey and nightingale - analysis
In Krylov's fable the Donkey and the Nightingale, each of the characters acts as a symbol of qualities that are worth thinking about. So, Nightingale. With its beautiful singing, the bird personifies a person - a master of his craft, with a gift from Nature itself. Everyone who hears it listens to the song of the bird, and everyone will highly appreciate the talent of the Nightingale, which he is rightfully proud of. Krylov uses such expressive intonations and words in the address of the Nightingale, which none of the Russian writers seems to have surpassed. Charming, detailed descriptions of the environment, the reactions of people and animals to the bird's song, also prove that Krylov is not just a fabulist, he is a great poet. The nightingale is described in such a way that there is nothing more worth adding.
The donkey, on the contrary, does not understand singing at all, but considers it possible to evaluate the Nightingale. For lack of hearing and understanding of beauty, I thought that even a rooster would sing better. Krylov here conveys the absurdity of the current situation and morality in the last line of the fable sums up: it is stupid to undertake to judge something that you don’t even have an idea about. The donkey, comparing the Nightingale with the Rooster, juxtaposes two perfect opposites, showing us the absence of any taste.
Fable Casket
It often happens to us
Where you can only guess
Just get down to business.
Someone brought a casket from the master.
Finishing, cleanliness Casket rushed into the eyes;
Well, everyone admired the beautiful Casket.
Here comes the sage into the mechanics room.
Glancing at the Casket, he said: "A casket with a secret,
So; he is without a lock;
And I undertake to open; yes, yes, I'm sure of it;
Don't laugh so hard!
I will find a secret and I will open the Casket for you:
In mechanics, I'm worth something."
Here he took up the Casket:
Spins it around
And he breaks his head;
Now a carnation, then another, then a bracket shakes.
Here, looking at him, another
Shakes his head;
They whisper, and they laugh among themselves.
In the ears only reverberates:
"Not here, not like this, not there!" The mechanic is more torn.
Sweat, sweat; but finally tired
Behind the casket
And I didn't know how to open it.
And the casket just opened.
Moral of the fable Casket
It often happens to us
And work and wisdom to see there,
Where you can only guess
Just get down to business.
Fable Casket - analysis
"Cabin" is a landmark work for the great fabulist. An analysis of Krylov's fable The casket usually begins at the end, with the phrase "And the casket just opened." With these words, Krylov says that one should not complicate the tasks too much without trying to solve them in the simplest way.
But in this context, the long attempts of an experienced master, the ridiculous tips of the public, are of no small importance. This is the personification of attempts to understand Krylov himself. The writer claims that it is not necessary to carefully select the key to his fables - more often than not, it lies right on the surface!
There is another way to read this work. The writer did not let the reader specifically understand - how exactly was the casket opened? From this follows another moral of Krylov's fable Larchik - not a single problem has the only right solution, each case requires a special approach. The reader himself must understand whether the chest really did not have a lock, or the mechanic simply could not find it.
Fable Sheets and Roots read
On a beautiful summer day
Casting shadows across the valley
Leaves on a tree with marshmallows whispered,
They boasted of their density, their greenness
And this is how the marshmallows interpreted themselves:
"Isn't it true that we are the beauty of the whole valley?
That we have a tree so magnificent and curly,
Sprawling and majestic?
What would it be without us? Well, right
We can praise ourselves without sin!
Are we not from the heat of the shepherd
And we cover the wanderer in the shade of cool?
Are we not beautiful with our
Are we attracting shepherdesses to dance here?
We have the same early and late dawn
The nightingale whistles.
Yes you marshmallows yourself
Almost never part with us."
"You could say thank you here and to us," -
The voice answered them from underground humbly.
"Who dares to speak so impudently and arrogantly!
Who are you there
Why did they begin to reckon with us so impudently?" -
The leaves rustled against the wood.
"We are those-
They were answered from below, -
Which, here rummaging in the darkness,
We feed you. Don't you know?
We are the roots of the tree on which you bloom.
Show off in a good hour!
Yes, just remember the difference between us:
That with a new spring a new leaf will be born,
And if the root dries up, -
There will be no tree, no you."
Moral of the fable Sheets and roots
The moral of Krylov's fable "Sheets and Roots" is in the last lines. The Roots, which have been unfairly forgotten, enter into the conversation. They remind the arrogant leaves that it is from the roots that the whole tree receives food, and every “new spring a new leaf is born” - that is, the power changes, but the people always remain in their place. As long as the roots are alive, society and the state will also be alive.
Fable Sheets and Roots - Analysis
An analysis of Krylov's fable "Sheets and Roots" begins with an analysis of the characters. The leaves that whisper with Zephyrs (“zephyr” is a warm spring wind) represent the top of society. At the time of Krylov, this was, first of all, the nobility, merchants, and clergy. And the Roots are simple people, peasants and workers, producing food and all kinds of benefits.
The “upper class”, cut off from the people, superficial, arrogant, engages in narcissism, boasting. The leaves believe that they are the basis of the life of the Tree. But in fact, they are only part of the system, which could not exist without its other elements.