“Ave Maria” Afanasy Fet
Ave Maria - the lamp is quiet,
Four verses are ready in the heart:Pure maiden, mourning mother,
Your grace has penetrated my soul.
Queen of the sky, not in the brilliance of rays,
In a quiet dream, appear to her!Ave Maria - the lamp is quiet,
I whispered all four verses.
Analysis of Fet's poem "Ave Maria"
“Ave Maria” (“Hail Mary!”) is a Catholic prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. The sources for it were two verses from the Gospel of Luke. It became widespread in the eleventh century. Until now, “Ave Maria” remains one of the most popular prayers among Christians. Not least of all, this was facilitated by the composers who wrote music based on its text. Among them are Giuseppe Verdi, François Liszt, Camille Saint-Saëns, Antonin Dvorak, Charles François Gounod. In the Russian Orthodox tradition, "Ave Maria" is correlated with a prayer called "Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
In Fet's creative heritage one can notice the reflection of many Christian images. Among them is the image of the Virgin Mary. In all the poems dedicated to her, one can see the author’s reverent admiration for the Virgin Mary. A striking example of this is the elegant miniature “Ave Maria”, painted in 1842. Its title refers readers to the Catholic prayer mentioned above. Having lit the lamp, the lyrical hero addresses Madonna in four lines. It is worth paying attention to how he calls her - “pure virgin”, “mourning mother”, “queen of heaven”. Using the first definition, the poet recalls the immaculate conception of Mary, as a result of which Jesus was born. With the help of the second - about the crucifixion of Christ. The hero of the poem asks the Mother of God to appear to him in his dreams: “...In a quiet dream, appear to her.” In the same line, the motif of silence, stated at the very beginning of the text, is repeated again: “Ave Maria - the lamp is quiet...”. In Fet's lyrics he is often associated with the image of the Virgin Mary. According to Afanasy Afanasievich, the Virgin Mary brings grace to the earthly world: “...Your grace has penetrated my soul.” A prayer to her is born in the lyrical hero’s heart, which emphasizes her sincerity. Fet's poetic skill allows sensitive readers to easily imagine the picture described in the poem “Ave Maria”. A quiet, calm place, semi-darkness, in which the dim light of a lamp reigns. The hero experiences awe and at the same time spiritual uplift. Turning to the Mother of God, he purifies himself and lets divine light into his soul.
The image of the Blessed Virgin is also found in other poems by Fet, written on religious themes. Among them are “To the Sistine Madonna”, “Silent Night. On the unsteady firmament...", "Mistress of Zion, before you...", "Madonna".
Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet
Ave Maria - the lamp is quiet,
Four verses are ready in the heart:
Pure maiden, mourning mother,
Your grace has penetrated my soul.
Queen of the sky, not in the brilliance of rays,
In a quiet dream, appear to her!
Ave Maria - the lamp is quiet,
I whispered all four verses.
“Ave Maria” (“Hail Mary!”) is a Catholic prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. The sources for it were two verses from the Gospel of Luke. It became widespread in the eleventh century. Until now, “Ave Maria” remains one of the most popular prayers among Christians. Not least of all, this was facilitated by the composers who wrote music based on its text. Among them are Giuseppe Verdi, François Liszt, Camille Saint-Saëns, Antonin Dvorak, Charles François Gounod. In the Russian Orthodox tradition, "Ave Maria" is correlated with a prayer called "Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
In Fet's creative heritage one can notice the reflection of many Christian images. Among them is the image of the Virgin Mary. In all the poems dedicated to her, one can see the author’s reverent admiration for the Virgin Mary. A striking example of this is the elegant miniature “Ave Maria”, painted in 1842. Its title refers readers to the Catholic prayer mentioned above. Having lit the lamp, the lyrical hero addresses Madonna in four lines. It is worth paying attention to how he calls her - “pure virgin”, “mourning mother”, “queen of heaven”. Using the first definition, the poet recalls the immaculate conception of Mary, as a result of which Jesus was born. With the help of the second - about the crucifixion of Christ. The hero of the poem asks the Mother of God to appear to him in his dreams: “...In a quiet dream, appear to her.” In the same line, the motif of silence, stated at the very beginning of the text, is repeated again: “Ave Maria - the lamp is quiet...”. In Fet's lyrics he is often associated with the image of the Virgin Mary. According to Afanasy Afanasyevich, the Virgin Mary brings grace to the earthly world: “...Your grace has penetrated my soul.” A prayer to her is born in the lyrical hero’s heart, which emphasizes her sincerity. Fet's poetic skill allows sensitive readers to easily imagine the picture described in the poem “Ave Maria”. A quiet, calm place, semi-darkness, in which the dim light of a lamp reigns. The hero experiences awe and at the same time spiritual uplift. Turning to the Mother of God, he purifies himself and lets divine light into his soul.
The image of the Blessed Virgin is also found in other poems by Fet, written on religious themes. Among them are “To the Sistine Madonna”, “Silent Night. On the unsteady firmament...", "Mistress of Zion, before you...", "Madonna".
Afanasy Fet’s work “Ave Maria” can be called beautiful, melodic and unusually soulful. In the author’s creative heritage, one can often notice images of saints and the highest. Of course, the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the most striking. The poet bows before the shrine, he expresses his reverence.
The action in the poem begins with silence. The main character lights a lamp and turns to the sacred image. The poet uses, creates and addresses to the Madonna such phrases as “pure maiden”, “queen of heaven”, “mourning mother”. Of course, such expressions allow us to recognize some points from Christian history.
Mary is called the “pure virgin” at the immaculate conception, after which little Jesus was born. And Mary is called the “sorrowful mother” after the crucifixion and murder of Jesus Christ.
The lyrical hero, represented by Afanasy Fet, turns to the Virgin Mary, asks her to appear in dreams, to come to him in dreams. The poet tries to fill his poetic work with the motif of silence and tranquility. Already from the first lines, the reader understands and realizes how quietly the lamp burns. According to Fet, the image of the Mother of God always carries grace with it. Therefore, the lyrical hero turns to the shrine, keeping a prayer in his heart.
The author's skill allows us to recreate a realistic picture of what is happening. The reader can imagine a quiet, secluded and calm place where the main character is. He prays, his soul trembles. He communicates with the Mother of God, begs for forgiveness for his sins and is cleansed of all bad things.
In the literary dowry of Afanasy Afanasyevich there are several poetic works that are dedicated to the image of the Virgin Mary. These are poems such as “Madonna”, “To the Sistine Madonna”, “Mistress of Zion, before you...”.