Mikhail Lermontov’s "The Demon," a summary

This romantic poem was written in 1839. The author reworked the text over the course of ten years, creating several editions. Due to strict censorship restrictions, the work was circulated for a long time exclusively in handwritten copies, and the first complete edition was published abroad, in Germany. In 1871, composer Anton Rubinstein created an opera of the same name based on the poem. The musical production became immensely popular.

The Spirit of Exile over Georgia

The sorrowful Demon flies over the sinful earth. He recalls the times when he shone in the abode of light as a pure cherub. The exile wanders the world without shelter. Century after century passes in monotonous succession. Dominated by the insignificant earth, he sows evil without pleasure. Nowhere do his cunning meet resistance. He has long since grown weary of such eternity.

Flying over the Caucasus, the spirit looks down upon majestic mountain vistas. Below, Kazbek glistens with eternal snows. The serpentine Darial looms black like a deep fissure. The Terek leaps over the rocks like a lioness with a shaggy mane. Mountain beasts and birds listen to the sound of the river’s waters. Golden clouds accompany the river north. Cliffs bow their heads over the flickering waves. The towers of old castles stand like giant sentinels.

Further on, the valleys of luxurious Georgia open up. There, ringing streams flow over multicolored rocks. Nightingales sing their sweet songs in rose bushes. Under the spreading canopies of plane trees, timid deer shelter from the scorching heat. But the beauty of southern nature evokes no emotion in Demon’s heart other than cold envy.

The fallen angel’s attention is drawn to the house of the gray-haired Prince Gudal. Gudal is preparing a grand celebration. His daughter, the young Princess Tamara, is getting married. The bride sits on the carpeted roof, surrounded by her friends. She takes up a tambourine and performs her pre-wedding dance. Tomorrow, a strange family awaits Tamara.

The girl twirls a tambourine above her head, darts lighter than a bird, stops, and gazes with a moist gaze. Her foot glides lightly across the carpet. The ruler of golden Persia never kissed such an eye. Not since the world lost paradise has such a beauty blossomed under the southern sun.

The demon sees a dancing girl. A forgotten emotion suddenly awakens within him. His dark soul is filled with the sounds of kindness. The exile cannot take his eyes off Tamara. He feels a strange sadness and discovers the sanctity of love.

The Tragedy of the Synodal

Tamara’s groom, the ruler of the Synodal, is hurrying to the wedding feast. His rich caravan travels along a narrow road near the Aragva River. The groom wears a chukha trimmed with braid. The mount of his saber gleams in the sun, and a gun hangs over his back. His dashing horse, a priceless gold color, glances sideways at the galloping waves. The road is narrow and dangerous. Near the chapel rests the remains of the holy prince. Travelers traditionally pray here for protection from the Muslim dagger.

A wicked spirit troubles the youth’s thoughts. The groom rides past, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of his bride’s kisses. Silhouettes flicker ahead, a shot rings out. A brief battle with the bandits begins. The brave prince rises in his jingling stirrups and rushes at his enemies.

The plundered caravan remains in the steppe. An Ossetian bullet catches the groom in the darkness. A horse carries its wounded master out of the battle. The scorched steed runs into Gudal’s yard and collapses on the stones by the gate. A lifeless rider lies on its back.

The Seduction of the Grieving

The Gudal family is grief-stricken. Poor Tamara sobs on her bed. Suddenly, she hears a magical voice. An invisible comforter urges her not to cry. He assures her that the dead will not appreciate her grief.

The voice promises to fly to her every night. It vows to bring her golden dreams until morning. The words fade. The girl feels both delight and fear. Fire runs through her veins. Before morning, Tamara falls asleep. She dreams of a beautiful stranger, neither an angel nor a spirit of hell. He leans against her headboard with love and sadness.

Departure to the monastery

Tamara begs her father not to scold her. She refuses all new suitors. The girl is tormented by an evil spirit. She asks to be sent to a monastery. Gudal takes his daughter to a secluded monastery.

The girl dons the monastic habit. Her heart continues to beat with the same force. In the temple, amid the prayerful singing, she often hears familiar speech. A familiar image glides in the light smoke of incense.

The monastery stands in a cool spot between the hills. Plane trees and poplars grow around it. Cold springs flow nearby. Tamara’s heart is closed to pure rapture. The whole world seems dark to her. The girl falls before the icon in a frenzy. At night, she weeps bitterly.

Meeting in the cell

A demon flies to the monastery. For a long time, he hesitates to disturb the peace of the peaceful haven. The spirit is ready to abandon its cruel intent. A tender song flows from the cell window. The exile understands the longing of love for the first time. A heavy tear rolls down his cheek, burning through the stone.

He enters the cell, his soul open to goodness. A bright cherub stands beside the girl. The messenger of paradise covers the sinner with his wing. The angel rebukes the unclean spirit and orders it to leave. The evil spirit grins wickedly. An old hatred awakens within him, and he claims the girl as his own. The angel sadly flies away.

Tamara, in fear, asks the guest who he is. The spirit calls himself an enemy of heaven. He confesses to her an unearthly passion. The exile asks to be heard out of compassion. The fallen angel promises to make Tamara queen of the world.

The Fatal Kiss

The girl listens to the stranger with secret joy. She asks him to make a fateful oath. The demon utters many vows. He swears by the first and last days of creation, by the shame of crime and the triumph of truth. The spirit promises to renounce proud thoughts. He wants to pray and believe in goodness. The fallen angel suggests collecting dew from midnight flowers and building palaces of turquoise.

The exile touches her lips with his scorching lips. His powerful gaze blazes in the darkness of the night. The deadly poison of his kiss penetrates Tamara’s chest. A terrible scream rings out. It merges love, suffering, and a hopeless farewell to life.

The midnight watchman walks around the monastery wall. The old man hears a kiss of agreement, a momentary cry, and a faint groan from the cell. He fearfully reads a prayer to the holy saint. The watchman crosses himself with trembling fingers and continues on his way.

Flight of the Soul

Tamara lies in her coffin, dressed in her best clothes. Like a sleeping periwinkle, she is amid the flowers of her native gorge. Her eyelashes are forever lowered. A stream of golden light glides uselessly across them. Her features are full of beauty, devoid of feeling, like marble. A strange smile is frozen on her face. In this smile, one can see cold contempt and a silent farewell. Her relatives kiss the girl, but nothing can break the eternal seal of death.

Gudal mounts a white-maned horse, tugging at his gray locks. Relatives carry the body among the old bones of their grandfathers. The girl is buried in a lonely church on the summit of Mount Kazbek. This church was once built by one of Gudal’s forefathers for the atonement of sins.

A holy angel carries Tamara’s soul in a golden embrace. He dispels her doubts with sweet words. Suddenly, a hellish spirit crosses their path. He stares back with his malevolent gaze. The demon proudly declares, "She’s mine!"

The decision of heaven

The girl’s soul clings to its guardian in terror. The angel pronounces: "Disappear, dark spirit of doubt!" He says the days of trial are over. Tamara has atoned for her doubts at a cruel price. She suffered and loved, and now paradise has opened for love.

The Angel joyfully flaps its wings and disappears into the sky. The vanquished Demon curses his mad dreams. He is once again left alone in the universe without hope.

On the slope of a stone mountain above the Koyshaur Valley stand the battlements of ancient ruins. These are the remains of the Gudala Castle. The village crumbles below, the earth rejoices in spring like a child. Caravans pass by, the river sparkles. The castle is gloomy and lonely. Only spiders, lizards, and wary snakes live there. A church on a steep peak reliably preserves the peace of the dead beneath its snowy cloaks. Mighty ice and blizzards sternly guard their eternal sleep.