A summary of "Grandfather Mazai and the Hares" by Nikolai Nekrasov

This collection brings together poems and epics created between 1845 and 1877. This book is a large-scale artistic reflection on the harsh peasant life and the dedication of exiled nobles. The works demonstrate a highly emotionally charged poetic style.

Urban and love lyrics

The poem "On the Road" opens the cycle. A coachman is driving a master. The peasant shares the story of his wife, Grusha. The girl was raised for a long time in the manor house, diligently studying. After the old master’s death, the new owner exiled Grusha to the village. The orphan was married off to a peasant. The young woman suffers agonizingly. She wastes away from the brutal work, cries constantly, and reads an incomprehensible book. Her husband sincerely pities his wife, but is powerless to remedy the situation.

The text "Driving Down a Dark Street at Night…" tells of a tragic fate. The heroine has left her unloved husband forever for the lyrical subject — the poem’s focal character. The couple lives in a cold room. The child cries and dies of hunger. The woman leaves silently, dressed up. She secretly sells herself for money for a child’s coffin and a modest dinner for her lover.

The poems "I Don’t Like Your Irony…" and "You and I Are Stupid People…" reveal the psychology of complex relationships. The hero asks his beloved not to rush the resolution of their feelings. He encourages her to find a measure of happiness in tender reconciliations after heated arguments.

The poem "Muse" declares the author’s creative credo. The text’s exposition immediately negates the image of a gentle muse. The poet’s inspiration is a whipped companion of the poor, who has known unbearable hunger. She makes the author acutely aware of human suffering.

Philosophical reflections

The work "Vlas" depicts a cruel rural moneylender. The peasant fleeced his fellow villagers blind. Soon, Vlas fell gravely ill. In a feverish delirium, the hero sees crocodiles, Ethiopians, and the terrible torment of sinners. Having recovered, the old man gives away his wealth. Vlas dons iron chains. For thirty years, he wanders the world, collecting pennies from his labor to build a church.

The poem "On the Volga" conveys the feelings of the protagonist visiting his native land. A grown man recalls his carefree childhood. The pleasant nostalgia is shattered by the sight of tired barge haulers. The rhythmic, funeral wail of the exhausted workers frightens the boy. The awareness of slave labor forever deprives the young man of peace of mind.

"Green Noise" describes a peasant’s inner transformation. In winter, a deceived peasant plans to brutally murder his unfaithful wife, Natalya. He sharpens a sharp knife to the sound of a cold snowstorm. Spring arrives. The sound of awakening nature softens the hero’s heart. The forest whispers of the need for forgiveness.

The text of "A Knight for an Hour" depicts the hero on a frosty night walk. The man contemplates moonlit fields and hears the ringing of bells. He mentally addresses his late mother, begging her to guide him on the path of true love for people. An inner voice mockingly cuts short these lofty impulses.

In his works "I Am Unknown. I Have Not Acquired You…" and "Be Silent, Muse of Vengeance and Sorrow!…," the author bitterly sums up his life. The Muse dies under a cruel whip, and the poet’s weary heart refuses to believe in a bright rebirth.

The poem "Listening to the Horrors of War…" contrasts the false tears of society with the sincere grief of poor mothers. The text "In the capitals there is noise, orators thunder…" contrasts the verbal warfare of the capital with the centuries-old silence of Russia’s hinterlands.

Late lyrics

Before the longer poems are the poems "Elegy," "To the Muse," and "Oh, Muse! I am at the door of the coffin!…." The lyrical subject ponders whether the peasant reform brought true happiness to the people. Dying, the poet asks the tormented Muse — the people’s blood sister — to quietly close his eyes.

Children’s poems

The children’s series opens with "Uncle Yakov." A kind old peddler delights the peasants with colorful goods. Orphan Feklusha watches someone else’s celebration without a penny. Her uncle takes pity on the girl and gives her a brand new primer for free.

The text of "The Bee" describes a powerful spring flood. Village bees drown en masse in the water. A passerby advises the men to stick long green stakes into the river. The insects settle on the life-saving branches.

The poem "General Toptygin" tells a curious story on the road. The driver, Fedya, is driving a leader with a bear. Near an inn, people are drinking. The horses are frightened by the bear’s roar and race for about sixteen kilometers to the post office. The postmaster mistakes the growling, bear-clad animal for an angry general.

The famous text "Grandfather Mazai and the Hares" describes a spring rescue operation. An old hunter is rowing in a boat to collect firewood — he’s frankly bored of walking forty-odd kilometers. Mazai sees flooded islands. Frightened hares are huddled on dry land. The kind old man gathers the animals into the boat. He hooks a floating log with scythes with a long boat hook and safely delivers the entire long-eared crew to dry shore.

The poem "Nightingales" depicts a quiet conversation between a peasant woman and her children. The woman explains why the birds in their grove sing louder than usual. The villagers, at a peaceful gathering, decided not to set snares, allowing the nightingales to live in complete safety.

The poem "On the Eve of the Bright Holiday" describes the workers’ journey home. Blacksmiths, painters, and sawyers return in a friendly crowd to their home villages to celebrate Easter with a pure heart.

Russian women Princess Trubetskaya

This historical poem describes Ekaterina Trubetskaya’s arduous journey to her husband exiled to Siberia. The count’s father, tearfully, bids farewell to his daughter. The carriage rushes swiftly through the bitter cold. The princess dozes. She recalls her luxurious childhood, lavish balls, her meeting with her beloved, and their journey to sunny Italy. The southern scenes contrast sharply with the harsh Siberian taiga and the trudging convoys of chained convicts.

In Irkutsk, the local governor suddenly blocks the way. The tall, gray-haired official is acting on strict orders from the Tsar. He persistently urges the princess to return. The old man threatens the woman with deadly frosts, brutal fights between the barnaks, and stale bread and kvass. Trubetskaya is firm. The governor threatens to completely strip her of all noble rights. The princess demands a document and immediately signs an abdication. The general’s final argument is a march of over eight hundred kilometers on foot, in a company of common thieves. The woman is ready to go. Seeing her incredible fortitude, the old man surrenders with tears in his eyes. He orders the horses to be harnessed.

Jack Frost

The poem depicts the terrible tragedy of a peasant family. Proclus, a young, strong man, dies. He caught a severe cold while hauling food in the winter. Relatives bury their sole breadwinner in the frozen ground. The widow, Daria, is left with two small children, Masha and Grisha.

Left without firewood, the woman harnesses Savraska’s horse. Darya rides into the thicket. The widow mechanically chops down a tree, shedding bitter tears. She recalls the arduous summer haymaking, her marriage, the nightly treks thirty-two kilometers to the monastery for the sake of a miraculous icon. She has no strength left to fight fate.

Moroz the Warlord appears in the forest. The gray-haired sorcerer makes a ringing sound as he walks through his domain. Morozko promises to warm the young woman. The Lord of Winter kisses Darya, taking the form of her beloved Proclus. The woman slowly freezes. The freezing widow dreams of a hot summer. The whole family joyfully harvests golden rye. The children laugh, the husband is alive and affectionate. Darya freezes to death under a tall pine tree. A smile of absolute peace plays on her pale lips.

Grandfather

The epic poem tells the story of the continuity of generations. Ten-year-old Sasha examines an old portrait of a general in his father’s office. His parents avoid direct questioning. Soon, this mysterious grandfather returns home from a long Siberian exile.

The old man takes Sasha for long walks through his native meadows. The grandfather is physically strong, vigorous, and handsome. He teaches the boy how to properly plow the land, demonstrating the perfect skill of a simple laborer. The old man tells his grandson about the distant village of Tarbagatai. The Old Believers exiled there built a thriving settlement through hard work. Their horses easily carry 1,600 kilograms of cargo.

Grandfather recalls the terrible tyranny of wealthy landowners and the brutal cruelty of military commanders of yesteryear. He sings sad songs about the glorious campaign of exiled nobles and their devoted wives. Sasha demands details. Grandfather kindly asks him to wait. The boy sits down with his textbooks to thoroughly memorize history. The grandson prepares to learn his grandfather’s sad story, wholeheartedly embracing his bright ideals of goodness.