Many admirers of the work of the great poet-compatriot A.S. Pushkin is familiar with this poem. It has been known since school, but few people know what kind of prayer the verse “Desert fathers and blameless women” talks about. And these words themselves are quite incomprehensible and mysterious. We will try to answer all questions.
Text of the work
The desert fathers and blameless wives, in order to fly with their hearts into the regions absent, in order to strengthen it in the midst of long-lasting storms and battles, composed many divine prayers;
But not one of them touches me, Like the one that the priest repeats During the sad days of Lent; Most often it comes to my lips
And he strengthens the fallen with an unknown force: Lord of my days! the spirit of sad idleness, Lust of command, this hidden serpent, And do not give idle talk to my soul.
But let me see my sins, O God, so that my brother will not accept condemnation from me, and revive the spirit of humility, patience, love and chastity in my heart.
A. S. Pushkin
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin as the author of the poem
Who doesn’t know the most talented Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin?! Everyone has read his works at least once in their life. For three centuries now, the popularity of this Master of Words has not decreased. And it is unknown whether a poet or writer of such talent will be born. His name is known all over the world, and we can be proud that he is our compatriot.
Biography
The great Russian poet was born on June 6 (new style) 1799 in the capital of Russia. He was lucky enough to be born into an ancient noble family, whose roots go back to the African general Hanibal, a pupil of Peter the Great. Alexander owes his poetic talent to his father, who also wrote poetry. Sasha spent his childhood with his grandmother in the village. Zakharovo, who noticed her grandson’s changeable character and passion for reading books.
Then the boy was sent to the Lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo. He studied poorly and often missed classes, but everyone noticed his extraordinary talent early on. And at the graduation, Pushkin read his poem, after which the chairman enthusiastically exclaimed: “Take off your hats, gentlemen, before you is a genius!”
After graduating from the Lyceum, Alexander served in the College of Foreign Affairs and attended the Green Lamp literary society. Here he met representatives of the Decembrist movement.
Inspired by the idea of freedom, the poet wrote many poems on this topic:
- "Liberty";
- “To Chaadaev”;
- "Village";
- "N. Ya. Pluskova” and others.
For freethinking, the poet was exiled more than once - either to Chisinau or to Mikhailovskoye. Pushkin experienced his greatest inspiration in Boldino (his father's estate).
It was there that he wrote his unforgettable masterpieces:
- "Belkin's Tales";
- "Little tragedies";
- "Eugene Onegin";
- "House in Kolomna";
- “The Tale of the Priest and His Worker Balda”;
- "History of the village of Goryukhin."
The poet's predilection for the female sex is known; he enjoyed success with the ladies. Many poems were dedicated to beauties, including those famous in society (for example, A.P. Kern). But he chose one life partner - N.N. Goncharova, with whom he fell in love at first sight. They got married in 1831, and during the six years of marriage, the wife managed to give birth to four children.
In 1837, it became known that a certain cavalry guard Dantes was courting Pushkin’s wife, and that she was flirting with him. Whether there was a sinful connection between them is unknown, but the poet had to challenge his opponent to a duel. They met on the Black River on January 27, Pushkin was fatally wounded in the stomach. Bleeding, he was taken home, where he managed to receive the Sacraments of Confession and Communion.
The body of the great poet rests in the Svyatogorsk Monastery near Pskov.
Creative path
Pushkin is the unsurpassed star of Russian literature. He was equally brilliant in both poetry and prose. A light, childlike style, combined with a rich vocabulary, wisdom and erudition, characterized Pushkin’s work. Moreover, his talent was appreciated during his lifetime, which rarely happens. The poet was called a “genius” more than once in print, even when he was alive.
At the beginning, Alexander imitated the work of his predecessors: Derzhavin, Davydov. But then he developed his own, unsurpassed style. Pushkin was great at writing on absolutely all topics, be it: patriotism, freedom, lyrics, nature, etc. His poems are easy to remember, and his prose is so easy to read, as they say, “in one breath.”
The most popular are the poems of Alexander Sergeevich:
- “I remember a wonderful moment...”;
- “Confession” (“I love you...”);
- To Chaadaev;
- "Prisoner";
- "To sea";
- "I loved you…";
- "Autumn";
- “Keep me safe, my talisman”, etc.
Pushkin wrote many talented poems.
Among them the most famous are:
- "Eugene Onegin";
- "Gypsies";
- "Prisoner of the Caucasus";
- "Ruslan and Ludmila";
- "Poltava";
- "The Bronze Horseman" and others.
Pushkin's prose is no less brilliant.
The most beloved books among the people are:
- "Dubrovsky";
- "Captain's daughter";
- "Belkin's Tales";
- "Queen of Spades" and others.
Alexander Sergeevich loved children; he dedicated a significant part of his work to them.
We have all been familiar with his fairy tales since childhood:
- "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish";
- "The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights";
- “The Tale of the Priest and His Worker Balda”;
- "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel."
Ideas for fairy tales were given to the poet by his nanny, Arina Rodionovna. It was from her stories that Pushkin drew Russian folklore, folk style, mysterious and colorful plots. He dedicated many poems to his beloved nanny (for example, “A friend of my harsh days...”).
Most of the works of the great poet are in the school curriculum. His children learn his poems by heart; the light, brilliant lines remain in their memory for a lifetime. The poet left a huge legacy to his descendants, but he did not have time to finish much. Some of his works were released after his death, many remained unfinished.
Attitude to the Bible and religion
Pushkin realized that the poetic gift was sent to him from Above, and appreciated it. Of course, he was not always an exemplary Christian, but in adulthood he increasingly thought about God and eternal life.
Pushkin's poems testify to this:
- "At Fun Hours";
- "Prophet";
- “Desert fathers and blameless wives”;
- “I’m running in vain”;
- "The Wanderer" and others.
The poem “The Prophet” especially reveals his worldview and attitude towards his gift. An unbeliever could not write such a work. This also suggests that the poet knew the Bible perfectly, because its plot was taken from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel.
Being in adulthood, Pushkin wrote that he repented of his former sinful life and was glad to start living again in order to fix everything. He corresponded with Metropolitan Filaret Drozdov, sometimes in poetic form. There is a well-known verse by Pushkin addressed to the Metropolitan: “A vain gift, an accidental gift,” to which Vladyka also responded in poetic form: “It is not in vain, it is not by chance that life was given to me from God.”
This answer struck the poet so much that he reconsidered his worldview and wrote the poem “Stanzas” (“In hours of fun”) in response. The original ending sounded like this:
“And he listens to Philaret’s harp
The poet is in holy horror."
But the censor forced him to change these words, and the ending that we know turned out: “he listens to the harp of Seraphim.”
On his deathbed, the priest performed the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion over Pushkin. After his death, a funeral service was held in the Cathedral, and the Metropolitan called the poet “the beloved child of God.”
Poem prayer analysis for it
“They talk about him, an atheist, and I’ll show you... the poems that he brought me yesterday,” this is what his grandmother, E. A. Arsenyeva, said about Lermontov’s poem “Prayer.”
Of course, these words sounded with pride, because her grandson was indeed often accused of godlessness and a frivolous attitude towards life. But outwardly frivolous, Lermontov was still inclined to think about the meaning of life and spiritual search.
An analysis of Lermontov’s poem “Prayer” will help you verify this.
“Prayer” was created by Lermontov in 1839, already in the last period of his work. The reason for writing was a conversation with M. A. Shcherbatova, whom the poet was courting at that time.
According to the recollections of contemporaries, she advised him to pray when there was sadness in his heart, saying that nothing helps as much as sincere prayer to God. Lermontov obviously followed her advice.
It is difficult to say whether it was easy for a person who publicly declared his skepticism and unbelief, the creator of the beautiful “Demon,” to turn to God from a pure heart. However, “Prayer” is soon born, which can be called an example of the most beautiful Christian lyrics.
The poem immediately gained enormous popularity, and is still considered one of the most famous in Lermontov’s poetic heritage. And in 1855, his words were set to music by composer M. Glinka, and thus a romance arose.
The description of the verse “Prayer” may look like this: it depicts the clash of the lyrical hero with a harsh and difficult world. He is going through a difficult period in his life and is in confusion. The poem belongs to philosophical lyrics, and from the very first lines it sets a range of problems:
Is there sadness in my heart...
The verb “crowded,” used here by the poet, conveys a feeling of hopelessness, a narrow space from which it is not so easy to get out. And immediately, in the next two lines, the author offers his solution:
As we see, this decision becomes turning to God, seeking his consolation and protection. It is not mentioned which prayer was chosen by the lyrical hero, and this is not so important - thanks to the understatement, everyone can present their favorite lines here. More important is the inexplicable charm of this prayer, and Lermontov describes it in the next quatrain.
The repetition of familiar words calms and gives “blessed strength,” which is what is said in the last four lines:
“Like a burden will roll off my soul,
Thus, we are presented with a picture of spiritual quest and peace found in prayer. The soul is cleansed by tears of repentance and a sincere impulse.
faith, this is where, according to the poet, salvation from doubts and troubles lies. Lermontov does not repent, does not list his sins and does not ask for intercession. No, he finds peace when repeating the simplest prayer, and shares this deep prayerful feeling with the reader.
We can say that in the poem “Prayer” Lermontov reaches his creative heights and reveals himself as a mature writer.
Here we can see a turn towards spirituality and traditional values, and at the same time a departure from the already familiar ideas of loneliness, misunderstanding and demonism.
In the future, the poet more than once turns to the topic of religion and folk origins, which allows us to talk about this poem precisely as a key moment in his work, and not as a one-time phenomenon.
In Lermontov's poem “Prayer,” analysis of artistic means is no less important for understanding his idea than consideration of the text itself. What techniques does the author use?
First of all, we note that despite the small volume of the poem, it contains a large number of tropes. These are epithets: “a difficult minute of life”, “wonderful prayer”, “incomprehensible, holy charm”, “gracious power”, and metaphors: “an incomprehensible, holy charm breathes in them” and comparisons “like a burden will roll off the soul.”
They all serve one purpose: to convey the sublime, elevated mood in which the lyrical hero is, to express the depth of his experiences and to set the reader himself in an elevated mood.
Let us pay attention to the fact that many words belong to a high layer of vocabulary, which indicates the religious and philosophical orientation of the work. Lermontov also uses specific poetic phonetics, using assonance.
The vowel “u” is repeated in the poem: “In a difficult moment of life,” “One wonderful prayer,” which creates a special, slow sound, reminiscent of leisurely, drawn-out reading in churches. It also conveys the melody of the speech of the prayer itself, as if pouring out anew from the hero’s lips.
In subsequent quatrains, the emphasis shifts to other vowels, “a” and “e,” which symbolizes a certain ascent, an upward direction. For this purpose, various stylistic figures are used, such as repetitions: “so easy, easy”, syntactic parallelism: “And you believe and cry, / And so easily...”.
The poem is written in iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter, the rhyme pattern is cross, precise, alternately masculine and feminine.
So, the analysis of the poem “Prayer” shows its artistic originality and emphasizes the universality of the lyrical hero for all readers: it is not without reason that the romance based on the words of Lermontov enjoyed equal success both in high society salons and among the common people. The importance of this work for Lermontov’s work as a whole is undeniable. For many years it remains the pinnacle of Russian Orthodox lyricism, and only in the 20th century. A. Blok and S. Yesenin manage to achieve the same heights in depicting religious feelings.
- Questions and answers to the topic “Lyrics of M. Yu. Lermontov” What are the main motives of Lermontov’s lyrics? What is its originality and difference from Pushkin’s poetry? Pushkin is comprehensive. It seems not in life.
If you read “Prayer” without announcing the author, it is difficult to even immediately believe that it is Lermontov. The poem does not contain complex structures, metaphors, or even simply long words. A clear, easy-to-follow piece of writing iambic trimeter, leaves the impression of a sincere, friendly story.The work is easy to learn by heart: in addition to a clear rhythm and coordinated cross rhymes , “Prayer” has a very harmonious composition.
If we analyze the poem by stanzas, then at the beginning of the first one a depressing mood is clearly felt. “In a difficult moment”, “sadness is pressing in”, “I repeat it by heart” - the abundance of combinations of consonants, especially with the letter “r”, creates the impression of difficulty and heaviness. It is also aggravated by the repetition of the sound “u”, causing associations with despondency.
The second stanza is transitional, it describes the revelation of the word, the power of prayer. The power is “blessed,” incomprehensible to the lyrical hero, but clearly felt by him.
“The consonance of living words”, “holy beauty” - these metaphors expressively convey the life-giving feeling that anyone who sincerely reads a prayer experiences.
The key word of this stanza is “gracious,” giving good, and it completely changes the mood of the work.
With the overshadowing grace of the soul, the burden “rolls off”, doubts go away - and lightness comes in its place. It is felt even in the sound of the stanza: the stressed sounds “a”, “o”, “e” reveal each syllable. The repetition of the word “easy”, which ends the poem, leaves the impression of flight and incompleteness, as if the soul of the lyrical hero simply dissolved in a gracious impulse of prayer.
In the entire poem there is only one verb in the first person: “I affirm.” This is the only action that the lyrical hero performs, and everything else is a consequence of this action, occurring by itself. This is thanks to the repetition of the prayer “doubt will roll away,” and it will become easy, and faith will appear, and tears will flow.
The entire work is a description of a single impulse of the soul and its changing state. Such words could have been uttered either by a deeply religious person, or by someone who denied faith and experienced a revelation. The poem was created in 1839, shortly before the death of Lermontov.
It is difficult to say whether he experienced doubts and whether he sought support in faith, but it is certain that philosophical reasoning was characteristic of him, especially in the last years of his life.
The poem “Prayer” could not even have been inspired by the poet’s own experiences, but he put them into such sincere, inspiring words that make the reader feel involved in this impulse of the soul.
M. Yu. Lermontov “Prayer”: analysis of the poem
Read: Poem by M. Yu. Lermontov “Prayer”
“Prayer” stands apart in Lermontov’s work.
The poet, prone to an eternal search, including in the religious sphere, the creator of the very controversial (at least from the point of view of Orthodox morality and ethics) “Demon”, suddenly turns to faith.
“Prayer” became the answer to all the rumors about Lermontov’s frivolity, and the answer was not caustic and witty, not ridiculing, but pure, sincere, personifying the recognition that turning to God lightens the soul.
The work belongs to the late period of creativity - and this makes it stand out even more strongly among other poems, in which despair and disappointment sound with all the power of poetic talent. In 1839, Lermontov courted Princess Shcherbatova, who pushed him to rethink the religious theme.
The princess, in a conversation with the poet, advised him to turn to God and pray when his heart is oppressed by melancholy and sadness, saying that sincere prayer helps. And the eternal rebel obeyed, creating an amazingly beautiful example of Christian lyrics. In 1865, Glinka wrote music for “Prayer”, making it a romance.
theme of the poem
The central idea of the work is that faith helps to endure all the hardships and adversities; in prayer the soul is purified and life becomes easier. The lyrical hero, who is considered to be the author himself, faces difficulties, goes through a difficult period and feels confused.
From the very first lines, Lermontov immerses the reader in the state of his hero, using the very expressive expression “It’s crowded. "
This creates a feeling of hopelessness and a truly difficult situation, the atmosphere becomes oppressive - but in the very next lines the poet offers a way to alleviate his lot.
This method is to recite the “wonderful prayer” by heart, turn to God, seeking protection and consolation, calming thoughts.
It is symbolic that Lermontov did not mention what kind of prayer he was repeating; this is not so important here: the poet emphasizes that the words can be anything, the main thing is that they come from the heart.
Calling the prayer “wonderful,” the poet does not stop; he further writes that the words breathe an incomprehensible, holy charm - perhaps these lines reflect Lermontov’s surprise that simple (and most prayers are very simple) words have such a beneficial effect.
The poem fully reveals the motive of spiritual - and emotional - quest and subsequent calm. Repentant tears and the light of true faith are the salvation of the soul, deliverance from all worries and troubles.
It is worth noting that Lermontov does not list his sins and does not ask for forgiveness. Probably, the stage of reconciliation with himself and awareness has already been passed for the poet; now he only needs forgiveness and peace, which he finds.
Structural analysis of the poem
The work uses both “female” and “male” rhymes, and iambic tetrameter replaces trimeter.
In general, for such a small volume—only 3 quatrains—a surprising number of literary devices and tropes are used in “Prayer.”
Vivid epithets, subtle metaphors and comparisons convey the religious delight and tranquility of the hero, who has found his “safe haven” after saying a prayer.
Lermontov actively uses “high” vocabulary and does not shy away from some pathos, creating a sense of the philosophical orientation of the work.
In addition, “u” is repeated unusually often in the poem (13 times in the 1st quatrain alone). This vowel is pronounced for a long time, creating a phonetic similarity to the drawn-out church litanies.
The repetitions (in particular, “so easy, easy”) symbolize the feeling of uplift that arose in the hero after the prayer.
The work can confidently be considered one of the most mature in the work of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. Having rejected youthful rebellion and later disappointment in society, the poet turns to faith - the only truly reliable source of peace and spiritual strength.
Source: //xn—-7sbbh1acsciho3aw6kyb.xn--p1ai/stihotvorenie-molitva-analiz-k-nemu/
Desert fathers and blameless wives
This verse has been popular since ancient times to this day. The topic is still relevant today, it continues to touch hearts.
Original source of the work
From the text of this work one can guess that we are talking about the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian: “Lord and Master of my life.” It is read by a priest from the pulpit during Lent. At this time, the people, together with the clergy, make three prostrations to the ground (after each sentence-petition).
This is what the prayer sounds like.
“Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the Spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk. Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, Your servant. Hey, Lord, King! Grant me to see my sins, and not to condemn my brother, for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. Amen."
Ephraim the Syrian lived in the fourth century AD in Mesopotamia, which then belonged to the Roman Empire. He was born into a family of pious Christians. Known as a teacher of the Church and theologian. Ephraim the Syrian left to his descendants eight volumes of his works, which consist of sermons, teachings, as well as church poems and hymns. He was known for his ascetic lifestyle and spiritual exploits.
There is a known incident from the life of a saint when he was innocently imprisoned. There were several other innocent people there. Ephraim saw a vision in which a stranger came to him and reminded him of an offense for which he was not punished. Waking up, the saint found out that all the prisoners had bad deeds for which they escaped punishment. Thus justice was done. Soon they were released, and Ephraim went to the desert, where he performed ascetic deeds.
He was repeatedly offered to become a bishop, but out of humility he refused. There is also a known case when a saint was slandered for carnal sin. He did not make excuses, and out of obedience began to feed the boy, who was considered his son. But one day, having taken a child who, according to false rumors, had been given birth to by a certain woman, he carried him to the pulpit and demanded to know the name of the real father. The baby cried out the other person's name three times and then died.
Ephraim the Syrian canonized and is revered in the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.
History of writing
The poem “Desert Fathers and Immaculate Wives” was written by the author in the summer of 1836, six months before his death. At that time, the poet thought a lot about the purpose of life, death, and the afterlife. This has been reflected in the work of recent years. Pushkin wanted to create a cycle of poems on a spiritual theme. He managed to write six works, among which was the poem “The Desert Fathers.” In the draft it is called "Prayer".
The cycle was called “Kamennoostrovsky” because Pushkin created it while living on Kamennoy Island, near St. Petersburg. This verse is located in cycle number II.
Of all the verses included in the cycle, only four are numbered:
- “Imitation of the Italian” (III) - about the betrayal of Judas;
- “Secular Power” (IV) - about the crucifixion;
- “From Pindemonti” (VI) is about the true freedom of a creative person.
The poet loved to attend divine services in the last years of his life. Most likely, the death of his beloved mother pushed him to this. Perhaps he had a presentiment of his own imminent death.
Pushkin especially liked Lenten services. The severity and beauty of the prayers on the Presanctified Church sank into his soul. And he decided to transform one of the most basic prayers of Lent into poetic form.
Publication of text
Not a single poem from this spiritual cycle was published during the poet’s lifetime. This verse first appeared in print in the Sovremennik magazine (which was published by the poet himself) in 1837 after Pushkin’s death. Along with it, a drawing by the poet’s hand was printed, depicting an old schema-monk in prison. They say that his prototype was Saint Ephraim the Syrian, who was innocently in prison. Sovereign Nicholas the First himself wished that this particular verse by Pushkin be published in the first issue of this magazine.
The work was immediately highly appreciated. Subsequent publication took place in a posthumous volume of the poet's works.
Literary features of the work
This poem has a deep Christian meaning. Like prayer, it contains all the necessary petitions for the benefit of the soul.
Idea and content
The main idea of this work is repentance, correction of life and through this approach to God. There are opinions that Pushkin identified himself with Ephraim the Syrian, who in his youth had the sin of idle talk, but later repented of it. The poet also asks God to deliver him from this sin in the poem. It echoes another of his works - “The Prophet”.
Just as in that poem, Pushkin emphasizes that the word should serve a person for salvation, and not for sin. It is the gift of speech that was given to the poet for the benefit of other people: “With the verb, burn the hearts of people.” In addition, the author asks God to deliver him from idleness (wasting time), covetousness (the desire for power), and judging other people. And just as in prayer, we ask God for the gift of humility, patience, love, and chastity.
The verse contains the poet's personal attitude to the main prayer of Lent. He admits that no other prayer inspires him as much as this one. In fact, even the saints noticed that it was the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian contains all the necessary petitions for the soul of a person who wants to be saved. Despite its brevity, it is filled with deep content. Undoubtedly, it was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Religious motives
Since this verse is written based on Orthodox prayer, many people far from the Church will not understand some words and expressions. For example, what are the “desert fathers”. This refers to hermit monks praying alone for the whole world. “Wives are blameless” - most likely, they mean holy, venerable nuns.
“Immaculate” - free from sin, vice. “Regions in absentia” - Heavenly Abodes inaccessible to earthly eyes. This is where believers want to go; for this purpose they repent and read prayers. “Down Storms” are earthly temptations. “Fallen” - sinful, sad. “Behold” - see.
Structure and composition of the poem
The verse is divided into two parts, the first is the introduction to the translation of the prayer, the author’s attitude towards it. According to contemporaries, in the last years of his life Pushkin knew many prayers by heart and often read them. Therefore, he had a choice, but it was precisely this prayerful sighing that turned out to be dearer to the poet than anything else.
The author says that there are many prayers created by holy people through the invasion of the Holy Spirit. However, it is this prayer that touches him, strengthens his spirit, and revives the despondent. The poet explains what kind of prayer this is; it is read by a priest during Lent.
The second part contains a description (poetic transcription) of the prayer itself. The author focuses on the sin of covetousness, because he has said many times that power has a destructive effect on many people. He calls this desire to rule the “hidden serpent.”
Next, the poet describes the third request of the prayer, placing it before the second: let me see my sins and not judge my neighbor. And then follows a description of the second petition: the author, together with the saint, asks God for patience, humility, chastity and love.
Genre and literary direction
This work belongs to the genre of spiritual lyrics. Pushkin's later works were written in the literary direction - realism, this verse can also be attributed to this direction. Because it shows the author’s precision in detail and the development of the protagonist’s spiritual state. He sees his sins and repents of them, strives for correction.
Meter and rhyme
The verse size is iambic hexameter. Unlike Pushkin’s usual tetrameter, it is more melodious and better conveys the hero’s feelings. There is a pair rhyme.
Stylistic specificity
The purpose of the work is to depict the repentant mood of the hero; for this, the author uses a minimum number of tropes. He uses Church Slavonic expressions to create a special ancient, strict a, “to fly into the region in absentia”, “long storms”, etc.). These phrases are not used in everyday life, they are incomprehensible, mysterious, sublime.
There are expressive epithets:
- sad days (of fasting);
- unknown force;
- dull idleness.
There are comparisons and metaphors in this poem - the author calls lust a “hidden snake.”
This work amazes with its depth, strength of spirit, and beauty of style, once again proving the height of the poet’s talent.
Literary direction, genre
The genre of the “Desert Fathers” is spiritual lyrics. It is difficult to attribute the poem to any literary movement. Mature Pushkin is a realist, but the features of realism are not always manifested in the lyrics, which depict the inner world of the hero, which is characteristic of romanticism. And yet certain features of realism can be detected in the poem. Firstly, it is precision in detail. The prayer of the lyrical hero conveys church prayer almost verbatim. Secondly, the poem contains a hint of the evolution of the lyrical hero. Of all the prayers he has heard, he chooses one, repeating it more often than others, and then he realizes that he is “fallen”, repents of his own sins, combining the words of his heart with the words of a hermit who lived centuries ago in a single impulse.
