It would be a platitude to say that A. S. Pushkin is the greatest Russian poet. But I hope no-one is challenging the view that he occupies an outstanding place in Russian literature and culture.
Every summer in June, thousands of people visit the Pskov land. They come here to the village of Mikhailovskoye to the wonderful festival of poetry, to see the places where he lived and worked.
Pushkin is always alive for us, he is the man we all know and love, the greatest of poets. Generations come and go, but Pushkin still remains. We are all greatful to Pushkin for each line of his works. Pushkin is not only a great poet for us. He is the perfect man combining brilliant talent with civil courage and moral integrity. His name is associated with our love for the Motherland, and the best in our life.
Hundreds of new concepts, hundreds of new words have appeared in the language in the years that have passed since his death, but not a single word of his poetry has become obsolete. The old forms of life went into the past, but everything written by Pushkin continues to live. It has not become something of the past, it does not need any corrections and hardly needs commentary. His feelings and his views still correspond to our own feelings and views. We admire the great world of Pushkin’s poetry as a whole, each of us finding some special lines for himself, lines showing Pushkin’s great and generous heart, his sympathy and respect for his people. Whatever Pushkin’s work we see portrayal of Russian life, the Russian intellect, the Russian soul, the life of the Russian land in all epochs, the Russian people. The reader cannot imagine his inner world without him.
Questions:
1. What place does Pushkin occupy in Russian literature and culture?
2. What do thousands of people visit every summer?
3. What for do thousands of people come to the village of Mikhailovskoye?
4. Why is he always alive for us?
5.
What are we grateful to Pushkin for?
6. What is A. 8. Pushkin’s name associated with?
7. Has poetry by Pushkin become obsolete?
8. What has appeared in our language in the years that have passed since the poet’s death?
9. Does everything written by Pushkin need commentary?
10. What do the poet’s feelings and views correspond to?
11. What do we admire?
12. What do the lines of Pushkin’s poets show?
Vocabulary:
platitude – банальность
to challenge the view – оспаривать, подвергать сомнению точку зрения
to occupy an outstanding place in – занимать выдающееся место в
alive – живой
generation – поколение
to be grateful to – быть благодарным
to combine – объединять, соединять
brilliant – блестящий
civil courage – гражданское мужество
moral integrity – нравственная чистота
to be associated with smth. – связываться, ассоциироваться с чем-либо
concept – понятие
to become obsolete – стать устаревшим, устареть
to need sth. – требовать, нуждаться в чем-либо
it hardly needs commentary – вряд ли нуждается в комментариях
to correspond to smth – соответствовать чему-либо
to admire – восторгаться, восхищаться
generous – великодушный, щедрый
sympathy – сочувствие
respect for smb. – уважение к кому-либо
to measure – измерять
language – язык
whatever – какой бы ни
portrayal – изображение
intellect – ум
soul – душа
epoch – эпоха
to imagine – вообразить, представить
inner world – внутренний мир
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