The surroundings of Moscow are described. Not far from the monastery wall there is a hut in which Lisa and her mother lived thirty years ago. Her father was “a fairly prosperous villager, because he loved work, plowed the land well and always led sober life" But he died. His widow and daughter could not cultivate the land themselves and were forced to rent it out for little money. Lisa, “not sparing her tender youth, worked day and night - weaving canvases, knitting stockings, picking flowers in the spring, and in the summer she took berries and sold them in Moscow.”
« Poor Lisa" Painting by artist O. Kiprensky. 1827
Two years have passed since my father's death. Lisa came to sell lilies of the valley in Moscow. On the street she met a young, pleasant-looking man. It was Erast - “a fairly rich nobleman, with a fair amount of intelligence and a kind heart, but weak and flighty. He led an absent-minded life, thought only about his own pleasure, looked for it in secular amusements, but often did not find it: he was bored and complained about his fate.” Erast offered the girl a ruble for the flowers, but she only took five kopecks. Then the young man asked her not to sell flowers to anyone except him, and found out where she lived. Lisa told her mother about this meeting. The old woman approved of the fact that her daughter did not take extra money: “It is better to feed yourself by your own labors and not take anything for nothing. You don’t know yet, my friend, how evil people can offend a poor girl!”
The next day, Lisa picked up lilies of the valley again and went into town with them. Many people wanted to buy flowers from her, but the girl refused to sell them. She herself looked for Erast, but did not meet him. She threw the flowers into the Moscow River with the words: “So no one can own you!”
The next evening, Erast came to visit Lisa at her house. It seemed to him that in this girl he had found exactly what his heart had long been looking for and what his soul had long been striving for. They began to meet often. Lisa regretted that her lover was not born a simple peasant or shepherd. At first, Erast dreamed of always living happily with Lisa, like brother and sister. All the brilliant amusements of the great world seemed insignificant to him in comparison with the pleasures with which the passionate friendship of an innocent soul nourished his heart. With disgust he thought about the contemptuous voluptuousness with which his feelings had previously reveled. “I will live with Liza, like brother and sister,” he thought, “I will not use her love for evil and I will always be happy!” But gradually platonic love gave way to other feelings. One evening, Lisa told Erast that her mother wanted to marry her to the son of a rich peasant. “She threw herself into his arms, and at that very hour her integrity was destined to perish.” Their dates continued, but now everything has changed. “For Erast, Lisa was no longer that angel of purity that had previously inflamed his imagination and delighted his soul.” They didn't meet for five days. Then Erast appeared and said that his regiment, where he was serving, was going to war.
About two months passed. One day Lisa came to Moscow for rose water, which her mother used to treat her eyes. On one of big streets she met a magnificent carriage in which she saw Erast. Lisa rushed to Erast, but his carriage drove past and turned into the courtyard. Erast came out and was about to go to the porch of the huge house, when he suddenly felt himself in Lisa’s arms. Without answering her exclamations, he led her into his office and told her that he was getting married, so she needed to forget him. He put one hundred rubles in Liza’s pocket and ordered the servant to escort the girl out of the yard.
It turned out that Erast played cards during the war, spending almost all his fortune on it, and now he was forced to marry an elderly rich widow who had long been in love with him.
Shocked, Lisa walked without making out the way, and finally went out of the city, to the shore of the pond. On the road she met Anyuta, the daughter of a neighbor. Lisa gave her money for her mother and asked her to tell her that she had been deceived by a cruel man with whom she was in love. After these words, Lisa threw herself into the water. Anyuta rushed to call people for help, but it was too late. The girl was pulled out dead. Lisa's mother died of grief.
The author discusses how good the surroundings of Moscow are, but best of all is near the Gothic towers of the Sl...nova Monastery, from here you can see the whole of Moscow with an abundance of houses and churches, many groves and pastures on the other side, “further away, in the dense greenery of ancient elms, the golden-domed Danilov Monastery”, and even further, on the horizon, the Sparrow Hills rise.
Wandering among the ruins of the monastery, the author imagines its former inhabitants, but more often he is attracted by memories of the deplorable fate of Lisa: I love those objects that touch my heart and make me shed tears of tender sorrow!” Seventy yards from the monastery there is an empty, dilapidated hut. Thirty years before this, the beautiful, kind Liza lived in it with her old mother. The father loved work and was a wealthy peasant, but after his death his wife and daughter became poor. They rented land and lived on this little money. The mother, grieving for her father, cried (for even peasant women know how to love). She was weak and could not work. Liza alone, not sparing her youth and beauty, wove canvas, knitted stockings, sold forest flowers in the spring, and berries in the summer. Lisa was a very grateful and gentle daughter.
Once in Moscow, while selling lilies of the valley, Lisa met a handsome and kind young man who gave her a ruble instead of five kopecks, but Lisa refused and took what was due. The young man asked her where she lived. Lisa went home. She told her mother about what had happened, and she praised her daughter for not taking the money. The next day, Lisa brought the best lilies of the valley to the city, but did not sell them to anyone, but threw them away so that no one would get them if she did not find the old young man. The next evening the young man visited their poor home. Lisa treated him to milk, and his mother managed to tell him about her grief. The young man tells his mother that Lisa should only sell her work to him. This will save the girl from going to Moscow. For he will come from time to time and buy the products of her labor on the spot. The old lady agreed. The young man called himself Erast.
He was a rather rich nobleman, smart and kind. He led an absent-minded life and was often bored. Having met Lisa, he became seriously interested in the girl and decided to leave the “big world” for a while.
Lisa fell in love. She grieved that Erast was not a simple peasant. But soon he himself appeared, confessed his love to her and dispersed the girl’s melancholy. Lisa wants to tell her mother about her happiness, but the young man asks not to tell her anything, “because old people are suspicious.”
Young people see each other every day. Erast is delighted with “his shepherdess,” as he calls Lisa.
A rich peasant wooes Lisa, but she refuses. Lisa and Erast became close. Erast changed towards his beloved, she ceased to be a symbol of purity for him, these feelings were no longer new to him. He began to avoid Lisa. One day they didn’t see each other for five days, and on the sixth he came and said that he was going to war; he left Lisa's mother money so that the girl would not go to trade in his absence. When they part, young people cry bitterly. Two months have passed. Lisa went into town to buy rose water, which her mother uses to treat her eyes. In the city she saw Erast in a magnificent carriage. Lisa caught up with him at the gate of the house and hugged him. Erast says that he is engaged and must get married. He gives the girl a hundred rubles and asks her to leave him alone. Erast lost, in order to pay off his debts, he is forced to marry “an elderly rich widow.” Lisa gives the money to her friend Anyuta so that she can take it to her mother, and she throws herself into the waters of the pond. She was buried right there, under the oak tree. The mother, having learned about her daughter’s death, also died. The hut was empty. Erast was unhappy until the end of his life. He considered himself the girl's killer. Erast himself told the author this sad story and led him to Lisa’s grave. The author ends the story with the phrase: “Now, perhaps, they have already reconciled.”
Title of the work: Poor Lisa
Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin
Year of writing: 1792
Genre: story
Main characters: Lisa- peasant woman, Erast- young nobleman
But after some time, Erast told the girl that he was leaving for a long time, maybe forever. Lisa suffered, but believed that her lover would one day return and they would be together. But soon she found out about his terrible deception; the young man was going to marry rich girl because of her money.
Unable to bear such a blow, Lisa committed suicide.
“Poor Lisa” is a story about an honest and naive girl who fell in love with a nobleman who betrayed her love. The rich and self-confident Erast saw in young Lisa the ideal girl. He seduced Lisa and then married someone else. The girl, unable to bear this deception, drowned herself in the river.
The story teaches readers that love stories do not always have a happy ending. To lovers, their loved ones always seem better than they are, and this naivety can cause tragedy.
Karamzin's story "Poor Liza" begins with the author's story about his walks around the Moscow region. He describes beautiful nature, admiring the views. Walking once again, he comes to the ruins of a monastery. Wandering through the ruins, he imagines an old monk spending his whole life in prayer in front of icons, there are no emotions on his face. In the next cell, a young monk watches with great longing the birds that freely flutter from branch to branch. The monk himself will have to spend his entire life in the monastery.
About thirty years ago, a happy family lived in this house: father, mother and their daughter Lisa. The father was a hardworking man, and the family lived prosperously. But he dies suddenly, and the family’s life changes. At first, the mother hires workers, but they do not work well. The mother has to rent out the land. From such a life, the woman feels worse and worse, and gradually all worries fall on the shoulders of Lisa, who at that time was only fifteen years old.
Lisa worked very hard. She wove canvas and knitted stockings, and sold in Moscow what she could collect in the forest: berries in the summer, flowers in the spring. The mother was very sorry for Lisa; she constantly prayed to God, asking for mercy for her daughter. Lisa smiled and said that her time had come to work in response to her mother’s care for her.
Often Lisa ran into the forest and cried bitterly, remembering how happily she and her father lived together. To reassure her mother, the girl was always cheerful and cheerful in front of her. Her mother told her that she would be calm only when she married Lisa. So their life passed without change for two years, until the next spring Lisa went to the city to sell bouquets of lilies of the valley.
On the street, Lisa unexpectedly meets a young, expensively dressed man. He, smiling, asks if the girl sells flowers and how much they cost. Embarrassed, the girl replied that she was selling bouquets for 5 kopecks. To a young man I really liked Lisa, and he wants to pay much more. He offers Lisa a ruble, but the girl only takes 5 kopecks. She remembered how her mother taught her never to take too much. Then the stranger began to ask Lisa about who she was and where she lived.
In the morning, a happy and joyful girl picked new flowers and went to Moscow. She stood with the bouquets all day, but the stranger never appeared. Lisa was very upset. He appeared only on the second day, appearing under the girl’s window, frightening her and her mother.
The stranger greeted the woman and asked her to pour him some milk. Lisa happily rushed to pour milk for the guest, and her mother, meanwhile, told the guest about her life, about her daughter, about Lisa’s hard work, about what beautiful things she could spin and weave. The guest replied that he wanted to buy Lisa's works. And he will even come to their home to pick up the finished goods. Lisa will not need to go to Moscow often; she will be able to spend more time with her mother. Just saying goodbye, the mother asked what the name of their benefactor was, and he said his name - Erast. When the guest left, mother and daughter discussed him for a long time and rejoiced at his proposal. The mother said that it would be nice for Lisa to marry a gentleman as handsome and kind as their guest, to which Lisa doubtfully said that such rich noblemen do not marry poor girls.
After the guest left, the mother and daughter went to bed, but Lisa could not sleep. She fell asleep for a while, but immediately woke up, sighed, all the time thinking about Erast. Without waiting for the sun to rise. Lisa went to the river. She sat on the shore until the sun rose and a new day began. A young shepherd walked past Lisa along the shore with his flock. Lisa looked at him and thought that it would be good if Erast was not a nobleman, but a simple peasant. Then they could spend a lot of time together, talking and having fun.
Suddenly Lisa heard the sound of oars. She got scared and wanted to leave, but Erast blocked her way. Erast was a wealthy nobleman. He was kind in essence, but weak-willed and flighty. He led a wild lifestyle and was used to getting everything he wanted. Lisa impressed him, making him forget about social fun, and Erast waited for the right moment to be alone with the girl. Erast kissed Lisa, and she readily answered him. They sat on the shore, kissed and talked. Time flew by very quickly. Lisa remembered her mother and got ready to run home. Lisa wanted to tell her mother about what happened, but Erast was against it. They agreed to meet in the evenings, and joyful Lisa ran home.
Lisa and Erast often met in secret. They talked a lot, rejoiced and admired each other. At Lisa’s request, Erast came to visit them, and this made her mother very happy. One evening Lisa gave herself to Erast. Thunder struck and heavy rain began to fall, and this seemed to sober up Lisa. She ran home in fright.
After this evening, Erast changed his attitude towards the girl, as if he was tired of her. They met less and less, and in one of the meetings Erast said that he needed to go to war. Lisa was very worried, but Erast promised her to return. Having said goodbye to Lisa’s mother and leaving her money, Erast left.
After some time, Lisa saw Erast in Moscow. He rode past in a beautiful carriage. The girl was terribly happy and rushed to her beloved, but Erast was not very cold towards her. He took Lisa to the office, told her that everything was over between them, gave her a hundred rubles and escorted her out of the house. Left on the street, Lisa realized that Erast did not love her and would soon marry a rich noblewoman, but would not even remember her. Having given the money to her friend and asking her to give it to her mother, Lisa ran to the river and threw herself into the water. The neighbors who came running to help did not have time to pull the girl out, and her life was tragically cut short.
Poor Lisa, this is one of the best works.
The narrator tells about the surroundings of the Sinov Monastery, beautiful at any time of the year. He observes and imagines the monks living in their cells, historical events associated with the monastery.
Here she lived with her old mother in a now collapsed hut not far from the monastery. The house stood near a birch grove in a meadow about 30 years ago. Her father was wealthy, sober and hard-working. When he died, Lisa was 15 years old. After his death, the land was given for rent, the mother grew weaker, yearning for her beloved husband. Lisa wove linen, knitted stockings, picked flowers and berries and sold them in Moscow. Her mother dreamed of marrying off her daughter so she could die in peace.
One spring, seventeen-year-old Lisa went to sell lilies of the valley. The young man wanted to pay a whole ruble for them, but Lisa did not take the ruble, because the flowers cost 5 kopecks. The young man said that he would like her to pick flowers just for him. He asked Liza's address.
Lisa told everything to her mother, who praised the girl for not taking extra money.
The next day Lisa picked lilies of the valley. She waited until the evening, and then threw the flowers into the Moscow River, not wanting to sell them to others.
The next day in the evening Lisa was spinning by the window and singing. Suddenly she pulled back from the window, seeing that same young man. A young man who called himself Erast suggested that his mother buy Liza’s products directly from their home so that Liza would not go into the city. Mother was very happy, because she was always worried when Lisa left. She wishes her daughter the same groom. Lisa is confused.
Erast was a rich nobleman, smart and kind, but weak and flighty. He became disillusioned with secular amusements and sought the naturalness described in idylls. Seeing Lisa, he thought that he had found his ideal.
Lisa slept poorly that night and came to the river bank before dawn. Nature gradually came to life, the shepherd drove his flock. Lisa dreamed of what would happen if Erast was a peasant, a shepherd. Suddenly Erast sailed to her on a boat. He took her hand, kissed her and said that he loved her. Lisa also confessed her love. For two hours they sat on the grass, looking into each other's eyes. Erast promised to love Lisa always. He asked not to say anything to his mother so that she would not think anything bad. Lisa reluctantly agreed.
Lisa and Erast saw each other every evening when Lisa's mother went to bed. Their embrace was chaste. Erast decided to retire from secular amusements for a passionate friendship with the shepherdess (as he called Lisa). He would like to love her all his life like a brother. But did he know his heart?
Erast, at Lisa’s request, often visited her mother and loved to listen to the old woman’s stories about her tender relationship with her husband Ivan.
A few weeks later, Lisa showed up on a date looking sad. A rich groom from a neighboring village wooed her. Mother is upset by Lisa’s refusal. She doesn’t know about the love of her daughter and Erast. Erast promises, after his mother’s death, to take Liza with him and live with her in a village in the forest, because Liza’s peasant origins are not important to him, but her soul is important. Lisa rushed into his arms and lost her virginity.
A thunderstorm began, Lisa was afraid of God's punishment. Erast accompanied her home, promising to love her as before.
On subsequent dates, Erast no longer had enough manifestations of platonic love. He could desire nothing more and could not be proud of his feelings. Lisa lived only for Erast, and he was no longer ready to see her every evening.
One day Erast did not come for 5 days, and then announced that he was going to war with his regiment. He asks the girl not to cry and take care of herself.
The young man leaves money to Lisa’s mother so that Lisa does not sell her work to anyone else in his absence. The old woman wishes the good master a quick return and dreams of inviting him to her daughter’s wedding and making him godfather of her grandchildren.
Saying goodbye at dawn, Lisa and Erast cried. When Erast left, Lisa fainted. Only the thought of her mother prompted her to return home. The girl hid her melancholy from her mother.
Two months later, Lisa went to Moscow to get rose water for her mother. She saw Erast getting out of a magnificent carriage. Lisa rushed to him. Erast took her hand, led her to his office and said that circumstances had changed, he was engaged and asked Lisa to leave him alone. Erast said that he loved Lisa and gave her 100 rubles, asking the servant to escort her from the yard.
Erast was actually in the army, lost his fortune at cards, and upon his return planned to marry an elderly rich widow, who had long been in love with him, in order to improve his affairs. The author cannot justify Erast.
Lisa, finding herself on the street, thought that Erast loved someone else. In confusion, she fainted. When the girl approached the pond where she met Erast, she saw the neighbor’s fifteen-year-old daughter Anyuta. Lisa gave her 10 imperials and asked her to take them to her mother and apologize for Lisa to her, because she had hidden her love for to a cruel person who cheated on her. Then Lisa threw herself into the lake. Anyuta called people from the village who pulled Lisa out, but she was already dead.
