THE LYRICAL HERO EVOLUTION IN THE WORKS OF YESENIN AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL CHARACTER

Abstract

Works of Yesenin reveal the national mind of
the Russian people. The temporal spread of his work represents
the consecutive change in expression of his poetical
me forms: from humble monk, The Third Testament
prophet, romantic rebel, poet-bully, to 20th century Pushkin,
and it is in these traits that Yesenins lyrical hero fi nds his
national character.
The national distinctiveness of the Russian people is a
result of the ambivalence of its soul, which determines the
evolution of the lyrical hero, who traversed the path from being
a devoted orthodox by walking away from his beliefs, to
fi nally coming back to his original beliefs, but at a higher level
of its understanding and practice. The lyrical hero of Yesenin
incarnates the meditativeness and wisdom of the people, their
eschatological and messianic consciousness, their clerical
mentality, their thirst for further spiritual enlightment. Clemency,
tenderness, honesty, and spontaneity are his distinctive
character traits.