The theme of the Motherland was one of the main ones in Yesenin's work. Coming from the people, he was always worried about the fate of ordinary people and with all his heart wished the prosperity of his native village.
"You are my Shagane, Shagane …" - longing for the abandoned Motherland
This poem, written in 1924, is part of the romantic cycle Persian Motives. In fact, Yesenin had never been to Persia, and a trip to the Caucasus gave his imagination food. Shagane, to whom the poet devotes heartfelt lines, is his good friend, a teacher from Baku. Inspired by Yesenin, he wrote poetry on the third day after meeting the girl, which surprised her very much. Although the poem can be attributed to love lyrics, the leitmotif here are memories of the Motherland and nostalgia that pinches the soul. The lyrical hero expresses tender sympathy for the heroine, but he expresses his feelings to her through stories about his native land.
Shagane appeared in several works of Persian Motives.
"The evening is smoking, the cat is sleeping on the bar …" - pictures of rural Russia
This short poem, consisting of 5 couplets, paints a picture of a Russian village with bright and precise strokes. All the images described by the poet are depicted truthfully and vividly. Yesenin displays the characteristic features of his native village life - a modest landscape, connected ears of wheat, carved platbands of wooden houses. The evening is calm and quiet here, and people go to bed at sunset. Prayers and shrines are an integral part of rural life. In this poem, Yesenin idealizes the village life and with a bright feeling recalls life in his native village.
"Lenin" - the acceptance of the revolution
In this poem, Yesenin pays tribute to Lenin, calling him the people's leader and deliverer from imperial oppression. As in many poems of Soviet poets, here the image of Lenin is idealized. Describes his "powerful word", "simple and cute" appearance. Yesenin perceives Lenin as a deliverer of the peasantry from the yoke of the landowners, a reformer and liberator. However, the death of the leader brought confusion to the people, and hostilities began. The poet condemns those who kindled hatred and started the revolutionary struggle.
The poem "Lenin" is part of the poem "Walk-field".
"Soviet Russia" - a reflection of the era
Yesenin accepted the revolution, seeing in it the potential for the development of the village. However, the years passed, and the poet began to notice that the dreams of the revolutionaries were not reflected in reality. In the philosophical poem "Soviet Russia" Yesenin discusses the changes that have taken place and comes to the conclusion that his poetry is no longer needed. With a bitter feeling, he notices that the ancient, centuries-old culture of the village has now been destroyed. young people sing new songs and live with new values. But, in spite of everything, the poet refuses to submit to the new ideology and continues to glorify the old peasant Rus.
