A comparative analysis of the ballads of V.A. Zhukovsky, J.G. Byron and V.M. Hugo

Abstract

The object of this study is the ballads of V.A. Zhukovsky, J. Byron and V.M. Hugo. The purpose of the work: to conduct a comparative analysis of "Lyudmila" by V.A. Zhukovsky, "The Bride of Abydos" by J. Byron and "The Bride of the Timpani Player" by V.M. Hugo. The material basis of the study was the work of the following authors: R.S. Buurma, B.M. Gasparov, Z.N. Bakalova, A.S. Bakalova. The article examines the role of epigraphs in ballads; analyzes how fantastic images are reflected in the ballads of V.A. Zhukovsky, J. Byron and V.M. Hugo; the difference between the poetic dimensions of works is noted; analyzes how historical, geographical and temporal markers are represented in ballads. The ballads of Byron and Hugo also differ in their relation to romantic ideals. Byron placed the loneliness and torment of the hero at the center of his ballads, and also reflected in them his negative attitude towards society and power. Hugo, on the contrary, preached the ideals of struggle and freedom, heroic overcoming of difficulties. The article examines aspects of the study of the ballad genre in Russian and Western European romanticism. The Russian ballad is largely influenced by folklore ballads, both national and Western European, and represents a heterogeneous genre formation. The ballads of Byron and Hugo also differ in their relation to romantic ideals. Byron put the loneliness and torment of the hero at the center of his ballads, and also reflected in them his negative attitude towards society and power. Hugo, on the contrary, preached the ideals of struggle and freedom, heroic overcoming of difficulties and catastrophes, which resonated in the hearts of many of his contemporaries. A comparative examination of the poems "The Bride of Abydos" by George Gordon Byron and "Lyudmila" by Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky allows us to look at both works through the prism of romantic literature, to identify their distinctive features and the general context of the era in which they were created. The main difference between the two poems lies in the cultural contexts in which the plots develop. Based on the above, we conclude that the ballads of V.M. Hugo, J. Byron and V.A. Zhukovsky demonstrate the presence of both similarities and differences.