N. V. Gogol, N. A. Nekrasov

N. A. Nekrasov (1821–1878) spent his childhood on the Volga and called it his “cradle”. The main hero of his works is the people: the poet shows the hard life and lack of rights of the peasants. In «Размышления у парадного подъезда» the picture is set before the grand entrance of a rich man’s house. On one side is the idle, well-fed, careless life of a high official («вельможа») in his luxurious mansion; on the other, peasant petitioners from distant provinces who are not allowed in and leave without being able to state their request. Antithesis is the main device of the poem. The poet openly sympathises with the peasants and marvels at the patience of the people. The textbook also gives an extract about autumn from Nekrasov’s poem «Железная дорога».