The seahorse is an incredible creature. Description and photo of a seahorse

  • 16.11.2020

O zealous horse, O sea horse,
With a pale green mane,
That is meek, affectionately tame,
It's insanely playful!
You were fed by a violent whirlwind
In God's wide field;
He taught you to spin
Play, jump at will!

I love you when headlong
In your haughty strength,
Having disheveled a thick mane,
And all in steam and soap,
Directing a stormy run to the shores,
With a cheerful neigh you rush,
Throw your hooves into the sonorous shore
And - you will scatter in the spray! ..

Analysis of the poem "Sea Horse" by Tyutchev

Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is a master of philosophical lyrics, but some of his works have firmly entered the circle of children's reading. The lyrical sketch “Sea Horse” also belongs to this category.

The poem was written in 1830. Its author is 27 years old, lives in Munich, is married, and serves in a diplomatic mission. The poet is fond of philosophy, is reputed to be an unsurpassed interlocutor, visited Paris several times. By genre - elegy, by size - multi-foot iambic with cross rhyme, 2 stanzas. The lyrical hero is the author himself, admiring the seascape. Exclamations and interjections, enthusiastic intonation increase the expression and dynamism of the poem. The poet captivates the reader with the swift running of the "zealous horse". The gradation in the first stanza: sometimes meek, affectionately tame, sometimes furiously playful. Many author's epithets from complex words: pale green. Personifications: taught to spin, fed by a whirlwind, cheerful neighing. Repetitions: oh horse, then, breg, breg. Both eight lines are expressed by only three complex sentences with pairs of homogeneous members. This syntax is typical for F. Tyutchev. Pantheism and European romanticism are present in this work, but the Russian, almost folklore note is felt especially strongly in it. The very structure of the poem, the disclosure of the theme turned out to be so clear and eloquent that it quickly entered the golden fund of children's literature.

“And - you will scatter into spray! ..” - the final line seems to douse the reader with water. Interestingly, the poet does not use the words "water, wave". The poem is extremely metaphorical, the image of a horse is authentic. “I love you”: the author addresses this confession to the water element. It is felt that at this moment the lyrical hero experiences a surge of vitality, is healthy, cheerful, believes in his luck. The "stormy run" of the sea does not arouse longing in it, a thirst for a change of place. He deliberately stands closer to the raging waves, welcoming the unprecedented "sea horse" in "steam and soap." Description of the oncoming waves in detail: headlong, in arrogant strength, disheveled mane, steamed and soapy. The poet innovatively compares the sea with a field: God's wide field. "Ride at will": it does not mean "at liberty", but "of one's own free will, whim."

F. Tyutchev spent almost half of 1830 on vacation in Russia. It was during this period that he created the work "Sea Horse". It was first published only in 1879 in the Russian Archive magazine.

O zealous Horse, O Sea Horse,
With a pale green mane,
That is meek, affectionately tame,
It's insanely playful!
You were fed by a violent whirlwind
In God's wide field -
He taught you to spin
Play, jump at will!

I love you when headlong
In your haughty strength,
Having disheveled a thick mane
And all in steam and soap,
Directing a stormy run to the shores,
With a cheerful neigh you rush,
Throw your hooves into the sonorous shore
And - in the spray you will scatter! ..

Analysis of Tyutchev's poem "Sea Horse"

The hero of Tyutchev is fascinated by the power, beauty and variability of the sea element. According to the confession that appears in the final "", the sight of thundering sparkling waves and high stars is so beautiful and solemn that the soul is ready to dissolve in the harmony of the majestic panorama. The "free space" of the water surface is like a living being, endowed with the ability to breathe, move, and even change its mood.

The analyzed work, also devoted to the marine theme, appeared in 1830. The dates of creation and first publication are separated from each other by almost half a century.

The basis of the figurative system of the "Horse" was a detailed metaphor - an artistic device typical of Tyutchev's poetics. In the stormy waves, the lyrical hero sees the graceful silhouette of a frisky horse. The name reflects the original fantastic image of an animal full of strength, as if created from pale green sea water, abundant foam and multi-colored splashes.

In the first stanza, the author characterizes the changeable disposition of his character, using complex epithets. The four-legged handsome man is either affectionate and obedient, or playful and rebellious. Its brief prehistory is given, painted with a romantic color and dictated by fairy tale motifs. The horse was brought up by a mighty whirlwind, passing on its qualities: love of freedom, energy, confident, “haughty strength”. The conditional allegorical name of the area that became the birthplace of the horse is indicative - the boundless "God's field".

Admiring the natural beauty of the animal hero, in the second stanza the lyrical narrator focuses on the episode when the frisky character rushes to the shore. The swiftness of the movement is emphasized by various details: a disheveled thick mane, “steam and soap”. A fast run is accompanied by a sound image - a cheerful, sonorous neighing. The moment of the disappearance of a fantastic mammal is fixed: it occurs when the surf breaks on the shore. The fragment is devoid of a tragic beginning, since the seemingly strange behavior of an imaginary creature does not obey the logic of real life, and the horse will rise again from the depths of the sea to be transformed into a cloud of small splashes. The end predetermined for a powerful character serves as a symbolic expression of the chaotic beginning, one of the manifestations of which is the indomitable element of water.

Comment:
Autograph - RGALI. F. 505. Op. 1. Unit ridge 15. L. 6. List sent by I.S. Gagarin - RGALI. F. 505. Op. 1. Unit ridge 52.

First publication - RA. 1879. Issue. 5. S. 136–137; NNS. S. 45. Then - Ed. 1900. S. 407.

Printed in a list.

Pencil autograph - on one sheet of the translation "From Hernani" (From "Ernani" - fr.); on paper of the same type and in the same handwriting and in the same pencil are written “From Goethe. Singer", "Treasured Cup". In the autograph there is a variant of the 2nd line: “With a gray wavy mane”, and the 10th and 11th lines: “In your arrogant strength, / Having disheveled the gray mane.” The poet gave preference to the picturesque image (“With a pale green mane”) and removed the mention of “gray hair”, which did not correspond to the playing “sea horse”, rather forever young.

In Ed. 1900 is included in the number of translations without sufficient grounds, although G. I. Chulkov admitted the possibility of the existence of a primary source.

In subsequent editions, it was printed according to the same list, but in the 12th line - with a preposition ("and in soap"). In publications - NNS, Ed. Marx, Chulkov I, Lyric I adopted the variant without a pretext.

It is dated 1830 on the grounds that the autograph is on the same sheet with the translation of a fragment from Hugo's drama "Ernani", which appeared in March 1830. There is an opinion that the verse. written between July 12 and August 12 (N.S.) 1829

This poem attracted the special attention of V. S. Solovyov, studying the essence of beauty in the inorganic world, the philosopher connects its phenomenon with light as “the first beginning of beauty in nature”, and then with movement as an expression of a seemingly free life in inorganic nature. Developing the idea, Solovyov noted: “This beauty of visible life in the inorganic world is distinguished primarily by flowing water in its various forms: a stream, a mountain stream, a waterfall. The aesthetic meaning of this living movement is enhanced by its infinity, which, as it were, expresses the insatiable longing of private being, separated from absolute unity. Solovyov repeatedly refers to this poem by Tyutchev: “To the same poet, a wave in its appearance and living movement appears to be a galloping sea horse.” The philosopher, apparently, saw the beauty of this image in the "anticipation" of life in the inorganic world, in a kind of "game" - "the free movement of private forces and positions, united in an individual whole."

The type of beauty seen by Solovyov occurs and varies in many of Tyutchev's poems. The image of running water is one of the poet's favorites; before the poem "Sea Horse" he entered the "Spring Storm". In further works, the spiritualization of the image of running water intensifies: “Spring waters”, “What are you bending over the waters ...”, “The stream thickened and grows dim”, “Fountain”, “Long, long ago, oh blessed South ...” , "Sea and cliff", "Across the plain of azure waters ..." and many others.

The seahorse is a small-sized fish that is a member of the Needle family from the order Sticklebacks. Studies have shown that the seahorse is a highly modified needlefish. Today, the seahorse is a fairly rare creature. In this article you will find a description and photo of a seahorse, learn a lot of new and interesting things about this extraordinary creature.

The seahorse looks very unusual and the shape of the body resembles a chess piece of a horse. The seahorse fish has many long bony spines and various leathery outgrowths on its body. Thanks to this body structure, the seahorse looks invisible among the algae and remains inaccessible to predators. The seahorse looks amazing, it has small fins, its eyes rotate independently of each other, and its tail is twisted into a spiral. The seahorse looks diverse, because it can change the color of its scales.


The seahorse looks small, its size depends on the species and varies from 4 to 25 cm. In the water, the seahorse swims vertically, unlike other fish. This is due to the fact that the swim bladder of a seahorse consists of an abdominal and a head part. The head bladder is larger than the abdominal one, which allows the seahorse to maintain an upright position when swimming.


Now the seahorse is becoming less and less common and is on the verge of extinction due to the rapid decline in numbers. There are many reasons for the extinction of the seahorse. The main one is the destruction by man of both the fish itself and its habitats. Off the coast of Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, skates are massively caught. The exotic appearance and bizarre body shape caused people to start making gift souvenirs from them. For beauty, they artificially bend their tail and give the body the shape of the letter "S", but in nature the skates do not look like that.


Another reason that contributes to the decline in the population of seahorses is that they are a delicacy. Gourmets highly appreciate the taste of these fish, especially the eyes and liver of seahorses. In a restaurant, the cost of one serving of such a dish is $ 800.


In total, there are about 50 species of seahorses, 30 of which are already listed in the Red Book. Fortunately, seahorses are very prolific and can produce over a thousand fry at one time, which keeps the seahorses from disappearing. Seahorses are bred in captivity, but this fish is very whimsical to keep. One of the most extravagant seahorses is the rag-picker seahorse, which you can see in the photo below.


The seahorse lives in tropical and subtropical seas. Seahorse fish lives mainly at shallow depths or near the coast and leads a sedentary lifestyle. The seahorse lives in dense thickets of algae and other marine vegetation. It attaches with its flexible tail to plant stems or corals, remaining almost invisible due to its body covered with various outgrowths and spikes.


The seahorse fish changes body color to blend in completely with its surroundings. Thus, the seahorse successfully disguises itself not only from predators, but also during food production. The seahorse is very bony, so few people want to eat it. The main hunter of the seahorse is the large land crab. The seahorse can travel long distances. To do this, he attaches his tail to the fins of various fish and keeps on them until the "free taxi" swims into the algae thickets.


What do seahorses eat?

Seahorses eat crustaceans and shrimps. Seahorses are very interesting eaters. The tubular stigma, like a pipette, draws prey into the mouth along with water. Seahorses eat quite a lot and hunt almost the whole day, taking short breaks for a couple of hours.


During the day, seahorses eat about 3 thousand planktonic crustaceans. But seahorses eat almost any food, as long as it does not exceed the size of the mouth. The seahorse fish is a hunter. With its flexible tail, the seahorse clings to algae and remains motionless until the prey is in the required proximity to the head. After that, the seahorse sucks in water along with food.


How do seahorses reproduce?

Seahorses reproduce in a rather unusual way, because the male bears their fry. It is not uncommon for seahorses to have monogamous pairs. The mating season of seahorses is an amazing sight. The couple, who are about to enter into a marriage union, are fastened with their tails and dance in the water. In the dance, the skates are pressed against each other, after which the male opens a special pocket in the abdominal region, into which the female throws eggs. In the future, the male bears offspring for a month.


Seahorses breed quite often and bring large offspring. A seahorse gives birth to one thousand or more fry at a time. Fry are born an absolute copy of adults, only very tiny. The babies that are born are left to their own devices. In nature, a seahorse lives for about 4-5 years.


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O zealous Horse, O Sea Horse,

With a pale green mane,

That is meek, affectionately tame,

It's insanely playful!

You were fed by a violent whirlwind

In God's wide field -

He taught you to spin

Play, jump at will!


I love you when headlong

In your haughty strength,

Having disheveled a thick mane

And all in steam and soap,

Directing a stormy run to the shores,

With a cheerful neigh you rush,

Throw your hooves into the sonorous shore

And - in the spray you will scatter! ..

Other editions and variants

2    With a gray wavy mane,

10-11 In your haughty strength,

Having disheveled the gray mane,

Autograph - RGALI. F. 505. Op. 1. Unit ridge 15. L. 6.

COMMENTS:

Autograph - RGALI. F. 505. Op. 1. Unit ridge 15. L. 6. List sent by I.S. Gagarin - RGALI. F. 505. Op. 1. Unit ridge 52.

First post - RA. 1879. Issue. 5. S. 136–137; NNS. S. 45. Then - Ed. 1900. S. 407.

Printed in a list. See "Other editions and variants". S. 240.

Pencil autograph - on one sheet of the translation "From Hernani" (From "Ernani" - fr.) (cm. comment. to the verse. "Great Karl, I'm sorry ...". S. 364); on paper of the same type and in the same handwriting and in the same pencil are written “From Goethe. Singer", "Treasured Cup". In the autograph there is a variant of the 2nd line: “With a gray wavy mane”, and the 10th and 11th lines: “In your arrogant strength, / Having disheveled the gray mane.” The poet gave preference to the picturesque image (“With a pale green mane”) and removed the mention of “gray hair”, which did not correspond to the playing “sea horse”, rather forever young.

AT Ed. 1900 included in the number of transfers without sufficient grounds, although G.I. Chulkov admitted the possibility of the existence of a primary source ( Chulkov I. S. 359). In subsequent editions, it was printed according to the same list, but in the 12th line - with a preposition ("and in soap"). In publications - NNS, Ed. Marx, Chulkov I, Lyrica I accepted without a proposal.

It is dated 1830 on the grounds that the autograph is on the same sheet with the translation of a fragment from Hugo's drama "Ernani", which appeared in March 1830. There is an opinion that the verse. written between July 12 and August 12 (N.S.) 1829 (see. chronicle. S. 285).

This poem attracted special attention of V.S. Solovyov (see. Solovyov. the beauty. pp. 50–51), studying the essence of beauty in the inorganic world, the philosopher connects its appearance with light as “the first principle of beauty in nature” (p. 44), and then with movement as an expression of the seemingly free life in inorganic nature. Developing the idea, Solovyov noted: “This beauty of visible life in the inorganic world is distinguished primarily by flowing water in its various forms: a stream, a mountain stream, a waterfall. The aesthetic meaning of this living movement is enhanced by its infinity, which, as it were, expresses the insatiable anguish of private being, separated from absolute all-unity” (p. 48). Solovyov repeatedly refers to this poem by Tyutchev: “To the same poet, a wave in its appearance and living movement appears to be a galloping sea horse” (the first stanza is quoted, pp. 51–52). The philosopher, apparently, saw the beauty of this image in the “anticipation” of life in the inorganic world, in a kind of “game” - “the free movement of private forces and positions, united in an individual whole” (p. 48).

The type of beauty seen by Solovyov occurs and varies in many of Tyutchev's poems. The image of running water is one of the poet's favorites; before the poem "Sea Horse" he entered the "Spring Storm". In further works, the spiritualization of the image of running water intensifies: “Spring waters”, “What are you bending over the waters ...”, “The stream thickened and grows dim”, “Fountain”, “Long, long ago, oh blessed South ...”, “Sea and cliff”, “Across the plain of azure waters…” and many others.