Written description of Vasily Terkin. The innovative character of Vasily Terkin is a combination of the traits of a peasant and the convictions of a citizen, a defender of his native country (According to the poem “Vasily Terkin” by A. T. Tvardovsky). Personality as a creator of history

It is no coincidence that Alexander Tvardovsky’s poem “Vasily Terkin” is one of the interesting and at the same time unique works of the 20th century. Many critical articles have already been written about the artistic merits of this book, about the richness and figurativeness of its language, about its role in the history of our country, hundreds have been published scientific works. Among those who highly appreciated Tvardovsky’s poem were Bunin, Solzhenitsyn and many others. The poem, or, as the author himself called it, “The Book about a Fighter,” owes its popularity to its central character, Vasily Terkin.

The history of the creation of such a vivid image of the Russian soldier Vasily Terkin goes back to the period of the Russian-Finnish war. It was invented by a team of authors, among whom was Tvardovsky. At the same time, during the Finnish campaign, a work in verse about the resilient soldier Vasya Terkin began to be created. It was assumed that the poem would be completed in the summer of 1941. But soon the Great Patriotic War broke out. Tvardovsky was appointed to the position of correspondent for the newspaper “Red Army” and went to the front. Tvardovsky returned to the work he had begun, only, in fact, it was already another poem about another war. “Vasya Terkin” became “Vasily Terkin”, the concept of the image changed. The author focused on the character of Terkin, on his front-line fate, on his role in the lives of other characters in the poem.

The front-line “biography” of Vasily Terkin is as follows: he begins to fight during the Finnish campaign, again finds himself in the active army in June 1941, retreats with his army, is surrounded several times, then goes on the offensive and ends his journey in the depths of Germany. Already at the first mention, the surname Terkin indicates the character of its owner. Vasily is an experienced man, a “grated kalach” or, as it is said in the poem, “a man well-worn by life.” In general, the image of Vasily Terkin is a symbolic image, it is a collective Russian type. It is no coincidence that the author dwells in detail on his front-line “biography”, but says practically nothing about his personal one. He is a peaceful man, a civilian, a soldier by necessity. Terkin’s usual measured life on the collective farm is interrupted by the war, and the war for the ordinary working man is a natural disaster. Therefore, the entire poem is permeated with the dream of a peaceful, calm life.

As mentioned above, the image of Terkin is a generalized image; the author gives his hero a standard Slavic appearance, avoids portrait signs:

Terkin - who is he?
Let's be honest:
Just a guy himself
He's ordinary.

On the one hand, he is bright extraordinary personality, and on the other hand, it includes the traits of many people, as if repeated many times in others. It is no coincidence that, for example, in the “Book of a Fighter” there is such a chapter: “Terkin-Terkin.” As it turned out, there are two Terkins in the poem, one is Vasily, the other is his namesake Ivan. They are undoubtedly similar, but not doubles. The second Terkin is an armor-piercing specialist by profession, has red hair and does not smoke. The situation is resolved, as it should be in war, by a “strict foreman”:

What don't you understand here?

Don't you understand?

According to the regulations of each company

Terkin will be given his own.

As for Terkin’s military profession, in different situations he turns out to be a signalman, a shooter, and a reconnaissance officer. Thus, it can be traced that the hero belongs to the most massive branch of the military - the infantry, which bore the brunt of the war on its shoulders. Terkin is undoubtedly a hero of a specific war with the Germans, but at the same time there is something in him that brings him closer to the Russian soldier of all times. The image of the main character clearly shows international roots, and the original version of the poem contains the following lines:

And in his mint overcoat,
Thinner, bearded,
He looks just right
On a Russian soldier
All campaigns and times.

The image of Vasily Terkin is close to folklore heroes: both heroes of epics or legends, and folk heroes from an everyday soldier's tale. The author often focuses on the “folklore” of his hero; in this regard, the chapter “Duel”, built on echoes of the epic epic, is typical. In this chapter, Terkin enters into single combat with an opponent superior to him in strength:

Like on an ancient battlefield,
Breast upon breast, which is sewn on a shield, -
Instead of thousands, two fight,
As if the fight would solve everything.

Tvardovsky gives the fight maximum scale, the lines that became the refrain of the poem are especially successful:

A terrible battle is going on, bloody,
Mortal combat is not for glory,
For the sake of life on earth.

At the same time, Vasily Terkin in the poem is not only an epic, national type, but also a personality. Throughout the entire tale, folklore heroes are presented in an unchanged form. The image of Terkin is given in evolution: the closer the end of the work, the more anxious thoughts disturb the hero. In the first chapters, Vasily is a joker, cheerful and cheerful, but not careless, and does not lose his composure under any circumstances. These qualities of Terkin were especially important in hard days war. At the end of the chapter “On the Dnieper,” Terkin smokes silently away from his rejoicing comrades, and the last lines show him with unexpected side:

- Why are you, brother, Vasily Terkin, seeming to be crying?..
- Guilty...

As you know, the hero of most of Tvardovsky’s works is, first of all, a peasant who dreams of happiness and prosperity in the native land. But the Finnish and Great Patriotic War revealed to the author new world, gave him a whole layer of impressions and reflections. Therefore, the main character of “The Book of a Fighter,” Vasily Terkin, organically intertwines features characteristic of both a simple peasant and a warrior, defender of the fatherland. The image of Vasily Terkin is multifaceted, capacious, bright and memorable, and the rhyme “Vasily - Russia”, repeated several times in the text, emphasizes that this hero is the embodiment of the heroism of the Russian people.

Vasily Terkin is our modern hero.

The main character Vasily Terkin from the poem by Alexander Tvardovsky, written by him during the Second World War, provided invaluable support to Soviet soldiers in the front-line units of that period.

Because not only people seasoned in battles went to defend the Motherland, but also mustacheless boys who were not at all wise in life, who had only school life and those who have not yet experienced front-line difficulties.

Personality as a creator of history

Characteristics of Vasily Terkin given by the author wore a more collective image, as if complementing an already existing personality described by Pyotr Boborikin in the novel “Vasily Terkin,” published in 1892. The name of this famous man-legend was considered by Tvardovsky back in the period of the Soviet-Finnish War, at the turn of 1939 - 1940, in his published feuilleton in poetic form.

Even then, the author’s insight was evident, as we now understand that the Finnish events were harbingers of terrible days for millions of people on the planet who gave their lives to save the modern generation.

Simple Russian guy

The poem does not regret anything, but preserves the chain of events in the military life of a simple Russian guy who went through the Finnish War and survived to give strength and courage to the youth, and to lift the spirits of the already elderly soldiers. And when Vasily Terkin talks about how this is not the first war for him in his lifetime, everything becomes clear to everyone. Because this is said by a person with experience and experience, who was captured and came out of encirclement, was wounded, but retained the fighting spirit of a real soldier.

Immortality of personality

In the chapters “Before the Battle,” “Crossing,” and “Terkin is Wounded,” the hero is infecting with optimism, and each chapter is permeated with episodes from life in which there is no place for fiction. Personality in history has always had great value, because his actions leave an indelible mark on everyone's soul. And to understand him, it is not enough to read only one chapter, because the character of Vasily Terkin, his true traits and new qualities inherent only to this hero, are revealed in each individual story.

And Vasily Terkin represents an ideal to follow:

  • as a person;
  • with deep patriotism and love for the Fatherland;
  • optimism and hope for a wonderful future;
  • faith in the immortality of the Soviet soldier.

The chapters “Duel”, “Who Shot?”, “General”, “Battle in the Swamp”, “Terkin’s Rest”, “Two Soldiers” eloquently tell about this, and even in the chapter “Death and the Warrior” the hero is not afraid of death and believes in long life. This is the whole meaning of the work, that the warriors who remained on the battlefield and even those who are destined to remain alive will be immortal in the hearts of people and the memory of them will live for centuries, and each of them will become a legend: “Saint and sinner/ Russian miracle man..."

The poem by Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky was of great importance for Soviet people, fighting for the existence of his homeland. The characterization of Vasily Terkin combines the best qualities of the Russian people: courage, fortitude and fearlessness.

Inner qualities

The character of Vasily Terkin in Tvardovsky’s poem is the personification of all the best that belonged to the Russian people. The writer emphasizes his closeness with the people by the fact that Terkin is an “ordinary” guy, that is, no different from others.

Terkin knew how to carry on conversations with other soldiers, for them he becomes the ringleader. Rumors about the main character spread throughout the army, he was known everywhere, he was “the platoon’s favorite.”

But despite this, Terkin is not a proud man. Neither orders nor glory are important to him, because the main thing for the hero is the Motherland, which he tries with all his might to protect. It’s not for nothing that the refrain in the story is the phrase: “Mortal combat is not for the sake of glory,
For the sake of life on earth."

All of Terkin's character traits are associated with his honor. He is ready to fight for his homeland only in an honest way. The hero acts like a brave and fearless person, ready to always stand up for his Fatherland.

Actions

The main character speaks about himself independently - through his actions.

If you look at the chapters, they are all devoted to the actions of Vasily Terkin, which in one way or another contribute to the preservation of the Motherland. The hero either directly participates in hostilities or maintains the morale of the soldiers, which is also important in such difficult times.

In the chapter “Crossing,” the hero managed to swim across the icy river to report the request of the soldiers on the right bank. Other soldiers were surprised that the man managed to survive the crossing at all.

Vasily Terkin emphasizes his love for life. When meeting death, he is not ready to surrender to it without a fight. So the hero encourages readers to never give up and fight both for their lives and for the life of their Fatherland.

Terkin can lead people. In the chapter "On the Offensive", he takes on the responsibility of commanding an entire platoon. When he sees that the commander has been killed, the hero, without hesitation, understands that “it’s his turn to lead.”

Terkin was not afraid and led the people, and this battle was successful.

Besides teamwork The hero is also independent. In the chapter “Duel,” Terkin enters into battle with a German, whom he hates with all his heart for setting foot on Russian soil.

Terkin receives a reward for shooting down an enemy plane with a rifle. He is the only one who dared to do this: “Who did not hide in the trench,
Remembering all the relatives." Vasily Terkin is able to repel any enemy blow at any time.

All the hero’s actions are filled with heroism and valor. He's not scared own death, the main thing is to preserve the life of the Fatherland. Patriotism is in Terkin’s blood.

Author's attitude

Vasya Terkin was born in the Smolensk region. This place was the birthplace of A.T. Tvardovsky himself. The author correlates his hero with his life, makes him his fellow countryman, which already shows the writer’s attitude towards Terkin.

“Terkin, my hero, sometimes speaks for me.” The author's thoughts are put into the mouth of his hero. Vasily’s feelings are both the feelings of the writer himself and the feelings of the whole people.

Characteristics of Vasily Terkin with quotes will most fully reveal author's position regarding the hero. A. T. Tvardovsky calls the hero “a good fellow.” For the author, the character in the poem is a true friend and even a brother. A. T. Tvardovsky respects the entire Russian people, personified by Vasily Terkin, for his fortitude and courage.

This article, which will help you write an essay “Characteristics of Vasily Terkin,” will consider the image of the main character, who is distinguished by his courage and valor and is collective, through his character and actions, and will also show how the author himself treated his character.

Work test

Vasya Terkin is a real hero. I know he was and still is loved by many. He can be mistaken for a real person, and not for a fictional character. He still evokes sympathy, even admiration.

Not only did he manage to shoot down a German plane, and Vasya was in the infantry, which he adores... He is German and bare hands twisted Although the fight scene shows how difficult it all was. The German is well-fed, smooth, strong. But Vasya has lost weight and is tired. Of course, he jokingly asks the local chef for more. And in general he gets it, but the cook is not very happy - there are probably not enough products. And he even makes a remark to Tyorkin: “Shouldn’t you join the navy, such a glutton.” But Tyorkin, which is his remarkable quality, is not offended. He laughs it off and is hard to offend.

But he (such a cheerful fellow) also experiences negativity. For example, when it small homeland belittled. This is when in the hospital the young hero was offended that Tyorkin mistook him for a fellow countryman. Why is Smolensk land worse?! And for her sake, Terkin is ready to perform feats. Or when a colleague laments that he has lost his pouch, Tyorkin ends up freaking out. He said to the bewildered man once with a smile, twice with a joke, but he still didn’t let up. But it is clear that this was the last straw for the loser. He even complains that he lost his family, his home, and now he’s wearing a pouch. But Terkin generously gives his, saying that the main thing is not to lose the Motherland. What is needed for this? First of all, don’t be discouraged!

That is, Vasily is an optimist, he is generous and brave. He respects civilians: children, old people... By the way, so does his superiors. There he was talking about the general - how smart he should be. But this experience is also because when the soldier was still in the cradle, the future general had already fought.

I remember the scene with the presentation of the order. When they called Tyorkin to that same general, and the soldier’s clothes were wet - only washed. And Vasya is in no hurry to see the general, although he was given “two minutes” of time, because he can’t do it in wet pants. He understands that there are certain boundaries that cannot be violated.

So far I see only advantages in Vasya. Laziness is not about him either. He wouldn’t have been able to sit out in the rear or in the hospital during the war... The only thing is that he would give me a headache. There are too many jokes and jokes.

But in a terrible time of war it was necessary, I think.

Option 2

Vasily Terkin is a collective image of a Russian soldier. Where did he come from? Soldiers from all fronts wrote to Tvardovsky and told their stories. It was some of them that formed the basis of Tyorkin’s exploits. That’s why it’s so recognizable, so popular. Yes, in the next company there, Vanya or Petya did exactly the same as Tyorkin.

A cheerful, cheerful joker who knows how to make everything with his own hands.

He served in the “Queen of the Fields” - the Mother Infantry, which marched all the way to Berlin across Europe. Vasily managed to shoot down a German plane. And in a hand-to-hand fight he defeated a healthy Fritz. And when the cook asks for more, but it is not provided - there is not enough food, he grumbles and sends him to the fleet. The navy at that time was better fed than the infantry.

Terkin is collective character, and every soldier recognized familiar features in him. Each chapter is a separate story about Vasily’s next feat. Tvardovsky wrote the poem not after the war, but during the fighting, in the intervals between battles. He was a front-line correspondent.

Terkin was as if alive. He communicated with the soldiers as equals, gave good advice. The soldiers eagerly awaited the release of each new chapter in the front-line newspaper. Terkin was a friend and comrade to everyone. He was one of them. If Tyorkin could do this, then every soldier could do exactly this. The soldiers read with pleasure about his exploits and adventures.

Tvardovsky specially invented his Tyorkin so that he would help the soldiers morally. Maintained their morale. Terkin means “grated.”

Here he is melted to the opposite bank under enemy fire. Alive, swam, and it was late autumn. The water in the river is cold. But it was necessary to personally deliver the report to someone, because... there was no connection.

The other messengers did not reach the shore. And Vasya swam. The lives of many soldiers and officers who were melted from one shore to another were at stake and came under fascist fire.

And he doesn’t demand anything for his feat. You don't even need an order. He agrees to a medal. And the medal “For Courage” was considered a soldier’s order. Well, another hundred grams of alcohol inside to warm up. Why spend everything on leather? He also has the strength to joke.

Essay Image of Vasily Terkin image with characteristics with examples and quotes from the text

Tvardovsky wrote his poem not after the war in the quiet of his offices, but practically in it, in the intervals between hostilities. The newly written chapter was immediately published in the front-line newspaper. And the soldiers were already waiting for her; everyone was interested in Tyorkin’s further adventures. Tvardovsky received hundreds of letters from all fronts from soldiers like Vasily Terkin.

They told him interesting stories about the exploits of his fellow soldiers. Tvardovsky later “attributed” some episodes to his hero. That's why it turned out to be so recognizable and popular.

didn't exist real person with the same first and last name. This image is collective. It contains all the best that is inherent in a Russian soldier. Therefore, everyone could recognize themselves in him. Tvardovsky specially invented it so that he would difficult moment, like a living, real person, helped the soldiers morally. He was everyone's best friend. Each company and platoon had its own Vasily Terkin.

Where did Tvardovsky get such a surname? “Torkin” means a grated roll, beaten by life. A Russian person can endure everything, survive, grind, get used to everything.

From the poem you can learn a little about Tyorkin’s biography. He comes from the Smolensk region and was a peasant. A good-natured Russian guy, easy to talk to, loves to tell all sorts of stories, a joker and a merry fellow. At the front from the first days of the war. Was wounded.

Brave, courageous, fearless. At the right moment he took command of the platoon. It was he who was sent across the river with a report that the platoon had entrenched itself on the opposite bank. Those who sent it understood that there was little chance of getting there. But he got there. Alone, swimming, in the icy November water.

Like all Russian peasants, Terkin is a jack of all trades. He did everything he could - he repaired a watch, sharpened a saw, and even played the harmonica. He was probably the first guy in the village. Modest “...why do I need an order, I agree to a medal...”

He lay in the cold trenches under heavy fire from the Nazis. In the face of death, he did not chicken out, but asked her for a one-day reprieve to see the victory and fireworks. And death retreated.

Initially, Tvardovsky planned Tyorkin as a feuilleton character in order to entertain soldiers and raise their morale. But he didn’t notice how he fell in love with his hero, and decided to make his image real, and not a caricature. Give it the best human traits- resourcefulness, courage, patriotism, humanism, sense of military duty.

The author compares his favorite hero with the Russian hero folk tales, a soldier who managed to make soup from an axe. Those. he is resourceful and savvy, he can find a way out of any seemingly hopeless situation. "Russian miracle man." All of Russia rests on people like Tyorkin.

The poem is written in simple language and is easy to remember for a long time.

Essay 4

Vasya Terkin, of course, is a well-known character and even beloved by everyone. But still, I have a slightly different opinion.

I think he's just a character, not real hero. That is, it is clear that such a person does not exist, cannot exist in reality. He is too cheerful, optimistic, joyful... To be honest, he would irritate me. I'm surprised that none of the soldiers hit him. That is, raising morale is, of course, good, but fooling around when there is war all around...

For example, in the scene with the lost pouch. A fighter who has lost an expensive item is clearly not in the mood for jokes. From the outside it may seem that the pouch is nonsense. But it is clear that for the fighter this loss was the last straw, as they say. He held on when he lost his home, his family, but he held on because last bit of strength. And here is a pouch...

And our “hero” Vasya does not understand the soldier’s suffering. Laughs, mocks, shames! To some extent he says that losing your homeland is scary. But it’s understandable, I compared it: the pouch and the Motherland.

So, Terkin is too positive. I’m not sure that such a person (with such dashing habits) could hold out on the real front.

But of course, Tvardovsky tried to invest a lot good qualities into your hero. And he bravely fights the Germans, and he cannot be kept in the hospital... However, what unprecedented luck Vasily must still have in order to shoot down a German plane with a gun! It looks more like a soldier's story! However, that’s how Tyorkin is – lucky. In fact, he was lucky in hand-to-hand combat with the German, although the Fritz was well-fed and strong. He was lucky when our tank crews picked him up wounded in his hut, took him to the doctor and saved him.

I think that at that time the front line needed such a hero. He is almost a hero, almost Ivan the Fool. He instills in readers faith in victory. The poet repeats through his lips that we will not lose in this war. Fortunately, these words came true.

And yet, for me this hero is too simple. But this is just my personal opinion.

Option 5

Alexander Trofimovich Tvardovsky is the author of the unforgettable work “Vasily Terkin.” Being in the thick of things, since he himself fought at the front and went through the entire war as a war correspondent, he communicated a lot with soldiers, and more than once found himself in different difficult situations. Everything he describes in his book, he heard from ordinary soldiers, infantrymen. During the Great Patriotic War, the infantry played a vital role in the history of the war, and it is mainly to it that the main credit for the victory belongs. Here we go main character The author of the story belonged to the infantry.

The image turned out to be collective and average. He is an ordinary guy who dreams of love, happiness, family and peaceful life. One participant in the war wrote: The Germans loved, knew how and wanted to fight, and we fought out of necessity. Turki also fought out of necessity. His beloved land was attacked by a cruel enemy. Its serene happy life on the collective farm was cruelly cut short by a terrible disaster, and the war became work for him, like a hot suffering on the collective farm when the rains came. The whole country turned into a single battle camp, and even in the rear the fascist could not sleep peacefully. Terkin endlessly loves his homeland, calling the land “mother”. His cheerfulness, courage and kindness permeate every chapter of the book. The cheerful and kind-hearted Tyorkin does not burn in fire and does not drown in water. Because his will to defeat the Nazis is very great in order to free Mother Earth from the damned invader. He is a savvy person, as he skillfully gets out of all the troubles in which the author puts him. In addition, he has great feeling humor, which helps to easily, tipsily endure the hardships and difficulties of the front, and, not unimportantly, helps the reader to follow with bated breath the adventures of our hero and worry about him.

At the front, all the soldiers eagerly awaited the release of each new chapter about Tyorkin. They loved him as a brother and as a friend. And everyone found in themselves and in their comrades something of their favorite hero. The author is trying to show through his Tyorkin what the Russian people should be like. Only great courage, selflessness and kindness could lead the country to victory. And we won because the Russian engineers were more talented, the technologists more brilliant, and our twelve- and fourteen-year-old boys, who stood at the machines instead of their fathers who had gone to the front, turned out to be more skillful and resilient than the over-aged German soldiers. And about each of them we can say that his name was Vasily Terkin. The soldiers fought and died not because their commanders sent them to die, but because they fought for their homeland!!! This feat was, is and will always be, this is the peculiarity of the Russian soldier - to sacrifice himself: the Brest Fortress held out until November, everyone died for their homeland! And there are tens of thousands of such examples!

“Vasily Terkin” can be called a bestseller of that time. Glory to the Russian soldier!

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The main character of the poem is a collective, generalized image that embodies the entire warring people. Almost nothing is said about the specific personality of Vasily Terkin. It is only known that he is in his twenties - closer to thirty, and that he, like the author, comes from the Smolensk region, that “he fought in Karelian - beyond the Sestra River.”

Terkin is a great lover of life, “a hunter to live until he is ninety years old,” he joined the ranks from the reserve, serves in the infantry, in the troops “closest to the earth, to the cold, to fire and death.” For him, war is regular work, which must be done correctly, skillfully, not for the sake of glory, but “for the sake of life on earth.”

Terkin - who is he?
Let's be honest:
Just a guy himself
He's ordinary...
Not tall, not that small,
But a hero is a hero...

Tvardovsky shows through ordinariness and averageness. Typicality of Terkin, because he is the embodiment of the mass of soldiers who bore all the hardships of the war. However, Terkin's image is devoid of schematism. This is a cheerful, full-blooded hero, with his own special character.

He is a cheerful fellow, a jokester at a rest stop, a lover of hearty food, he is not averse to amusing his comrades by playing the accordion (“Harmon”), helping the elderly (“Two Soldiers”), or chopping wood for a soldier (“Before the Battle”).

This is a cheerful, good-natured, broad Russian nature, with a generous heart, combining such primordial Russian qualities as sincerity and nobility, sharpness and wisdom, determination and courage.

Vasily Terkin is a heroic image. Without hesitation, he swims across to the other side in November to report that the platoon that has crossed has gained a foothold on the other side (“Crossing”), occupies an enemy bunker and holds it until his own troops arrive (“Terkin is wounded”), and shoots down an enemy plane (“Who shot?”), taking the place of the killed lieutenant, rouses the soldiers to attack and is the first to break into the village (“On the offensive”), encourages and inspires the exhausted soldiers during the battle for the unknown “settlement of Borki”, “Where the war paved the way , / / ​​Where the water was knee-deep for the infantry, the mud was pile-deep (“Battle in the Swamp”).

In the chapter “Duel,” which is the culmination of the entire poem, Terkin enters into hand-to-hand combat with a German, physically stronger:

Tervin knew that in this fight
He is weaker: not the same grub.

But Terkin’s morale and confidence in victory are stronger, so he emerges victorious:

And then,
Taking anger and pain into a fist,
An unloaded grenade

The German's terkin - with the left - smack!
The German groaned and went limp...

This chapter echoes the epic epic, and the battle itself grows into a symbolic generalization of “Man-People.” Terkin, symbolizing Russia, confronts a strong and formidable enemy, symbolizing Nazi Germany:

Like on an ancient battlefield,

Chest on chest, like shield on shield, -
Instead of thousands, two fight,
As if the fight would solve everything.

But it should be noted that the image of Terkin is deliberately devoid of a romantic aura by the author. as if even lowered. This is achieved through the introduction of colloquial vocabulary, vernacular (“he cracked a German between the eyes”, “threw him into a sled”, “gave bream”, Terkin a German with his left - “smack”, etc.)

Thus, the author seeks to emphasize that the main character is not only a generalized image-symbol, but also a personality, individuality, that for him war is work, hard, dirty, but necessary, inevitable, not for glory, not for orders and medals, not for promotion.
And only in the final stanza does the author allow himself to rise to a large-scale, solemn-sounding generalization:

A terrible battle is going on, bloody,
Mortal combat is not for glory,
For the sake of life on earth.

In the dispute between the two forces, goodness, love and life itself won. These lines are heard repeatedly in the poem, they are a kind of refrain emphasizing main topic works: an unprecedented feat of a Russian soldier.

We encounter the same technique of generalization and individualization in the chapter “Terkin - Terkin”. Vasily meets with his namesake Ivan. Ivan differs from Vasily only in his hair color (he is red), his front-line profession (armor-piercer), but otherwise both heroes are similar. The dispute between them is decided by the foreman:

What don't you understand here?
Don't you understand?
According to the regulations of each company
Terkin will be given his own.

Tvardovsky's poem is often called an encyclopedia of military reality of the Great Era Patriotic War"(by analogy with Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin"). Indeed, the book about the fighter is written extremely truthfully. The truth of war, no matter how bitter it is, hits straight into the soul.

The poet does not embellish the events, does not portray the exploits of his hero as light and funny; on the contrary, the strongest chapters in the poem are those colored with tragic pathos: “Crossing”, “Fight in the Swamp”, “Death and the Warrior”, “About the Orphan Soldier” "