The poem Tribunal in the Wood / Суд у лесе
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The poem Tribunal in the Wood / Суд у лесе (PDF) (1942) became new and significant stage in Yakub Kolas’ creative activity during the Great Patriotic War. Separate plots of partisan struggle against Hitlerite invaders transform into a wide epic picture. The theme of struggle against the enemy is concretized in the plot – the story about a destiny of Belarusian peasant’s family. The hero of the poem is all Belarusian people, from the old man up to the child, embodied in the image of Mikitka, his father Ivan Gurba, his friend little boy Petruk, and partisans from Ivan Gurba’s troop. By the denunciation of enemy Kondratiy Gubich chastisers burn the house and all property of partisan Ivan Gurba, kill his wife and take captive his daughter Galya. There is only one teenager Mikitka left. Secretly, so that people can’t see it, he bitterly cries and reflects much. With his inner sight he sees the terrible German-executioner, SS-man von Summel shot his mother. And now the boy, having left the native ashes, walks all over the world on the earth irrigating blood on grass and flowers along the roads. He goes to search for his sister, and at the same time to track down the German officer. Though still very young, Mikitka carries out his plan. In the wood where he secretly goes people knowingly speaks about him: “Oh, Mikita: he is worthy two adults!”. In truth, Mikitka is a dexterous and resourceful scout. Together with his schoolfellow Petruk, a clever boy, they find out von Summel help partisans to destroy a German garrison, release Galya and catch traitor Kondratiy Gubich. Mikitka and Petruk in Yakub Kolas’ description are alive, realistic characters without romantic-adventure features with which writers usually allocate teenagers. Though they are still children, they are skilled avengers, and the sacred hatred to Hitlerite invaders flares in their hearts. Their grief is great enough to hate the enemy and take vengeance on him. However they combat not only because of their personal insults caused by Germans, they are driven by a higher feeling – the people’s call of duty. This is the main. The hatred against aggressors strengthens the thirst of revenge in the teenagers’ hearts. The images of Mikitka and Petruk are realistic, vital and typical. “There are billions of such Mikitkas”, – the poet says. There are a lot of such “Mikitkas”and “Petruks” in Belarusian cities and villages. Together with fathers, the senior brothers and sisters they took part in the national war against Hitlerite invaders. Of all individualized positive characters in the poem, Mikitka and Petrok are most vivid. The others are shown in general. However all of them are united by the common hatred to the cursed enemy. They have a sole desire – to take vengeance on executioners. The poet describes the appearance of avengers not showing their characters or others individual features. However behind these general features the reader sees all Belarusian people, the partisan Belarus. The grief that fell on the country has even more strongly united people and rallied their ideas and feeling. All of them are “inspired by the same flame in hard campaigns and troubles”. The poet describes in detail von Summel and traitor Kondratiy Gubich. The negative characters created by the author helped the reader to learn better the enemy, arouse a hatred against him, a desire to revenge for torments, violence, sufferings and captivity. In the wood there is a trial against murderer Summel. There is a lot of accuser, whole people, and no defenders. Having listened to death sentence on the Hitlerite executioner, even traitor Gubich refuses to protect him. In the poem Tribunal in the Wood Yakub Kolas depicts the nation-wide partisan struggle in rear of the enemy, shows the courage of national avengers, their moral victory over Hitlerite invaders, truthfully tells about partisans and their ideas, feelings and actions, holding up to shame German fascism. Sources:
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