Swing

Unlike Świtezianka (The time of this song cannot be accurately determined), Świteź is quite precisely designated time: This is the end of the 18th century or the beginning of the 19th century. We also meet in this song so -called story time – In Rusalka's story, we go back to the 13th century, When Prince Mendog reigned in Lithuania. The place of action is also specific: Lake Świteź, Parst property, Town of Cyran – All this around Nowogródek in Lithuania, Mickiewicz's homeland.

Świteź talks about moral issues: honor, honor, dignity, saving from disgrace. It also signals the eternal problem of crime and punishment: No bad deed remains unpunished, Disislation of justice is only a matter of time. In the ballad, God appoints and performs the punishment. Notice, that two different elements are connected in Mickiewicz's song:

3 pagan – Old folk ideas about secret forces, upth, nymphs,

3 Christian – Faith in God's protection.

These two elements intertwined in the thinking of the Lithuanian people, believer, that evil will always be punished. The people also thought, that curiosity should not lead a man too far, that it is not allowed to cross a certain limit – In the ballad it was the waters of Świtezi separating the world of the living from the world of the dead. According to Rusalka. She must not be satisfied, But you can always let your imagination run wild, tell mysterious stories about a sunken city.

The ballad has been stylized for a free chat, It is dominated by colloquial language – Only the lake was described in the poetic language. The song consists of 48 four -handed stanzas. The plot has a frame composition: The song is opened and closing the events of the 18th century (creating a frame), The central part is filled with Rusalka's story about the tragedy of the 13th century. This is the so -called flashback. In Świtezi we meet a narrative in the narrative. There are two narrators here:

appropriate – first -person, leading a kind of poetic narrative,

secondary – rusal, whose relationship is cited by the relevant narrator.