By Right of Memory. Beyond the Distance - Distance

The poem "By Right of Memory" is included in the mandatory reading program for literature in the 11th grade. Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky (1910–1971) was a Russian Soviet poet, writer, and one of the main representatives of Russian literature of the 20th century. "By Right of Memory" is the last poem by Alexander Tvardovsky. It was initially conceived as an additional chapter to the lyrical poem "Beyond the Distant - Distant", but became an independent work. In the poem, the author not only reflects on the tragic events of the Great Patriotic War, on the losses and sufferings it brought to the people, but also describes personal pain. He remembers the sad fate of his father - a dispossessed and exiled peasant-blacksmith and critiques the harsh repressions. The author insists on the necessity of preserving historical memory, which will help avoid the mistakes of the past. Only a people who remember their past have a future: Those who jealously hide the past, are unlikely to be at peace with the future...