Alexander [Aleksandr] Pushkin wrote the finest of his narrative poems,
Mednyi vsadnik[
The Bronze Horseman]
in 1833, although only the prologue was published in his lifetime; the full version first appeared only in 1841. This poem has been described as the best in the Russian language, and even the best poem written anywhere in the nineteenth century. Such praise is founded upon its several remarkable qualities: a strong story-line, serious thought content of universal application, and splendidly expressive poetry covering a wide range of mood from conversational chatter, through some sublime passages of praise for Tsar Peter the Great (Peter I, 1672-1725) and the Russian nation, to exuberant descriptions of nature at her most violent.
The poem consists of just under five hundred lines
1505 words
Citation: Briggs, A.D.P.. "Mednyy vsadnik". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 April 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=11208, accessed 22 November 2024.]
