24. Romance Was the Death of Russia’s Romantic Poet
Rose maiden, no I do not quarrel,
With these dear chains, they don’t demean.
The nightingale embushed in laurel,
The sylvan singers’ feathered queen,
Does she not bear the same sweet plight?
Near the proud rose’s beauty dwelling,
And with her tender anthems thrilling
The dusk of a voluptuous night.
Pushkin – Dear Chains
Russia’s greatest poet Aleksander Pushkin (1799 – 1837) was a towering figure of romance. Not only did he pen sublime verse, he was also an outstanding novelist, short story writer, playwright, and dramatist who is deemed the founder of modern Russian literature. His poetry and prose addressed conflicts between personal happiness and duty and the rebellion of loners against the system. His works were rife with vigorous life-affirming themes such as the triumph of human goodness over oppression, and of reason over narrow-minded prejudice.