Aleksandr Pushkin's deep regard for his compatriots, his interest in history, and his distaste for the rigid class structure of his society, are evident in most of his mature work. In Wasteland Sower of True Freedom, a political tract published in 1823, he deplores the cruelties of serfdom and warns prophetically that reform is necessary to avert revolution. Several of his major dramas recall great Russian heroes of the past, notably Boris Godunov (1831; Eng. trans., 1899), Poltava (1828-29; Eng. trans., 1899), and The Bronze Horseman (1837; Eng. trans., 1899), which depicts the legendary Peter the Great. In later years Pushkin frequently wrote prose. Two of his most widely read works are the novel The Captain's Daughter (1834; Eng. trans., 1846) and the short story "The Queen of Spades" (1834; Eng. trans., 1894).Pushkin's inventive use of language, the subtle blending of sense and sound in his lyrics, and the classic simplicity with which he expresses emotion combine to make his poetry unique. His has remained the single most important influence on Russian literature since the 19th century, and his work has been admired by such Russian masters as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Tolstoi, and Chekhov. His writing has, in addition, provided fertile ground for Russian composers, notably Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov. (Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia)
