<Статья>Реминисценции стихотворений Г. Р. Державина и А. Н. Радищева в поэме А. С. Пушкина «Медный всадник»

Abstract

“The Bronze Horseman” is a masterpiece in which Pushkin's magnificent view of the world has been expressed clearly. The world of this poem is multi-layered and rooted in historical and autobiographical events. Furthermore, this poem makes intertextual references to multiple motifs and details from Russian and European classics. The entire text is reminiscent of Derzhavin's poems. In particular, the scene where Evgeny, straddling a marble lion, is prevented by the flood from meeting his fiancé, recalls two of his poems: “Obstacles Preventing Me from Encountering with My Wife” and “The Waterfall”. The latter poem speaks about the glory of the 18th century heroes and the honor of Empress Catharina. The same scene also alludes to Radishchev's poem “18th Century” in which the swirling and raging water symbolically represents the dark history of the 18th century. By reminiscing the works of these two poets in the aforementioned scene of chaotic flood, Pushkin presents their conflicting political stances and views. The epilogue, following the scene where historical events pass by like a dream with the water stream, is quiet and filled with a sense of satisfaction. Derzhavin's swan song “River of Time” resonates as a continuous undertone.