The Bronze Horseman (poem)

"The Bronze Horseman" is a narrative poem by Alexander Pushkin that explores the tension between individual desire and the powerful forces of the state. It tells the story of a humble man, Evgeny, whose home is flooded due to a devastating flood in St. Petersburg. His despair reflects his struggle against the indifferent grandeur of the city's ruling monument, the bronze statue of Peter the Great, symbolizing authority and progress. The poem examines themes of personal suffering, the unstoppable march of history, and man's fragile place within the vastness of the state and nature.