This poem is Pushkin all over. In four lines he has given a whole drama with a world of pathos and tenderness in it. These four lines give more instruction in the art of story-telling than volumes on the "Art of Fiction." A magazine writer, who of the same incidents would have woven out some twenty pages (of which no fewer than nineteen and three-quarters would have been writ for the approval of check-book critic, rather than of the art critic), would have really _told_ less than Pushkin has here told,--so true is the preacher's criticism on his own sermon: "Madame, if it had been shorter by half, it would have been twice as long!" JEALOUSY. Of this piece I have already spoken in the Preface, § 7. IN AN ALBUM. This is an excellent example of Pushkin's _sentiment_, of which I spoke in the Introduction, Chapter III. It is all the more entitled to the consideration of Anglo-Saxon _a priori_ sentiment-haters (it is so easy to keep to _a priori_ judgments, they are so convenient; they save discussion!) because Pushkin wrote this piece when fully matured, at the age of thirty, when his severe classic taste was already formed. FIRST LOVE. These lines are taken from the Narrative Poem, "The Prisoner of the Caucasus." SIGNS. Of the more-than-Egyptian number of plagues with which poor Pushkin's soul was afflicted, superstition was one. He believed in signs, and sometimes gave up a journey when a hare ran across his road. Owing to this superstition he once gave up a trip to St. Petersburg, which probably would have cost him his life, had he made it. For on hearing of the December rebellion, in which many of his friends took part, he started for the capital, but the hare.... ELEGY. The fourth volume of Pushkin's Works, in which this poem was first published, struck Byelinsky with the poverty of its contents. "But in the fourth volume of Pushkin's Poems," says he, "there is one precious pearl which reminds us of the song of yore, of the bard of yore. It is the elegy, 'The extinguished joy of crazy years.' Yes! such an elegy can redeem not only a few tales, but even the entire volume of poetry!" ... (Byelinsky's Works, ii. 194.) LOVE AND FREEDOM. In the original this poem is called, "To Countess N. V. Kotshubey." INSPIRING LOVE. In the original this piece is headed, "To A. P. Kern." THE GRACES. Addressed to Princess S. A. Urussov. TO THE POET. This is the only poem Turgenef quotes in his speech at the unveiling of the Pushkin monument in 1880. "Of course," he said, "you all know it, but I cannot withstand the temptation to adorn my slim, meagre prosy speech with this poetic gold." THE TASK.