"..timid...as a provincial petitioner "

What I find most enjoyable when reading the works of nineteenth century Russian writers is how they so masterfully combine literary devices and well-place punctuations to vividly create characters, settings and atmosphere. Notice in today’s passage how Pushkin, who was, by the way, more acclaimed for his poetry than his literature works, employs imagery, symbolism, and the simile, “as a provincial petitioner,….” to make a you feel as if—like the famous broadcast news presenter Walter Cronkite would say—, “You Are There.”

“Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin”

“The butler conducted me to the Count’s study and went to announce my arrival. The spacious study was furnished with all possible luxury: bookcases with bronze busts on top lined the walls; a broad mirror hung over the marble mantelpiece; the floor was covered with green carpeting and strewn with rugs. Having grown unaccustomed to luxury in my poor corner and not having seen other people’s riches for a long time, I now felt timid and awaited the Count with a certain trepidation, as a provincial petitioner awaits the appearance of a Minister. The door opened and a handsome man of about thirty-two entered. He approached me in an unpretentious, friendly way; I tried to gather courage and began to introduce myself, but he anticipated me. We sat down. His free and amicable conversation soon dispelled my cloddish shyness; I was beginning to regain my usual composure when suddenly the Countess came in……..”

                                                   Literary Apparel for the Enlightened Mind