Symbolism In The Bronze Horseman

Throughout “The Bronze Horseman”, Pushkin used symbolism. The river Neva, Peter the Great, his statue, and even Evgeny are all hold another meaning. The use of symbolism in ”The Bronze Horseman” was vital to the poem. Without symbolism, the poem is simply about a man losing his mind in St. Petersburg.
The river Neva causes the flood in “The Bronze Horseman”. Water has historically held symbolic meanings. It is said that water symbolizes rebirth and change (“Water”, Dictionary of Symbolism.) The flood brings a major change into Evgeny’s life. He plans on marrying Parasha, renting a home, and maybe even getting a promotion. The flood did not care for Evgeny’s dreams. It came and went and with it took all the hope of Evgeny’s future. Change, much like a flood, is not something that can be avoided. Evgeny could do nothing to stop the flood. He could also do nothing to stop the drastic change losing Parasha brought. The change the river brought was utter destruction.
The water

He had control of his people; by his wish, his people built a city for him. However, he could not see that he had no control over nature. Peter the Great had his city built in the middle of a marsh. The benefits of the location, for trade and defense, were used to overlook the flaws in the topography of the region. The power and control of Peter the Great is symbolized in the poem by the chase scene. Evgeny tries to stand up to the statue by yelling his frustrations at it. By some great power, the statue comes to life and chases Evgeny down the street. The leaders of that time would not listen to the concerns of the small people. When met with opposition, they fought. Evgeny stated his feelings and opinions to the statue, Peter the Great, and the statue fought back. The symbolism between the statue and Peter the Great’s control is marked by this scene. Peter the Great has a powerful force that still had control years after his