Pushkin's first poem, 'Ruslan and Lyudmila,' made the author's name known to the entire reading public. 'Everything in this poem was new: the verse, the poetry, the humor, the fairy-tale character alongside serious imagery,' wrote V. G. Belinsky. An interest in folklore—fairy tales, folk songs, ancient Russian epics, legends, and romantic ballads—inspired the poet to create fairy tales in verse and to write the cycle 'Songs of the Western Slavs.' Original in concept, saturated with vivid, distinctive images and drama, these works reveal both the richness of their native language and the enduring significance of Pushkin's work. 'The purity, clarity, and vivid effectiveness of Pushkin's fairy-tale words will always be our benchmark—the golden standard of poetic perfection' (S. Ya. Marshak).