One of this author’s title characters holds on to the beard of a dwarf for three days in a bid to rescue his bride, who was abducted on their wedding night. Another of this author’s characters goes mad when Parasha’s home is destroyed in a flood, causing him to curse a statue. Vikram Seth’s novel The Golden Gate uses a type of stanza that (10[1])this poet developed for a work whose title character rejects a love letter by a girl who later marries Prince Gremin. This poet of Ruslan and Ludmila used himself as a model for the character Lensky, who is killed in a duel by Tatiana’s love interest. For 10 points, name this Russian poet of “The Bronze Horseman” and Eugene Onegin. ■END■