Hailing the emergence of a new powerful talent, Belinsky unreservedly supported the young author's 'anthological' stylizations based upon the poetry of Ancient Greece, praising "the plasticity and gracefulness of the imagery," the virtuosity in the art of the decorative, the "poetic, lively language" but also the simplicity and lack of pretentiousness.The Works of V.G. Belinsky in 9 Volumes. Moscow, 1979 Vol. 4, pp. 344–346. "Even in Pushkin's legacy this poem would have rated among his best anthological pieces," Belinsky wrote about the poem called "The Dream".The Complete V. G. Belinsky, Vol. VI, pp. 10–11. Still, he advised the author to leave the 'anthological' realm behind as soon as possibleThe Complete V.G. Belinsky, Vol. I, p. 27. and expressed dissatisfaction with poems on Russia's recent history. While admitting "Who's He" (a piece on Peter the Great, which some years later found its way into textbooks) was "not bad", Belinsky lambasted "Two Coffins", a hymn to Russia's victories over Karl XII and Napoleon.
