Receiving world recognition for a specific genre and then taking a complete turn and exploring another one definitely is a bold move. However, Alexander Pushkin, a famous Russian poet who gained the level of recognition that made him the symbol of Russian poetry, was no stranger to bold experiments with his artistic abilities, hence several forays into prose. “The Queen of Spades” is one of his most famous short novels along with several others such as “The Captain’s Daughter” and “The Blizzard.” Although “The Queen of Spades” incorporates a range of literary devices for multiple purposes, which include fleshing out the main characters and emphasizing the main message of the story, their key purpose appears to be to reinforce the juxtaposition of Realism and Romanticism, as well as the associated mysticism, which intertwines in the novel in most intricate ways. Representing a combination of Romanticism and Realism, Pushkin’s “Queen of Spades” is one of the author’s best-known forays into prose. Mostly known for his poetry, Pushkin cultivated his image of a renowned Russian poet, yet his masterful use of language and understanding of the dialogue, the mise-en-scene, and the development of characters also offered massive opportunities for prose writing. The specified skills shine particularly brightly in “The Queen of Spades,” where one of the lead characters tragically descends into madness, whereas the elements of the narrative masterfully woven by Pushkin into the story serves as the means of exploring the journey of the main character from a Realistic to a Romantic one. The development of the mise-en-scene serves the purpose of highlighting the phantasmagorical nature of the story and the mystical feeling that it contains impeccably. For instance, the scene in which the lead character approaches the corpse of the duchess can be considered a clear example of the use of phantasmagorical elements since it allows increasing the narrative tension. In a certain sense, the scene in question can be considered a representation of the transition from the environment rooted in Realism to the one that contains the elements of Romanticism. Namely, the novel transitions from the meticulous description o the situation in which the lead character finds himself to the changes that he experiences, namely, the transformation from a healthy person to a gambler and, eventually, to an addict. Thus, the chase for the elusive luck and the infamous Queen of Spades continues, locking Hermann in a perpetual loop. When considering the elements that prove the transitioning from Realism to Romanticism in “the Queen of Spades,” one should also pay due attention to dialogues as the crucial method of expressing the specified sentiment. Namely, at the beginning of the short story, the dialogues seem to be rooted entirely in reality and aimed at outward analysis. For instance, when hearing about the unbelievable luck that followed Naroumov’s grandmother whenever she played cards, Hermann only passes a casual remark: “’A fable,’ remarked Herman; ‘perhaps the cards were marked’” (Pushkin). However, as Hermann’s personal demons are revealed to him, and he slowly starts his descent into madness, the dialogue changes as well, taking a more surreal and even phantasmagoric shape. Fo