Why was Mikhail Lermontov considered Aleksandr Pushkin’s successor?

Mikhail Lermontov was widely considered the successor to Aleksandr Pushkin primarily due to his rapid rise to prominence following his poignant elegy, "Death of a Poet," which mourned Pushkin’s death in a duel and denounced the court aristocracy for their role in the tragedy.12

His status as a successor was cemented by his immense talent as a poet-thinker, prose writer, and playwright, which established him as an exponent of the finest traditions of Russian literature. Lermontov gained significant public acclaim for his "libertarian verses" and the personal sacrifice he endured through his exile to the Caucasus, which mirrored the rebellious spirit often associated with the literary legacy of his predecessor. Furthermore, influential critics like V.G. Belinsky championed him as the great hope of Russian letters, recognizing his ability to capture the spiritual needs of society through his mature prose and philosophical lyric poetry.1