POETICS OF NATURE TOPOSES IN THE LYRIC CYCLE “LOVE IN THE HUMAN WAY” BY AGATHANGEL KRYMSKY

Abstract

The article is devoted to the understanding of the poetics of nature topos in the cycle “Love in a Human Way” from the lyrical collection “Palm Branch” by Agathangel Krymskyi. The research reveals the specificity of the lyrical hero-cosmopolitan as a traveller to places known to him before in pursuit of his own thoughts; the poetic strategies of integrating topos into the poetic cycle “Love in a Human Way” are also traced. The study of A. Krymskyi’s original poems in the context of the fin de siècle literary era (the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century) is relevant, as it allows us to form a general idea of the specificity of the system of images and symbols, the themes and problems of the works of the era of Ukrainian modernism. The topic of the lyrics of the “turn of the century” usually unfolds in the plot of a person’s ascent to a “transcendental shelter” through the paths of three elements – water, earth and air. The world of the lyrical hero is conventionally divided into “high” and “down to earth”, which are expressed by special nature topos of mountains, forests, sea and earth. Universal nature topos in the creative consciousness of A. Krymskyi do not always correspond to generally established ideas about them, since they are largely connected with the lyricist’s own life experience, and not with typical images. Mountains for the lyrical hero A. Krymskyi are a space of selfreflection, beauty, they establish a connection with God. The steppe in the author’s reception coincides with its traditional perception in Ukrainian literature and is closely connected with the healing of the soul, the search for one’s own roots. The poetics of the topos of the sea contrasts with traditional folklore ideas about the element of water. Understanding the poetics of nature topos in the cycle “Love in a Human Way” makes it possible to assert that the lyrics of Agathangel Krymskyi is in tune with the canons of the literary era of the late 19th – early 20th centuries, enriching the traditional topic with new meanings, the source of inspiration for which being primarily the author's own life experience.