COLOR CODES IN «THE FOREST SONG»: INTERPRETATION OF COLOR SYMBOLISM IN LESIA UKRAINKA’S FAIRY-DRAMA

Abstract

The article presents an attempt to interpret the color symbolism in Lesia Ukrainka’s fairy drama «The Forest Song». The color dominants of the work have been studied, which made it possible to gain a deeper understanding of the text, uncover its hidden meanings, and enter the mysterious world of artistic language. The meanings of symbolic images such as the willow, guelder rose, flowers, blood, fire, wolf, dream, purple robe, hair, and night have been interpreted. It is shown that the verbal representations of color in «The Forest Song» are formed through the nomination of color itself, as well as through the use of coloristic periphrasis, where the name of the color is not mentioned directly, but phenomena are described with consideration of their color characteristics. Color contributes to the creation of artistic devices such as metaphors, similes, metonymies and epithets. Lesia Ukrainka often uses shades and employs words such as «bright», «clear», «brilliant», «flashes of light», «shimmering with colors», «pure», «dark», «darkness», «gloom» and others. It has been proven that the color white appears most frequently in The Forest Song; it dominates the prologue, as well as the first and third acts of the drama. White color carries both positive and negative meanings: light, sun, life, eternity, holiness, joy, goodness, beauty, the beginning of all possibilities – and also death, cold, physical and emotional pain. The second most frequently used color is red. Red takes the leading position in the second act of the fairy drama. Red is a symbol of love, passion, intense emotions, but also of suffering, blood, wounds, death and fire. Black is repeated 21 times, yellow (golden) – 20 times, green – 17 times, blue (light blue) – 12 times; grey and ashen are mentioned twice, and brown and hazel – twice as well. Color helps the writer express their thoughts and feelings. The use of color is one of the most distinctive features of the author's vision of the world and its embodiment in artistic practice.