Creation of theory of Ukrainian verse is a topical task of Ukrainian verse studies. It includes studies of versification of the highly-talented poets who made a strong impact on their followers. The thesis investigates versification of Mykola Vinhranovskyi in the metrical and rhythmical aspects in the context of versification in the second half of the 20th century and as the important factor of his individual creative uniqueness. Versification peculiarities of Ukrainian poetry in the 20th century are considered. The period between late 1950s and 1960s when verses by Mykola Vinhranovskyi appeared in literary journals for the first time is characterized as the important stage in the development of intellectualism, search of different poetic means, forms of classical and non-classical verse. The dissertation focuses on the literary discussion of the early 1960s, which dealt with works by young poets, problems of tradition and innovation and had intensive ideological element.
The poetic corpus of Mykola Vinhranovskyi was determined by means of examination of the poetic books, selected works, and publications in literary journals. It also helped to define time frames, to discuss difference in the versions of some texts, is to divide poetic works chronology into several periods in order to describe dynamics of verse forms.
Verse structures by Mykola Vinhranovskyi are characterized in the aspect of correlation of classical and non-classical verse forms and dynamics of their use. Mykola Vinhranovsky’s poetic form is characterized by increase of accentual-syllabic forms and a shift within classical and non-classical verse forms.
Accentual-syllabic meters in the poetic works by Mykola Vinhranovskyi undergo deep analysis. It allows to clarify the classification of the poet’s most widely used iambic meters, so-called «long iambs» (combinations of iambic pentameter and hexameter), to distinguish free iambic verse and transitive forms between free iambic verse and iambic pentameter, free iambic verse and heterometric iamb (with regular alternation of feet of different length), and the similar forms of other accentual-syllabic meters. The dissertation discusses poet’s inclination to experiments with metrics and rhythmics within accentual-syllabic system. Poet examines five classical meters, breaks metrical inertia by means of insertions or fragments of another measure, cutting the line and varying caesura, uses different rhythmic forms of binary meters, varies rhythm of word division within ternary meters, makes some experiments with additional (extra-pattern) stress, intensifies this effect by means of lexical and syntactic repetitions, enjambments etc. Metrical and rhythmical peculiarities which determine lyrical expression of the texts are interpreted.
Non-classical verse forms such as dolnik, hexameter, ternary meter with variable anacrusis, vers libre, and folk song syllabic meters are analyzed, their rhythmical peculiarities are revealed. Accentual-syllabic meters have an influence on poet’s vers libre and accentual meters. So, Mykola Vinhranovskyi uses those rhythmic forms of dolnik which slightly break inertia of ternary meters (the 3rd and the 1st forms) as well as the 1st rhythmic form of dactylic hexameter. Among his free verse there are the texts with accentual-syllabic insertions and transitive metrical forms.
Transitive metrical forms which include classical and non-classical meters are considered and classified. They are divided into two types: the forms which combine accentual-syllabic meters and dolnik, and the combinations of classical meters and free verse. Some of them are the unique experiments in the history of Ukrainian poetry that offer resistance to the scientific classification of verse forms.
The rhythm of syllabic meters by Mykola Vinhranovskyi corresponds to folk poetry tradition, where trochaic and amphibrachic metrical inertia is revealed. Poet consciously modifies some formal characteristics of these meters. Having learnt the folk-lore principles of depicting the world he is able not to imitate the folk song but creates original poetic texts by means of homosyllabic and heterosyllabic meters.
Polymetry by Mykola Vinhranovskyi is a phenomenon that deals with interaction of different versification systems within separate poetic texts and within intersystem combinations (lyric cycles). The thesis defines the most used meters of the polymetric structures and considers their alternation in connection with lyrical expression. It observes semantic auras of accentual-syllabic meters, hexameter and folk song syllabic meters. They represent constant complexes of themes and motifs associated with some meters. Poet gets into the dialogue with different traditions of versification: Ancient Greek (dactylic hexameter, elegy), Roman (sonnet, crown of sonnets (a wreath of sonnets), a wreath of stanzas, triolet, romance), Eastern (lyric miniatures similar to Japanese haiku), Ukrainian folk poetry (folk song
