Thesis for a Candidate Degree (PhD) in Philology, Specialty 10.01.01 – Ukrainian Literature. – Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ministry of Education and Science, Ternopil, 2018.
The dissertation is the first attempt of thorough research into Dignity Revolution poetry and the modification of modern Opposition poetry in the context of revolutionary poems of 20th – 21st century. The work presents the genesis of the revolutionary poetry indicating the inheritance of traditions embodied in the resistance poetry. The critical reception of Ukrainian scholars’ theoretical works convinces us of continuing traditions from Riflemen’s poems and underground poetry to resistance poetry of the independence period.
Analyzing the resistance poetry of the 20th -21st centuries, the research illustrates social and historical preconditions for its occurrence, investigates into scientific research in philosophy, history, sociology, political science related to the historical and political circumstances of the revolutions of the 20th-21st centuries. Literary and theoretical grounds of the research are based on the works of: S. Andrusive, U. Eco, O. Zabushko, O. Kuzmenko, N. Musiienko, M. Pavlyshyn, T. Salyha, L. Senyk, L. Taran, I. Franko, O. Chebaniuk, I. Yaremchuk and others.
The analysis defines that the poems of a critical period should be regarded as signs of culture in close interaction between the author-text-recipient. Consequently, the receptive esthetics plays a crucial role in perceiving these recently composed poems. Close attention is paid to anthropological interpretation of a literary text and to modification of pragmatic functions from esthetic to sociological ones. Consequently, the major methodological means is considered to be receptive esthetics with the help of which suggestive content of Maidan poetry becomes distinctive, and what is more, readers’ reception is explained.
Thorough analysis of Dignity Revolution poetry enables us to state that World War I became a background for development and accumulation of writing traditions related to national liberation starting with Riflemen’s poetry and Kruty battle poems which are compatible with poetic texts of other determining epochs. The influence of symbolistic tendencies has been traced out through the system of images and symbols occurred in resistance texts.
The World War II poetry and post-war poems had a significant influence on formation of Ukrainian national oppositional ideology. The impact of social realism on literature of Ukrainian writers has been analyzed, the conditions of literary creative process of that time has been defined, the reasons for literature going underground has been explained and the influence of Ukrainian colonial dependence on literature has been determined. The analysis of poetic texts enables us to consider poets’ working in those conditions as a means of armed opposition. The investigation indicates the documental feature of the poetry, since it was literature that served as a chronicle of historical events at the times of total social bans and destruction of Ukrainian culture. In contemporary Ukrainian post-totalitarian theory, Orange revolution is called a “national festival” or carnival. The texts are filled with humour and wit in order to preserve the emotional balance of the rebels.
Dignity Revolution poetry has inherited the pathos of esthetic depicting heroism and death typical of national resistance poetry of the previous century. However, having modernized underground poetry, it has composed its own esthetic codes.
Maidan poetry is characterized by strong stylistic convergences which reveal revolutionaries’ chaotic outlook and are mostly realized in syntax (short, eclipsed, nominative sentences), rhetoric sentences (with exclamation marks, inversion). The esthetic dominants of Dignity Revolution poetry are considered to be symbolism, expressiveness, suggestivity, existentialism, apocalyptic nature and others. The original embodiment of folk symbols is found out in the poetry what indicates ethnical identity. Expressiveness caused suggestive component of revolutionary poetry. Psychological unacceptance of massive deaths in the capital city centre of the independent state was the reason for so called ‘poetry therapy’ what can mean poetical self-reflection. Apocalypses is thought to be a horrible reality that defines disastrous Maidantopos. Self-suggestion of apocalyptic reality is indicated to have caused spontaneous creativity during Dignity Revolution.
Key words: Maidan poetry, modern poetry, Riflemen’s poetry, Kruty battle poems, resistance poetry, revolutionary poetry of the 20th century, spontaneous creativity, poetics.
