Svyrydenko O. Epistolary of Ukrainian Romantic writers: problematics, genre peculiarities and poetics.

This dissertation is the first work to explore epistolary of Ukrainian Romantic writers using a systemic and holistic approach, particularly with a focus on its problematics, genre peculiarities and poetics within the framework of theory and practice of Romanticism in Ukraine. It has proved that Ukrainian Romantic epistolary tradition was shaped by both Western European influences of the New Age and the traditions rooted in national epistolary heritage of the past era. It is emphasized that processes of decanonization and synthesis of genres taking place in the Romantic era also affected letters. This led to a number of variations and modifications of this genre emerging during the Romantic period. For instance, genre mixture and diffusion produced epistolary publicist works, travelogue letters, scholarly article letters, sermon letters and confession letters. It has been stated that the peculiarity of Ukrainian Romantic heritage in terms of problematics is its being dominated by sociopolitical discourse. The author emphasizes that correspondence of Ukrainian Romantics is characterized with continuous national and existential problematics. In their letters, they demonstrate a combination of philosophic existentiality and deep Christian spirituality thus acting as forerunners of Christian existentialism. Artistic peculiarities of Romantic writers’ heritage stem from peculiarities of Romanticism as a unique literary school. The dissertation proves that by aestheticizing such a marginal genre as letters they turn it into an art form to the greatest possible extent. Being supporters of absolute artistic freedom, Romantics viewed epistolary practice as the field to test innovative theories and techniques. These involve romantic irony, poetics of contrast, fragmentarity, multiple layers, sudden changes from tragic to comic, from high to low and vice versa, and an in-depth psychological analysis. Another art-related factor in romantic epistolary is constant reference to allusions which are considered inherent to the self determination of the Romantic addressant. One more form of intertextuality as quotation is also involved.