REPRESENTATION OF THE IMAGE OF WAR IN MODERN UKRAINIAN POETRY (BASED ON THE TEXTS OF MARCH–MAY 2022)

Abstract

Introduction. The article examines the realization of the image of war in the poetry of modern Ukrainians – both top-ranked poets and amateurs. The study is based on the texts posted on the pages of social networks during the first three months of the full-scale Russian aggression.
Purpose. The study of artistic interpretations of the image of war, which is a terrible constant in the life of modern Ukrainian society, makes it possible to model a peculiar psycho-emotional portrait of society, because poetry as a form of verbal art is the first to react to the events taking place. In this aspect, the study of the figurative system of texts of the historical period which is so difficult for
Ukrainians is considered relevant.
Results. The image of war in the analyzed poetic texts is frequent, represented by a large number of component images and characterized by a rich variety of artistic means as for realization. The analyzed image is accompanied exclusively by a minor tonality and tragedy in their ultimate expression.
The image of war is often personified, in particular appearing as a widow and a witch. It is represented both by components that embody abstract concepts (death, pain, horror, ruin) and by those that represent the concrete realities of modern war (sirens, grad rocket, air raid warnings, missiles, crushed frames, destroyed houses, abandoned residences, suitcases etc.). Images related to real tragic events of the war deserve special attention: enemy atrocities in various cities of Ukraine, the bombing of the theater and the maternity hospital in Mariupol, the destruction of the Mriya plane etc. The names of Ukrainian cities become conceptual as symbols of the inflexibility of the people and resistance. In the analyzed texts, the idea of Russian-Ukrainian confrontation also finds an original embodiment at the level of graphics.
Originality. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that studied are modern texts, which represent the language creation of the generation that experiences the tragic events of Russian aggression. The analysis of such poetic speech allows to create an overall linguistic portrait of a modern Ukrainian.
Conclusion. The frequency of the image of war, the semantic depth and variety of interpretations
in the analyzed texts gives reason to talk about the scale of the tragedy experienced by the representatives
of the Ukrainian nation regarding the events that are taking place. The opportunity to express one’s thoughts and emotions in the form of poetry on the pages of social networks allows Ukrainians to reflect quickly and qualitatively, to lower their emotional level, and to feel support and empathy. We believe that the study of poetry in the stated aspect is promising both in terms of deepening the knowledge about the expressive capabilities of language and studying the moods of society.