BYRONISM IN POETIC WORKS BY AGATANGEL KRYMSKYI (BASED ON THE CYCLE “LOVE IN A HUMAN WAY”)

Abstract

The given research analyzes the issue of interrelationship and typological similarities between the works by Agatangel Krymskyi and the literary heritage of George Gordon Byron. The comparison of the poetic cycle “Love in a Human Way” from the collection “Palm Branches” and the lyro-epic poem “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage” contributes to rethinking the role of Ukrainian literature in the context of the world literary process, as well as it gives possibility to refute widespread stereotypes about the provincialism and marginality of the national literature in the totalitarian era.Using genetic-contact and imagological methods, the author of the article examines the typological connections between the poetic works of G. Byron and A. Krymskyi, highlighting shared motifs in the poetry cycle “Love in a Human Way” and the poem “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage”. These commonalities primarily manifest in the dominance of the motif of Weltschmerz (world-pain), the lyrical heroes’ search for their own “self”, aesthetic pantheism, and the affinity of nature-related topoi. The typological similarity of the texts is also analyzed through the lens of autobiographism, particularly the similarity of the authors’ personal experiences (world travels) and their ideological perspectives (worldview). Moreover, civic themes, an essential characteristic of the Byronic poem, are traced in the intimate-philosophical lyrics of both authors.The article emphasizes that the poetry cycle “Love in a Human Way” is distinguished by many characteristics inherent in Byronism, as well as Agatangel Krymskyi’s artistic work acquires new meanings when compared with the works of world literary classics. This comparison elevates the poetic ego of the Ukrainian writer to a new level within the coordinates of national literature. At the same time, the study’s findings indicate that further research into the manifestations of Byronism in the artistic heritage of many other Ukrainian writers of the 19th and 20th centuries is a perspective and highly relevant field of research.The author emphasizes the urgent need for further reflection on the phenomenon of Byronism in Ukrainian literature, which will allow for a deeper examination of the integration of national literature into the global literary process while simultaneously highlighting its uniqueness.