IVAN SVITLYCHNY AS AN EXPERT IN SHEVCHENKO STUDIES: POETIC-STYLE PALETTE

Abstract

The proposed terminological opposition poetics/style is applied to the analysis of Ivan Svitlychny's artistic palette. His works on Shevchenko are noted in detail in the context of the peculiarities of their creation, the peculiarities of the evolution of the author's views, his scientific and artistic style.

In the article "Artistic Treasures of the Great Cellar", Svitlichny, in particular, under the guise of criticism, popularizes the interpretation of Shevchenko's poem proposed by the foreign scholar S. Smal-Stotsky. Such popularization was dangerous at that time. And also "justifies" Shevchenko for his criticism of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi and his sharply negative assessment of the activities of the Russian Tsar Peter I.

In the review article "Critical Commentary on Scientific Commentary", the critic, in particular, repeats the "seditious" paragraphs of the previous article. And also, while approving of Yu. Ivakin's comment on the famous poem "To my fellow-countrymen, in Ukraine and not in Ukraine, living, Dead and as yet Unborn my friendly Epistle", he disagrees with its narrow genre definition and the alleged single addressee, passionately argues about the comment on "The Digging Grave", defends against unnecessary objective criticism of disgraced colleague Yaroslav Dzira. 

Even more courageous was the article "Harmony and Algebra", which in a humorous and satirical spirit considered the monographs of linguists, including the book of Academician I. Bilodid, the leader of the concept of "convergence of languages", crowned with numerous regalia. Linguistic expertise of the philologist Svitlychny is evidenced by the profound  review of the three-volume Russian-Ukrainian dictionary, written in a completely scientific style. 

The essay "Shevchenko's Spiritual Drama" (1976) became the pinnacle of the philologist's reflections on the legacy of the Ukrainian genius, projected also on his own destiny. The study ends with an analysis of the poem "The Half-wit", in which the Shevchenko's Spiritual Drama despair in people, passive and indifferent −  appeared most.

Svitlychnyi, a poet, also resonates with Shevchenko in his artistic words. This gives reason to finish this article with Shevchenko's lines:

When will we greet

Our own George Washington at last

With the new law of righteousness?

Oh, there's no doubt that day we'll see!

_____________

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