The Poetic Works of Taras Shevchenko (1860–1861) In the Paradigm of Receptive Criticism: Interpretative Potential and New Approaches in Higher Educatio

Abstract

Introduction. The article is dedicated to the receptive analysis of the poetic works of Taras Shevchenko from 1860 to 1861.
Results. The texts of Taras Shevchenko within the receptive paradigm exhibit metanarrative features of searching and wavering. In the context of receptive criticism, Shevchenko is not a wax figure of a genius, but a living thinker whose lyrical hero often experiences internal division, doubts, aspirations for freedom, and the tragedy of impotence, the futility of the search for personal and national earthly happiness. What the author is unequivocal about is the rejection of both the colonial oppression of exploiters and the voluntary submission of people (even before religious dogma, if it is not humanized, personalized). However, the author simultaneously understands collective submission (as a forced condition) and condemns it (as a tragic weakness). In his poetry of this period, Shevchenko frequently reflects on the theme of personal happiness, glory, and numerous existential questions. Particular attention is paid to the Anacreontic motifs, hedonism, and the pursuit of happiness, which intertwine with the satirical depiction of imperial power. It is emphasized that any form of human enslavement remains unacceptable for Shevchenko, while his understanding of religion takes on features similar to the contemporary distinction between personal faith and institutional religiosity. The article demonstrates the correspondence between Shevchenko's worldview oscillations and the characteristics of metamodernism. The proposed approaches to the contemporary perception of Shevchenko's work, taking into
account current methodological frameworks, open up new pathways for in-depth interpretation of texts within the educational process of philology students at higher education institutions.
Conclusions. The receptive approach makes the reader's horizon of expectations flexible and open to new interpretations. This is why Shevchenko remains close to the metanarrative individual today, one who rejects ready-made answers and never ceases to search for truth, without losing faith (unlike postmodernism) in the very possibility of its existence. The works of Shevchenko from this period represent a complex search for meaning, while preserving the ethical imperative of freedom and dignity, and remain relevant in the contemporary humanitarian paradigm.