LINGUISTIC OBJECTIFICATION OF THANATOLOGICAL CONCEPTS IN PETRO SOROKA’S POETRY
Abstract
The article explores the specificity of verbalization and functioning of thanatological concepts in the lyrical heritage of the famous Ukrainian writer Petro Soroka. The relevance of studying the corresponding linguomental formations, which reflect the ethnocultural identity and the individual picture of the world of the artist, is substantiated, particularly the representation of thanatological concepts, primarily such as DEATH, in the lyrical heritage of P. Soroka. The object of the study is the poet’s lyrical heritage, presented in the first volume of his “Selected Works” (2020), while the subject is the linguocognitive and lexico-semantic features of expressing the mentioned units in the analyzed artistic texts. As a result of the research, conclusions are formulated proving that in Petro Soroka’s idiostyle, the core concept of DEATH does not describe a feeling of hopelessness but unfolds in four interconnected dimensions. Within the material dimension, physical decay is captured, reproduced through a set of words with a mournful emotional coloring. The transcendent dimension reveals a Christian model of world perception, where the biological end is transformed into a gentle plea of the soul to return to the “Lord’s warm lands” (Hostodnii vyrii). The socio-cultural dimension highlights the departure of other cultural figures through necrological descriptions and direct poetic dialogue, resulting in the realization of the higher mental categories of memory and gratitude. The logical culmination of the lyrics is textual immortality, where the artistic word acquires signs of staticity. The combination of these four dimensions reflects the integrity of the author’s perception of the world. In such a system, the physical decay of a person is overcome through spiritual memory and the power of the artistic word. The conducted observations prove that it is the philosophical transition from the perishable material world to eternity that determines the originality of Petro Soroka’s individual style. Prospects for further research are related to the study of the interaction between thanatological motifs and adjacent linguomental units (ETERNITY, FATE, MEMORY).