Artistic specificity and linguistic features of representation of the image of the Mother of God in Russian poetry of the first half of the 20th century

Abstract

This article explores the artistic specifics and linguistic characteristics of the representation of the Virgin Mary in Russian poetry of the first half of the 20th century. The relevance of this work stems from the growing interest in traditional spiritual and moral values as the basis for preserving cultural identity, as well as the need for an in-depth study of the relationship between language and religion. The author focuses on analyzing the transformation of the sacred image in the context of the key poetic movements of the era: Symbolism, Acmeism, Futurism, and Imagism. The research material includes works by Alexander Blok, Anna Akhmatova, Sergei Yesenin, and Vladimir Khlebnikov. The study utilizes a comprehensive approach, including discourse analysis of texts, historical and philological methods, as well as lexical, stylistic, and literary analysis, followed by a synthesis of the obtained data. Particular attention is given to the figurative and expressive means used by poets to create a multifaceted image: color symbolism, metaphors, epithets, and syntactic constructions characteristic of each movement. The study established that the image of the Mother of God in the poetry of this period synthesizes features of canonical church veneration and popular folklore beliefs. However, through the active use of poetic expressive devices such as metaphorical series, archaic and colloquial vocabulary, and color painting, it acquires new semantic diversity and enhances its emotional resonance. The author concludes that the evolution of the image of the Mother of God from the sublimely mystical to the lyrically intimate and tragic reflects the spiritual quest of the era and becomes an important archetype of national identity, embodying the maternal and sacrificial principles in the fate of Russia and its people.