The Discourse of War in the Contemporary Poetic Works of Lina Kostenko.

Abstract

The discourse of war – one of the key ones in Lina Kostenko’s artistic work – usually appears in the context of moral and ethical trials of a person, the process of rethinking history, the role of leaders in the formation of a nation and the preservation of the cultural values ​​of the Ukrainian people. At the same time, the poetess expresses admiration for the courage and heroism not only of the military, but also of the moral choice of every person in conditions of war. The aim of the article is to analyze the images and means of expression that verbalize and outline the discourse of war in the contemporary poetry of Lina Kostenko. Methods: descriptive, comparative, and systemic.

Results. The classic of Ukrainian literature Lina Kostenko responded to the latest Russian-Ukrainian war with poems that were included in the anthology “War 2022: Diaries, Essays, Poetry” (2023), edited by V. Rafeenko, along with poems by S. Zhadan, K. Kalytko, V. Makhno, M. Savka and other authors. The poetic images she created have undeniable value for understanding not only the personal experiences of the artist, but also the collective memory of the nation. Anti-military themes are an organic part of Lina Kostenko’s artistic heritage, a definition of her civic position. Anti-war motifs in the poet's lyrics and lyric-epic can be interpreted as two components of one whole: the first is texts about the events of World War II, and the second is poems reflecting the modern war that began in 2014, when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Conclusions. The discourse of war is marked by various indicators: from general words such as "death" and "victory" to personal experiences and the collective memory of the nation. For Lina Kostenko, war is not merely bloodshed and struggle but also a process of reinterpreting history, understanding the role of leaders in shaping the nation, and preserving the cultural values of the Ukrainian people. At the same time, the poetess expresses admiration for the courage and heroism not only of soldiers but also of the moral choices made by individuals in times of war.