ECHOES OF HELLAS: THE LINGUISTIC WORLD OF ANCIGUІTY IN MYKOLA ZEROVʼS POETRY

Alyona PALASH,
PhD, junior researcher department of stylistics, language culture and sociolinguistics,
Institute of the Ukrainian Language of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
4 Mykhaila Hrushevskoho St., Kyiv 01001, Ukraine;
е-mail: palash706@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5283-9906

Heading: WORD IN ART WORK
Language: Ukrainian

Abstract
The article offers a comprehensive analysis of the functioning of antique word-images as a stylistic resource in the poetic work of Mykola Zerov, a recognized leader of Ukrainian Neoclassicism. It emphasizes the profound rooting of the poetʼs aesthetic creed in ancient culture and his pursuit of kalokagathia, which defines the expressive and artistic specificity of Zerovʼs poetics. The study investigates how specific antique images – such as Muse, Circe, Lotophagi, and figures like Virgil, Caesar, and Odysseus – not only reproduce mythological and universal cultural meanings but also actively serve as a means of interpreting and allegorically commenting on the tragic contemporary reality. The research identifies novel semantic enrichments and complex intertextual connections of these word-images within Mykola Zerovʼs poetic practice, evidencing his virtuosic command of stylistics and the profound depth of his linguistic thought. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of Ukrainian Neoclassicismʼs engagement with classical heritage and its role in shaping national literary identity during a period of intense cultural and political transformations.
Key words: neoclassicism, antiquity, imagery, stylistics, linguistic thought, M. Zerov, intertextuality.

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