Lyrical Self in Vasyl Stus's Poetry
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Identity building through perpetual choice: lyrical self in Vasyl Stus’s poetry YELYZAVETA TARANUKHA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF “KYIV-MOHYLA ACADEMY” Abstract: Based on the oeuvre of Vasyl Stus, the article investigates the origin of personal identity in Ukrainian poetry of the 20th century. The lyrical self in Stus’s poetry is supposed to be represented by identity building provided through perpetual choice. The article indicates and explores the connection between the choice of lyrical self and the topical concepts of Stus’s poetry, such as alive-death and death-life are. The article states that the lyrical self builds the identity perpetually by choosing beyond or within these concepts. Keywords: lyrical self, Vasyl Stus, identity, personal choice, authenticity. Identity building through perpetual choice: lyrical self in Vasyl Stus’s poetry 185 Introduction remarks that strict identity of human is an disclosure to be related with the opposition to the life conditions. Limited in social activities ontological principle of personal responsibility society’s rules and to be shaped through the or imprisoned the human repeatedly im- As a synthesis of phonic, visual, and seman- (Ингарден, 2010, p. 107). Identity comprises dialogue between the human and the commu- merges in the freedom of thought. This inner tic hypostasis poetry is based on the certain at least three basic patterns which are indi- nity. Containing the disclosure of the life itself space allows person to confirm own unicity, to system of concepts. Probably due to this vidual’s self-cognition, person’s acknowledg- authenticity is an idea of freedom (Тейлор, delineate the borders of personal self, and to poetry-reader is constantly trying to catch the ment by society, and human’s admission to the 2013, p. 56–57). On the personal level it is build the personal identity. Moreover, identity speaker’s voice in order to indicate the point. group (Матузкова, 2014, p. 17–18). Personal chiefly represented by honesty. Being honest building is often accomplished through crea- Generally the message and the form of its de- identity building frequently requires outlining with yourself means keeping honesty to your tive work by retransmission of the person’s livery may be named as a lyrical self, or subject/ of the links between the human and special originality. The articulation and representation inner existence. The handholding of unsteady actor of lyrics. communities which may be national, local, of originality determine the self of particu- emotional states and desperate ideas, the per- Lyrical self is the main source to represent professional, or other groups. According to lar person. Honesty to the person’s nature is petual self-filling, and the constant self-search the author’s worldview. In poetry, lyrical self Anthony Smith, national identity as a multidi- unique element to be actualized by human be- altogether help the poet to build the personal outlines the specific problems and offers the mensional construction requires at least areal, ing. The main principle of authenticity concept identity and demonstrate it somehow by the ways to solve them. Generally it is the union mythological, historical, cultural, economic, is the honesty enforcing moral dimension of form of the lyrical self. Totalitarian regimes of key-ideas (concepts), integrated into the text and law unity of the community. In stateless the culture. Authenticity makes important the of the 20th century showed that the human by the means of symbols, and a set of tools countries identity supports the forces tending image of person’s self-becoming. Moreover, it tends to seek for self-understanding against (rhythm, verse, rhyme, and visual structure of to become political equivalents of state power. should be mentioned that people are able to and despite: against complicated historical lines). All together it makes lyrical semantics. The sense of national identity determines and understand themselves and to determine their conditions and despite the lack of political Consequently, lyrical self is a voice speaking orientates the self in the context of original identity only after having mastered various freedom. Vasyl Stus is an outstanding example ideas of exact lyrical semantics. culture. Opening the culture persons newly languages of human communication. Self- of such personality in Ukrainian poetry of the This article is a part of the research on the open themselves, they find out their authentic understanding is probably reached through 20th century. broader topic entitled Lyrical self in the poetry Self. In most cases the substantial tool to build personal choice to be provided in different The self-assertion as universal and atem- of V.Stus, O. Zuyevskyi, and M. Atwood. The national identity is ethnical basis of nation spheres of human life. This choice is mostly poral practice is related to human desire of author assumes that totalitarian conditions building (Сміт, 1994, p. 23–30). represented by pivotal problems, which are ex- self-cognition and personal identity building. It in some degree influenced the lyrical self in Identity means the links between the istential for concrete person, and by variety of is strongly connected with the personal choice Ukrainian poetry of 20th century. It is well-rep- world-view and different concepts of self. It is ways to solve them according to unique moral of the way to be a human. The self-assertion resented by Vasyl Stus’s poetry as its lyrical self created through expression and representa- imperative of human (Тейлор, 2013, p. 28, 36). as the main principle of Stus’s life and creative is strongly connected with the problem of per- tion of human choice. Through special values To conclude, personal identity is built work shapes the lyrical self of his poetry. The sonal and national identity. Probably, identity and national culture societies do represent through the dialogue between the person and lyrical self of Stus’s poetry seeks for the answer is a cultural pattern in Ukrainian mythopoet- different ways of being human (Тейлор, the communities. This perpetual conversa- of how to stay human in totalitarian condi- ics, it’s a measure of creative work and human 2005, p. 636, 141, 91). Charles Taylor indicates tion is generally supported by searching for tions of personality eradication. According to honesty with other people and own self. In acknowledgment, lack of it, or wrong acknowl- authenticity and reaching self-understanding. Hannah Arendt (1996), prisoners of the totali- the poetry of Stus the problem of identity is edgment as basic factors to shape identity. Having personal moral rules and keeping them tarian camp were the object of experiment pro- one of the most spoken by lyrical self. Identity Correspondingly, person is existentially impris- strictly in all spheres of existence lead to iden- vided by totalitarian power as there person’s belongs there to sacred sphere and is built oned and oppressed by the non-recognition tity shaping and development of the unique individuality was exposed to be totally de- by perpetual private choice of the lyrical self. and wrong acknowledgment. Identity strongly way to be a human. structed (Арендт, 1996, p. 590). In conditions of The article is an effort to explore in-depth the depends on the person’s relations with others. public activities expropriation human being is unique key-concepts shaping the lyrical self in Impossible isolated identity as a construction Personal Choice as Identity-Builder led to submerge into the space of the freedom Stus’s poetry. originates only through inner and external As a cogitative and a social creature human be- of thought. Correspondingly, the humaneness dialogue with others (Тейлор, 2004, p. 29–37; ing seeks for self-understanding through be- declines as much as the person refuses the The Origin of Personal Identity Гнатюк, 2005, p. 84). ing understood by community. Although this freedom of thinking. Being simultaneously al- Personal identity is a complex structure of the The next important hypostasis of personal aspiration might be provided various ways, the ienated from the hostile reality and taking this self-building which is determined by both identity is authenticity. Authenticity includes tendency is that the person tries to achieve reality into account allow to open the sphere external and interior factors. Roman Ingarden the creation, the development, and the the self-understanding despite the hostility of of freedom and to transmit this inner space of Identity building through perpetual choice: lyrical self in Vasyl Stus’s poetry 187 thought through creative work (Арендт, 2008, In USSR the building of personality started ethical rules, hunger-strikes, angriness caused branch” (Стус, 2010, p. 10, 12). The motif of p. 32–46). This probably explains why impris- since the shaping of nationalistic sense which by prison-workers’ behavior, and claim for jus- the free choice is repeated in the short poetry oned Vasyl Stus tried to send his poetry abroad creation was strictly suppressed by the totali- tice), the freethinking provided in creative work (52): “Haven’t live till the harvest, haven’t get so that to publish the created texts and share tarian system. Ernest Gellner (1991) claims the (poetry, diary, and correspondence), and the the crop, / neither have loved. And nor lived. them with the human community. importance of nationalistic sense as a substan- connection with the free world (delivery of the No regret” (Cтус, 2010, p. 84). This motif is Art itself is the dimension of artist’s free- tial element of personal identity in the post- texts abroad in order to have them published modified in the (14) poetry (“The church of St. dom. Philippe Sers determines the art as industrial world. Nationalism is a principle in there). Iryna…”): “The darkness wraps the throat / you a mechanism of the reasoning, the moral and concordance with which political and ethnical In order to outline the personal choice of can’t breathe.