"…and make a fresh start": a linguo-stylistic analysis of Yu. D. Levitansky’s poem "The winter was like asnowy pass…"

Abstract

Yu. D. Levitansky’s creative work has repeatedly become the object of literary analysis. Nevertheless, the poet’s writing has not been subject to detailed linguo-stylistic research. The article aims to analyse the linguistic means expressing the author’s message in the poem "The winter was like a snowy pass" and on the basis of this characterisation to reveal the philosophical content of the lyrical poem. To achieve the stated aim, linguo-stylistic text analysis is employed. This approach permits the determination of the role and functions linguistic units perform in revealing the poet’s world view. Componential analysis is used to identify the means of semantic extension and transformations of primary and customary meanings of lexical items, which turns out to be important to form the philosophical basis of the poem. The paper concludes that Yu. Levitansky paints a picture of a man’s and poet’s life searches. Additionally, the modes of expressing the author’s message are identified. The reality and fiction are closely intertwined and complement each other. Thus, they help to reveal the view of life of an individual and the whole generation better. Using the monochrome palette of black-and-white films (the poem is part of the winter cycle of the "Cinematograph" collection), the author provides philosophical reflection on life, creativity, and his own place in the fate of the Sixtiers’ generation.