Apology of classics through the prism of modernity in the poetry of Maksym Rylsky

Abstract

Background. The article highlights the problem of the relationship between the classics and modernity using the example of Maksym Rylsky's poetry and his 'neoclassical' beliefs.

Methods. The research methodology consists in adequately decoding M. Rylsky's text, proceeding from it, and not from external literary-critical matrices.

Results. A poet who was non-polemical by nature, he was forced to debate with opponents of so-called 'proletarian literature' and to prove with his own work the self-evident fact that ancient literature and culture do not contradict the modern era, but rather enrich it, and that without knowledge of the cultural past, a full-fledged culture of the present and future is impossible.

С onclusions. Maksym Rylsky's poetry demonstrated a keen sense of the often dramatic and tragic processes of the early 20th century, even predicting possible catastrophes if the sense of moral imperative was lost, delving into the dynamics of urban life, imbued with naturalistic visions of the natural environment, represented the Apollonian attitude of 'neoclassicism' while preserving and disciplining the cardiocentrism of Ukrainian poetry, represented a high culture of artistic thinking and experimentation, and stood as an active crossroads of tradition and innovation.