“NEOPHYTES” OF TARAS SHEVCHENKO IN THE CRITICAL RECEPTION OF EVHEN ZHARSKY

Abstract

The article highlights the peculiarities of Taras Shevchenko’s interpretation of the poem “Neophytes” in the work of Evhen Zharsky ““Neophytes” of Taras Shevchenko” (1868), which is the first literary-critical reception of the poem. It was found that E. Zgarsky on the basis of careful textual analysis, involving historical, biblical, biographical context, social and political realities of 40–60 years of XIX century as well as factual material, diaries, correspondence highlighted the idea’s, genre, plot, figurative, pictorial and expressive features of Shevchenko’s work. E. Zgarsky’s research outlines vectors for further interpretations of the poem “Neophytes”, identifies the main trends in its study, which were continued and deepened in the subsequent works of Shevchenko’s scholars. It is stated that the penetration into the idea’s content of the work allowed the author to draw a motivated conclusion about the key importance of autobiographic, patriotic and Christian motives in the poem. It is emphasized that the interpretation of E. Zgarsky is devoid of unfounded and subjective judgments, although in some places the author did not avoid emotional statements, particularly in the context of analyzing the images of the mother of Alcide, emperor Nero. It is concluded that E. Zgarsky wrote his literary-critical research for a wide range of readers, because he sought to interest them in the work of Taras Shevchenko, and also wanted to convey the content of the poem to those who may not have read or can not read the text directly. It is emphasized that E. Zgarsky’s work is a penetrating interpretation of the poem “Neophytes”, it highlighted and comments the main features of the content and form of the work, which became an important reference point for the then reader of Shevchenko’s works, as well as a basis for further interpretations and Shevchenko studies.