Poetry of War: Ukrainian-Turkish Manifestations

Abstract

The main focus of the article is on Ukrainian poetry written since February 24, 2022, as well as Turkish poetry about the war in Ukraine. The study explores the figurative palette of Ukrainian and Turkish poems, pays particular attention to the multi-vector perception of the war situation through the eyes of Ukrainians and Turkish neighbours, and also to children's poetry (poems written by Ukrainian and Turkish children). Using the comparative method and the method of microanalysis, we discovered common and different images and themes in Turkish and Ukrainian poetry, namely, the image of Europe and America, cruel Russia, the image of a bear, the president of Russia, the image of a stolen spring, the theme of courage, the theme of a crippled childhood. Human values were common to Ukrainian and Turkish poets: human life, peace on the planet, family grief, and historical memory is also similar: in both Ukrainian and Turkish poems, the theme of the aggressive character of Russia from ancient times to the present day echoes. Prayer poems deserve special attention; faith in God unites the poetic world of the Muslim and Christian worlds. Children's poetry is the most painful element of war poetry, but even here the voices of little Ukrainians sound patriotic, with a dream for a bright future, and Turkish voices – with pleas to return childhood to Ukrainian children. The presented works must necessarily have their continuation – namely, translations into different languages, in particular Turkish, for spreading part of the strong-willed spirit of Ukrainians and intercultural communication.