Belgian Francophone Literature Through the Literary Process in Ukraine

Abstract

Aim. The article examines some major facts of the entry of Belgian francophone literature into the Ukrainian belles-lettres process whose origins date back to the 1870s-1880s. The paper aims at outlining the first-rate facts of more outstanding Ukrainian writers of the late 19th – early 20th century getting acquainted with E.Verhaeren and M.Maeterlinck – the classics of Belgian francophone literature.

Methods. The paper employs the system approach with the application of historical-literary and genetic methods. Based on the literary and historical method, a delineation was made in the history of the above-mentioned Belgian writers entering the Ukrainian literary-theoretical process; the genetic method made it possible to distinguish the most essential in the works by the selected Ukrainian writers which led to their reading of certain samples among what E.Verhaeren and M.Maeterlinck had authored.

Results. The research presents the history of Iv. Franko’s familiarization with E.Verhaeren’s poetry through the mediation of Miriam’s [Zenon Przesmycki’s] L’viv-held lectures, history of life-time translations from Verhaeren done by V. Shchurat and O. Luts’kyi; the high appreciation of the Belgian poet’s works expressed by Lesia Ukrayinka. Special mention is made of Maurice Maeterlinck’s poetry and dramas’ entry into Ukrainian literature owing to P. Hrabovs’kyi’s, Lesia Ukrayinka’s and Nataliya Kobrynska’s translations.

Scientific novelty. The paper is an important page in the history of Ukrainian-Belgian literary relations. It pioneers the panorama of interest in E.Verhaeren’s poetry back in the Belgian poet’s life-time, which is convincing evidence of the Europeanism of Ukrainian literary process.

Pactical significance. The paper may provide a basis for a more profound reading of the two classics of Belgian francophone literature by the above-mentioned Ukrainian writers in the theoretical and translation studies aspects.