Emotion and Rationality in Belarusian Sonnet Writing – on the Example of the Crown of Sonnets Śviataja studnia by Jan Čykvin and the Translations of Sonety krymskie by Adam Mickiewicz into Belarusian

Abstract

The article deals with two directions of development in Belarusian sonnet writing; the first, named according to its initiator – kupalaŭski (Kupala’s), includes free sonnets; the second, named – bahdanovičaŭski (Bahdanovič’s), includes sonnets according to the classical canon. The author of this article draws attention to the fact that the sonnet, as a kind of verse, holds an important place in Belarusian poetry of the 20 th century and is still relevant today. Belarusian poets, however, often deliberately do not keep to strict sonnet rules: emotion in such works prevails over rationality. With the help of the comparative method it investigates the form and content of the crown of sonnets Śviataja studnia (The Holy Well) by Jan Čykvin compared with the translations of Sonety krymskie (Crimean Sonnets) by Adam Mickiewicz into Belarusian as well as similar works by some Belarusian authors (the crown of sonnets Narač (Lake Narač) by Nil Hilievič, and the crown of sonnets Apakalipsis dušy (Apocalypse of the Soul) by Źmitrok Marozaŭ). The author of this article considers separately the rhythmic structure of the sonnets in Śviataja studnia and the translations of Sonety krymskie. It is shown how the irregular rhythmic structure of the free sonnets creates additional levels of perception of the text. The article concludes that the two directions in Belarusian sonnet writing survived in parallel throughout the 20th century and continued into the 21st. And if the first direction (emotionally determined) dominated at the beginning, the second direction (rationally determined), at the current stage of the Belarusian literary process, has expanded significantly in the work of Belarusian authors.