Realization of Weltschmerz Motive in the Testament by Agatangel Krymskyi: biographical aspect

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of Agatangel Krymskyi’s poetic testament “In Torturous Torment” through the lens of weltschmerz aesthetics that characterizes Ukrainian modernism during the fin de siècle era. By interpreting the specific features of Ukrainian literature at the turn of the centuries and projecting them onto the poetry collection “Palm Branch”, the author argues that Agatangel Krymskyi represents the most vivid embodiment of this literary period, as his poetic decadence is marked by modernist explorations as well as by psychoanalytic depth and neurotic sensitivity. Reading and interpreting the poetic legacy of Agatangel Krymskyi is impossible without delving into the biographical foundations underlying its creation. The writer’s private correspondence with prominent figures of Ukrainian culture of the time (particularly with B. Grinchenko) offers a clear understanding of the thoughts and reflections of the lyrical subject in his poetry, while historical accounts of Krymskyi’s life allow for the correlation of specific biographical stages with the emotional experiences of his lyrical characters. The author’s personal epistolary archive lifts the veil on his mental state and sheds light on the life circumstances that prompted him to compose his poetic testament. The testament “In Torturous Torment” stands out typologically from traditional monument-poems, which aim to glorify their authors among future generations. Agatangel Krymskyi, while addressing his descendants, does not boast of his numerous achievements, because having come to terms with a harsh totalitarian reality and ostracism, and recognizing the impossibility of resisting the system, the poet expresses remorse for his only “guilt” – his love for science. The motive of weltschmerz in the poems is traced through the dichotomy of the images of sun and darkness, particularly by means of psychological self-analysis, apathy, and existentialism. The poem “In Torturous Torment” emerges not merely as an act of the poet’s self-representation, but as a tool for rethinking the place of ostracized artists and their existential resistance in terms of totalitarianism.