Metaphor as a semantic axis in Anatolii Moisiienko’s poetry: associative and intonational dimensions

Abstract

Background. The article is devoted to the study of metaphor as a semantic axis in the poetic speech of Anatolii Mosiienko. Its relevance is determined by the need for a systematic description of meaning-making mechanisms in contemporary Ukrainian poetry, specifically the role of core metaphors in the formation of associative fields and the semantic architectonics of the work. The aim of the research is to elucidate the functions of metaphor as a structural factor of the poetic text, to identify the mechanisms of unfolding associative fields, and to outline the role of intonational and syntactic tools in enhancing metaphorical expression.

Methods. The methodological framework comprises a comprehensive linguo-poetic approach combining semantic-stylistic, cognitive-discursive, and text-linguistic analyses. The study employs the modelling of associative fields based on the "nucleus – domain projections – periphery" principle, the reconstruction of semantic transition vectors (natural – existential – national-archetypal – sacred), as well as the analysis of intonational and syntactic iconicity (parenthetical constructions, repetition, interjection, rhythmic break).

Results. It has been established that core images (river, wind, gold, house, night, time/eternity) function as semantic axes around which the thematic blocks of poetry are organised. The image of the river emerges as a model of writing, the flow of life, and the national element; gold forms a synthetic symbol of beauty, fading, and spiritual value; the house acquires the status of a national archetype; the wind represents the dynamics of history and internal movement; night and time structure the cosmic-existential dimension. Mechanisms of metaphor intensification through anthropomorphism, zoomorphism, metonymization, and neologization are identified, alongside intonational breaks and repetitions that iconically reproduce the elemental nature of the image. It is found that the author’s metaphoricity is based on synaesthesia of perception, where visual images are transformed into sound and tactile ones, creating a multidimensional space of the poem. Particular attention is paid to the mechanism of interaction between metaphorical transfer and intonational pauses, which allows for emphasis on hidden semantic overtones.

Conclusions. Metaphor in Anatolii Mosiienko’s poetry appears not as a local trope, but as a text-forming conceptual dominant that shapes the semantic architectonics of the work. Associative fields ensure the multi-vector unfolding of the image and integrate natural, personal, national, and cosmic principles. Intonational and syntactic tools serve as semantic catalysts, enhancing the dramaturgy and expression of poetic speech. It is proved that the associative potential of A. Mosiienko’s poetic word is realised through an extensive system of metaphorical connections that form a unique individual authorial style. Prospects for further research are traced in a deeper study of the interaction between metaphorical models and the phono-semantic level of the poetic text.

About the author:

Anatoliy Zahnitko – Doctor of Philology, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Professor in the Department of General and Applied Linguistics and Slavic Philology at the Faculty of Foreign and Slavic Philology, Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7398-6091

e-mail: a.zagnitko@gmail.com, a.zagnitko@donnu.edu.ua