VASYL MAKHNO’S “ODYSSEY OF CONTENT AND FORM” IN THE POETRY COLLECTION “CORNELIA STREET CAFE: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS”

Abstract

Vasyl Makhno, as a poet, essayist, literary critic, translator and scholar, is well known both in Ukraine and abroad. The aim of this article is to analyze the form and the content of poems on the example of the poetry collection “Cornelia Street Cafe: New and Selected Poems” (2007). Vasyl Makhno practices new images, transforming those he earlier left behind.

In his texts the main cities were those, where the author used to live; travelling around the world the geography of his cities and places expends; we can notice its poetic representation in his poems when Makhno smoothly passes through classical examples to free verse.

The author does not concentrate on strict rhyming – among a certain number of stanzas, one, two or three rhymes do not repeat each other, but rather change single-double-dactylic rhymes.

Graphic form of Makhno’s verses seems like symbolizes travelling – as if lines are the representation of movement and action: most lines of his works have dashes – like a change of scenery, topic, space, picture, etc.
Vasyl Makhno isn’t pressed towards rhyme – he always has a desire to “fight” against tradition. Choosing the main formal poetic instrument the poet experiences an internal struggle – he is always interested in experimenting, deepening into the very essence of poetry.

In particular, when creating relatively associative images, Vasуl Makhno uses paronomasia (sound metaphor). He rhymes Ukrainian and English words; such rhyming provides unexpected development of inaccurate rhymes. In his collections one can find examples of anaphora and epiphora, which also create sound instrumentation (as some decoration). Analyzing the above mentioned poetic collection on the subject of the instruments for creation of content through images and form, the author of the article proves that Vasуl Makhno is a real word-painter, who confidently holds it (the word) in his hand, artistically realizes the word-form on paper, and is not afraid to experiment with the form (sound organization, strophe organization, rhyme, verses).