THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN H. P. LOVECRAFT’S VIEW: A POET’S VISION

Abstract

Aim. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the reflection of the events of the First World War in the poetry of H. P. Lovecraft. Methodology. A poetiological analysis is used to study H. P. Lovecraft’s poetics. Results. Using poems “1914” (1914), “The Crime of Crimes” (1915), "Beauties of the Peace” (1916), and “Teutonic Battle Song” (1916), we analyze the peculiarities of the author's interpretation of the tragic events of World War I. The connections between the writer's creativity and worldview with some philosophical theories at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries are outlined. Research implications. The study deepens the ideas about the civic position of H. P. Lovecraft, as well as about the way the main theme of the world literature, connected with the comprehension of the military theme, is reflected in his poetry.