The Ontology of Objectlessness in Mikhail Lermontov’s Poem “I am Weary and Sad, and There’s No One to Give Me a Hand…”

Aim. To reveal the distinctive features of Mikhail Lermontov’s artistic vision and worldview, and to determine the semantic richness of the poetics of objectlessness in his poem “I am Weary and Sad, and There’s No One to Give Me a Hand…”.

Methodology. The research material comprises the authentic text of Mikhail Lermontov’s poem “I am Weary and Sad, and There’s No One to Give Me a Hand…”, analysed within the context of the poet’s biography and his other works written around the same period. The core methodological framework is based on understanding poetic text as a record of the ‘here and now’ state, which simultaneously manifests a dynamically presented worldview.

Results. The study establishes that Mikhail Lermontov’s poem “I am Weary and Sad, and There’s No One to Give Me a Hand…” not only conveys the author’s experience of the disparity between ideals and reality, but also asserts the spiritual and social essence of human nature. The need for dialogue constitutes the fundamental foundation of the poet’s personality. Through denying the value of an earthly existence devoid of a spiritual encounter with the Other, the poet affirms the authenticity of human spiritual being. The intellectual paradox of affirmation through negation, manifested in the poem, is realized by means of a specific artistic strategy involving the rejection of words with concrete meanings, which manifests itself in a distinctive poetics of objectlessness. As part of a system captured at its point of ultimate tension, the poem provides an insight into the holistic development of the poet’s ontological views.

Research implications. The theoretical significance of the study lies in clarifying the specific nature of Mikhail Lermontov’s poetics, which is vital for understanding his worldview and the distinctive features of his artistic vision. The practical significance of the research relates to the cultural transmission of the spiritual meaning of the authentic text of the poem “I am Weary and Sad, and There’s No One to Give Me a Hand…” into reading practices and the formation of the spiritual and moral values of society.

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