Anacreontics by A. Kobenkov

Statement of the problem. The relevance of the article is dictated, firstly, by the need to trace the line of tradition in the perception of ancient ethical and aesthetic values in the mind of the poet of the turn of the 20th - 21st centuries. Secondly, Kobenkov’s poetics and the complex system of representation of the author’s self-image contradict the reputation of Anacreontics as a ‘lightweight’ entertaining poetry. Thirdly, A. Kobenkov’s poems are recommended for study in regional literature programs, which makes his work in demand for a wide range of readers. And the lack of literary studies of the poetic heritage of A. I. Kobenkov defines the novelty aspect of the proposed publication. The purpose of the article is to examine the susceptibility of A. Kobenkov’s lyrical consciousness to anacreontic hedonism and ancient harmony in general, whereas he gained the reputation of a ‘sad’ poet; and also, to identify the features of his poetic language. The material of the article is selected poems from the collection “A Line Tired of Wandering ...” and, in particular, the cycle “Notes of a Naturalist”. Methodology of research. For the analysis of the cycle, the methodology of system analysis proposed by I. Prigozhin and V. I. Tyupoy turned out to be preferable, and in some moments genre, motive and phenomenological approaches to the study of a literary text were emphasized. A review of the scientific literature on the problem. The theoretical aspects of Anacreontics were considered in the works on the history of ancient literature by G. A. Gukovsky, in the dictionary articles by E. M. Pulkhritudova and I. V. Stahl. Research results. The analysis of the cycle showed that the poet’s hedonism and aestheticism are challenged by a sense of fragility of harmony and brevity of life. Anacreontic motifs provide the poet with a short respite before entering the final existential stage of life, changing the themes of thought and emotion. The lyrical consciousness of the poet in anacreontics is gaining strength for a habitual existence in a tragic world.