Досліджено особливості передсмертної поезії Тараса Шевченка. Особливу увагу звернено на її ідейну характеристику; з"ясовано, що покладено в її основу: песимізм чи пророцтво. На основі цілісного аналізу поезії митця, написаної перед смертю, доведено, що провідною в ній є ідея пророчого бачення майбутнього. Визначено концептуальні домінанти передсмертної поезії Тараса Шевченка, серед яких провідними є незламність духу, прагнення до волі й боротьби, любов до Батьківщини, звернення до Бога та ін. Доведено,що твори Тараса Шевченка, написані перед смертю, є духовним заповітом, молитвою за всіх.
In the article the peculiarities of Taras Shevchenko"s pre-death poetry are investigated. Particular attention is paid to its ideological characteristics; it is found out what its basis is: pessimism or prophecy. Based on a complete analysis of the artist"s poetry, written before his death, it is proved that the idea of a prophetic vision of the future is leading in it. The conceptual dominants of Taras Shevchenko"s predeath poetry have been determined, particularly the steadfastness of spirit, desire for freedom and struggle, love for the Motherland, appeal to God, and others. The motive of death appears in the creativity of Taras Shevchenko in the etching "F&airy Tale" of 1844, which depicts death in the form of a grandmother-skeleton with a braid in the Ukrainian national dress. Taras Shevchenko appeals to the topic of death in the "Testament" of 1845, when young and ill poet has ordered to bury himself& after his death in Ukraine. Analysis of the ideological paradigm of the work shows that the essence of this testament hasn"t changed until his last breath. In predeath poetry the artist represents a prophetic vision of the future. The motives of sad&ness are explained by tragic events in the poet"s life, particularly detachment from his native land, as well as disappointments in the ability of compatriots to statehood and freedom. According to Taras Shevchenko"s conception, historical events, es&pecially the deeds of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Peter I and the "bad" lords, are the reasons of this situation. It is proved that the works written before poet"s death are a spiritual testament of the artist, a prayer for all, because Taras Shevchenko appe&als to God with a supplication for a better fate for his country and people. The artist hopes that Ukrainians will realize the need to fight for freedom and self-sufficiency. Taras Shevchenko thinks himself inseparably from his homeland, he wants to &return and die in Ukraine before his death. Until his last breath the poet doesn"t lose the strength of spirit, hangs on his beliefs, cultivating visions of freedom and happiness - personal and national.
