Baroque in the Poetic Interpretation of Volodymyr Tymchuk: Unity of Form and Content

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the influence of Baroque aesthetics on contemporary Ukrainian poetry, particularly on the works of Volodymyr Tymchuk. The Baroque is considered as an artistic epoch that established new aesthetic standards, including multilayeredness, emotional intensity, dynamism, contrast, and symbolism, which remain relevant in the literary processes of the 20th and 21st centuries. The author analyzes how these features are reinterpreted in Tymchuk’s poetry collection Barokove (2024), where the visual components (design, fonts, illustrations) are harmoniously combined with the thematic content of the texts, creating a multi-layered dialogue between form and meaning. Special attention is paid to the paratextual aspects of the collection, which include cover design, stylized fonts, text structure, and the preface. These elements complement the content level of the collection, emphasizing its connection to the Baroque tradition, particularly through cyclicality and the symbolism of the number 12. At the core of the analysis lies the triad “human—warrior—poet”, which defines the ideological and thematic concept of the collection.