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Abstract

This article deals with the love lyrics of the World War I period of both well-known authors of that time and the representatives of mass military poetry. Genre variety of works, such as poetic sketches, internal monologue of lyrical character, epistles and so on, is shown in the article. It is noted that when authors use numerous modifications, lyrical dairy is the basis of genre culture of love lyrics of the marked period. It captures both the vicissitudes of the personal relationship of the lyrical character and socio-political, historical realities of the tragic and heroic time as well. It is evidenced by the factual basis of literary works. The particularities of female image implementing - a beloved, a wife, a mother – are pointed out in the article. The author of the article highlights that in the poems of both poets and poetess the female image is psychologically accurate, associated with mythopoetic and literary tradition. The Russian woman is shown in the absolute majority of lyrical poems as a savior, a guardian of a man-warrior. Her faithfulness and devotion can resist to death itself. Though there are some visible differences, the image of beloved/ wife/ mother has common features. It reflects the author’s mentality. It is self-valuable and can be considered as an integral part of the image of courage, the image of the Motherland. It is also perceived as an embodied life value associated with peace and happiness, which must be protected even at the cost of life. The archetypes of home (family), woman, love are associated with the image of war/death/chaos, which leads to the conclusion that love in the analyzed works is presented as a sense of defense.

Keywords

Lyrical character, archetype, mentality, national character, mental community, mythopoetic reminiscences