The metaphor as a means of artistic expression of the motifs of journey and orphanhood in the poetry of Leonid Zavalnyuk

Abstract

The article explores metaphor as a central element in the poetics of Leonid Zavalnyuk (1931–2010), embodying the key motifs of his lyric poetry – those of journey and orphanhood. Drawing on the final collection “The Bird Was Flying” (2009), which includes poems from the 2000s as well as texts from various creative periods, the study demonstrates how metaphor evolves from a mere figurative device into a form of philosophical thought. The authors identify three functional levels of metaphor: structural; existential; intertextual. Special attention is paid to paradoxical metaphors (“I will die alive and remain eternal”), which reflect Zavalnyuk’s worldview, where orphanhood transcends mere biography to become an ontological category. The novelty of the research lies in its systematic analysis of Zavalnyuk’s metaphorical language through the prism of motif structure. This work contributes to the understudied field of Far Eastern poets’ artistic language, enriching our understanding of regional poetic traditions.