Homo viator in the Poetry of Maksym “Dali” Kryvtsov (Based on the Collection Poems from the Loophole)

Abstract

The article explores the poetic world of Maksym Kryvtsov, a warrior-poet who was killed in the war in January 2024. His verse reflects the perspective of both a participant in and a witness to armed conflict. The lyrical protagonist, a contemporary homo viator, is a warrior journeying along the road of war. The figure of the warrior-traveller is interpreted as a new type of hero within the framework of modern transformations of the monomyth, which traditionally comprises departure, initiation, and return. Particular attention is given to the road motif in Kryvtsov’s poetry: the road with God and towards God; the road of war, life, and death; the road as a passage between worlds; and Ukraine’s own Way of the Cross. The study analyses poems in which the homo viator recounts his journey and the people he meets along the way, with a focus on the remythologisation of Christian imagery and symbols. This process is linked to the lyrical hero’s desire to imbue his surroundings with sacred significance and to seek a sense of divine protection during a journey from which return is arduous and almost impossible.