The Epigraph as a Technique of Contextual Poetics in the Lyrics of Albert Vasilyev

In this article, the epigraph is actualized as a subject of literary studies, and the authors consider it as a way of presenting contextual content (a way of creating a special artistic space in a literary text). The purpose of this article is to identify the features of the epigraph as a contextual poetics technique in contemporary Mari poetry, using the example of one of its most prominent representatives, Albert Vasilyev. This is the first time that such a goal has been stated and implemented in regional and national literary studies. The study is based on the poems of the Mari poet Albert Vasilyev, which are included in his collections "Ushanyza" (Believe) (2007) and "Osh lumyshto chever polan" (Red Viburnum in the White Snow) (2017), which have an epigraph in their artistic structure. The research methodology is based on structural-semantic, historical-genetic, and contextual analysis of literary works. The study identified the main functions of the epigraph, and based on the study of this frame component, it determined the features of the Mari poet's cultural outlook (contextual competence) and the specifics of his artistic interaction with the authors he quotes. The authors of the article conclude that the epigraph in Albert Vasilyev's lyrical texts is an important and effective artistic device that represents various contexts (the author's cultural preferences, his worldview reflected in the ideological world of his works, the author's environment, the socio-cultural and ethno-cultural space, the ideological context, etc.). It has been proven that the epigraph actively contributes to expressing the author's position and the artistic idea of the lyrical work.

Mari literature, lyrics, Albert Vasilyev, contextual content, contextual poetics, frame text, main text, the motif-shaped system, poetics, epigraph