MOTIF OF DARKNESS AS A THEME OF ROMANTIC POETS

Abstract

In this paper, we start from the establishing theoretical disparity of the concept of motif, its significance and meaning in theory of literature and literary science. Motif is viewed as the smallest unit of meaning within the poems that form a poetic whole and shapes poetic structure, it is an element that is repeated, but has different meanings.

Motif of darkness is viewed as a dynamic as well as a static motif. Darkness manifests itself through the concept of midnight, however, we find that it’s most correctly defined as an antithesis of light (dawn, daybreak, sunrise, sun, the moon and the stars). The phenomenon of darkness is not only a category of light, but also an experiential one, because it determines the emotional relationnship of the lyrical subject to the environment. It is therefore an essential characteristic of poetic expression of romantic poets and should be analyzed as such.