„Jam pieśnią krzyczał swą, czyjeście wnuki...” Profetyzm w liryce Feliksa Batoryna

Belarusian poet Feliks Batorin is the author of many poems on philosophical and civic topics. A characteristic feature of these poems is that they draw inspiration from religious thought founded on the Judeo-Christian tradition. They contain numerous Old Testament allusions and evangelical reminiscences. Batorin’s poems are also characterized by their allegoric quality, and their parabolic, metaphorical, and creative synthesis of biblical themes and folkloristic motifs. Biblical motifs began to appear in Felix Batorin’s poetry in the 1980s, during a period of social and political transformation in Belarus. Reflecting on the reality, the poet often turns to the motif of prophetism and the figure of the prophet, which might prove conducive to trying to find answers to important questions - both universal and resulting from Belarusian historical and cultural specificity. The drama of being a prophet results from the overwhelming feeling of loneliness arising from opposing the society in order to fulfil the mission which has been entrusted to a prophet. The tragedy of the poet-prophet lies in the fact that he is aware of his weakness and helplessness in the struggle against the individual for the individual, in his attempts to reach the morose society. The destructive activities of the oppressive communist system against the culture, language and identity of Belarusians turned out to have serious consequences for the society of the post-Soviet Belarus. That is why it cannot be surprising that pessimism resounds in prophetic works of Felix Batorin. However, despite pessimism, there is still hope in his poetry – the hope to reverse the fate of the nation and homeland.