The mystery of creativity in man and in nature: a linguostylistic analysis of M. M. Prishvin’s "failed novel" "Crane Homeland" (to the 150th anniversary of the birth)

Based on a linguo-stylistic analysis of the story "Crane Homeland", the article attempts to reveal M. M. Prishvin’s concept of creative mastery origins. The research aims to examine those linguistic means of the writer’s "failed novel" which enabled M. M. Prishvin to unlock the "secrets" of creativity in man and in nature. To achieve this goal, I used lexical and word-formation analysis, comparative, and integrative methods. Additionally, contextual semantic analysis made it possible to identify the transformations of the meaning of individual linguistic units and reveal the philosophical component of this work of fiction in its entirety. The paper explores various linguo-stylistic devices which allowed the writer to reveal the essence of creativity. These include devices of comparison and contrast, repetition, si mile, semantic widening, playing with set phrases, polynomination, and others. The characterisation of the Claudophora algae nomination series permits establishing the intertextual connections of the work as well as determining the symbolic meaning of the text components. The paper concludes that M. M. Prishvin saw two sides of the creative process, namely the technical and the divine. One can learn the former and become a belletrist. The latter defies explanation and is a revelation from Heaven (a book... falls from the heavens).

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