An Analysis of Titsian Tabidze’s Poetic System in the Context of 19th Century Georgian Poetry

Abstract

The article discusses the study of Titsian Tabidze’s poetic world in the context of the 19th-century Georgian literary
tradition and aims to reveal the multifaceted literary connections that determine the poet’s creative nature. Special attention is
devoted to the stage-by-stage character of Titsian Tabidze’s creative development, which clearly demonstrates his attitude
toward Georgian classical heritage. The research methodology is based on literary analysis, comparative-historical study, and
critical examination of poetic texts, which allows for the identification of the main artistic and ideological influences shaping
Tabidze’s literary evolution. As a result of the research, it was revealed that the initial stage of Titsian Tabidze’s творчive work
is closely connected with the traditions of 19th-century Georgian poetry. During this period, his poetic thinking is significantly
formed under the creative influence of Nikoloz Baratashvili, Grigol Orbeliani, Alexandre Chavchavadze, Ilia Chavchavadze,
Akaki Tsereteli, and Vazha-Pshavela. Their poetic experience is reflected in Tabidze’s early works both in thematic content, as
well as in artistic images and emotional moods, which distinguishes the first stage of his creative work by its special closeness to
classical Georgian literature. Within the framework of Symbolist aesthetics and the literary movement of the “Blue Horns,” a
clear tendency toward the reevaluation of classical heritage and the search for new artistic forms is distinctly outlined in Titsian
Tabidze’s work. At this stage, the poet partially opposes the 19th-century literary model, especially its social-realist orientation;
however, this opposition does not imply the rejection of tradition. On the contrary, classical heritage remains a solid foundation
for him, the critical reconsideration and transformation of which becomes a necessary condition for the formation of a new
poetic vision. At the later stage of Titsian Tabidze’s creative work, a clear return to national poetic traditions is distinctly
observed. This process is expressed in the renewed understanding of classical heritage, where the experience of ancestral poets
appears not only as a historical foundation but also as an organic part of modern aesthetic synthesis. Thus, Titsian Tabidze’s
poetry is presented as a continuous creative movement in the direction of tradition, its critical reconsideration, and reintegration.
His poetic system represents an important cultural space connecting 19th-century Georgian literature and 20th-century
modernist explorations, which presents Tabidze as one of the most significant and multilayered figures in the history of Georgian
literature.