During times of confusion and suffering, the past often resonates with the present and points a light for the future. Today we present “To the Dead and the Living and the Unborn”, a poem by Ukrainian national poet Taras Shevchenko. It is the message he wrote 177 years ago to his past, present, and future; we are the audience of his future.
Taras Shevchenkowas a Ukrainian writer and artist whose works helped establish a national identity as well as helped develop Ukrainian literature. His most acclaimed collection, Kozbar, lent a voice to the experiences of the Ukrainian people through vivid portrayals of history and everyday life.
Born in 1814 into.a family of serfs in what is now Ukraine, Shevchenko overcame personal hardships to become an accomplished artist and writer. He used his works to criticize political oppression, and ultimately was arrested and exiled. He used these experiences to shape his work and is honored today as Ukraine’s national poet.
