Lesya’s life motto, “Contra spem spero!” (“Without hope, I hope!”) from her eponymous poem, became the poetic creed of her life, symbolising her determination to confront life’s hardships with courage.
In her 1893 poem ‘Davnya Kazka’ (‘An Ancient Tale’), written at the age of 22, she declared, “Not a poet is he who forgets the wounds of his people…” Her work is imbued with social consciousness and political fervour, earning her the title ‘Daughter of Prometheus’. This image, symbolising sacrifice for noble ideals and an indomitable spirit, resonated deeply with her, and she often incorporated it into her writings. Lesya Ukrainka remains a timeless symbol of resilience and advocacy for justice.
Among her many contributions to Ukrainian literature, she authored ‘The Forest Song’ (1911), a poetic play widely regarded as one of the earliest examples of fantasy in Ukrainian literature.