My favorite Ukrainian poet is Taras Shevchenko.

            Taras Shevchenko is a great Ukrainian poet. He is a founder of the modern Ukrainian Literary Language.

            Shevchenko was born in the family of a serf in the village of Moryntsy, in 1614. When he was fourteen his master took him to work in his house as a boy-servant – "kozachok”.

            In his early childhood Shevchenko was very fond of make a serf painter of him. For this purpose he sent Taras to study painting. The boy was so talented that several Russean artists decided to free him from slavery. They bought out Shevchenko from his master.

            Later on young painter continued his study at the Petersburg Academy of Arts. Karl Brulov influenced Shevchenko greatly. In 1838 Shevchenko wrote his first poems in Ukrainian. In 1840 he published his first book of poems "Kobzar”. This first poetical works are mainly examples of romantiesm.

            The subject of many poets was unhappy love the also wrote of Ukraine.

In 1861 Shevchenko died.

            Most famous his works are: "Dream”, "The Caucasus”, and "Jastament”.