MUSIC AND LITERATURE. THE ROLE OF THE ARTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

The article explores the interplay between music and the written word as a fundamental element of human cultural evolution—from Antiquity to the digital age. Within a historical and cultural framework, it traces the connections between arts through different epochs—Ancient times, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, Romanticism, and Modernism—and analyzes how music and literature reflect humanity’s pursuit of meaning, identity, and transcendence. They are considered not only as aesthetic expressions, but also as mechanisms for preserving memory, building community, and resisting dehumanization in the contemporary world. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of art in the 21st century as a medium of resistance, solace, and hope in the face of technological transformation.