The dissertation is the first in Ukrainian and foreign literary studies systematic research of the four published volumes by Jim Morrison - the collection of notes "The Lords" (1970), volumes of poetry "The New Creatures" (1970), "Wilderness" (1988), and "American Night" (1990) - as well as of rock lyrics written by the author for "The Doors"' on-stage performances from the point of view of the modern myth criticism and in the context of development of the XX century's American literature. The research is focused on the essence of the poet's experiment that consisted in combining the classical European and American literary traditions with the popular culture appeal, as well as revaluation of elements of traditional myths and involvement of ritual practices into the context of the American counterculture of the 1950-70s. Jim Morrison's poetry appears as an organic part of American literature's development process of the 1960s. The author's interests in literature and philosophy make up a system oriented towards the individual, the subconscious, and freedom in the broadest, transcendental sense. This includes "philosophy of life" perceived through the prism of American Transcendentalism; theories of the myth; the critical theory and counterculture theories. Engagement in the range of concepts connected with the myth forms the poet's specific artistic manner dominated by myth-making, which associates Morrison's experiment with certain poetic traditions. It is important that the author illustrates the major tendency of the period - merging of "highbrow" and popular literary genres and inclusion of the variety of contemporary experience into the academic literary context. In his poetry, Morrison combines elite aesthetics (oriented towards canons of romanticism, modernism and avant-garde poetry) with the Whitmanian democratic context of American reality. It its turn, Morrison's dramatic concept demonstrates both a relation to tendencies popular among American Off-Broadway groups and to European theories and practices (most noticeably, with theatres of A. Artaud and J. Grotowski who experimented with the cathartic effect of the primitive ritual). The genre system of Morrison's poetry is conditioned by the author's creative intentions. The aspect of realization underlies the principal difference between Morrison's poems and lyrics, determining their textual specificity. The "theatre composition" appears as a specific and fruitful genre of the poet's creativity that made it possible to most efficiently experiment with ritual practices and to implement the dramatic element. Its ritualistic scheme includes ecstatic excitement, destruction of consciousness and its reconstruction out of the chaos. Morrison's scarce prose work is predominantly thematically connected with the art of cinematograph, which determines its poetics and structural specificity. Morrison works with universal myths and archetypes, implementing them into the context of mass culture, grounding the myth of the contemporary America on primeval philosophy, favoring pagan beliefs and polemizing with Puritan myths. Morrison's new myth is an eschatological one, which is reflected in its philosophy, characteristics of time and space, and the ritual realization. This archaic myth acquires specific indications by adopting elements of two basic systems of myths - the Ancient Greece myth and archaic beliefs of American Indians. The dialogue with the Dionysian tradition can be traced at the formal and structural level, at the lexical level, where pathos is contrasted with obscene lexis, as well as in the metamorphose motive. Morrison's plays remind the archaic form of Ancient Greece tragedies, while the poet acts simultaneously as the Satyr and the Dionysus. Indian myths and shaman rituals appear as the basis of Morrison's poetic and dramatic experiments. The poet's objective is to revive mythological mentality, which, in his opinion, is crucial for the alienated American society. The intention conditions specific lyricism of texts, themes, the system of images, structure and poetics. Morrison emphasizes the ritual since he believes that it is more accessible for the unprepared public than the myth philosophy. Using on the rock scene poetics and the rhythm developed on the basis of archaic myths and folklore, themes and their representation method, active involvement of rituals and archetypal images, his own charisma, Jim Morrison experiments with the extra-artistic idea of restoring mythological mentality. The attempt to reconsider and to transfer to the rock scene the ritual and the European and American humanitarian ancestry appeared as a unique phenomenon that conditioned vitality of "The Doors"' art as an intellectual and emotional experiment.
