Zhygun S. Play as artistic device in epic text (Оn the material of the Ukrainian prose in the first and second decades of XX century).

The whole complex of points of view on the phenomenon of play according to four paradigms: mythological, biological, philosophical and paradigm of strategies has been systematized in the work. Aesthetical, anthropological, hermeneutic, psychoanalytical, linguistic and postmodernist schools are distinguished in the limits of philosophical paradigm. The theoretical principles of correlation of literature to play are disclosed: the play nature of art, "playable" and "unplayable" literary-artistic periods, play style, play poetics are shown. Forms of play manifestation in literary mode of life and problems of writer's play behavior have been considered. The thesis deals with play principles of artistic organization of text on its different levels: narrative, thematic, intertextual, linguistic-stylistic. Play devices of narration involve reader in an author's creative laboratory and ensure the polysemy of text. Play devices of thematic nature arouse duality in text and appearance of the secret knowledge, which becomes clear only to initiated persons. An intertext can become such a "covered" knowledge. Play actualizes aesthetic effect by means of language, destroying mechanical perception. The aesthetic potential of play devices is connected with intensity of influence on perception that is caused by the effect of novelty and unexpectedness.