Shylova K. Rhetorical Questions in American Poetic Speech (Linguopragmatic aspect)

This dissertation focuses on revealing linguistic and pragmatic properties of rhetorical questions that determine the illocutionary force and perlocutionary effect on the reader of American poetic texts. It has been assumed that types and kinds of rhetorical questions predetermine their various functions in American poetic speech as well as their illocutionary force as the realization of the addresser's intention. It has been proved that exposing strategies of prototypical non-prototypical reading and tactics of activating and activization of cognitive activity in poetic text interpretation enables explication of the rhetorical questions' role as triggers of novel and hidden senses which in its turn help to define its perlocutionary effect produced on the reader. Key words: American poetic texts, illocutionary force, linguistic and pragmatic properties, perlocutionary effect, rhetorical questions, strategies of prototypical non-prototypical reading, tactics of activating and activization of cognitive activity.