The thesis focuses on theoretical research of the poetics of language play in Ukrainian poetry of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It is for the first time in Ukrainian literature studies that a comprehensive analysis of poetic texts is performed concerning language play, and its key characteristics are viewed. The research establishes the concept of language play being a postmodernist text self-presentation strategy. A theoretical concept for the poetics of language play is developed, based on the principles of the theorists of analytical philosophy and postmodernism. The semiological principles of the postmodernist text rhizome, audio-syntactic and graphical-syntactic text-formation means, genre factors of simulacra as well as intermedial language play methods are studied. The author's intention to engage the reader into play for the sake of intellectual exercise and entertainment is revealed. Through analysis of the intermedial peculiarities of language play, the perspectives of further study of the phenomenon are outlined. The thesis interprets the term "language play" in accordance with L. Wittgenstein's theory where the work of art is a self-presentation of poetic language. Within this framework, the key concept of the thesis is seen through the postmodern tradition, as a pluralism of narrative practices. Tracing the peculiarities of language play in Ukrainian poetry, the thesis provides theoretical stances on the key problem ranging from the Baroque period to the most recent advances of the 21st century. With J. Huizinga's hypothesis in mind, suggesting that archaic language play and antiphonic singing might have been the sources of poetry, and noting the presence of the ludic element in debates of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the thesis analyses the evolution of language play in Ukrainian oral and written literary texts. It is noted that first instances of language play are apparent in folklore texts. Ukrainian literature gradually comes under influence from Ancient Greek lyric poetry in its smaller forms, which is why pattern poetry finds development in the Baroque age. This type of poetry is substantially analysed in the Kyiv poetics of M. Dovhalevskyi, T. Prokopovych, L. Horka and others. Best examples of such poetry have been penned by L. Baranovych, T. Prokopovych, Y. Velychkovskyi, S. Yavorskyi. The structural-typological approach used by the research allowed for an analysis of modern pattern poetry through the prism of its historical development, having a basis formed in the Baroque age and adopting peculiarities of scandalising and collaging from the avant-garde. While revealing the specifics of the postmodern discourse as the self-presentation of poetic language, postmodern play strategies, author masks and carnival forms are taken heed of. Poetic texts are analysed according U. Eco's "open work" principle which sees language play as definition, a text-formation principle. Taking into account the influence modern technologies exert over literature and art, the thesis studies literary texts within intermedial relations, describes genres such as videopoetry, photopoetry etc. The mentioned intermedial projects are aimed at moving the recipient's imagination, offering their own rules of the game through synergy.
