International Journal of Philology

This article focuses on the study of the means and methods of connotation of Ukrainian poetry for children. The relevance of the proposed article is due to the need for deepening ideas about the peculiarities of the formation of connotations. The investigation is grounded on the descriptive method, methods of functional analysis, contextual analysis, and component analysis. The paper proves that the connotative space of modern Ukrainian poetry for children is a complex multi-colored formation that corresponds to the worldview and psychological characteristics of children of preschool and primary school age. All aspects of connotation: emotionality, evaluability, expressiveness and culturological coloring - in poetic texts are closely intertwined and aimed at the interest of young readers and psychological rapprochement with them. The author emphasizes that the emotional vector of connotation is associated with the formation of the overall positive tone of the works and the harmonization of children's worldview. Dosed, sometimes feigned expression of negative emotions emphasizes the contrast of our existence, helps to overcome children's fears. Evaluative connotations in modern Ukrainian children's poetry are represented much more limited than emotional ones. The authors avoid confronting worthy and unworthy actions, replacing the negative assessment with an emotional reaction of surprise, humorous ridicule. The expressive vector of connotation has become especially diverse in modern poetic texts for children, as it provides expression of images, strengthens the emotional tone of the texts and correlate with the child's ability to respond sincerely to various miracles. Modern Ukrainian poetry for children shows such signs of postmodernism as intertextuality, irony, whimsy, widespread use of the game form of communication with readers, the authors' refusal to teach and evaluate the characters. The whole connotative spectrum of poetic works is subject to the immersion of children in the bizarre world of adventures based on high human values without their explicit imposition. The game format of communication causes an unusual combination of certain connotative units and an unexpected emotional and evaluative coloring of some of them against the background of the general connotative tone of children's texts

connotation; connotative space; modern Ukrainian poetry for children; emotionality; evaluability; expressiveness; folklore; postmodernism