Comical Shevchenkiana in Ukrainian Humorous Discourse of The 19th–21st Centuries

Abstract

Background. This article examines the transformation of well-known quotations by Taras Shevchenko and allusions to them as a means of creating the comic in the humorous discourse of the 19th–21st centuries. It is demonstrated that the substitution of lexical components in poetic lines recognisable to Ukrainians, their visualisation, and the use of established images and symbols in new contexts evoke various connotations that produce a comic effect. The research material consists mainly of humorous and satirical poetry by Ukrainian authors of the 19th–21st centuries.  
Methods. The study applies descriptive and comparative methods, as well as a method of contextual analysis. 
Results. The paper establishes that humourists predominantly tend to transform Taras Shevchenko's well-known expressions and create allusions to them at the lexical semantic and syntactic levels. The humorous effect mostly arises through connotations and the superimposition of semantic analogies in new contexts, as well as through the substitution of individual words or poetic lines while preserving the overall structure and recognisability of the original work.  
Conclusions. The transformation of set phrases and allusions to them, combined with elements of wordplay, is a productive means of creating humour in Ukrainian humorous discourse of the 19th–21st centuries. Taras Shevchenko's poetic oeuvre remains relevant to Ukrainians in various parts of the world to this day while also serving as a source for the creation of original humorous and satirical texts through the play on well-known lines from the Kobzar's poetry and the transformation of the images and poetic symbols as a response to new socio-political realities.