HUMOR AND PLAYFULNESS THROUGH ZOONYMS IN CHILDREN’S POEMS

Abstract

Abstract. Humor and playfulness constitute core aesthetic and pedagogical elements of children’s poetry. Among the linguistic devices that generate these effects, zoonyms—lexical units denoting animals—occupy a particularly prominent position. This thesis examines the role of zoonyms in the construction of humor and playfulness in children’s poems, focusing on their stylistic, semantic, and cognitive functions. Drawing on stylistics, cognitive poetics, and children’s literature theory, the study analyzes selected poems by canonical authors such as Edward Lear, A. A. Milne, and Dr. Seuss. The analysis demonstrates that zoonym-based humor emerges primarily through anthropomorphism, exaggeration, and phonological play, enabling poets to negotiate the boundaries between fantasy and reality. The thesis argues that zoonyms function not merely as decorative elements but as complex semiotic tools that facilitate linguistic development, emotional engagement, and moral reasoning in child readers.