Appeal headings of V. Mayakovsky’s poems

Abstract

The article considers the implementation of appeal speech acts (calls and slogans) in the headings of V. Mayakovsky’s poems. The article notes that the title was of great importance for the poet, so almost all his poems have a title. Our study reveals that almost nine percent of V. Mayakovsky’s poems are titled with the help of appeal constructions, that is, they are appeals and slogans. We identify and consider structural types of the appeal headings, different in volume, from single-word sentences to entire couplet-verses with parallel rhyming. Most headings include imperatives with exclusive action semantics; in them, the lyrical subject occupies a higher position, is an authority that convinces readers to act in a certain way, in accordance with the new revolutionary and socialist norms. The article concludes that the titles of appeal are full-fledged participants in the directive (imperative) space, created by the poet, serving the purpose of influencing the reader, involving him/her in the revolution activities, persuading him/her of the need to follow the new rules of the Soviet power, to help the young Soviet state. V. Mayakovsky worked on creating the titles of his poems purposefully and thoughtfully, understanding their significant paratextual role.