Studia Językoznawcze

The aim of the article is to analyze elements common to the paraphrases of Bogurodzica – written by the students of one of the secondary comprehensive schools in Łódź and published in “Duży Format” (a supplement to “Gazeta Wyborcza”) in January 2003 – and the medieval original. The analysis involves the elements of the text’s genology: structure of the prayer, sender – receiver relationship, and the universe of the sender’s values expressed in the form of their petitions or desires. The analysis demonstrated the reference of the students’ poems to Bogurodzica. It follows from the shape of the prayerful poem, clearly exposed addressee (predominantly Mother of God or Mother of God and Son of God/God), and – most frequently collective – sender, who brings their petitions to the addressee. In the paraphrases of Bogurodzica the sender is –similarly as the addressee – clearly named (unlike in the medieval hymn), their petitions are more concrete (than these contained in Bogurodzica) and result from their membership in a particular community. The language of these poems is simple, precise, colloquial at times, lacking hieraticism typical of religious language. This results in the desacralization of the texts, but at the same time emphasizes closeness of the sender and the addressee, so important for the young, injured by life, humans.