First, J. distinguishes the following functions of language: the 'referential' function, i.e. the orientation towards the context of utterance; the 'emotive' function, i.e. focus on the speaker; the 'conative' function, i.e. focus on the addressee; the 'phatic' function, i.e. focus on the contact between speaker and addressee; the 'metalingual' function, focusing on the code used; the 'poetic' function, i.e. focus on the message for its own sake. In the rest of the paper J. concentrates on the poetic function.