Introducing Stylistics

Dr Bimbola O. Idowu-Faith
English Department
Faculty of Humanities
Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria
 Course Description
O This course builds on ENG 304
(Language and Style).
O It is the aim of ENG 402 to expose
students to how to apply linguistic
theory(ies) to the analysis of literary
texts.
O The course will also account for the
specific ways in which writers achieve
literary effects in imaginative writing.
 What is stylistics?
O The simplest definition takes stylistics as the study
of style in a text. It will invariably lead to the
question of what style is.
O Stylistics is also the study of the forms and functions
of the distinctive uses of language in a text.
O Stylistics …as a sub-discipline of linguistics is
concerned with the systematic analysis of style in
language and how this can vary according to such
factors as, for example, genre, context, historical
period and author (Jeffries & McIntyre 2010, p. 1).
 What is stylistics?
O Stylistics is the study of the ways in which meaning is created
through language in literature as well as in other types of text
(Nørgaard, Montoro, & Busse, 2010, p.1).
O Nørgaard, Montoro, and Busse, (2010, p.1) explained further
that “stylisticians use linguistic models, theories and
frameworks as their analytical tools in order to describe and
explain how and why a text works as it does, and how we come
from the words on the page to its meaning. The analysis
typically focuses qualitatively or quantitatively on the
phonological, lexical, grammatical, semantic, pragmatic or
discoursal features of texts, on the cognitive aspects involved in
the processing of those features by the reader as well as on
various combinations of these.
 What is stylistics?
O Wales (2011, p. 400) submits that:
the goal of most stylistic studies is to show how
a text ‘works’: but not simply to describe the
formal features of texts for their own sake, but
in order to show their functional significance
for the interpretation of the text; or in order to
relate literary effects or themes to linguistic
‘triggers’ where these are felt to be relevant.
 What is stylistics?
O Thus, stylistics helps us to see how and
why a text is unique.
O Stylistics helps us see the workings of a
text by using our knowledge of language
to explore the significant choices made in
a text as the style of that text.
O In order words, stylistics is concerned
with the analysis of style in a text using
linguistics. It is at this point that one
sees how stylistics differs from literary
analysis/criticism.
 Scope of stylistics
O Range of texts – stylistics analyses and
interprets both literary and non-literary texts.
O Range of theories – stylistics engages both
linguistic and non-linguistic theories for the
explication of the text.
O Range of methods – stylistics is eclectic in
its use of methodologies. Both qualitative
and quantitative methods are employed for
the evaluation and interpretation of texts.
 Types of stylistics
O There are different types of stylistics as
there are different definitions of stylistics.
The different types of stylistics generate
from the influences of different branches of
linguistics.
O Literary stylistics: studies style in literary
texts.
O Non-literary stylistics: concerned with
analysis of non-literary texts
O Linguistic stylistics: attempts a refinement
of linguistic models which has potential for
further linguistic or stylistic analysis.
 Types of stylistics
O Sociostylistics: studies the language of
writers considered as social groups.
O Cognitive stylistics: studies the cognitive
(emotive) effects of style. It is especially
concerned with metaphor.
O Consider others such as formalist, functionalist,
pragmatic, feminist, critical, corpus, etc.
 Principles of stylistics
O Stylistics as text-based: In principle, every
stylistic investigation centres on the explanation
and interpretation of a text; whether literary or
non-literary text, written or spoken. Having a
text to analyse is the starting point of a stylistic
research.

O Stylistics as eclectic and open: By its

operating principle, stylistics is open to
eclectic methods, methodologies and theories
for the explanation and interpretation of the
text.
Principles of stylistics
O Stylistics as objective and empirical
O This reveals the scientific nature of stylistic
inquiries and outlines the major point of
departure between stylistics and literary
criticism. By using linguistic models, theories,
frameworks and metalanguage, stylistics
makes the study/analysis of literary texts a
scientific one.
O That a stylistic investigation is empirical
means that the research is not subjective
since all claims are based on observation or
experience.
 Principles of stylistics
O That the research is objective indicates that the
analysis is falsifiable.
O Every claim is clear enough that it can be challenged
by other researchers either through replication of the
research process on the same text or the application of
the research process to other texts.
O Wales (2001, p.373) who holds that ‘[s]tylistics is only
‘objective’ …in the sense of being methodical,
systematic, empirical, analytical, coherent, accessible,
retrievable and consensual’ (p. 373). That a stylistic
research is objective and empirical thus means
it has Rigour, Retrievability, and Replicability
(These are described as the 3R’s of stylistics).
O Rigour
O A principled stylistic research is rigorous in that the
research is transparent such that what has been done,
what methods have been used and why are all very clear.
O Rigour make a stylistic work objective in that how the
tools of analysis are applied, the process of analysis and
the results of the analysis are as clear as possible.
O Thus, this principle reveals the scientific method of
stylistic research in the way the research is carried out
and written up so that whilst analysts may not share the
same conclusions, other scholars can easily see the
consistency and clarity in the work done in terms of
clearly stated sampling method, analytical tools, and the
process of analysis. The research is equally clear about
the methods used and why.
O In conclusion, rigour emphasises that stylistics is explicit
in with its framework.
O Replicability
O This principle indicates that the methods of the
stylistic research are sufficiently transparent to
allow other stylisticians to verify them, either by
testing them on the same text or by applying
them to other texts. Replication and application
are crucial here.
O It is necessary to state, however, that replicability
does not mean that scholars copy one another. To
replicate rather means that how the research
reached its conclusions are accessible and
replicable. This means that conclusions are
reached through an accessible and principled
pathway.
O Retrievability
O This implies that the analysis is organised through
explicit terms and criteria the meanings of which
are agreed upon by other practitioners of stylistics.
O The consensus enables other stylisticians to follow
the pathway adopted in an analysis, to test the
categories used and to see how the analysis reached
its conclusion.
O It is a basic principle of stylistic analysis that others
need to be able to see how an interpretive account
has been reached.
O This means the account is retrievable and
recoverable, allowing others to agree or disagree,
and making it possible for different interpretations
to be compared transparently and objectively.
 Why stylistics?
O Stylistics provides an angle on
language study which places the text
at the centre of its concern (Jeffries &
McIntyre, 2010, p. 4)
O Stylistics helps with the explanation
of language effects in text. This relates
to rhetoric and the power of language
(form v. function)
O Stylistics helps with the explanation
of literary effects in a text.
 Why stylistics?
O Reasoning alongside Montgomery et al, (2007,
pp. 1-2), I will conclude by saying that
stylistics enables a critical and analytic
engagement with the text by attending to
details of form and structure in pursuit of
understanding. In attending to the text’s
details, focus will be on the rhetorical
organization of texts, that is, how texts work
to create meanings and produce recognizable
effects by means of identifiable techniques,
each of which can be described, analysed and
studied.
 Why stylistics?
O In essence, stylistics provides the technique
of analysing and interpreting texts, whether
they are literary or non-literary, verbal or
visual (cf. Montgomery et al, 2000, p. 2).
 What is style?
O The distinctive use of language by a person, a text, a
period, etc.
O The way in which language is used in a given context,
by a given person, for a given purpose, and so on(
Leech and Short, 1981, p. 11).
O The set or sum of linguistic features that seem to be
characteristic: whether of register, genre or period,
etc. (Wales, 2001, p. 371).
O Motivated choice from the set of language or register
conventions or other social, political, cultural and
contextual parameters.
 What is style?
O The effective use of language to make statements or
to rouse emotions
O The description and analysis of the variability forms
of linguistic items in actual language use;
O Writer’s characteristic mode of expression;
O A language user’s technique for passing across
his/her message clearly, beautifully and uniquely
O Distinctive language patterns and habits in specific
and specialised texts.
 Theories of style
(Style as Choice)
O Style as choice
O This theory of style builds on the reality that there are many
possible alternatives for every phenomenon in language. The
choice a language user makes is determined by the
appropriateness and effectiveness of that choice in relation to
both discourse and context of situation. Choice thus refers to
the conscious selection of a set of linguistic features from all
the possibilities a language offers.
O Style as choice can be manifest at different levels of language
depending on the appropriateness and effectiveness of the
choice within discourse and the context of situation.
O Lexical level
O You should not ____ any further(e.g. move, go, advance, proceed)
O Pay your ___ now (fee, due, premium, rent, fare, toll, tax, tithe, fine)
 Theories of style
(Style as Choice)
O Syntactic Level
O Sentence pattern may be inverted for stylistic and aesthetic
purpose
O I must eat now versus Eat now, I must
Others
O Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
versus
O Sun, moon, stars in their courses above
O Sun and moon and stars in their courses above
 Theories of style
(Style as Choice)
O Semantic Level
O Sentences may mean the same but have different
connotations – mild, harsh, euphemistic, polite. The
choice to be made will therefore be determined by
the discourse and the context.
O Keep quiet
O Make no noise
O Silence please
O Shut up your mouth
O You are making a noise
O Kindly maintain silence, etc.
 Theories of style
(Style as Choice)
O The critique of this theory is that one may not be
aware of the choices available to the
author/language user nor of the limitedness or
vastness of the vocabulary bank of the
author/language user.
 Theories of style
(Style as the man himself)
O This theory is predicated on the belief that every
individual has their unique way of doing things. The way
a person uses language is a reflection of their
educational, religious, and socio-cultural backgrounds
amongst others. In essence, the style of a language user
is an index of their personality.
O Some of the shortcomings of this theory include:
O Since a language user may use different styles on different
occasions, does it then mean the individual has different
personalities?
O Equally, two writers can share similar styles. This means
that style cannot be a unique property of an individual.
O That a language user can be creative with language to the
extent that they express what they have never experienced
also weakens this theory.