Stylistics: Prepared By: MBL

STYLISTICS
Prepared by: MBL

is the description and analysis of
the variability of linguistic forms
in actual language use
What is Stylistics
Stylistics is a branch of applied
linguistics concerned with the study
of style in texts, especially but not
exclusively in literary works. Also
called literary linguistics, stylistics focuses
on the figures, tropes and other rhetorical
devices to provide variety and a unique
voice to writing
Stylistics is the study of linguistic style, whereas
(theoretical) Linguistics is the study of linguistic form.
The term 'style' is used in linguistics to describe

the choices which language makes available to a
user, above and beyond the choices necessary for
the simple expression of a meaning.
 Linguistic form can be interpreted as a set of possibilities
for the production of texts, and thereby linguistic form makes
possible linguistic style.
 Linguistic form is generated from the components of

language (sounds, parts of words, and words) and consists of
the representations - phonetic, phonological, morphological,
syntactic, semantic etc. - which together form a code by which
what we say or write has a specific meaning
Within the language system, the same
content can be encoded in more than one
linguistic form. Operating at all linguistic
levels (e.g. lexicology, syntax, text linguistics,
intonation)
‘STYLE’ AND ‘STYLISTIC

VARIATION’
"as an empirical or forensic discourse critique,
wherein the stylistician is "a person who with his/her
detailed knowledge of the workings
of morphology, phonology, lexis, syntax, semantics,
and various discourse and pragmatic models, goes in
search of language-based evidence in order to
support or indeed challenge the subjective
interpretations and evaluations of various critics and
cultural commentators.“ - Michael Burke
Analyze both the style of the specific texts and stylistic
variation across texts
" the goal of "most stylistics is 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 to linguistic
'causes' where these are felt to be relevant.“- Katie Wales
MISSION
choice of
linguistic
means
Deviation
comparison style from a
norm
Recurrence
of linguistic
forms
Deviation from a norm Recurrence of
As a choice linguistic forms comparison
User-bound factors Literary language, more Closely related to a Stylistic analysis always
deviant than non literary probabilistic and statistical
(age, gender, understanding of style. requires an implicit or
language use. (allowed by explicit comparison of
idiosyncratic (deviation-from-a-norm
poetic license) perspective)
preferences, regional linguistic features (text,
and social collection, norm)
Ex. Dylan Thomas’s poetry
background) Stylistic features do not
(semantically incompatible at first
sight) follow rigid rules Ex. Style markers
grief ago Style, a matter of
appropriateness not May either convey
once below a time grammar. local stylistic effect
situation-bound factors
(depend on communication A case of authorship identification
What is appropriate can be (isolated technical
such as spoken/written,
participation in discourse Swedish lingusist Elleguard
deduced from the frequency term)
(monologue vs dialogue), Anonymous Junius 1770s of linguistic devices (corpus
attitude (level of formality), linguistic methods) Recurrence or co-
- Counting specific lexical features occurrence, a global
field of discourse in the political letters linguistic patterns
(technical field vs non) -- comparing with a large (probability, large scale stylistic pattern
collection of texts from the same statistical analyses) (specialized vocabulary
period
Ex. Text types ‘genre’ and passive voice in
-- samples from other
contemporary authors scientific texts)
Two paradigms
1. Language must be noticed to be learned. Language learning involves a
generalization from particulars (ex. Analysis of linguistic forms out of
particular contexts. Therefore, there must be recurrent focus on form.
(ex. Audio lingual method, repetitive drills)
2. Language has to have some point for those learning it. Learners have to
experience language as meaningful in relation to some context. Thus
there has to be focus on meaning. (communicative language teaching
LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE TEACHING

(IN THEORY)
H. WIDDOWSON
LITERARY TEXT
- Draws attention to form
-- ex. Trains --- Do we ponder on it?
In everyday use, we derive meaning from context not on form
Ex.
1. A note: I have eaten all the berries in the ice box.
2. So sweet and so cold. Forgive me.
** regardless of the interpretation, the study of literary text

satisfies two conditions of language learning – achieving meaning
by means of a focus on form.
Close Stylistics by contrast,
reading emphasizes connections between literary
emphasizes differences b language and everyday language
etween literary language
and that of the general
speech community
makes greater claims to scientific
objectivity than does close reading,
stressing that its methods and procedures
can be learned and applied by all. Hence,
its aim is partly the 'demystification' of
both literature and criticism.
uses specialized technical terms and

concepts which derive from the
science of linguistics, terms like
'transitivity,' 'under-lexicalisation,'
'collocation,' and 'cohesion'

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STYLISTICS

Prepared by: MBL

The term 'style' is used in linguistics to describe

 Linguistic form is generated from the components of

‘STYLE’ AND ‘STYLISTIC

" the goal of "most stylistics is not simply to describe the

LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE TEACHING

** regardless of the interpretation, the study of literary text

uses specialized technical terms and

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