Republic of the Philippines

DON HONORIO VENTURA TECHNOLOGICAL STATE UNIVERSITY

Bacolor, Pampanga
STYLISTICS AND DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
Module 2- The Literary Norms
Description:
This module covers topics on the styles in stylistics which include both individual and
functional style; the relevance of stylistics and styles; the symbolic dimensions in style and the
meanings of stylistics in different contexts.
Objectives:
At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:
● define Style and Stylistics; and
● discuss and differentiate styles, meanings, contexts, and devices and means in language
and literature.
Duration: 6-9 hours
Lesson Proper:
Lecture 1: The Literary Norm
The language system provides and determines the general rules of usage of its elements.
The norm is the actual use of these provisions by individual speakers under specific conditions
of communication. Individual use of the language implies a personal selection of linguistic
means on all levels. When this use conforms to the general laws of the language this use will
coincide with what is called literary norm of the national language.
Individual Style

 It follows then that the term style is ambiguous and needs a restrictive term of style we
intend to deal with.
 In stylistics the term individual style is implied since it studies peculiarities of a writer’s
individual manner of using language means to achieve the desired effect.
 It follows that the individual style of a writer is marked by its uniqueness. It can be
recognized by the specific and peculiar combination of language media and stylistic
devices, which in their interaction present a certain system. According to I.R. Galperin,
individual style is a unique combination of language units, expressive means and stylistic
devices peculiar to a given writer, which makes the writer’s works easily recognizable.
 Naturally the individual style of an author cannot be entirely independent of the literary
norms and canons of literary style.
Functional Style
Functional Style is a system of interrelated language means serving a definite aim in
communication. It is the coordination of the language means and stylistic devices which shapes
the distinctive features of each style and not the language means or stylistic devices themselves.
Stylistics is a side that examines the complex of stylistically marked elements of any
language level.
1) Scientific style is employed in professional communication to convey some information. Its
most conspicuous feature is the abundance of terms denoting objects, phenomena and processes
characteristics of some field of science and technique. Also, precision clarity logical cohesion.
2) Official style is the most conservative one. It uses syntactical constructions and archaic
words. Emotiveness is banned out of this style.
3) Publicistic style is famous for its explicit pragmatic function of persuasion directed at
influencing the reader in accordance with the argumentation of the author.
4) Newspaper style – special graphical means are used to attract the readers attention.
5) Belles-lettres style – the richest register of communication besides its own language means,
other styles can be used besides informative and persuasive functions, belles-lettres style has a
unique task to impress the reader are aesthetically.

Stylistics and Style

Scope of Stylistics
Stylistics is the scientific study of style. It is scientific because it follows an objective
methodology, namely, retracing or recovering the process of text production (i.e. the intention of
the writer) starting from clues left in the text as product, which sets it apart from other less
scientific methods of text analysis (Short, 1996);
“Stylistics draws on the models and terminology provided by whatever aspects of
linguistics are felt to be relevant” (Wales, 1989: p. 438)
What is style?
Style is a way in which language is used: i.e. what linguistic choices are made by a
particular author, in a particular genre, or in a particular text);

Stylistic choice is limited to those aspects of linguistic choice which concern alternative
ways of rendering the same subject matter (Leech &Short, 1981: pp. 38-9).
Stylistic Analysis
 Description: “Stylistics is … concerned with relating linguistic facts (linguistic
description) to meaning (interpretation) in as explicit a way as possible” (Short, 1996: p.
5)
 Interpretation: “The goal of most stylistic studies 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” (Wales, 1989: pp. 437-38)

“Stylistic analysis is therefore presented as a necessary complement to what many

stylisticians regard as the impressionistic and implicit nature of much work within literary
criticism” (Semino & Culpeper, 1995: p. 514)

Aims of stylistics
 The jobs of linguists, literary critics, and stylisticians are different: “The linguist…
directs his attention primarily to how a piece of literature exemplifies the language
system. We will say that he treats literature as text… Stylistics treats literature as
texts.

 The literary critic searches for underlying significance, for the essential artistic vision that
the poem embodies, and we will say that he treats literary works as messages.
Stylistics treats literature as messages.

 Between these two is an approach to literature which attempts to show specifically how
elements of linguistic text combine to create messages, how, in other words, pieces of
literary writing function as a form of communication. Let us say that this approach
treats literature as discourse. It is this approach … which is most centrally stylistic
(Widdowson, 1975: p. 6). Stylistics treats literature as approaches.

Symbolic dimension of language

 Language is a symbolic system.
 The words we say are conventional.
 The meanings that words have for us and for the others are also conventional.
 The symbolic dimension mediates between the words we say, their meanings in context,
and the effects that they have for us and for the others.
 How does a word said to someone lead to their happiness, sadness, fear, offense, or
anger? (PSYCHOLOGY)
General toolkit

DETERMINE which stylistic feature, i.e. which grammatical category, is predominant, i.e.
statistically significant (description).

DECIDE which function the stylistic feature(s) play(s) in the overall meaning of the text
(interpretation);

Three Basic Principles Behind the Practice of Stylistics

Rigorous - According to Simpson, ‘rigorous’ means that it should be based on an explicit

framework of analysis. Stylistic analysis is not the end-product of a disorganized sequence of ad
hoc and impressionistic comments but is instead underpinned by structured models of language
and discourse that explain how various patterns in language are processed and understood.

Retrievable - The analysis is structured using explicit terms and criteria to critic that the stylistic
approach is retrievable and the essence of which is approved upon by other stylistics students.
There is an emphasis of agreement regarding the stylistic terms even though appropriate
definitions have approved difficulty for some elements. Other stylisticians are allowed by their
consensus in order to approach the stream implemented in an investigation for testing the
analysis and to retrieve the stylistic method.

Replicable - To say that a stylistic analysis seeks to be replicable does not mean that we should
all try to copy each other’s’ work. It simply means that the methods should be sufficiently
transparent as to allow other stylisticians to verify them, either by testing them on the same text
or by applying them beyond that text.

Meanings of Stylistics in Different Contexts

Style Variability

For instance, individuals tend to say different words based on the informal style in English
pronunciation. Possibly, their style varies as per the degree of formality when expressing
themselves in words.

Examples:

More formal:
(1) I wonder if you could possibly be kind enough to condescend to give me your pen?

(2) We were somewhat dismayed by her lack of response to our invitation.

Less formal:

(1) Could I have your pen, please?

(2) We were rather fed up that she didn’t answer when we invited her.

Informal:

Give me your pen, please.

Meanings of Stylistics in Different Contexts

Style shift refers to style changes during verbal or written communication.

Conventionally, style shifts occur when the writer or speaker reassesses or redefines a particular
situation. For example, a writer may add informal details in a formal text because he may be on
familiar terms with the addressee. Furthermore, the speaker shifts to informal speech to lessen
the tense situation in highly formal political speech. This is further seen in interviews, where
interviewees are encouraged to relax; consequently, they shift from formal style to informal,
thereby setting off their expressivity.

The Domain of Style

The characteristic style of a work or a writer may be analyzed in terms of diction or

characteristic choice of words, sentence structure and syntax, the density and types of its
figurative language, patterns of its rhythm, sound components, and its rhetorical aims and
devices. Styles are comprised of three major levels in traditional rhetoric theories, which
include the base or plain, the mean, and the grand style. The levels of style in a work are
required in the doctrine of decorum in an adequate work to the occasion, the dignity of its literary
genre, and to the speaker. Recently Northrop Frye introduced a variant of this ancient and long-
persisting theory of stylistic levels in literature. A basic differentiation between the demotic style
(which is modeled on the language, rhythms, and association of ordinary speech) and the
hierarchic style (which employs a variety of formal elaborations that separates literary language
from ordinary speech) was made.

Frye proceeded to differentiate high, middle, and low level in each of these classes. In
analyzing style, two different types of sentence structure were conventionally
differentiated, namely the periodic sentence and non-periodic sentence. In periodic
sentences, the components are closely interwoven to the degree that the meaning remains
suspended until the end of the sentence.
“He will tell you the names of the principle favorites, repeat the shrewd saying of a man
of quality whispered an intrigue that is not yet blown upon by common fame; or, if the sphere of
his observations all incidents, turns, and revolutionist a game of ombre, when he has gone thus
far he has shown you the whole circle of his accomplishments, his parts are drained, and he is
disabled from any further conversation.”

“In a highly attended new American civilian court, the size of the vast building of the
faculty of Arts and Science in Delhi University, where he used to be present every three weeks
with his father, the strong young Indian man who was holding a long legal petition in his right
hand had displayed an outrageous red cheek towards the jury who sentenced him three months
imprisonment for his rude behavior with the judge during the trail of his elderly brother.”

Stylistics and Style

Foregrounding
Foregrounding is a kind of textual patterning with respect to literary aesthetic aims
(Krishnamurthy, 2010). It can occur on all textual levels, such as phonology, syntax, and
semantics. It is generally used for highlighting important text portions to aid memorability and/or
to invite interpretation.
Foregrounding is accomplished either by deviating from the linguistic norms (style as
deviation) or parallelism.

In parallelism, foregrounding is prompted by a complete and accurate adherence to the linguistic

rules, rather than stepping outside the rules as is the case with prominence through style
deviation.
Parallelism can be accomplished by many ways, one of which is the repetition of lexical items or
the grouping of words from the same area of association in a text.

Comparison of normal and abnormal paradigms

Normal Paradigm Abnormal Paradigm

A minute ago a pain ago

An hour ago a severing ago
A day ago a sadness ago
A week ago an enjoyment ago
A year ago a sickness ago

scribd.com/document/339098505/norms-and-deviation-docx

Compiled by:
Grace A. Mendoza, EdD