Stylistics & Practical Criticism

Objectives:*To understand the differences between stylistics and practical criticism*To be able to use stylistics and practical criticism to develop our understanding of the Pre-Release texts.

Literary Approaches: Practical Criticism

• The analysis of the literary devices used in a text. The literary text is seen as a self-sufficient work of art. – Rhyme Scheme– Figurative Language (similes / metaphors /

imagery / alliteration / personification)– Enjambment– Pathetic Fallacy

• Etc …

Linguistic Approach: Stylistics

• The analysis of the language used in a text to help the reader arrive at an objective view. – Sentence structure (clauses / verbs / noun

phrases etc ..)– Connotations / Denotations– Active / Passive– grammatical structures– phonology

• Etc …

Why is stylistics a useful approach?

• Stylistics allows you to make detailed comparisons about ALL the texts – both literary and non-literary.

• As you are stating what is used (linguistically) it allows you to be more objective (unbiased).

• BE CAREFUL – stylistic analysis will not give you all the answers.

Why is practical criticism a useful approach?

• Practical Criticism allows you to make detailed comparisons about literary texts it identifies how a text conforms or deviates from the typical features of that genre.

• The careful study of form and style and an analysis of techniques enables the reader to reveal the fine moral perceptions embedded in a text.

• BE CAREFUL – practical criticism is limited – it only considers the words on the page.

Stylistic or Practical?

• Look at the list of words on the next two slides. Divide them into two categories (S) for Stylistic and (PC) for Practical Criticism. Two have been done for you!

• Do you know what they mean? • Colour code your list:

– Red = No Idea– Amber = I think I have some idea– Green = I know what this means.

Glossary• Adjective (S) • Adverb • Archaic• Colloquial • Conjunctions • Connotations• Convergence • Consonant • Denotation• Determiner • Diachronic variation • Discourse markers • Divergence

• Ellipsis • External narration • Figurative language • Foregrounding • Formal • Generic • Geographical dialect• Metaphor (PC)• Monologue• Morphology• Narrator• Neologism

Glossary• Non-finite verbs• Noun • Noun phrase • Parenthesis• Phonology • Polysyllabic • Preposition • Pronoun • Semantic field• Semantics • Sentence structure

• Synonym• Tense • Verb • Vowel

Task

Read Activity 10.

*How do they differ?

*Where do they overlap?

Semantic Fields

Objectives:*To develop our understanding of semantic fields *To be able to use semantic fields when analysing texts.

Look at these words:

• attrition

• sudden death

• barbed-wire entanglements

• defence

• threat

What topic does the text that these words come from address?

Were you correct?ENGLAND v SPAIN

An early goal will open up any game but the longer this Wembly quarter-final today remains scoreless, the more it will become a contest of attrition, with the winners likely to be decided by sudden-death overtime or a penalty shoot-out. England are better equipped for an exchange of goals, with Shearer at least producing his prolific league form at international level. Spain have yet to find a consistent striker but the depth of their strength is formidable. They will hope to draw England on to the barbed-wire entanglements of their defence and then use Sergi to catch the opposition on the break. Hierro, Amor and Caminero will pose a threat to Adams coming from the deep. Terry Venables could have done with Ince against Nadal.

Semantic Fields

• The reporter has used two semantic fields within the report

• The words highlighted in green most people would assume to be from the semantic field of war

• The second semantic field are words one would associate with football reports – what words would form that semantic field?

Semantic FieldsENGLAND v SPAIN

An early goal will open up any game but the longer this Wembly quarter-final today remains scoreless, the more it will become a contest of attrition, with the winners likely to be decided by sudden-death overtime or a penalty shoot-out. England are better equipped for an exchange of goals, with Shearer at least producing his prolific league form at international level. Spain have yet to find a consistent striker but the depth of their strength is formidable. They will hope to draw England on to the barbed-wire entanglements of their defence and then use Sergi to catch the opposition on the break. Hierro, Amor and Caminero will pose a threat to Adams coming from the deep. Terry Venables could have done with Ince against Nadal.

How does the writer’s use of the war semantic field code

the text?What does it tell us about the role football plays in today's society?

Semantic Fields PRE-RELEASE

• Look at each of the pre-release texts you have been given.

• Make a note of words / phrases within each text that are in the same semantic field.

• You may find you have more than one semantic field per text – write a list of words / phrases that belong to each semantic field.

• How many of the texts share semantic fields?

Glossary

• Adjective – a word added to a noun to qualify it.• Adverb – a word add to a verb to modify it’s

meaning.• Archaic – referring to language features that are

no longer in use.• Colloquial - local dialect / slang• Conjunctions – a word that connects sentences,

clauses and words.• Connotations - the implied meanings /

associations of a word. • Convergence – a tendency to behave the same

as people with whom one has contact.

Glossary

• Consonant – a speech sound other than a vowel.

• Denotation – the surface meaning of the word.• Determiner – a limiting adjective or modifying

word (any, my)• Diachronic variation – variation in the language

that changes over time.• Discourse markers – words and phrases that

signal the structure and organisation of the text.• Divergence – a tendency to behave differently

from people with whom one has contact.

Glossary

• Ellipsis – an abbreviation in which a word or words are left out and implied.

• External narration – where the teller of the story is an external character.

• Figurative language (non-literal)• Foregrounding – bringing something to our

attention.• Formal – proper.• Generic – referring to the whole group.• Geographical dialect – evidence from what is

said / written of speaker’s regional origins.

Glossary

• Metaphor – a comparison where something IS something else

• Monologue – a speech spoken by one person.

• Morphology – the ways in which words are formed from smaller units of meaning (morphemes):

un reli able

prefix base suffix

Glossary

• Narrator – the ‘voice’ or ‘speaker’ in a text

• Neologism – a new word or phrase:– Borrowing – taken from another language.– Compounding – joining two words together.– Acronym – using initials– Blending – merging words together.– Clipping – abbreviating a word.

Glossary

• Non-finite verbs:– to + verb– verb + ing– verb + ed

• Noun (collective noun, proper noun, abstract noun)

• Noun phrase – group of words used as one noun.

• Parenthesis – a word or passage inserted into a sentence that is grammatically complete WITHOUT it.

Glossary

• Phonology – the study of the aspects of language connected to sound.

• Polysyllabic – words with more than three syllables (monosyllabic – words of one syllable)

• Preposition – indication of time or space – used before a noun (under the table, on Sunday morning)

• Pronoun – I, we, he, she, they, it … • Semantic field – a group of words with related /

similar meaning.

Glossary

• Semantics – the study of words and their meanings.

• Sentence structure:– Single – a sentence with only one verb group– Compound – sentences / clauses linked simply (and,

but)– Complex – sentences where subordinate clauses are

bound together by more complex connectives and punctuation

– Minor – fragment of a sentence– Declarative – a statement (most common sentence)– Imperative – a command– Interrogative – a question.

Glossary

• Synonym – a word that has the same meaning as another.

• Tense – past / present / future

• Verb – a ‘doing’ word

• Vowel – a e i o u