SYNTACTICAL STYLISTIC DEVICES

Syntactical stylistic devices (SSD) include several issues which can influence upon the expressiveness of the text. This is the syntactical organization of the sentence, the type of connection between the parts of the sentence, types of constructions found in the sentence or paragraph or the whole text, the peculiarities of structural meaning which undoubtedly arise due to elaborate syntax of the text. The latter includes different levels – that of the word, phrase, sentence, and paragraph. The structural syntactical aspect is sometimes regarded as the crucial issue in stylistic analysis, although the peculiarities of syntactical arrangement are not as conspicuous as the lexical and phraseological properties of the utterance. Syntax is figuratively called the "sinew of style".
Structural syntactical stylistic devices are in special relations with the intonation involved. Prof. Peshkovsky points out that there is an interdependence between the intonation and syntactical properties of the sentence, which may be worded in the following manner: the more explicitly the structural syntactical relations are expressed, the weaker will be the intonation-pattern of the utterance (to complete disappearance) and vice-versa, the stronger the intonation, the weaker grow the evident syntactical relations (also to complete disappearance). This can be illustrated by means of the following two pairs of sentences: 'Only after dinner did I make up my mind to go there' and 'I made up my mind to go there only after dinner. 'It was in Bucharest that the 10th International Congress of Linguists took place' and 'The 10th International Congress of Linguists took place in Bucharest.' The second sentences in these pairs can be made emphatic only by intonation; the first sentences are made emphatic by means of the syntactical patterns: 'Only after dinner did I...' and 'It was... that...'
The problem of syntactical stylistic devices appears to be closely linked not only with what makes an utterance more emphatic but also with the more general problem of predication. As is known, the English affirmative sentence is regarded as neutral if it maintains the regular word-order, i.e. subject—predicate—object (or other secondary members of the sentence, as they are called). Any other order of the parts of the sentence may also carry the necessary information, but the impact on the reader will be different. Even a slight change in the word-order of a sentence or in the order of the sentences in a more complicated syntactical unit will inevitably cause a definite modification of the meaning of the whole. An almost imperceptible rhythmical design introduced into a prose sentence, or a sudden break in the sequence of the parts of the sentence, or any other change will add something to the volume of information contained in the original sentence. Unlike the syntactical expressive means of the language, which are naturally used in discourse in a straight-forward natural manner, syntactical stylistic devices are perceived as elaborate designs aimed at having a definite impact on the reader. It will be borne in mind that any SD is meant to be understood as a device and is calculated to produce a desired stylistic effect.One of the most important for syntactical devices is rhythm.

Rhythm exists in all spheres of human activity and assumes multifarious forms. It is a mighty weapon in stirring up emotions whatever its nature or origin, whether it is musical, mechanical, or symmetrical. The most general definition of rhythm may be expressed as follows: "Rhythm is a flow, movement, procedure, etc., characterized by basically regular recurrence of elements or features, as beat, or accent, in alternation with opposite or different elements or features"(Webster's New World Dictionary). Sometimes rhythm can be perceived if there are occasional deviations from the regularity of alternations, inversion, for example.

Rhythm is a key word for the stylistic effect of many syntactical stylistic devices because the arrangement of word items in the sentence makes the text dynamic, monotonous, terse, tense, business like, off hand, matter-of-fact, or poetic, etc. It intensifies the emotions and specifies them. The produced effect if rightly interpreted usually coincides with lexico-stylistic outcome.

Rhythm in prose is not always easy to notice. In the following passage it is more difficult to catch the rhythm, though when the text is read aloud, the rhythm is clear.

The high-sloping roof, of a fine sooty pink was almost Danish, and two 'ducky' little windows looked out of it, giving an impression that very tall servants lived up there. (J.Galsworthy)

Here the rhythmical pattern of the utterance is almost imperceptible to an untrained ear, but will clearly be felt by one with rhythmical experience. The paired attributes high-sloping, fine sooty, ducky little and likewise the attribute with an adverbial modifier very tall are all structurally similar word-combinations and therefore create the rhythm.

So the main stylistic function of SSD is to create a certain rhythm which is expected to be relevant to the message of the text, i.e. the form of the text becomes stylistically and meaningfully important.

The following are the items of the syntactical stylistic devices which are of major importance:

1. Patterns of syntactical arrangement Inversion

Detachment

Parallelism

Chiasmus

Repetition

Enumeration

Suspense

Climax

Antithesis

2. Peculiar linkage Asyndeton

Polysyndeton

3. Colloquial constructions Ellipsis

Represented speech

4. Stylistic use of structural meaning Rhetorical questions

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 2134