PECULIARITIES OF THE WRITER’S STYLE

A Guide to Text Stylistic Interpretation

1. A few words about the author.
2. What is the extract about?

The text from the book …which I’ve just read is about …

The extract under analysis tells of …

The extract from the book … by … depicts …

I’ve just read an extract from the book by …entitled …. It depicts ….

The analysed extract of the text is from the book by … entitled …. It describes …

I’ve read and analysed an extract from the book … written by …. It presents …

The analysed extract is taken from the book entitled … which was written by ….

It tells the story …

3. What composition has it?

From the point of view of its composition it falls into some parts.

Its composition is as follows.

It has the following composition.

(exposition, plot development, climax, anticlimax, denouement, conclusion)

1. From whose point of view is it told? What type of narration/presentation is it?

author’s narrative description (narrative

entrusted narrative argumentation compositional

interior speech meditation forms)

represented speech narrative proper

dialogue

1. What are the expressive peculiarities of its vocabulary and grammar?

(neutral, colloquial, bookish words, word-combinations, syntactic structures)

1. Speak on the stylistic devices which help to intensify the message.

(phonetical, lexical, syntactical, lexical and syntactical stylistic devices)

1. Speak on the message of the extract.

(what the author wanted to express; the author’s attitude to his/her characters; his/her sympathies, likes and dislikes)

1. What can you say about the author’s style judging from this extract?

PECULIARITIES OF THE WRITER’S STYLE

Judging from the analysed extract we can draw some conclusions as regards the author’s style of writing. It may be high-flown or elaborate, with long, syntactically complicated structures creating the atmosphere of gravity, solemnity, and sophistication. Parallel constructions with a string of homogeneous members make an effect of measured rhythm, smoothness and impartiality, the abundance of image-bearing epithets, sustained and phrase epithets contributes to the vividness of narration, serves to convey the author’s personal attitude to the described events.

The use of short, simple sentences without an excessive use of stylistic devices usually produces an effect of objectiveness and impartiality. It occurs in narrative proper, when the author wants to relate a succession of events closely following each other. Description and argumentation involves the use of syndetically connected sentences, with clearly indicated syntactic dependencies between the clauses. Lack of conjunctions suggests quickness, briskness, and adds a note of excitement.

In case of dialogue speech the syntax becomes more colloquial in character. The wide use of elliptical and one-member sentences enhances the effect of informality, suggesting live communication intercourse. Break often occurs in dialogues, with the implication of uncertainty, hurriedness, hesitation or deliberation. Graphic and phono-graphical stylistic devices also convey a shift of logical stress and draw the reader’s attention to some key elements of the sentence structure, helping to shape the author’s message.

Other terms to characterise the writer’s style:

· Brevity, precision, coherence, clarity, transparence, lack of sophistication;

· Floridness, overabundance of epithets, stylistic devices used in convergence, emotiveness, emotional charge;

· Lack of sophistication, the presence of implication, the skillful use of the artistic detail, sparing use of epithets, coordination instead of subordination, polysyndeton.

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 1607