Poetic Discourse Analysis

Vocabulary as the main source of imagery

1. The semantic changes a word can undergo in a text

2. Imagery and ways of grouping images

3. Vocabulary in terms of its textual frequency

4. The main textual functions of different frequency areas

5. The title as the strongest position and the mechanisms a title can be based on

The 3 levels of m-ng:

1. the language level

2. the contextual level (that of immediate language environment, reflecting the situation – the contextual m-ng does not only presuppose as simple selection of the lexico semantic variants fixed in the dictionary

3. the textual level (on which the word acquires its true significance only against the background of the whole text)

• A word may be used on the first level only

• The language m-ng of the word may be different from the m-ng it receives in the context.

• On the contextual level we may perceive nothing but factual details. But later on these facts acquire a textual symbolic m-ng

• the language m-ng of the word may clash with the contextual mm-ng yet be adequate to the final textual m-ng (Mr. Pickwick’s foresight and sagacity alluded to as very ironic in the context of the events described – a naïve child taking things for granted)

• all the three m-ngs – language, contextual and textual – may diverge

The specific ultimate textual m-ng of a word depends on various changes in its semantic structure.

Some semantic components may become

1. weakened (by slight alteration),

2. emphasis (they were careless people, Tom and Daisy – careless 1)without worry 2)not paying much attention – 3) without any regards for others, utterly selfish. they smashed people and things

3. removal (loss) – “she was the Ark – the seme of “vessel” is lost – the function of salvation remains

4. inducement – adding semes totally absent from the semantic structure of the lexical item as it functions in the system of the language. “One thing is sure, and another is surer, the rich get richer and he poor get … children

Imagery

Совмещенное видение 2-х картин. A fusion of two pictures giving us a double vision

From the viewpoint of:

1. originality: trite and genuine

2. mechanism: metaphorical non-metaphorical

3. complexity: primary and secondary

4. point of view: mental and physical

5. subject: character-images, landscape, event, images of material objects or natural phenomena

Functions:

1. producing a merely physical sensation

2. appealing to the reader’s intellectual perception

   1. mental (intellectual, emotional)

   2. physical (temporal, spatial, appealing to senses)

The house is let of in sets of chambers now, and in those shrunken fragments of its greatness lawyers lie like maggots in nuts.

He heard the snow faintly falling through the universe

Frequency areas

• low frequency

• medium frequency

• high frequency

High frequency area includes proper names, thematic words (responsible for the setting and events, but are usually taken at their face value), functional words, it stands to reason that such a great percentage of vocabulary must perform a more important function

Textual functions of functional words:

1. implication of priority (the narrative begins in the middle) – economy of narrative facts. “At the lake there was another rowboat. The two Indians stood waiting”. (Hemingway)

2. involving the reader in an almost physical shock (then there it was, in the corner of his eye. He turned, his heart frozen)

3. curiosity and suspect caused by using pronouns instead of direct nomination (the marvelous thing is that it is painless. …)

4. creating a perspective, a starting point from which things are observed (it was late and everybody had left the café except an old man)

5. rendering an attitude

Medium frequency area mostly belongs to the vocabulary that pushes the plot forward, the material for tropes is usually taken

Lower frequency area – highly imaginative words, the author’s nonswords (неологизмы)

Sometimes the title of the story belongs to the same, low frequency area (the moon and sixpence), may belong to the very high frequent currency too.

Its chief mechanisns

1. naming the main character

2. a characteristic feature of the protagonist

3. naming the place (Our town)

4. the type of discourse

5. the nature of the events

6. the underlying theme of a story

7. using one of the chief symbols

8. a metaphorical image that does not occur in the text

9. allusions

A few glimpses at the technics of narrative

Types of narrative through focalization:

1. the author’s narrative

   1. from author to reader (classical, Vanity Fair

   2. in the 3^rd person with the author removed

      1. omniscient through the viewpoint of the author (unlimited range of vision)

      2. limited omniscient through the viewpoint of a potential observer (not mentioned) (limited vision)

      3. through the viewpoint of the character (limited range of vision)

2. the character’s narrative

   1. as an observer

      1. a memoir narrative (written speech) – Robinson Crusoe

      2. an oral narrative (spoken speech) The Catcher in the Rye

   2. as an active participant

      1. a memoir narrative (written speech)

      2. an oral narrative (spoken speech)

Focalization may reveal itself on the level of a sentence or even a word within a sentence.

who had … dreadful little sluglike whiskers, and a scornful look – as if he were a poet!

Another way to bring together the author and the character’s perspectives – represented speech

Soames thought, “What possessed me to give my card to a fellow like that?”

What could have possessed him to give his card to a fellow like that?

It is like indirect speech, because it observes the sequence of tenses, but it is like the direct speech, because a question remains a question, …, the emotional charge is like that of direct speech.

The relationships between the author and the character

Ethical viewpoint

1. complete coincidence (The Moon and Sixpence)

2. partial coincidence (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn)

3. implicit divergence (M. Spark. You Should Have Seen the Mess)

4. explicit divergence (The Woman in White)

The author-narrator’s attitude to the characters

1. Explicit and homogeneous = unchanging (Mr. Pickwick – positive, Mr. Gradgrind – negative)

2. Explicitly mixed (Strickland, Rawdon Crawley, Gatsby)

3. Explicit but changing as the narrative develops (Mr. Dombey, Dick Swiveller)

4. Implicit (Nick’s mother from “The Doctor and the Doctor’s Wife”)

Time arrangement

Chronology vs. anachrony (disposition line shows the fibula) the story line is its composition. they seldom coincide. Every digression from the disposition line has a certain reason.

Anachrony:

• flash-backs (Vygotsky on Bunin)

• flash-forwards (anticipation) (who was to be a widow without ever being a bride)

• foreshadowing (minor events symbolically foretelling a major one)

The episode in which Huck and Jim lose each other in a fog for a short time – double function – character incident – Huck’s personality in development – “humbles himself to a Negro” – a symbolic image – much more important separation – Jim is stolen by 2 swindlers – sold back into slavery – предзнаменование

• barrier time (the fabula can only last up to a certain point)

• a swing movement

The density of time

• scene vs. summary

• a more detailed approach (Mieke Bal)

  • ellipsis (time is left out)

  • summary (fiction time is quicker than real life)

  • scene (fiction time = real time)

  • slow-down (fiction time is slower than real time) Ulisses

  • pause (frozen moment)