3.6.2. Word Level

Pol... . . What do you read, my lord? Ham. Words, words, words. Pol. What is the matter, my lord? Ham. Between who? Pol. I mean, the matter that you read, my lord. Ham. Slanders, sir: for the satirical slave says here that old men have grey beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes purging thick amber and plum tree gum; and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams: all which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for you yourself, sir, should be old as I am, if, like a crab, you could go backward. Pol. [Aside] Though this be madness, yet there is method in't... . 4 [William Shakespeare, Hamlet, prince of Denmark, act 2, scene 2 1140]

The analysis at the word level is crucial for to extract “bits and bites” of linguistic information. Professor John Lie, for instance, demonstrating a deconstructive approach, manages to scrutinize the whole sonnet (N116 by W. Shakespeare) through the analysis of a single word impediment [Lye 1997]. Its etymology, sounding, morphological characteristics, combinability, semantic value, as well as its contextual meaning, semantic field, and associations prove relevant in the analytical process. The analysis of a single word allowed bringing most of the implicit information unto surface. Yet, however, for academic purposes it would be advisable not to limit a student to a single-word-analysis, but to make him give a scrutiny to a whole corpus of vocabulary. Usually it is recommended at the close-reading stage to construct a distributional table for to define the role of nominative and verbal word classes in the textual nomination processes.

Table 3 Vocabulary Distribution

	Nouns	Adjectives	Verbs	Adverbs
1	Place, , roses, God, heaven, nature, mountains, seа, waves, country, fields, oats, wheat, kinds, things, cattle, heart, rivers, lakes, flowers, sorts, shapes, smells, colours, ditches primroses	Whole, wild, beautiful, fine, good,	Id love to have, swimming; rushing, going, would do, to see, springing up,	even
2	God, snap, fingers, learning atheists, the cobbles, priest, hell, conscience, person, Universe, sun	Afraid, bad	saying, wouldnt give, go, create, call, go, wash off, go howling, dying, know, was, made, dont know, do, might, try to stop, rising	Often, tomorrow
3	Sun, day, mouth, kiss, breath, flower, mountain, flowers, womans body, thing, life, pleasure, see, sky	Grey, long, true	Shines, said, were lying, got to propose, gave, lost, liked, saw, understood, felt, knew, could get round, gave, leading, asked, say, wouldnt answer, looked, thinking, didnt know	First, near always, only
4	Father, captain, sailors, birds	old	Playing, fly, say stoop, washing up, called
5	Sentry, governors house, thing, helmet devil, girls, shawls, combs, auctions, Devil, street, fowl market, donkeys, fellows, cloaks, shade, steps, wheels, carts, bulls, castle, years turbans, kings, shop windows, night, boat	Poor, vague, big, old, handsome, white, little	Roasted, laughing, knows, clucking, slipping, missed	Half-asleep
6	Watchman, lamp, torrent, see, sunsets, gardens, street, houses, rosegardens, girl, flower, mountain, rose, hair, wall, breasts, perfume, heart	Serene, awful, deepdown, crimson, glorious, queer, little, pink, blue, yellow	Was, put, used, shall Wear, kissed, thought, asked to ask, to say, Put, drew, could feel, going, will	sometimes

The analysis of these lexemes reveals the author’s precision when he constructed a word-map to render thoughts of a pleasure-seeking woman. Every word employed in this passage is of common use. Very few words could be regarded as elevated (Serene, glorious, perfume). Only four out of 117 nouns are abstract, 113 are class nouns that name objects and natural phenomena. Such usage of nouns provides a good basis for a detailed description of location, given as a chain of reminiscences. 28 adjectives that render colour and suggest assessment add to this detailed presentation of Molly’s bright and perfumed Paradise. 83 verbs of the passage could be classified as verbs of action, verbs of speaking, and verbs of sense perception. They are used to construct a sort of a narrative chain (Marion recollects how Leopold Bloom proposed to her), a dynamic mental description, and constant Marion’s evaluation of the past events. Present and past participles render the dynamic changes in the stream of recollection, while modal verbs help to present Marion’s assessment of the events and location.

Semantics of the lexemes could be regarded as a set of opposites. The analysis reveals that a Paradise-like scene is described with the help of the lexemes whose kernel semes are those of beauty, pleasure, good and love (parts 1,3,6). These semes are opposed to the semes of indignation (part 2) and “down-to-earthiness” (part 4). Semantics of vocabulary in part 4 renders both dynamic and sleepy atmosphere of Gibraltar.

Thus the analysis at the word level helped to distinguish a number of lexical “devices” that Joyce employed to render the stream of consciousness of a pleasure-seeking woman who recollects best moments of her life.

QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS: