6.2.2. The Epithet

The epithet (4) is subtle and del­icate in character. It is not so direct as the interjection. It can create an atmosphere of objective evaluation, whereas it conveys the subjective attitude of the writer, show­ing that he is partial in one way or another.

The epithet is a stylistic device based on the interplay of emotive and logical meaning in an attributive word, phrase or even sentence used to characterize an object and pointing out to the reader, and fre­quently imposing on him, some of the properties or features of the object with the aim of giving an individual perception and evaluation of these features or properties. The epithet is subjective and eval­uative. The logical attribute is purely objective, non-evaluating It is descriptive and indicates an inherent or prominent feature of the thing or phenomenon in question.

Thus, in 'green meadows', 'white snow', 'round table", 'blue skies', 'pale complexion', 'lofty mountains' and the like the adjectives are more logical attributes than epithets. They indicate those qualities of the objects which may be regarded as generally recognized. But in 'wild wind', 'loud ocean¹, 'remorseless dash of billows', 'formidable waves', 'heart-burning smile', the adjectives do not point to inherent qualities of the objects described. They are subjectively evaluative.

The epithet makes a strong impact on the reader so that he unwittingly begins to see and evaluate things as the writer wants him to. Indeed, in such word-combinations as 'destructive charms', 'glorious sight", 'encouraging smile', the interrelation between logical and emotive meanings manifest itself in different degrees. It is sometimes difficult to draw a clear line of demarcation between epithet and logical attribute. In some passages the logical attribute becomes so strongly enveloped in the emotional as­pect of the utterance that it begins to radiate emotiveness, though by nature it is logically descriptive. Take, for example, the adjectives green, white, blue, lofty (but somehow not round) in the combinations given above. In a suitable context they may all have a definite emotional impact on the reader.

Epithets may be classified from different standpoints: semantic and structural. Semantically, epithets may be divided into two groups: those associated with the noun following and. those unassociated with it.

Associated epithets are those which point to a feature which is es­sential to the objects they describe: the idea expressed in the epithet is inherent in the concept of the object. The associated epithet immediately refers the mind to the concept in question due to some actual quality of the object it is attached to, for instance, 'dark forest', 'dreary midnight', 'careful attention', 'unwearying research', 'in­defatigable assiduity', 'fantastic terrors'.

Unassociated epithets are attributes used to characterize the object by adding a feature not inherent in it, a feature which may be so unex­pected as to strike the reader by its novelty, as, for instance, 'heart­burning smile, 'bootless cries', 'sullen earth', 'voiceless sands'. The adjectives here do not indicate any property inherent in the objects in question. They impose a property on them which is fitting only in the given circumstances. It may seem strange, unusual, or even accidental.

The epithet is a powerful means for malting the desired impact on the reader, and therefore its ties with the noun are generally contextual. There are combinations in which the ties between the attribute and the noun defined are very close, and the whole combina­tion is viewed as a linguistic whole. Combinations of this type appear as a result of the frequent use of certain definite epithets with definite nouns. They become stable word-combinations. Examples are: 'bright face', 'valuable connections', 'sweet smile', 'unearthly beauty', 'pitch dark­ness', 'thirsty deserts', 'deep feeling', 'classic example', 'powerful influence", 'sweet perfume'. The predictability of such epithets is very great.

The function of epithets is to show the evaluating, subjective attitude of the writer towards the thing described. But for this purpose the author does not create his own new, unexpected epithets; he uses ones that have become traditional, and may be termed "language epithets" as they belong to the language-as-a-system. Thus epithets may be divided into language epithets and speech epithets. Examples of speech epithets are: 'slavish knees', 'sleepless bay'.

The process of strengthening the connection between the epithet and the noun may sometimes go so far as to build a specific unit which does not lose its poetic flavour. Such epithets are called fixed and are used in ballads and folk songs. The examples of fixed epi­thets: 'true lave', 'dark forest', 'sweet Sir', 'green wood', 'good ship", 'brave cavaliers'.

Structurally, epithets can be viewed from the angle of a) composi­tion and b) distribution.

From the point of view of their compositional structure epithets may he divided into simple, compound, phrase and sentence epithets. Simple epithets are ordinary adjectives. Compound epithets are built like com­pound adjectives. Examples are: ‘heart-burning sigh', ‘sylph-like figures', 'cloud-shapen giant.

Phrase epithets. A phrase and even a whole sentence may become an epithet if the main formal requirement of the epithet is maintained, viz. its attributive use. But unlike simple and compound epithets, which may have pre- or post- position, phrase epithets are always "placed before the nouns they refer to.

Here are some examples of phrase epithets:

“It is this do-it-yourself, go-it-alone attitude that has thus far held back real development of the Middle East's river resources."

"Personally I detest her smug, mystery-making, come-hither-but-go-uway-again-because-butter-wouldn’t-mell-in-my-mouih expression."

"There is a sort of 'Oh-what-a-wicked-worid-this-is-and-how-l-wisfi-l-could-do-something-to-make-it-better-and-nobler' expression about Montmorency that has been known to bring the tears into the eyes of pious old ladies and gentlemen."

"Freddie was standing in front of the fireplace with a 'well-that's-the-story-what-are-we-going-to-do-about-it' air that made him a focal point."

The reversed epithet is composed of two nouns linked in an of-phrase. The subjective, evaluating, emotional element is embod­ied not in the noun attribute but in the noun structurally described, for example: "the shadow of a smile"; "a devil of a job" ; "...he smiled brightly, neatly, efficiently, a military abbreviation of a smile"; "A devil of a sea rolls in that bay"; "A little Flying Dutchman of a cab"; "...a dog of a fellow"; "her brute of a brother" ; "...a long nightshirt of a mackin­tosh...".

Such epithets are metaphorical. The noun to be assessed is contained in the of-phrase and the noun it qualifies is a metaphor (shadow, devil, military abbreviation, Flying Dutchman, dog). The grammatical aspect, attributive relation between the members of the combination shows that the SD here is an epithet.

Some attributes carry so much information that they may be considered bearers of predicativeness. Some word-combinations where we have predic­ative relations convey so strongly the emotional assessment of the object spoken of, that in spite of their formal design the predicatives can be classed as epithets. Here are some examples:

'Foots that they are'; 'Wicked as he is.'

From the point of view of the distribution of the epithets in the sentence, the first model is the string of epithets.

"Such was the background of the wonderful, cruel, enchanting, bewildering, fatal, great city;"

Other examples are: a plump, rosy-cheeked, wholesome apple-faced young woman; "a well-matched, fairly-balanced give-and-take couple."

The string of epithets gives a many-sided depiction of the object.

Another distributional model is the transferred epithet. Transferred epithets are ordinary logical attributes generally describing the state of a human being, but made to refer to an inanimate object: sick chamber, sleepless pillow, restless pace, breathless eagerness, unbreakfasted morning, merry hours, a disapproving finger, Isabel shrugged an indifferent shoulder.

The main feature of the epithet is greatly diminished in this model; but it never quite vanishes. The meaning of the logical attributes in such combinations acquires a definite emotional colouring.

Language epithets as part of the emotional word-stock of the lan­guage have a tendency to become obsolescent. That is the fate of many emotional elements in the language. They gradually lose their emotive charge and are replaced by new ones which, in their turn, will be re­placed by neologisms.

The epithet is a direct and straightforward way of showing the author's attitude towards the things described.