Literary Language and Figures of Speech
Key Figures of Speech
Phonetic or Repeating Figures
Alliteration: Repetition of similar sounds.
Sound Symbolism: Alliteration imitating natural sounds.
Paronomasia: Similarity between two different words.
Anaphora: Repetition of a word at the beginning of successive clauses.
Epiphora: Repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses.
Anadiplosis: Repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next.
Epanadiplosis: Repetition of a word at the beginning and end of a clause.
Gemination: Immediate repetition of a word.
Reduplication: Gemination of a single word.
Epanalepsis: Repetition of a word at the beginning and end of a clause.
Epanastrophe: Repetition of a word at the end of one clause and the beginning of the next.
Asyndeton: Omission of conjunctions between clauses, creating a sense of speed. Polysyndeton: The opposite of asyndeton; using many conjunctions.
Epithet: An adjective emphasizing an inherent quality of a noun.
Hyperbaton: Alteration of standard word order in a sentence.
Parallelism: Repetition of similar syntactic structures.
Chiasmus: Parallelism with inverted elements (A-B, B-A).
Similicadencia: Two phrases ending with words in the same inflection.
Pun: Using a word with two meanings for humorous or rhetorical effect.
Ellipsis: Omission of a word or phrase.
Hypallage: Attributing a modifier to a word other than the one it logically describes.
Hyperbole: Exaggeration for emphasis.
Personification: Giving human qualities to inanimate objects.
Antithesis: Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas.
Paradox: A seemingly self-contradictory statement.
Simile: Comparison using “like” or “as.”
Metaphor: Implied comparison without using “like” or “as.”
Metonymy: Substituting a related word for the actual word.
Synesthesia: Mixing of senses (e.g., “loud color”).
Apostrophe: Addressing an absent person or thing.
Epifonema: A concluding exclamation summarizing a poem’s content.
Concept of Literature and Literary Language
Classical literature is the artistic creation of beauty through words. The result is a literary work.
Elements of Communication (Jakobson)
- Issuer: The author.
- Channel: The medium (e.g., book).
- Message: The literary work itself.
- Code: The language used.
- Reader: The recipient of the message.
- Referent: The external reality or context.
Communicative Functions
- Emotive/Expressive: Focus on the issuer’s feelings.
- Phatic/Contact: Focus on the channel.
- Conative: Focus on influencing the reader.
- Metalinguistic: Focus on the code/language itself.
- Referential/Denotative: Focus on the referent/external reality.
- Aesthetic/Poetic: Focus on the message’s form and artistry.
Literary Language
Literary language distinguishes itself from ordinary language through various characteristics:
- Use of rhetorical devices.
- Connotative meaning (additional layers of meaning).
- Multiple interpretations (plurisignification).
- Linguistic reworking.
- Emphasis on sound and form.
- Creation of fictional universes.
- Exploration of new expressive possibilities.
- Prevalence of the poetic function.
Functions of Literature
Literature serves various functions:
- Pedagogical/Moralistic: To teach and instruct.
- Art for Art’s Sake: Aesthetic appreciation.
- Catharsis: Emotional release for author and reader.
- Escapism: To escape reality.
- Commitment: To address social issues.
- Longing for Glory: To achieve immortality.
- Knowledge: To understand human experience.
- Literature-Society/Literature-Education: To reflect and analyze society.
Represented Reality
Represented reality is the fictional world created by the author, including characters, events, setting, and atmosphere.
Characters
Characterization Techniques
- Direct: Explicit description by the narrator or another character.
- Indirect: Revealed through actions, dialogue, and thoughts.
Character Classification
- By Level/Relief: Primary, secondary, tertiary.
- By Characteristics: Static or dynamic; flat or round.
Narrator
- Participation: Observer (third-person) or participant/witness (first-person).
- Relationship with Characters: Omniscient or limited.
- Point of View: Fixed or multiple.
Reader
- Incorporated: Directly addressed.
- Appealed to: Implicitly addressed.
- Ignored: Most common.
Technical Resources
Structure
- External: Physical organization (chapters, parts, etc.).
- Internal: Development of the narrative and themes.