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Within literary studies there are many ways to approach a work. You can study its content or the way in which the characters and settings are present; You can also study the use of literary devices such as metaphors, similes, images and more. This type of analysis, which focuses more on the way in which the text is presented and not on its message or content, is a study that falls within the area of style; that is, a stylistic study.
Stylistics, within linguistics, studies the aesthetic use of language. This use occurs mostly in works of literature such as poetry and narrative, as well as other artistic expressions such as theater. In common speech there are also stylistic decisions that can be studied, although they are not presented in the same way as in literary works.
The ambiguity of the style
It can be difficult to talk about the style of this or that author because we have doubts such as what exactly the word style would be referring to? Are you referring to the words, the order of sentences, the use of rhetorical figures, the choice of characters?
The sources seem to agree that when talking about style we could cover various decisions of the authors in order to convey certain intentions in their works. These intentions are reflected in the way of writing, in the effect expected from the work, and in the resources used to achieve said effects.
The use of rhetorical figures
Rhetorical figures are a key element in defining an author’s style. The abundance or scarcity of figures, the theme involved in the representations and images, and the use of poetic resources may be part of the identity and style of the authors.
Rhetorical figures
These are some of the best-known and most used rhetorical figures in literature:
Alliteration – repetition of consonants with rhythmic intentions
- “My mom pampers me”
- “Under the light wing of the slight fan”
Assonance : repetition of vowels with rhythmic intentions.
- “I neither insisted nor remained immobile”
Colloquialisms – Use of informal words belonging to a specific region or group.
- “The rumba was cool/chévere” (means great)
- “I’m going to work” (means work)
Metaphor : comparison of two elements expressed without conjunctions of comparison.
- “This news hit me hard”
- “Luisa is the black sheep of the family”
macrostylistic elements
The style of an author can also be studied according to the study of elements that appear in his texts in a more general way. These elements cannot be pinpointed as precisely as metaphors or similes. Some are:
- Character development : refers to the changes or growth of the characters.
- Irony : when the events that occurred are the opposite of what was expected in the story.
- Juxtaposition – when two items are placed together to make their comparison or contrast more apparent.
- Point of view : perspective of the narrator who can be first person, third person or omniscient narrator.
- Tone : Refers to the author’s attitude about the chosen topic; It is reflected, for example, in his choice of vocabulary.
The utility of stylistic studies
The study of style and the elements that define it serve two purposes.
The first is the description and evaluation of finished literary works. The stylistics allows to know the resources of the authors, also framed in their historical and geographical contexts.
The second purpose of stylistics arises as a consequence of the first. By establishing the parameters that great authors have used to immortalize their literary works, we can use this knowledge to learn how to improve the narrative or literary style of new writers.
Types of stylistics
Style studies have diversified enormously according to the point of view they wish to adopt when studying a work. In this way we have, among others:
- Literary stylistics – studies literary forms such as poetry, drama, and prose.
- Interpretive Stylistics – studies how linguistic elements are brought together to create meaningful art.
- Evaluative stylistics : analyzes whether an author’s style decisions work or do not work in a given work.
- Corpus stylistics : studies the frequency of different elements in texts to determine, for example, the authenticity of a manuscript.
- Discursive stylistics : it is dedicated to the study of language in the creation of meaning.
References
- Del Castillo, H. (2018). The analysis of the literary style: an approach from the reception . Available at: https://www.redalyc.org/journal/4765/476557508003/html/#B9
- UNAM (undated). What is stylistics? Available at: http://cursobecarios.cuaed.unam.mx/licel/cuarto_semestre/sintaxis_espanol/unidad3/img/Que_es_la_estilistica.pdf
