General Notes on Styles and Stylistics
The subject of stylistics has so far not been definitely outlined. This is due to a number of reasons.
First of all there is a confusion between the terms style and stylistics. The first concept is so broad that it is hardly possible to regard it as
a term. We speak of style in architecture, literature, behaviour, linguistics, dress and other fields of human activity
Even in linguistics the word style is used so widely that it needs interpretation. The majority of linguists who deal with the
subject of style agree that the term applies to the following fields of investigation.:
1) the aesthetic function of language;
2) expressive means in language;
3) synonymous ways of rendering one and the same idea;
4) emotional colouring of language;
5) a system of special devices called stylistic devices;
6) the splitting of the literary language into separate subsystems called stylistic devices;
7) the interrelation between language and thought;
8) the individual manner of an author in making use of language.
The origin of the term Style and Stylistics.
Lat - stylus - a stick made of material for writing.
Stylistics - from French " Stylistique " -instrument for Writing.
1. There is a widely held view that style is the correspondence between thought and expression. The notion is based on the
assumption ; that of the two functions of language, (language is said to have two functions: it serves as a means of communication and
also as a means of shaping one's thoughts). The first function is called communicative, the second - expressive, the latter finds its proper
materialization in strings of sentences especially arranged to convey the ideas and also to get the desired response.
Indeed, every sentence uttered may be characterized from two sides: whether or not the string of language forms expressed is something
well-known and therefore easily understood and to some extent predictable; whether or not the string of language forms is built anew; is,
as it were, an innovation made on the part of the listener to get at the meaning of the utterance and is therefore unpredictable.
Many great minds have made valuable observations on the interrelation between thought and expression. The main trend in most of
these observations may be summarized as follows the linguistic form of the idea expressed always reflects the peculiarities of the
thought. And vice versa, the character of the thought will always in a greater or lesser degree manifest itself in the language forms
chosen for the expression of the idea.
2. Another commonly accepted connotation of the term style is embellishment of language. This concept is popular and is
upheld in some of the scientific papers on literary criticism. Language and style are regarded as separate bodies, language can easily
dispense with style, which is likened to the trimming on a dress. Moreover, style as an embellishment of language is viewed as
something that hinders understanding. In its extreme, style may dress the thought in such fancy attire that one can hardly get at the idea
hidden behind the elaborate design of tricky stylistic devices.
This notion presupposes the use of bare language forms deprived of any stylistic devices of any expressive means deliberately
employed. Perhaps it is due to this notion that the word "style" itself still bears a somewhat derogatory meaning. It is associated with the
idea of something pompous, showy artificial, something that is set against simplicity, truthfulness, the natural. Shakespeare was a
determined enemy of all kinds of embellishments of language.
3. A very popular notion among practical linguists, teachers of language, is that style is technique of expression. In this sense
style is generally defined as the ability to write clearly, correctly and in a manner calculated to the interest of the reader. Style in this
utilitarian sense should be taught, but it belongs to the realm of grammar, and not to stylistics. It sets up a number of rules as to how to
speak and write and discards all kinds of deviations as being violations of the norm. The norm itself becomes rigid, self-sustained and to
a very great extent inflexible.
4. The term style also signifies a literary genre. Thus we speak of classical style or the style of classicism; realistic style; the
style of romanticism and so on. On the other hand, the term is widely used in literature, being applied to the various kinds of literary
work, the fable, novel, ballad, story etc. Thus we speak of a story being written in the style of a fable or we speak of the characteristic
features of the epistolary style or the essay and so on.
Finally there is one more important application of the term style. We speak of the different styles of language. A style of Language is a
system of interrelated language means which serves a definite aim in communication. The peculiar choice of language means is
primarily dependent on the aim of communication.
Thus we may distinguish the following styles within the English literary language: 1) the belles- letters style; 2) the publicistic
style; 3) the newspaper style; 4} the scientific prose style; 5) the style of official documents and presumably some others. The
classification presented here is not arbitrary, the work is still in the observational stage. The classification is not proof against criticism,
though no one will deny that the five groups of styles exist in the English literary language.
Stylistics and its Subdivisions
1. Galperin: Stylisitics is a branch of general linguistics, which deals with the following two interdependent tasks:
a) studies the totality of special linguistic means ( stylistic devices and expressive means ) which secure the desirable effect of
the utterance;
b) studies certain types of texts "discourse" which due to the choice and arrangement of the language are distinguished by the
pragmatic aspect of communication (functional styles).
Depending on the school of thought there are:
1. Linguo-stylistics;
2. Literary stylistics;
3. Stylistics of decoding;
1. Linguo - stylistics is the study of literary discourse from a linguistic orientation. The linguistics is concerned with the
language codes themselves and particular messages of interest and so far as to exemplify how the codes are constructed.
