Seeing Through Language: A Guide to Styles of English Writing - Hardcover

Carter, Ronald; Nash, Walter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0631151346 ISBN 13: 9780631151340

Publisher: Wiley–Blackwell, 1990

Synopsis

This is an introduction to literary stylistics and the study of discourse. The book's aim is to introduce students to models and techniques of analysis and to provide a basis for an understanding of how levels of discourse operate, both in literature and in other, non-literary forms of language. It covers syntax, vocabulary, phonology and social context in relation to different literary conventions, allowing readers to understand style as both a linguistic property and an interactional and social phenomenon. The book is aimed at students and specialists of English language and literature and students and specialists in discourse analysis.

About this title

Review:

"Fills a gap in the field of stylistics and satisfies the needs of scholars for a better knowledge of how to face text analysis." Journal of Literary Semantics

"A highly commendable work combining both textual analysis and composition"Moderna Sprak, Spring 1999

From the Back Cover:

Riddle: Why is a telescope like a bad excuse? Answer: Because anyone can see through it. The authors of this book would like to help anyone – but particularly students of English – to "see through" language, whether as the instrument of perception or as the evasive code. They write about texts, and the making of texts, and how texts are made to carry various kinds of meaning; and the topics they choose to write about range from the lexicon of car maintenance manuals to the role of grammatical modality in literary criticism. Their aim is to help students who may have little experience of linguistic studies to develop the articulate awareness of language that may subsequently be of service to them.

The book has something to say about aesthetics, but it is not addressed to aesthetes; and much to say about the functions of language. One of its aims is to be of value to students and teachers of English by providing close and extensive readings of non–literary as well as literary texts. It is thus a demonstration of techniques and themes in stylistics, but it also has claims as a manual of self–defence for citizens beset by the salesmanship of words. Above all, it is concerned with creativeness, particularly as developed through the complementary processes of textual analysis and textual composition. The programme of exercises with which the book concludes is designed to enhance not only the student′s understanding of various types of text, but also the ability to turn perception into productivity through the process of writing.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley–Blackwell
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0631151346
• ISBN 13: 9780631151340
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240