英语文体学Chapter-5--Phonological-Overregularity

EnglishStylisticsChapter5PhonologicalOverregularityPhonologicalOveregularityPhonologicaloverregularityischaracteristicofsuchliterarygenresaspoetry.Itconsistsoftwoaspects,namely—PhonemicPatterningRhythmicPatterningPhonemicPatterningPhonemesmaybepatternedindifferentwaysinEnglish.ThemostimportanttypesofpatterninginEnglishliteratureare:alliteration,rhyme,assonance,consonanceandonomatopoeia.5.1PhonemicPatterningAlliterationistherepetitionoftheinitialconsonantclusterinstressedsyllables.5.1.1Alliteration5.1PhonemicPatterningTwopointsaboutalliterationneedtobeexplained.5.1.1Alliteration5.1PhonemicPatterningFirstly,whatismeantbyinitialconsonantcluster?Let’slookatthefollowingsyllabicstructure.SOnsetRhymeNucleusCodastri:t5.1.1Alliteration5.1PhonemicPatterningAswecanseefromtheabovefigure,inEnglishabasicsyllablecontainsaninitialconsonant(consonantcluster),avowel,andafinalconsonant(consonantcluster).5.1.1Alliteration5.1PhonemicPatterningTheinitialconsonantclustercanbeformedbyupto3consonants,andthefinalconsonantclustercanbeformedbyupto4consonants.Intheaboveexample,theword‘street’hasalargestinitialconsonantcluster.Whileintheword‘sixths’thereisalargestfinalconsonantcluster.5.1.1Alliteration5.1PhonemicPatterningSecondly,amisconceptionmayarisethatitistheinitialsyllableofapolysyllabicwordwhichcarriesalliteration.5.1.1Alliteration5.1PhonemicPatterningItshouldbepointedoutthatitisusuallythefirststressedsyllableofawordthatcarriesthealliteration,notnecessarilytheinitialsyllable.E.g.InTennyson’s“Hereinthelongunlovelystreet”,‘long’alliterateswith‘unlovely’.5.1.1Alliteration5.1PhonemicPatterningAlliterationisfrequentlyfoundinproverbialandidiomaticexpressions.E.g.lastbutnottheleastsafeandsoundnoworneverSpeechinsilver,silenceisgolden.5.1.1Alliteration5.1PhonemicPatterningAlliterationisalsoafeatureoftonguetwisters.E.g.AtutorwhotootedafluteTriedtotutortwotutorstotootSaidthetwotothetutor“IsithardertotootorTotutortwotutorstotoot?”5.1.1AlliterationFUNCTION?Humor5.1PhonemicPatterningAlliterationplaysanimportantroleinliterature.E.g.Coldarethecrabsthatcrawlonyonderhills,Colderthecucumberthatgrowbeneath.(EdwardLear,ColdAretheCrab)5.1.1AlliterationSimilarsoundsmakeupsimilarfeelingorthought5.1PhonemicPatterningE.g.WhenhesawGrendel’sgruesomefootprints,thatgreatmangrievedforhisretainers.(Beowulf)Sheisachildofthepeople,bornintheveryheightandheatofbattle.Thebestlaidschemeso’miceandmenGangafta-gley.(RobertBurns,ToaMouse)5.1.1AlliterationContrastandSimilarity5.1PhonemicPatterningAlliterationisnotonlyusedinliterarytexts,butalsointhetitlesofthetexts.E.g.PrideandPrejudiceSenseandSensibility5.1.1Alliteration5.1PhonemicPatterningFunctionofAlliteration---A.tocreateasenseofhumororchildliketone;B.toarousesimilarfeeling,thoughtormood(onomatopoeia);C.tobeforcefulandemphatic;D.toformaconnectionofsimilarityorcontrastbetweenthetwoitem.5.1.1Alliteration5.1PhonemicPatterningRhymeisthe“identityofsoundsbetweenwordsorverselinesextendingfromtheendtothelastfullyaccentedvowelandnotfurther”.5.1.2Rhyme5.1PhonemicPatterningThustheoreticallyspeakingarhymemayhavemultiplesyllables,thoughinactualuserhymesofmorethantwosyllablesarerare.One-syllablerhymesarereferredtoasmasculinerhymesandtwo-syllablerhymesarecalledfemininerhymes.Otherkindsofrhymesmaybesimplycalledpolysyllabicrhymes.5.1.2Rhyme5.1PhonemicPatterningExample1Shewalksinbeauty,likethenightOfcloudlessclimesandstarryskies;Andallthat’sbestofdarkandbrightMeetinheraspectandhereyes;ThusmellowedtothattenderlightWhichheaventogaudydaydenies.(Byron,ShewalksinBeauty)5.1.2RhymeMasculinerhymes5.1PhonemicPatterningExample2ReflectionsonIce-breakingCandyIsdandy,ButliquorIsquicker.(OgdenNash)5.1.2RhymeFemininerhymes5.1PhonemicPatterning1)EndrhymesRhymeswhichoccurattheendofverselines.E.g.Takeheruptenderly,Liftherwithcare,Fashion’dsoslenderly,Young,andsofair!(ThomasHood,TheBridgeofSighs)5.1.2Rhyme—TypesofRhymes5.1PhonemicPatterning2)InternalrhymesRhymeswhichoccurwithinaverseline.E.g.Farfromcity’sstridentjangleasIangle,smokeanddream.(NewmanLevy,MidsummerJangle)5.1.2Rhyme—TypesofRhymes5.1PhonemicPatterning3)Half-rhymesRhymeswhichareformedbyrepeatingeitherthevowel(ordiphthong)orthefinalconsonantcluster.5.1.2Rhyme—TypesofRhymes5.1PhonemicPatterning3)Half-rhymesE.g.HopeisthethingwithfeathersThatperchesinthesoul,AndsingsthetunewithoutthewordsAndneverstopsatall.(EmilyDickson,HopeIstheThingwithFeathers)5.1.2Rhyme—TypesofRhymes5.1PhonemicPatterning4)PararhymesRhymeswhichareformedbyrepeatingtheinitialconsonantclusteraswellasthefinalconsonantcluster.E.g.ToofastinthoughtordeathtobebestirredThen,asIprobedthem,onesprangupandstared(WilfredOwen,StrangeMeeting)5.1.2Rhyme—TypesofRhymes5.1PhonemicPatterningRhymesarearrangedinapatternwithinapoem.Thispatterniscalledarhyme-scheme.Itiscustomaryandconvenienttodenoterhyme-schemesbrieflybyusinglettersofthealphabet.E.g.1LucyE.g.2Prothalamion5.1.2Rhyme5.1PhonemicPatterningIfawriterplanstoadoptatraditionalverseform,thenthechoiceofrhyme-schemeisalsodeterminedbytheform.F