Scribd
Upload
44 views

Stylistics. Seminar 1

The document discusses different types of foregrounding in stylistics. Foregrounding refers to prominent text that contributes meaning contrasted with background context. The most important types are convergence, coupling, and defeated expectancy. Convergence means using multiple stylistic devices together for effect, like the author's use of inversion, repetition, rhythm, neologism, epithet, and comparison to convey the energy of waves in a passage from Moby Dick.

Uploaded by

Иван
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
44 views

Stylistics. Seminar 1

The document discusses different types of foregrounding in stylistics. Foregrounding refers to prominent text that contributes meaning contrasted with background context. The most important types are convergence, coupling, and defeated expectancy. Convergence means using multiple stylistic devices together for effect, like the author's use of inversion, repetition, rhythm, neologism, epithet, and comparison to convey the energy of waves in a passage from Moby Dick.

Uploaded by

Иван
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

STYLISTICS.

SEMINAR 1
2
Foregrounding (выдвижение) is the process of violating predictability. It is close to defeated expectancy
but it is a wider notion.
The most important kinds of foregrounding are convergence (конвергенция), coupling (сцепление)
and defeated expectancy (обманутое ожидание).
Foregrounding refers to a prominent portion of text that contributes meaning, contrasted with the
background, which provides relevant context for the foreground.
Convergence means two or more stylistic devices are used together in one context to contribute to the
same effect. This term was created and illustrated by Michel Riffaterre. His example has been taken from
the novel “Moby Dick”: “And heaved and heaved, still unrestingly heaved the black sea, as if its vast tides
were a conscience.”
In order to make readers feel the energy of waves the author uses the special rhythm which is created by
repetition and inversion of the verb and maintained by repetition of the conjunction and. The author uses
his own neologism unrestingly. And finally, the image of giant waves is created with the help of an abstract
notion – conscience.
So, convergence here is created by a set of stylistic devices:
1. Inversion
2. Repetition
3. Polysyndeton (repetition of conjunctions)
4. Rhythm
5. Author’s neologism unrestingly
6. Epithet vast
7. Comparison (the notion tides is compared with the notion conscience.)

convergence (конвергенция) of expressive means,


irradiation,
defeated expectancy (обманутое ожидание),
coupling, (сцепление)
semantic fields,
semi-marked structures.

You might also like