Stylistics Analysis Of Bacon’s Selected

Essay

Submitted By: Muhammad Hassaan

Class Roll No. 1545
Supervised By: Muhammad Riaz Ahmad
Department of English G C No.1 Dikhan
(2015-2019)
Introduction

Style is a primary aspect of any literary piece of writing. It gives

unique recognition to the writer. The idea or thing discussed by many
other writers, by using stylistics devices and dignified style of writer
presents the same idea or thing with new meanings and dimensions.
Therefore, style is the basic thing which gives uniqueness to every
writer.
The word stylistics is derived from style. Stylistics is the branch of
linguistics which deals with different styles. It refers to the study of
appropriate use of words or language in a sentence or writing.
Widdowson (1975) defines stylistics as “the study of literary
discourse from linguistics orientation.” He (1975) says that the link
between literary criticism and linguistics is stylistics. Style has
different meanings for different people. According to Carter (1989)
style generally depends on literary levels. Due to these levels every
text and writings is different from others, hence every genre is
different.
Style can also be called as variety, in various contexts, style refers as
the manner of expression. Due to multipurpose field of style, it is
used according to one’s field of study. Lawal (1997) however,
describes style as an aspect of language that deals with choices of
diction, phrases, sentences and linguistic materials that are
consistent and harmonious with subject matter. He called that it
involves the narrative technique of a writers in terms of choice and
distribution of words and character.
Style

The general meaning of style is ‘manner or mode’ but the literary

meaning of style refers how the writer’s thoughts take the shape of
words. The style has variety of meanings throughout the history and
in outside the literary text. It is observed by many critics the term
style is generally used without knowing its meaning. According to
Leech (1969) style is the way in which something is spoken, written
or performed. It refers to use of words, sentences, structures and
speaking style. Personality of the writer is connected with his
particular style. It reveals that how a person effectively and
beautifully depicts his ideas. It describes the way of person’s
speaking or writing.
The word style is derived from the Latin word “elocutio” which
means “style” and is called “lexis” in Greek. Leech and Short (1981)
are of the view that the word style has an uncontroversial meaning.
Style depends upon the context for a given purpose for the language
is being used. Leech and Short (1981) has also said that it is the
selection of the words from ground Linguistics vocabulary. Style is e
involved in both spoken and written, literary and non-literary types
of language but it is associated with written form of literary text.
Style or stylistics variation may also be analyzed in linguistic term for
example sentence types, phonological devices, lexical variations,
morphological varieties, rhetorical terms, semantic terms and even
semiotic terms and utterances.

Stylistics
 The study of style variations in use of language is called stylistics. It is
an analytical science which covers all the expressive aspects of
language like phonology, prosody, morphology, syntax, and
lexicology. Stylistics is actually the violation from set patterns of
language. Leech (1981) explains stylistics as a linguistic approach to
literature, clarifies the relation between language and artistic
function. K.T Khader defines stylistics as an in-depth study of text to
produce the particular effect through particular choices of words.
The aim of stylistics is not only to describe the formal elements of
texts, but also to show the functional importance for the text
interpretations; or to show the violation of literary text to linguistic
effects where these are considered relevant. According to Freeman
(1971) stylistics is a sub-discipline which started in the 2nd half of the
20th century. Widdowson (1975) defines stylistics the study of literary
discourse from a linguistic orientation which differs stylistics from
literary criticism and considered linguistics as its thinking technique.
Carter (1989) has of same view that stylistics is a bridge between
literature and linguistics. Stylistics is the study of those devices that
are used to create expressive or literary style.

About the author: Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon, in full Francis Bacon, Viscount Saint Albun, also called
(1603-18) Sir Francis Bacon, (born January 22, 1561, York House
London England____ died April 9,1626, London). Lord Chancellor of
England (1618-21). A lawyer, statesman, philosopher and master of
the English tongue, he is remembered in literary terms for the sharp
worldly wisdom of a few dozen essays.
Sir Francis Bacon was a true renaissance man in that he was
accomplished in many areas, one of which was essays and him being
an essayist. Some scholars believe that it was he who invented the
essay as a literary form. Even more amazing is that he wrote essays
for fun.
His essays cover a huge range of subjects and the writing style is
quite varied. Some are philosophical, some are witty, some are deep,
some are humorous. Bacon often takes both sides of an argument in
his essays, seeming to enjoy the role of “devil’s advocate” arguing
against himself. Writers and speakers (including even Shakespeare)
have quoted from his essays.
You van see the variety of his essays by examining their topics, some
of which include: Truth, Death, Anger, Envy, Revenge, Travel,
Marriage and also about single life. His aim as an essayist was to
share the wisdom of his life. The original number of essays in Bacon’s
Essays (1597) was ten and included titles like “Of studies,” “Of
Discourse,” “Of Suitors,” “Of Expense.” By the year 1612 there were
thirty-eight essays. As Bacon’s life progressed, through politics,
philosophy, science, bribes and imprisonment, he shared his wisdom,
so his development as an individual is evident in tone and content
and, sadly, unlike in classic fiction, his development as a man left him
sadder. His style of essay writing is not dogmatic nor didactic but
rather than personable and friendly. For example, when speaking of
envy, he does not begin with declaration of envy being harmful and
destructive of happiness. His style allows him to explore such objects
with an observational eye that relates incident to meaning and only
eventually reveals his judgement and wisdom on the subject. His
essays were well received because if his warm wisdom.
Research Questions

 What are graphological and Lexico-syntactical levels in

stylistics.

 What kind of stylistic devices are used in Bacon’s selected

essays?
 Why such stylistic devices are employed by Bacon in selected
essays?
 How stylistics devices add to the meaning in a literary work.

Objectives

The main objective of this study is to make readers acquainted with

the use of stylistics devices in Bacon’s Selected Essays and their role
in intensifying their meaning.

Significance

The studies done stylistically or the stylistic analysis are usually for
the purpose of commenting on the quality of the meaning. Thus, it
signifies that the undergoing study will focus on the stylistic behavior
of Bacon’s Selected Essays, especially. Moreover, this would bring an
original and new contribution of knowledge, especially, in
understanding Bacon’s essays through linguistical platform. This, so
far as in concern, will help the students of language in understanding
the essays and their structural patterns and will help them in
understanding their meaning. It will also encourage students to
approach prose for their stylistics related researches or studies.

Methodology

The thing that matters most is the method in analyzing any of the
literary text. However, the studies will be qualitative. The qualitative
research or studies are those which provides insight and
understanding of the text. Qualitative research is used to gain an in-
depth understanding of human behavior, experiences, attitudes,
intention and motivation on the basis of observation and
interpretation.
The studies will be focused on two types or levels of stylistic analysis:
1. Graphological analysis
2. Lexical-syntax analysis
They will be explained in further studies that how these two studies
or levels work and how they deal with the text.
However, the study/research will be based upon on some of the
chosen essays from Bacon’s Selected Essays in order to analyze the
use of language through stylistics levels of graphology and lexical-
syntax.

Literature review

The study of style variations in use of language is called stylistics. It is

an analytical science which covers all aspects of language like
phonology, morphology, syntax and lexicology. Stylistics is actually
the violation from set patterns of language. Leech explains stylistics
as a linguistical approach to literature, clarifies the relation between
language and artistic function. According to Freeman (1971) stylistics
is a sub discipline which started in the 2nd half of the 20th century.

Origin

Stylistics is a sub-discipline which grew up in the 2nd half of the

twentieth century: its beginning in Anglo-American criticism are
usually traced back to the publication of the books listed below.
Three of them are collection of articles, some of which had been
presented as conference papers or published in journal a little
earlier:
 Fowler, Roger, (1966) Essays on Style and Language: London:
Routledge and Kegan Paul.
 Freeman, Donald, (1971) Linguistics and Literary Style. New
York, Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
 Leech, Gregory N, (1969) A linguistic Guide to English Poetry:
London: Longman.
 Sebeok, Thomas A. (1960) Style in Language. Cambridge
Mass: MIT Press.
Perhaps the most influential article is that by Roma Jakobson in
Sebeok (1960: 350-77). It is called closing statement: ‘Linguistic and
Poetics’ because it was a contribution to a conference which Sebeok
(1960) published as a collection of papers. Jakobson is an important
figure who connects together various strands in the development of
stylistics.
Stylistics can be seen as a logical extension of moves within literary
criticism early in the twentieth century to concentrate on studying
texts rather than authors. Nineteenth century literary criticism
concentrated on the author, and in Britain the text-based the text-
based criticism of the two critics I.A Richards and William Empson, his
pupil, rejected that approach in order to concentrate on the literary
texts themselves, and how readers were affected by those texts. This
approach is often called practical criticism, and it is matched by a
similar critical movement in USA, associated with Cleanth Brooks,
Rene` Wellek, Austin Warren and others, called new criticism. New
criticism was based almost exclusively on the description of literary
works as independent of literary works as independent aesthetic
objects, but practical criticism tended to pay ode attention to a
psychological aspect involved in a reader interacting with a work.
However, these two critical movements shared two important
features: (1) an emphasis on the language of the text rather than its
author and (2) an assumption that what criticism needed was
accounts of important work of literature based on the intuitional
reading outcomes of trained and aesthetically sensitive critics.
Moreover, some researches have also been done by the students of
language in following fields/ topics of stylistic analysis:
 Francis Bacon and Composition: (1987) Scott David Minard,
CSUSB Scholar Work, California State University, San
Bernardino.
 An ideo-stylistics Analysis of Bacon’s Essays: by Malik M
Farhan, National University of Modern Languages.

References

 Carter R, ‘Directions in Teaching Study of English Stylistics,’ in

M. Short, Reading, Analyzing and Teaching Literature.
Longman Publisher, London.
 Freeman, D.C. Linguistic and Literary Style, New York: Holt,
Rinehart & Winston, 1971.
  Leech, G, A Linguistic guide to English Poetry, London:
Longman 1969.
 Widdowson, H.G. Stylistics and the Teaching of Literature.
London 1975.
 K.T Khader, Linguistics and Literary Style, 1971.

Researchers References

 Francis Bacon and Composition, CSUSB Scholar Work,

California State University San Bernardino____ by Scott David
Minard (1987)
 An Ideo-stylistic Analysis of Bacon’s Selected Essays____ by
Malik M. Farhan, National University Of Modern Languages.