Analysis of the text (tips) 1) Introduction: briefly define the text type (the functional style and the genre), the topic, the problems raised, the cultural and historical background of the author and his text. The next part of the analysis deals with the stylistic features of the text. 2) What messages does the system of images convey? Stylistic devices. 3) If it is non-fiction, what is the genre? (a public speech, an advertisement, an academic text, a letter, a feature article, a polemic article etc.) 4) What is the structure of the prosaic text? (narration, description, characters’ speech) 5) What compositional elements can we see there? (exposition, the narrative hook, development of action, climax, disentanglement) 6) What mood or atmosphere is created by the author with the help of stylistic devices and the choice of verbs, nouns and adjectives? 7) What are the attitude and the tone of the text under analysis? (positive negative, ironical, lyrical, sad, and joyful) 8) How do the actions and the speech of personages characterize them? 9) What are the relations between characters’ speech and the author’s remarks in drama? 10) What is the structure of the text? Can you see any specific patterns used? 11) What is the purpose of the text? (to inform, to persuade, to influence, to urge, to warn) 12) What lingua-stylistic means are used by the author to achieve the purpose? 13) What are the attitude of the author and the tone of the text under analysis? What prevails in the text: logics or emotions? 14) Are there any allusions or cultural realia in the text? Explain them. 15) What is the author’s message? 16) Conclusion. Your point of view! The stylistic analysis of a text Speak on the following items: - the style in which the text is written (belles-letters (poetry, drama, or emotive prose), publicistic (speech, essay, or an article), official documents, newspaper, or scientific); - the form in which the text is written (first/third person narration, dialogue, soliloquy, description); - sentence complexity prevalence (simple/complex); - vocabulary prevalence (bookish/neutral/colloquial); - SDs and EMs and the effect produced by them. THE SCHEME FOR TEXT INTERPRETATION (literary discourse) 1. Analysis of the traditional aspect of the text (Morokhovsky = “Broad literary norm”) - the information about the author - a brief information about the literary trend and tradition - the general features of the given genre of the text 2. The theme and message of the text - the definition of the main idea(s) -the key thematic lines (the reflection of the theme in the choice of vocabulary) 3. The slant/tone of the text and means of achieving it 4. The content and composition of the text discrete compositional logical parts (how the theme is developed): - exposition - plot complications/conflicts - climax /culmination - denouement - closing/concluding part (ending) 5. The character of the text (how it helps to form the concept of the text) type of narrative and narrator: a. the manner of presentation: - subjective (type of narrator and narrative perspective) - objective (type of narrator and narrative perspective) • b. the choice of the point of view (internal characterisation): that of the author, the main character or the onlooker’s c. the image of the author (how externally it is characterized by specific linguistic means) d. the form of presentation: - the author’s speech (the purpose): narration / expository speech / description (panoramic, general view, close-up) / argumentation/persuasion - the character’s speech: 1/ direct (monologue, dialogue), 2/ inner speech of characters (linguistic features and stylistic functions) -represented speech: inner/unuttered or outer/ uttered (linguistic features and functions) 6. Characters and type of characterisation: - direct (the author’s explicit evaluation) - indirect(through actions, appearance, speech) 7. Stylistic effect of the EM and SD employed by the author - explanation of the author’s choice of the vocabulary and EM / SD in the light of the concept/message of the text 8. Summing up
