Stylistics: The Language of Literature

Catalog description

This course examines the interface between language and literature, exploring the language of literary texts through linguistic methodologies. Students will address two central questions: “What is style?” and “How do texts mean?” Students will learn to identify and analyze specific linguistic features and use them to interpret the meaning of texts. Topics include cohesion, transitivity, modality, point of view, speech and thought representation, and metaphor. Students will study a range of literary texts, including drama, poetry, and prose from various literary periods, and draw connections to the analysis and understanding of contemporary media. Discussions will also cover how advertisements persuade audiences, the characteristics of strong versus weak writing, and the use of persuasive language in political and media discourse.