Stylistics Analysis of Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare: June 2019
Stylistics Analysis of Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare: June 2019
Stylistics Analysis of Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare: June 2019
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2. Style
Style is the distinctive feature of an individual, the uniqueness, voice and trademark in piece
of literary work. The manner ideas, thoughts and feelings are uttered, acted, expressed and
demonstrated, “narrowly interpreted as those figures that ornament discourse; broadly, as
representing a manifestation of the person speaking or writing. All figures of speech fall
within the domain of style.” It is the way a person write about something in simplest details
and at the same time express the complexity of their thoughts through use of words-the
phonology graphology, syntax, lexicon. These elements put together to establish mood, tone,
imagery and meaning in the text and used by the writer to manifest style in describing events,
Correspondence
Karen C Quackenbush
ideas, and objects. Style is the distinguishing factor that placed a poet in a prestigious spot in
Maryland State Department of the field of literature. Leech and Short (1981, 9) [7] define style as ‘it refers to the way in
Education, Baltimore, which language is used in a given context, by a given person, for a given purpose, and so
Maryland, USA on”.
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Shakespearean sonnet is style specifically attributed to the words emphasize the meaning by being authentic and
William Shakespeare, who as Leech and Short (1981, 11) [7], natural.
explain, because there exist “traditionally, an intimate
connection has been seen between style and an author’s 4.2 Graphological features: Involves the study
personality. His style of sonnet is “with its three quatrains orthography, size and shape of words, layout of texts and
and final couplet, allow a fairly free association of images to punctuations. This features is an important aspect in the
develop lyrically toward a conclusions.” (Strand and understanding the messages of poems like sonnets because it
Boland, p 57) [12]. The literary works of Shakespeare “The guide readers to pay close attention to visual images as it
Bard” are considered around the world as the gold standard reinforces the verbal meaning of poems. Simpson (1997) [13]
for poetry and prose and written with mystifying and stresses that graphology exert psycholinguistic influence on
complex language patterns. Understanding Shakespeare the process of reading and these visual features are as
needs a deep and thorough knowledge of the semantics and necessary and significant as the words. When employed in
syntax of English language. No poet was as famous or as poetry, these non verbal aspects of texts will sustain the
prolific as William Shakespeare force that will give a distinctive meaning by the manner they
are visually located.
3. Stylistics analysis
Writers write to express and share ideas and thoughts but 4.3 Phonological features: Collins and Mees (2013) [2] state
more importantly they aim to expound the ways words these features are the manner patterns and functions of
designate meaning, the manner readers create meanings and speech sounds of a given language. This feature involves the
the reasons readers respond to meanings. Stylistics analysis examination of the creative use of the language in poetry
is interpretation and elucidation of literary style by giving and the ways the sounds enriches the understanding and
objective and scientific commentary using quantifiable appreciation of poetry. When used in poetry, Wales (2011,
information and approaches in the systematic way. p. 318) [18] affirms, it is “expression or realization of
According to Salma, et al, (2014) [11] the analysis employs language in its spoken form”.
specialized words, phrases and concepts taken from the
science of linguistics. 5. Analysis
Stylistics is the study of the devices and terms writers use to
4. Features of stylistic analysis create powerful and beautiful literary art and pay attention
4.1 Lexico-syntax features: This is a combination of lexis, to the unique usage of language and subtle ways the
the words and their meanings used in writing for varied objectives e and effects are presented in a literary piece.
purposes and syntax, the construction of sentences, the ways (Verdonk, 2002) [17]. Shakespeare used various technique in
words to arranged to form phrases and sentences to express creating art to convey endless love and beauty. Sonnet 18 is
ideas. Tallerman (1998) [15] explained, lexico-syntactic an literary art that describes the beauty and love of a
patterns are specially achieved by inversion, omission, beloved and expresses the passage or the demise of human
repetition of clauses and sentences, archaic word and life in time. Shakespeare speaks of immortality as possible
figurative language such as metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, through a timeless work of art like sonnets.
oxymoron, etc. When applied in poetry, the arrangement of
Table 1 graphically shows the meter, foot and rhyme of lines of sonnets that serve as linguistic sound. Port (2003) [9]
Sonnet 18, it is composed of three four-line stanza and a rise and fall pattern of a meter of lines establish the
final couplet. The poetic meter and foot is iambic rhythmical and/or melodious sound. The rhyme renders a
pentameter. Each line is composed of ten (10) syllables in pleasing effects and delightful experience that can
five (5) pairs of unstressed and stressed foot. Meter and potentially encourage recall for ease in memorization and
rhyme are significant 2 characteristic features of sonnets guide in comprehension of words (Lea et al., 2008) [6].
(Jaconson, 1996), both represent patterns of repetition and Meter and rhyme are significant 2 characteristic features of
similarity as means that creates melody to sonnets. Meter is sonnets (Jaconson, 1996), both represent patterns of
the alternating stressed and unstressed syllabic pattern of the repetition and similarity as means that creates melody to
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sonnets. Meter is the alternating stressed and unstressed cheek, quick like moths that flit from flame to flame, and
syllabic pattern of the lines of sonnets that serve as linguistic terse like the dart and sting of a bee.” (Lederer, 30)
sound. Port (2003) [9] rise and fall pattern of a meter of lines Sonnet 18 is composed of three four-line stanza and a final
establish the rhythmical and/or melodious sound. couplet. The poetic meter and foot is iambic pentameter.
Notably, 90 out of 114 or 79 % of words in Sonnet 18 are Each line is composed of ten (10) syllables in five (5) pairs
one (1) syllable words. Impressively, the couplet, all words of unstressed and stressed foot and the rhyme scheme that is
are one (1) syllable too. Cullen (2009) stated that short used in Shakespeare’s sonnets is abab cdcd efef gg. This
words are appealing and enlightening because they are easy form is also known as Shakespearean sonnet. Below is the
to absorb. “Short words are bright like sparks that glow in table that visually shows the meter, foot and rhyme.
the night, prompt like the dawn that greets the day, sharp Notably, 90 out of 114 or 79 % of words in Sonnet 18 are
like the blade of a knife, hot like salt tears that scald the one (1) syllable words and the couplet, all words are one (1)
syllable too.
Table 2: Parts of Speech Used
Noun Pronoun Verb Adjective Adverb Conjunction Preposition
summer’s i shall a more and to
day thee compare lovely more and of
winds thou art temperate too and and
buds his do rough sometimes or of
may thy shake the too but from
summer’s thou lease darling often nor by
date his hath all every of
eye heaven thou shines short sometime nor
complexion this is a not in
chance this dimm’d hot when
nature’s thee declines the in
course untrimm’d gold to
summer shall fair so
possession fade fair so
fair lose changing as
death ow’st eternal or
shade shall that and
lines brag eternal to
time wander’st long
men grow’st long
eye can
life breath
this can
see
lives
gives
Table 2 shows parts of words used by Shakespeare in being and express existence. Shakespeare used adjectives in
Sonnet 18. Effective choice of words can result to vivid, order to be specific, create an impact, and develop an image
deep and memorable expression of ideas and efficient way in the reader’s mind. Pronouns, conjunctions and
to convey information. The most used words are verbs the prepositions are used according to their grammatical
part of speech the indicate motion, action and state of being. functions. Grammar is crucial in any writing or
Well chosen action verbs instill in the reader mind and heart communication because it enhance accuracy and an
mental and visible action that greatly enhance the message indication of carefulness and effort of writers.
the sonnet is trying to convey. Some verbs indicate state of
Table 3: Periods of Words
Archaic Modern
thee you
thou you
art are
hath has
thou you
ow’st owe
wander’st wander
grow’st grow
thee you
Table 3 presents the archaic words in the sonnet, these are worldly perceptions of events as they are related ancient
frequently used during the middle ages and Shakespeare’s expression that denotes remoteness and indicative of time-
literary work are full of them. The use of archaic words honored tradition. They evoke the tone of historical
maintains rhyme and meter, add formality and give a sense authenticity and realistic background of the past.
of antiquity to the sonnet. Archaic words function as
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Table 4: Kinds of Sentences rhetorical question, may not have answers or the answers are
First line/Interrogative Last line/Declarative obvious but asked to make point. And importantly, a
Shall I compare thee to a So long lives this, and this rhetorical question a compelling force in poetry is employed
summer’s day? gives live to thee. as an impressive persuasive device. The last time is
declarative sentence, so called because it declares a
Table 4 show the first and last line of the sonnet, statement the gives the reader information about thoughts
interrogative and declarative respectively. The first line is and feelings.
Table 5 presents sentence order. Two lines have inversions connected to a base or root word to form a new word, it may
specifically, hyperbaton, the separation of groups of words or may not change that meaning of the original word.
that should belong together. The style of departing from the Inflection and derivations are two (2) categories of affixes.
natural order of words to express ideas is acceptable when Inflection is modifying mechanism of a word to add or
meanings do not solely depend on syntax or orderly indicate different grammatical information. This category
arrangement of words. The deliberate the improper order does not alter the part of speech of the word or change
words in a sentence or in a line by putting key words at the meaning of the base word only to mark distinction such as
beginning or at the end can result to effective emphasis of tense, voice, gender, number person, case and mood. The
messages (Sygue, 2010) [14]. words summer and nature are inflected from nouns to
specifically possessive noun as indicated by apostrophe (‘)
Table 5: Sentence Order s, wind, shine, decline, line from singular to plural they still
Inflection Derivation retail their type of part of speech and meaning but inflected
inflected original derived original to become plural, dim and trim from present tense to past
summer’s summer lovely love tense still a verb and the same meaning in the present tense
nature’s nature temperate temper and for the latest indicating antonym.
winds wind changing change Derivation is adding affixes that change the type of speech
shines shine possession possess and hence the meaning of the base word. Derivation is more
declines decline complex since an affix can change the category of a word,
lines line the mea The word lovely is an adjective and derived from
dimm’d dim the word love, a noun, from naming a thing to describing a
untrimm’d trim thing, Temperate an adjective is derived from noun temper.
Changing is a participle from the word change and ing is
Table 6 presents morphological process. Shakespeare’s attached. A participle is defined by Webster’s as “a word
morphological inventiveness allowed him to use and play having the characteristics of both verb and adjective;
with words to express consummate and distinct thoughts and especially an English verbal form that has the function of an
feeling in his poetry. adjective and at the same time shows such verbal features as
Inflection or derivations, these are the words in Sonnet 18 tense and voice and capacity to take an object.” The
that have affixes. An affix is a part of word that can be possession is noun derived from possess, a verb.
Table 7 shows the punctuations used in Sonnet 18. Every Most of used punctuation is apostrophe. 8 times, five of
single line ends with a punctuation indicating each line is a which is used as contraction and 5 as possession.
complete thought. The first punctuation is a question mark Contractions are shortened form of words which one or
indicating asking for question and the last is period more letters have been omitted, mostly verbs. Apostrophe
indicating a statement. Comma is used as end punctuation in are placed exactly on the position of the omitted letters such
6 lines in order to create drama, emphasize feelings and add as dimm'd, untrimm'd, ow’st. wander’st, grow’st to
meaning by allowing readers to pause to think about the consistently maintain the established foot and meter,
message or ideas perpetuated by the poet. (Quackenbush & trochaic pentamerer. (Quckenbush and Quackenbush 2019)
Qauckenbush, 2019) [10]. Colon is used to end two (2) lines [10]
. Apostrophe was used in each of the following words in
to draw attention to a series of ideas and to introduce the sonnet summer’s, summer’s, nature’s to suggest
additional information that are suggested in the preceding possession in order to assign human characteristics to
line. inanimate objects.
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6. Conclusions
Without a doubt, Sonnet 18 has become one of the favorite
poems by Shakespeare because compared to his other
sonnets, the message is easy to understand and analyze.
Reading this well-crafted poetry out loud would make one
recognize its elegance as proven by these lines "So long as
men can breathe, or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and
this gives life to thee." Sonnet 18 truly has one of the
dramatic powerful languages in poetry.
7. References
1. Alfred Kazin. The Self As History. Telling Lives, ed. by
Marc Pachter. New Republic Books, 1979.
2. Collins B, Mees IM. Practical phonetics and phonology.
A resourse book for students. Routledge: London &
New York, 2013.
3. Gupta Anurag. Poetic Communication: The Art of
Saying the Unsaid. Anurag Gupta for Directions, 2010.
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