Deviation Theories and Applications in Poetry Analysis

科技信息人文社科Deviation Theories andApplications in Poetry Analysis中山大学外国语学院肖蓉[Abtract]Poetry is prominent for is sylisic characteristis since texts themselves are the crrier of meaning, an analysis of the sylitic featuresof poems is conducive to the understanding and interpretation of them. It is of great signifcance to leam somcthing about sylistis if we wantto explore the meaning of poctry, this kind of method can also be used to analyze other lterary works.[Key Wordsyistics potry deviation1.IntroductionNormally, the verb "open”needs a concrete thing as its object. But in the lineThe analysis of a poem can be crried out from various perspectives: lit-“year" is the object. In the second stanza, the author uscs "both" is the veryerarily or linguistically, and the outcomes vary greatly in light of your point of weather. It is safe to guess that the poem is about two lovers and the love play.view. However,“"there is a very close relationship between language and liter- Our guess will be proved when we come to the third stanza. "Love is a deeperature. The part of linguistics that studies the language of literature is termedseason" tell us the topie of the poem: Love.literary stylistics.3.2 Grammatical DeviationIn this paper, atention will be given to the concept of“deviation". ByThe mioset obvious deviation in ganmar is the usage of brackets in theanalying poems from the perspective ol deviation, we can gain a less intuitive, poem, for example,“(my lovely)",“(not either)" and“(and april's where we'less personal method of sylistie one which would depend on the observable re)". They are bracketed off to show the author s emphasis on them.“(Mfacts, the language of the text, and context theory. Anyone appraching the po- lovely)” telll us that the lovers are in a good elationshie. It also implies a dian-etry and conducting the same stylistic procedure will arrive at the same results. logue communication rather than a monologue.“Inot either)" contrasts sharplyThe theories applied here are also suitable for the analysis of other literalwith "both", emphasizing that they want to stay togther instead of beingforms.alone, while the last line tells his or her lover the exact time when they will2.Deviationmeet. What' s more, we may see that in the first line of the second stanza, theOne of the fundamental concepts in stylistie analysis is linguistic devia-author uses“both is the very whether". Usually, when the subject is“both",tion. If a part of a poem is deviant, it becomes especially noticeable, or per-we tend to use“are" as its predicator, however, Cummings employs “is" henecptually proninent. It is a very general principle of aristic conmunicationinstead. We can see that the first line of each stanza all has the predicatorthat a work of art in some way deviated from norms which we have learnt to "is", and in order to be in line with the other two stanzas the author changesexpect in the medum used. The aplication of deviation 1o the poems is obvi- the vetb“are" to“is". The paleliem device plays a role here so that the po-ous. The foregound figure is the linguistic deviation, and the background is em looks more like a coherent unit.the language which we normally take for granted.3.3 Semantic DeviationThe deviation itself could be dassfed into diferent sorts according toIn this poem there are many semantie deviations. "yes is a pleasanttheir characeristics. This deviation or uncommon usage involves all levels of country" is in essence a love poem, but the author uses images of nature whichlanguage: vocabulay, sound, syntax, meaning. graphology, ele. Short sumna- show his pantheistie infuence, for example,“a pleasant county",“the veryrizes that deviations might be semantic devation, lexical deviation, grammati- weather", a deeper season”". They are not cnnected with the love emotioncal deviation, etc.nomally, however, by applying these terms, the author gives us an innovative3.Deviation in Poetry AnalysisWhat fllows is an example in which the sylistice features of the poem readers' eyes. In the first lines of the third stanza, Cummings compares love“yes is a pleasant country" writen by EE.Cummings will be explored. Here is with reason and both to the season, "Ilove is deeper than season". It meansthe poem:reason alone can not explain love. LOVE is a conditionless and reasonlessyes isa pleasant countryfeeling. LOVE, when true, cancels all the seasons except SPRINC. Togeher,if's wintrySPRING will become the only season of our new yer.(my lvely)4.Conclusion:Let's open the yearAccording to the above ilustration and explanation of the main factors ofboth is the very weatherpoetry sylstic, we can conclude that it is of great significance to do stylistisif(not either)we want to explore the meaning of poems. As the poetic language has its sourcemy teasure,when violets appearguage" and“ everyday language'”. It is unecessary for us to set a barrier be-love is a deeper scasontween verse literature and other forms of literatures.than reasom;my sweet oneReferences(and april's where we' re)[1]Firmage, G. J EB. Cummings Complete Poems 1904-1962.-EE. Cummings (Firmage 156)New York: Liveright,1991.3.1 Lexical Deviation[2 ]Gefftey N. Leech. A Linguistic Guide to English Potry. Beijing;Lexical deviation oceurs in the first two lines. "yes” and“if" appear at Foreign Language Teaching and Research Pes,2001.the position of the subjects:‘ yes is a pleasant country; ir's wintry". Generally,[31]Halidav. M. A K. Exnloration in the Functions of Languge.we need a noun or noun phrase to be placed at the subjet position and mean- London中国煤化工while' "es" is usually used to give a positive answer in dialogue and if" is to .Book. Beijing Peking Uni-introduce a conditional clause. Love is absolute nol conditional. What we need versity IMHCNMHGis a confrmative answer, not a conditional one, which would make the heart of[5. IThomborrow, J. and Wareing, S. Patterms in Language: Stylisticsthe lover fel like in the winter. The forth line of the firt stanza“Let' s open for Students of Language and Literature. London: Routdedg,1998.the year" sounds a ltle bit strange, because what we“open" is the“year”.-142-