Linguistic Information

When you pass ever to the analysis of the linguistic information proper you consider four levels of language exposition:

· the level of the sounds,

· the level of the words,

· the level of the sentences,

· the level of the text

QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

Sound Level

Usually the analysis of a sound scheme helps to decode the information of a poem [See Yu.Lotman, 1994]. Numerous researchers and poets tried to define the correspondence between the sound scheme of a poem and its semantics. Poets and critics of symbolic movement, for instance, established the correspondence between the sound “O” and the expression of grief (Paul Verlaine). The “deconstructive” analysis of Shakespearean sonnet N 116 permitted to spot a speech act of threat in the phrasea d mi t im p e d imen ts, where dental and labial consonants together with short front vowels produce a cacophony [Lye, 1997: Impediments]. The text, which is chosen for analysis is an extract from a novel, still it is advisable to take into consideration its sounding, as Joyce started his literary career as a poet, and many artistic discoveries from his poems (Chamber Music, Pomes Penyeach) are developed in his prose. The sound scheme of the text under analysis rests upon the combination of dominating sonants and diphthongs: the whole place swimming in roses; nothing like nature the wild mountains; sailors playing all birds fly. Such sound scheme is not only the evidence of Joycean poetic and musical talent and of his intention to produce a sort of a love-song, but also the evidence of an additional structural characteristic of his heroine: Marion is at home in the world of music, which corresponds to her social role of a music hall singer.

QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

Word Level

Pol..... What do you read, my lord? Ham. Words, words, words. Pol. What is the matter, my lord? Ham. Between who? Pol. I mean, the matter that you read, my lord. Ham. Slanders, sir: for the satirical slave says here that old men have grey beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes purging thick amber and plum tree gum; and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams: all which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for you yourself, sir, should be old as I am, if, like a crab, you could go backward. Pol. [Aside] Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.... [4] [ William Shakespeare, Hamlet, prince of Denmark, act 2, scene 2 1140]

The analysis at the word level is crucial for to extract “bits and bites” of linguistic information. Professor John Lie, for instance, demonstrating a deconstructive approach, manages to scrutinize the whole sonnet (N116 by W. Shakespeare) through the analysis of a single word impediment [Lye 1997]. Its etymology, sounding, morphological characteristics, combinability, semantic value, as well as its contextual meaning, semantic field, and associations prove relevant in the analytical process. The analysis of a single word allowed bringing most of the implicit information unto surface. Yet, however, for academic purposes it would be advisable not to limit a student to a single-word-analysis, but to make him give a scrutiny to a whole corpus of vocabulary. Usually it is recommended at the close-reading stage to construct a distributional table for to define the role of nominative and verbal word classes in the textual nomination processes.

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