Introducing Stylistic Analysis

The book serves two groups of readers. Those new to stylistics, especially English language learners, will find an introduction to its vocabulary and core ideas. Undergraduates taking a stylistics course will find a structured method for analysing texts.

The first chapter sets out the foundational terminology: dialect, register, field, tenor, mode, choice, deviation and foregrounding.

The later chapters apply these ideas to real material, examining poetry, fiction, drama, humorous writing, advertising, political language and online journalism. The approach leans toward functional and pragmatic stylistics, and the author draws on a chosen set of analytical frameworks.

Each analysis chapter begins by outlining the methods it will use. It then works through one text type systematically, with guided examples, before offering a substantial set of exercises for practice.