MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

CAHUL STATE UNIVERSITY “BOGDAN PETRICEICU HASDEU”

PHILOLOGY AND HISTORY FACULTY
FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT

BACHELOR THESIS

The Importance of the Phonetic Stylistic Devices

in British and American Romantic Poetry

Student:
Curilova Svetlana
FEF – 0802

Scientific Advisor:
Fuciji Marianna,
Senior lecturer, MA

CAHUL, 2012
 MINISTERUL EDUCAŢIEI AL REPUBLICII MOLDOVA
UNIVERSITATEA DE STAT “B.P. HAŞDEU” DIN CAHUL
FACULTATEA DE FILOLOGIE ŞI ISTORIE
CATEDRA DE LIMBI MODERNE

TEZA DE LICENŢĂ

IMPORTANŢA FIGURELOR DE STIL LA NIVELUL

FONETIC IN POEZIE BRITANICĂ ŞI AMERICANĂ

Studenta:
X.X.
Gr. FEF – 0802

Coordonator științific:
Fuciji Marianna,
Lector superior

CAHUL, 2012
 ABSTRACT
The present Bachelor Thesis presents the information on the colour based idioms,
identified in the fifteen English literary worksand their Romanian variants.The investigation is
focused on analyzing the translation of colour-based idioms.

The paper aims at defining and classifying idioms, presenting complex information about
colour significance as well as developing the colour terms in a language; exploring the
translation methods and procedures used for colour based idioms. An investigation was
conducted to shed light on strategies applied by Romanian translators in translating colour based
idioms from English into Romanian.
To achieve the main goal the following methods were used: employing theory, synthesis,
stylistic analysis, contrastive analysis, the method of semantic and syntactic opposition,
comparative method.
The result of the investigation is based on the comparative analysis of one hundred colour
based idioms identified in fifteen literary works. The practical value of the given research lies in
comparing and contrasting of colour based idioms and in defining their significance and
importance.
 GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS
1. Romanticism – an important literary movement which began in Western Europe during 17th
century and went on till the second half of 18th century. The Romantic period wanted to
break away from the traditions and conventions that were dear to the Neoclassical age and
make way for individuality and experimentation.
2. Poetry – an arrangement of lines in which form and content fuse to suggest meanings
beyond the literal meanings of the words. Sound techniques are crucial to poetry not only for
pure pleasure but also as a reinforcement of the meaning of the poem. The purpose of the
poetry is to create an experience, and that experience is inherently emotional.
3. Stylistic Device – a generative model when through frequent use a language fact is
transformed into a stylistic device. It combines some general semantic meaning with a certain
linguistic form resulting in stylistic effect. It is like an algorithm employed for an expressive
purpose.
4. Onomatopoeia – a combination of speech sounds which aims at imitating sounds produced
in nature (wind, sea, thunder, etc.), by things (machines or tools, etc.), by people (singing,
laughter), and animals.
5. Alliteration – the repetition of similar sounds, in particular consonant sounds, in close
succession, particularly at the beginning of successive words.
6. Assonance – the repetition of the same or similar sounds, especially in stressed syllables,
which can enrich a poem.
7. Consonance – the repetition of consonant sounds at the ends of words or accented syllables.
8. Poetic Rhythm – the repetition of stresses and pauses. It is an essential element in poetry.
Rhythm helps to establish a poem’s mood, and in combination with other poetic elements, it
conveys the poet’s emphasis and helps communicate the poem’s meaning.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………….3
GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS………………………………………….4
INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………...7
CHAPTER I. PECULIARITIES OF ROMANTICISM IN BRITAIN AND
THE USA…………………………………………………………………………10
1.1. Defining Romanticism as a Literary Movement…………………….10
1.2. On the Historical, Social and Literary Context of Romanticism in
Britain……………………………………………………………….11
1.2.1 Historical Context……………………………………………….11
1.2.2. Social Context………………………………………………….13
1.2.3. Literary Context………………………………………………...14
1.3. On the Historical, Social and Literary Context of Romanticism in the
USA………………………………………………………………….20
1.3.1. Historical Context………………………………………………20
1.3.2. Social Context………………………………………………….21
1.3.3. Literary Context………………………………………………...22
REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………..29
CHAPTER II. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH
ROMANTIC POETRY………………………………………………………….32
2.1. Defining Romantic Poetry…………………………………………...32
2.2. Peculiarities of British Romantic Poetry…………………………….34
2.3. Peculiarities of American Romantic Poetry…………………………35
REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………..37
CHAPTER III. ON THE VALUE OF THE PHONETIC STYLISTIC
DEVICES IN BRITISH AND AMERICAN POETRY….……………………38
3.1. About Investigated Material…………………………………………38
 3.2. Defining Phonetic Stylistic Devices…………………………………40
3.3. On the Value of the Phonetic Stylistic Devices in British Romantic
Poetry………………………………………………………………..43
3.4. On the Value of the Phonetic Stylistic Devices in American
Poetry………………………………………………………………..50
REFERENCES……..……………………………………………………………58
CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………..59
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………..63
APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………66
 INTRODUCTION
“Like butterflies in Spring, Poetry awakens the Spirit, stirs the imagination and explores
the possibilities with each stroke of its rhythmic wings.”
Jamie Lynn Morris
Poetry reflects an unusual, enigmatic and interesting world. Keating, H.L. and Levy, W.
claim that it does not immediately “get to the point” as journalistic articles or business letters do.
Some readers see poetry as an alien form filled with obscure allusions, complex metrical
schemes, and flowery diction. Others, feeling excluded from what they see as its secret language
and mysterious structure, approach poetry as something that must be deciphered. [1, p. 553]
While reading the poems one can notice they are musical, harmonious, with a specific
rhythm. They express certain poet’s emotions, feelings, thoughts and create a specific
atmosphere and tone, giving a possibility to the reader to penetrate the mysterious world of the
poetry. To achieve such an effect the writers use different stylistic devices.
The title of the Bachelor Thesis under discussion is The Importance of the Phonetic
Stylistic Devices in British and American Romantic Poetry. This is an interdisciplinary topic as it
encompasses such sciences as Literature, Stylistics, Pragmatics and Linguistics. It is interesting
to identify the power and significance of phonetic stylistic devices used in poems. As subject of
this investigation served British and American Romantic Poetry.
The main goal of the present research is to identify the significance of the phonetic
stylistic devices and their purpose in the poems of British and American writers. To achieve the
main goal the following methods were used: employing theory, synthesis, stylistic analysis,
contrastive analysis.
To achieve the main goal were set up the following objectives:
- to define Romanticism as a literary movement;
- to highlight the Historical Context of Romanticism in the US and Britain;
- to expound the Social Context of Romanticism in Britain and America;
- to compare Romanticism in Britain and in the US;
- to define the Romantic Poetry;
- to determine peculiarities of British and American Romantic poetry;
- to define the Phonetic Stylistic Devices;
- to identify sound devices in British and American Romantic poems;
 - to determine the importance of phonetic devices in the works of American and
British writers;
- to make a comparative analysis of American and British poems.
The structure of the present Bachelor Thesis corresponds to the objectives. It consists of
an abstract, glossary, introduction, three chapters, conclusion, bibliography and annexes.
The first Chapter presents definition of Romanticism as a literary movement and its
peculiarities in Britain and the USA described in three contexts: the historical, social and literary
context.
The second chapter is focused on defining the Romantic Poetry in general and describing
the peculiarities of British and American Romantic poetry.
Speaking about peculiarities of British Romantic Poetry, one can say that poetry was the
most popular literary form of the period. The most important characteristics of this poetry are
beauty, idealism, nature, emotions, and interest in the supernatural and mystery.
American Romantic poetry has many common features with British one which include
reverence of nature, emotions, imagination, interest in the supernatural and mystery. But there
are also some distinctive characteristics which are democracy of the intellect, putting theories
into practice, real truth that lies beyond the experience of human senses.
The third chapter is the analysis of investigated material. It presents the definition of the
phonetic stylistic devises and determines their role in poetry. The investigation was based on the
analysis of fifty poems of American and British writers which were analyzed from stylistic point
of view in order to identify the significance of the phonetic stylistic devices and their purpose in
poems. The results of the analysis will be presented in a diagram in a percentage correlation.
The practical value of the present research lies in comparing and contrasting of sound
devices in British and American Poetry and in defining their significance and function.