Select a one page extract from any literary text and analyse it using the linguistic structural approach element of phonology: Muhangi Jimmy, Komujuni Best Betty, Ojwang Isaac and Oridriyo Perpetua

According to Robert Rodman, linguistics refers to the scientific study of human language. This is however a broad field and relates to different aspects of life. As literary critics we centre our focus on the relationship between language and literature and one of the perspectives through which language relates to literature is the linguistic structure approach of practical criticism. The linguistic structure approach dates back to Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory of structuralism that was developed in Europe in the early 1900’s. Ferdinand de Saussure brought forth structural linguistics in his text “COURSE IN GENERAL LINGUISTICS” in which he put focus on the analysis of the underlying system of language which is the ‘langue’ rather than the use of the language itself which is the ‘parole’. This approach examined how the elements of language relate to each other in the present, synchronically and not diachronically. Ferdinand de Saussure got criticism from Naom Chomsky who was a pure linguist but this rejection did not stand as scholars like Roman Jakobson and Nikolai Trubetzkoy, and the literary critics and readers took it on through the Prague School. The Prague School centred on phonemics where they examined sounds as their relationships rather than just stating the sounds. According to Victoria Fromkin, Phonology is the study of sound patterns, both within and across languages. It describes the way sounds function within a given language or across languages to encode meaning. John Holcombe even believes that phonetics has more to do with arts (music and poetry) than sciences. According to him, “sound is a pleasure, and something innate in human beings. There is need to note that sounds of words are only given meaning by the language in which they occur. Therefore sounds contribute to the whole meaning in context and may not make a lot or any sense if examined as a single entity. This essay is an analysis of a poem showing how the linguistic structural approach can be used in practical criticism to arrive at meaning of a literary text. This essay however zeros around phonology as a level of language and more specifically as an element of this approach and how it helps in building the text’s meaning. In this essay we analyze Hilaire Belloc’s poem “TARANTELLA”. Tarantella is an Italian dance of courtship that was believed to cure the effects of the poisonous bite of the ‘Tarantula’ spider. Dancers danced vigorously sweated and in this released the poison. This dance element is based on the strong rhythm of the poem. The speaker in the poem is so nostalgic about the inn and reminisces about the good time he had with Miranda at the Inn and raises his voice musically so that if Miranda heard the song, she would return to him. Hilaire Belloc TARANTELLA (1929) Do you remember an Inn, Miranda? Do you remember an Inn? And the tedding and the spreading Of the straw for a bedding, And the fleas that tease in the High Pyrenees, And the wine that tasted of Tar? And the cheers and the jeers of the Young muleteers (Under the vine of the dark verandah)? Do you remember an Inn, Miranda, Do you remember an Inn? And the cheers and the jeers of the young Muleteers Who hadn’t got a penny And who weren’t paying any And the hammers at the doors and the din? And the Hip! Hop! Hap! Of the clap Of the hands to the twirl and the swirl Of the girl gone chancing Glancing Dancing Backing and advancing Snapping of a Clapper to the spin Out and in. And the Ting, Tong, Tang of the Guitar, Do you remember an Inn, Miranda? Do you remember an Inn? Never more Miranda Never more Only the high peaks hoar, And Aragon on torrent o the Door No sound In the walls of the halls where falls The tread. Of the fact of the dead to the ground No sound But the boom Of the far waterfall like doom. This poem is rich in phonological aspects that greatly add to its meaning. In our analysis of its phonological aspects in realizing the relationship between language and literature, more specifically sound and meaning, we embark on an analysis and illustration of sound devices as used in the poem. One of the most significant and commonly used sound devices is alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of initial, most commonly consonant, sounds of words that are close in phase. Belloc puts this device to use throughout his poem in words like; Hammer/hip/hop/hap Tease/tasted/tar Ting/tong/tang The initial bolded consonants in the above mark initial sounds in the poem that are an example of alliteration and these have a great impact on the meaning of the poem as they provide the pom with a musical rhythm thus creating more appeal and interest in recitation and reading. This also makes the poem easy to memorize. Alliteration produces a gratifying effect to the ear and on the general lends the poem structural flow and beauty. Belloc also employs consonance in the poem which is the repetition of consonant sounds within two or more words in sequence. According to Srinivas, owner of a linguist-blog, “On a Fool’s Errand”, “…there can never be too much of alliteration, consonance or assonance in a poem.” Consonance in Tarantella is applied; “And the tedding and the spreading Of the straw for a bedding” The above hard sounding voiced sounds and consonants “d’s” in medial position of words imitate feet beating. This enhances the musicality and rhythm of the poem. They also contribute to the nostalgic and somber mood of the poem, marking how hard the persona is faced with their apparent problem. Assonance is another sound device that does with the repetition of sounds in enhancement of mood that Belloc employs. This however is specifically the repetition of vowel sounds in words in sequence. “And the tedding and the spreading Of straw for a bedding” The /e/ and /o/ sounds in the above example produce a faster flow of the poem as they are read faster unlike the long vowel sounds in; “Never more Miranda Never more, Only the high peaks hoar; And Aragon a torrent at the door No sound In the walls of the halls where falls The tread” This employment of short vowels for quick lines and long vowels for slow and short lines impacts an increment or reduction of speed and pace exerting a perpetual rhythmical flow onto the poem that makes it more music and cumbered with mood. Lines with short middle open /e/ are read much faster than those with repeating back open tense vowel /ↄ:/. This decreses the energy and makes the mood of the poem serious, nostalgic and somber catching the places sounds and sights. This also depicts the strong spontaneous flow of emotions which Wordsworth says is what defines poetry. The employment of onomatopoeia is also important in the understanding of the impact of sounds on meaning. It is the use of words which imitate the sounds. Equally onomatopoeic; “hip/hop/hap/”, for the clap and “ting/tong/tang” for the guitar in the poem add to the rhythm and vividness of the poem through auditory imagery. These sounds intensify mood and transfer sense impression through imagery like the auditory images above. According to William F.Styler, the author of a “Notes form a Linguistic Mystic”, rhyming is one of the fist levels of phonological knowledge. Rhyme refers to the correspondence of sounds either within a word which is internal rhyme or at the end of a word which is end rhyme. H. Belloc in Tarantella greatly puts this device to use in words like; “inn, din, spin……. Ground, sound……boom, doom……cheer, jeer…….hap, clap, snap…….wall,hall,fall….. swirl,twirl,girl……chance,dance……” This exploitation of words with similar end sounds is a technique very paramount in achieving a whole musical uplift of the poem. The poem carries the reader into ecstasy and a communion with the speaker in the poem is achieved. Being a dance poem, these rhyming sounds bring forth the dance qualities. The most striking aspect of Belloc’s poem is the rhythm. It can be noted that rhythm has featured as part of the significance of most of the other phonological devices. Rhythm is to do with the rise and fall of stress patterns. Ch. Praveen, a professor at Government College of Teacher Education, Calicut writes that “Rhythm may be interpreted as a patterned sound”. In our case in Tarantella, the lines of the poem are important, “Do you remember an Inn, Miranda Do you remember an Inn?” or even “in the walls of the halls where falls…” This show of the rise and fall of sounds and the accompaniment of the other sound devices contributes greatly to the rhythm of the poem. This gives room for pleasurable reading. In this repetition is acknowledged. The use “and the” is important in introducing a new subject producing a touch of music in words. The examination of sounds goes also to the variations in the pronunciations of given letters like the use of letter ‘c’ for chancing and clapping helps a reader understand that sounds change depending on what speech sound immediately precedes or proceeds it. For instance the ‘c’ for chancing sounds sharper and normal than the ‘c’ for clapping whose sound is more of a /k/ sound in its pronunciation. This also contributes to the mood of the poem and makes variations in recitation or the singing of such a poem since it’s a dance song. In conclusion, the linguistic structural approach provides an analysis of any literary text through a scrutiny of the different levels of language and language use. This essay basically centred on the phonological element of language basically showing its immense contribution to the whole meaning of a literary text being read. The phonological power of Belloc’s Tarantella has clearly helped in illustration of this as unveiled by the above essay. REFERENCES: Fromkin, V. ” An Introduction to Language”. Harcourt Brace Jovanoviach college publishers. [print] Feytelberg, E. M. Phonosemaantic and Phonostylistic Phenomena in Turkish Literary Text as a Translation Problem. In JOURNAL OF SIBERIAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY. HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 4. 2010, 4(3): 518-52. [Interactive]. [accessed on 24-10-2015]. http://elib.sfu-kras.rubistream/23/11/1762/1/03_feyteljberg.pdf. Kevin. Hilaire Beloc: Tarantella. In HOW POEMS WORK. 2012 [interactive]. [accessed 25-10-2015]. . Selevičienė, E. Developing Language Students’ Phonological Awareness Through Poetry. In Societal studies (Socialinių mokslų studijos), issue: V/3 / 2013, pages: 849863, [accessed on 24-10-015] www.ceeol.com/ pdf/>. Srinivas.Having Phonology Inform Poetry. In ON A FOOL’S ERRAND. 2012. [Interactive] [Accessed on 24-10-2015]. http://transient-lines.blogspot.com/2012/10/having-phonology-inform-poetry.html. Styler,W.F. Seeig Rhyme in Writing: a Foreign Concept. In NOTES FORM A LINGUISTIC MYSTIC. 2007. [Interactive]. [accessed on 24-10-2015]. < http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/04/28/seeing-rhyme-in-writing-a-foreign-concept/>.