Sound Instrumenting

Dealing with various cases of phonemic and graphemic foregrounding we should not forget the unilateral nature of a phoneme: this language unit helps to differentiate meaningful lexemes but has no meaning of its own. Cf.: while unable to speak about the semantics of [ou], [ju:], we acknowledge their sense-differentiating significance in "sew" [sou] шить and "sew" [sju:] спускать воду; or [au], [ou] in "bow" бант, поклон etc.

Still, devoid of denotational or connotational meaning, a phoneme, according to recent studies, has a strong associative and sound-instrumenting power. Well-known are numerous cases of onomatopoeia - the use of words whose sounds imitate those of the signified object or action, such as "hiss", "bowwow", "murmur", "bump", "grumble", "sizzle" and many more.

Imitating the sounds of nature, man, inanimate objects, the acoustic form of the word foregrounds the latter, inevitably emphasizing its meaning too. Thus the phonemic structure of the word proves to be important for the creation of expressive and emotive connotations.

Poetry abounds in some specific types of sound-instrumenting, the leading role belonging to alliteration - the repetition of consonants, usually-in the beginning of words, and assonance - the repetition of similar vowels, usually in stressed syllables. They both may produce the effect of euphony (a sense of ease and comfort in pronouncing or hearing) or cacophony (a sense of strain and discomfort in pronouncing or hearing). As an example of the first may serve the famous lines of E.A. Poe:...silken sad uncertain

rustling of each purple curtain...

An example of the second is provided by the unspeakable combination of sounds found in R. Browning: Nor soul helps flesh now more than flesh helps soul.

Завдання 2. Опрацювавши матеріали лекції та додаткові джерела, доповніть схему «Засоби стилістичного увиразнення: тропи, прийоми, фігури мовлення, способи висунення» (доповнюється протягом курсу). Дайте визначення названим типам висунення.

Завдання 3. I. Indicate the causes and effects of the following cases of alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia:

1. Streaked by a quarter moon, the Mediterranean shushed gently into the beach.

2. He swallowed the hint with a gulp and a gasp and a grin. (R. K.)

3. His wife was shrill, languid, handsome and horrible. (Sc.F.)

4. The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed free. (S. C.)

5. The Italian trio tut-tutted their tongues at me. (T.C.)

6. "You, lean, long, lanky lath of a lousy bastard!" (O'C.)

7. Then, with an enormous, shattering rumble, sludge-puff, sludge-puff, the train came into the station. (A.S.)

8. Dreadful young creatures - squealing and squawking. (C.)

9. The quick crackling of dry wood aflame cut through the night. (Sl.H.)

Завдання 4. Прочитайте вірш, перекладіть, висловіть згоду-незгоду з наведеним нижче аналізом. Аргументуйте свою думку прикладами з тексту.

R. Southey "How the Water Comes down at Lodore"

Here it comes sparkling,

And there it lies darkling,

Here smoking and frothing,

Its tumult and wrath in,

It hastens along, conflicting strong;

Now striking and raging,

As if a war waging,

Its caverns and rooks among.

Rising and leaping,

Sinking and creeping,

Swelling and flinging,

Showering and springing,

Eddying and whisking,

Spouting and frisking,

Turning and twisting,

Around and around;

With endless rebound;

Smiting and fighting,

A sight to delight in,

Confounding, astounding,

Dizzying and deafening the ear with

its sound.

Receding and speeding,

Аnd shocking and rocking,

And darting and parting,

And threading, and spreading.

And whizzing and hissing,

And dripping and skipping,

And brightening and whitening.

And quivering and shivering.

And glittering and flittering,

And foaming and roaming,

And working and jerking

And heaving and cleaving,

And thundering and floundering,

And falling and crawling and sprawling.

And driving and riving and striving.

And sprinkling and twinkling and wrinkling.

And sounding and bounding and rounding,

And bubbling and troubling and doubling,

Dividing and gliding and sliding,

And grumbling and rumbling and tumbling,

And clattering and battering and shattering,

And gleaming and streaming and steaming and beaming,

And rushing and flushing and brushing and gushing.

And flapping and rapping and clapping and slapping,

And curling and whirling and purling and twirling,

Retreating and meeting, and beating, and sheeting,

Delaying and straying and playing and spraying,

Advancing and prancing and glancing and

dancing,

Recoiling, turmoiling, and toiling, and boiling,

And thumping and plumping and bumping, and

jumping,

And dashing and flashing and splashing and

clashing;

And so never endings and always descending,

Sounds and motions for ever and ever are blending;

All at once, and all o'er, with a mighty uproar, —

And in this way the water comes down at Lodore.

Это стихотворение воспроизводит шум водопада, причем нарастание шума создается более удлиненной строкой, большим количеством слов в строке. Такое стихотворение не может рассматриваться как поэтическое произведение, имеющее целью воздействовать (эмоционально) на читателя содержанием мысли и ее художественно-образным оформлением. Слова здесь подобраны не с точки зрения того, какое значение они имеют, а с точки зрения их пригодности для создания нужного звукового эффекта. Таким образом, содержание самого высказывания подчинено формально звуковому принципу. Противоречия здесь очевидны. В стихотворениях подобного типа язык теряет свою основную функцию — быть средством общения, — здесь он используется лишь как средство музыкального выражения.

Завдання 5: Відчитати поезю Е.По, інтерпретуючи її голосом. Які фонетичні засоби увиразнення використано у тексті? Яким цілям вони відповідають? Наведіть приклади з тексту.