Stylistic devices

The use of various stylistic devices, both lexical and syntactical, is largely traditional. Editorials abound in trite stylistic means, especially metaphors and epithets, e.g., international climate, a price explosion, a price spiral, a spectacular sight, an outrageous act, brutal rule, an astounding statement, crazy policies.

Genuine stylistic means are frequently used, which helps the writer to bring his idea home to the reader through the associations that genuine imagery arouses. Practically any stylistic device may be found in editorial writing, and when aptly used, such devices prove to be a powerful means of appraisal, of expressing a personal attitude to the matter in hand, of exercising the necessary emotional effect on the reader: "So if the result of the visit is the burying of the cold war, the only mourners will be the arms manufacturers who profit from it. The ordinary people will dance on the grave." (Daily Worker)

Satirical effect is frequently achieved by the use of irony, the breaking-up of set expressions, the stylistic use of word-building, by using allusions, etc. Two types of allusions can be distinguished in newspaper article writing: (a) allusions to political and other facts of the day which are indispensable and have no stylistic value, and (b) historical, literary and biblical allusions which are often used to create a specific stylistic effect, largely — satirical.

The emotional force of expression in the editorial is often enhanced by the use of various syntactical stylistic devices. Some editorials abound in parallel constructions, various types of repetition, rhetorical questions and other ' syntactical stylistic means.

Different papers vary in degree of emotional colouring and stylistic originality of expression. While these qualities are typical enough of the "popular" newspapers (those with large circulations), such as The Daily Minor and The Daily Mail, the so-called "quality papers", as The Times and The Guardian, make rather a sparing use of the expressive and stylistic means of the language.

Yet, the role of expressive language means and stylistic devices in the newspaper writing should not he overestimated. They stand out against the essentially neutral background. And whatever stylistic devices one comes across in newspapers, they are for the most part trite.

Broadly speaking, tradition reigns supreme in the language of the newspaper. Original forms of expression and fresh genuine stylistic means are comparatively rare in newspaper articles, editorials included.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-24