Assignments for stylistic analysis. 1. What is: a) the basic theme, b) the central idea of the passage?

1. What is: a) the basic theme, b) the central idea of the passage?

2. Point out what layer of vocabulary the marked words belong to.

3. Define the context of the plot description. What exactly (vocabulary choice, pronunciation, the context itself) produces a humorous effect?

4. Analyse the style and tone of speech of both the interlocutors.

Item 4

"I am not to be lodged there!" the King said, with a shudder, that had something in it ominous.

"No," replied the grey-headed seneschal, who attended upon him un­bounded." "God forbid! - Your Majesty's apartments are prepared in these lower buildings which are hard by, and in which King John slept two nights before the battle of Poicters."

"Hum - that is no lucky omen neither" - muttered the King; "but what of the Tower, my old friend? and why should you desire of Heaven that I may not be there lodged?"

"Nay, my gracious liege," said the seneschal, "I know no evil of the Tower at all - only that the sentinels say lights are seen, and strange noises heard in it, at night; and there are reasons why that may be the case, for anciently it was used as a state prison, and there are many tales of deeds which have been done in it."

[King] Louis asked no farther questions; for no man was more bound than he to respect the secrets of a prison-house. At the door of the apart­ments destined for his use, which, though of later date than the Tower, were ^stiH both ancient and gloomy, stood a small party of the Scottish Guard, which

 

the Duke, although he declined to concede the point to Louis, had ordered t be introduced, so as to be near the person of their master. The faithful Lo_rd Crawford was at their head.

"Crawford - my honest and faithful Crawford," said the King, "where hast thou been to-day? - Are the Lords of Burgundy so inhospitable as to neglect one of the bravest and most noble gentlemen that ever trode a court") - I saw you not at the banquet.";

"I declined it, my liege," said Crawford - "times are changed with me. The day has been that I could have ventured a carouse with the best man in Burgundy, and that in the juice of his own grape; but a matter of four pints now flusters men, and I think it concerns your Majesty's service to set in this an example to my callants.";

From Walter Scott's Quentin Durward Assignments for stylistic analysis

1. Decide what vocabulary layer the marked words belong to.

2. State the number of characters introduced in the episode. What are the theme and the tone of each part of the conversation?

3. Is the setting realistic/ historical/ fantastic/ exotic/ rural?

4. Analyse the style and the context (or their kinds) disclosed in the extract.

5. How can the notion of norm be applied to the extract? Point out con­spicuous expressive means and stylistic devices. What function and effect does each of them have?

6. Analyse how the notion "the author's voice" is revealed in the extract?