Semantic field

Semantic field is a method of decoding stylistics closely connected with coupling. It identifies lexical elements in text segments and the whole work that provide its thematic and compositional cohesion. To reveal this sort of cohesion decoding must carefully observe not only lexical and synonymous repetition but semantic affinity which finds expression in cases of lexico-semantic variants, connotations and associations aroused by a specific use or distribution of lexical units, thematic pertinence of seemingly unrelated words.

5.2. Essential concepts of decoding stylistic analysis

This type of analysis shows how cohesion is achieved on a less explicit level sometimes called the vertical context. Lexical elements of this sort are charged with implications and adherent meanings that establish invisible links throughout the text and create a kind of semantic background so that the work is laced with certain kind of imagery.

Lexical ties relevant to this kind of analysis will include synony­mous and antonymous relations, morphological derivation, relations of inclusion (various types of hyponymy and entailment), com­mon semes in the denotative or connotative meanings of different words.

If a word manifests semantic links with one or more other words in the text it shows thematic relevance and several links of this sort may be considered a semantic field, an illustration of which was offered in the previous example on coupling. Semantic ties in that example (mostly impUcit) are based on the adherent and symbolic connotations (Church meals, Club member, live-in servants, Union man, etc) and create a semantic field specific to the theme and message of this work: the contrast between wealth and poverty, upper class and working class.

In the next example we obseive the semantic field of a less complicated nature created by more explicit means.

Joe kept saying he did not want a fortieth birthday party. He said he did not like parties—a palpable untruth—and particularly and especially a large party in honor of his reaching forty...

At first there were going to be forty guests but the invitation list grew larger and the party plans more elaborate, until Arthur said that with so many people they ought to hire an orchestra, and with an orchestra

Chapter 5. Decoding Stylistics and Its Fundamental Notions

there would be dancing, and with dancing there ought to be a good-size orchestra. The original small dinner became a dinner dance at the Lantenengo Country Club. Invitations were sent to more than three hundred persons... (O'Hara)

The thematic word of the passage is party. It recurs four times in these four sentences. It is obviously related to such words used as its substitutes as dinner and dinner dance which become contextual synonyms within the frame of the central stylistic device of this piece—the climax.

Semantic relations of inclusion by entailment and hyponymy are represented by such words as birthday (party), (party) in honor, (party) plans, invitation (list), guests, people, persons, orchestra, dancing.

The subtheme of the major theme is the scale of the celebra­tion connected with the importance of the date—the main char­acter reached the age of forty considered an important milestone in a man's life and career. So there is a semantic field around the figure forty—its lexical repetition and morphological deriva­tion (forty—forty—fortieth) and the word large amplified through­out by contextual synonyms, morphological derivatives and rela­tions of entailment (large—larger—more—many—good-size—more-three hundred).

Another type of semantic relationship that contributes to the seman­tic field analysis is the use of antonyms and contrastive elements associated with the themes in question: large—small, forty—three hun­dred, small dinner—dinner dance, orchestra—good-sized orchestra, did not like—untruth. The magnitude and importance of the event are further enhanced by the use of synonymous intensifiers particularly and especially.

5.2. Essential concepts of decoding stylistic analysis

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