Four Linguistic Devices

Posted by anjila | Posted in | Posted on 10:44 PM

The four types of linguistic devices are:
  1. Paradox:
    It is a self contradictory statement whose underlying meaning is revealed by careful scrutiny (deep analysis). It seems absurd surfacially but makes good sense.
    For e.g
    • One must lose one's life to go to heaven.
      It's meaning is: By giving up materialistic life you will gain something better. After losing materialistic life we will gain actual spiritual life.
    • You don't know what you've got till it's gone(everyday language)
      It's meaning is: The value of things is only realized only when we lose it
    New Critics noticed that paradox is highly used to define spiritual and psychological realities of life which are paradoxical in nature itself. So they are responsible in bringing complexity which is portrait in literature.

  2. Irony:
    In this linguistic device, real intent is concealed or contradicted by literal meaning of words or situations. It reveals flaws indirectly which is usually tragic in nature unlike satires which is humorous even though it point out the flaws. Irony hides the actual case not in order to deceive but to achieve special artistic affects. There are two types of irony

    a) Verbal Irony:
    Verbal Irony is the statement in which the meaning that the speaker implies differs shortly from the meaning that is expressed. It arises from an awareness of contrast between "what is" and "what ought to be."

    b) Dramatic Irony:
    Dramatic Irony involves in a play which the audience or reader share the awareness of fate store for the characters they do not suspect. The result if Irony is a complexity of meaning.

  3. Ambiguity:
    Ambiguity is the us of single word or expression to signify two or more diverse attitude or feelings. It is produced when a word image or event generates two or more different meanings.
    e.g. In Toni Morrison's "Beloved" there is an image of tree produced by a scar on Sethe's back refer to suffering, endurance and renewal.

    In scientific and everyday language, ambiguity is considered to be a flaw/ error/ mistake. But in literary language, ambiguity is source of richness, depth and complexity that enhance the value of the text.

  4. Tension:
    Tension is a device that creates complexity where opposites like concrete and abstract are linked to bring forth specific images.
    e.g
    Abstract: Peace
    Concrete: White flag, Dove
    Such concrete universals where images and characters are meaningful both at physical and symbolic level are forms of tension. Interplay between paradox, irony and ambiguity bring forth tension.

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