The main goal of this study is to investigate cohesive devices in selected british poems and in selected american poems. Firstly, the thesis aims at identifying the lexical and grammatical cohesive devices used in the british poems and in the american poems which are written by a modern poets. Secondly, the thesis aims at conducting a contrastive linguistic analysis between these poems in order to find out the similarities and differences in the use of grammatical and lexical cohesive devices. The present study attempts to find out the frequency and distribution of their occurrence in both texts.
This term paper is divided into two parts. One part deals with the theoretical background whereas the other section is about the empirical part of the study. In this section, a number of British poems and American ones will be analysed in the light of the adopted model which is based on Halliday and Hasan’s approach to cohesion. Eight poems have been selected for the analysis. Four of them are written by the modern British poet Thomas Hardy and the other four are written by the modern American poet Walt Whitman.
Cohesion is a kind of significant connection within a text. Gutwinski defines cohesion as the relations that are established among the sentences and the clauses of a text. Such relations are normally indicated by particular grammatical and lexical features. Hatim and Mason consider cohesion as one of the indications of coherence. They state that cohesion refers to the ways in which this underlying coherence is reflected on the surface of the text- the cohesion, or sequential connectivity of the surface elements -are much more likely to be language-specific or text-specifi. Stoddard points out that cohesion are a mental construct. Remarkably, this definition shows that cohesion is a process of interpretation. In this case, it involves mental effort on the part of the reader. That is to say, cohesion involves looking for certain grammatical or lexical items that contribute to convey meaning and link clauses and sentences. Consequently, information is conveyed in orderly way elements. McArthur states that cohesion is a feature by which it can be determined whether something is a text and not a set of unrelated sentences.
Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Theoretical Background
- Definition of Cohesion
- Cohesive Devices
- Reference
- Comparison
- Substitution
- Ellipsis
- Conjunction
- Lexical Cohesion
- Practical Study
- The Use of Grammatical Cohesion
- The Use of Reference
- The Use of Conjunction
- The Use of Ellipsis
- The Use of Lexical Cohesion
- The Use of Substitution
- Repetition
- Collocation
- Synonymy
- The Use of Grammatical Cohesion
- Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This study investigates cohesive devices in selected British and American poems written by modern poets. It aims to identify the lexical and grammatical cohesive devices used, and to conduct a contrastive linguistic analysis to reveal similarities and differences in their usage. The study also seeks to determine the frequency and distribution of these devices in both British and American poetic texts.
- Cohesive devices in British and American modern poetry
- Contrastive analysis of grammatical and lexical cohesion
- Frequency and distribution of cohesive devices
- Identification of specific cohesive devices (reference, substitution, etc.)
- The role of cohesion in creating coherent texts
Chapter Summaries
Abstract: This chapter provides a concise overview of the study's main objectives: to analyze cohesive devices in British and American poems, perform a contrastive analysis to identify similarities and differences, and determine the frequency and distribution of these devices. It sets the stage for the in-depth investigation that follows in subsequent chapters.
Theoretical Background: This section lays the groundwork for the analysis by defining cohesion, drawing on various linguistic theories. It distinguishes between cohesion and coherence, explores different perspectives on the nature of cohesion as a mental construct, and introduces the five main types of cohesive devices according to Halliday and Hasan (1976): reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, and lexical cohesion. Each type is briefly described, establishing a framework for the subsequent practical application of these theoretical concepts.
Practical Study: This chapter delves into the practical application of the theoretical framework established in the previous chapter. It examines the use of grammatical cohesion (reference, conjunction, ellipsis, and lexical cohesion) and substitution (repetition, collocation, and synonymy) in the selected British and American poems. This in-depth analysis focuses on identifying and analyzing the specific instances of these cohesive devices within the poems, comparing their frequency and function across the two national poetic traditions. The goal is to provide a detailed empirical study illustrating the theoretical concepts discussed earlier.
Keywords
Cohesion, coherence, grammatical cohesion, lexical cohesion, reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, contrastive analysis, British poetry, American poetry, modern poetry, linguistic analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Study of Cohesive Devices in British and American Modern Poetry
What is the main topic of this study?
This study investigates cohesive devices in selected British and American poems written by modern poets. It aims to identify the lexical and grammatical cohesive devices used, and to conduct a contrastive linguistic analysis to reveal similarities and differences in their usage. The study also seeks to determine the frequency and distribution of these devices in both British and American poetic texts.
What are the key themes explored in the study?
The key themes include: cohesive devices in British and American modern poetry; contrastive analysis of grammatical and lexical cohesion; frequency and distribution of cohesive devices; identification of specific cohesive devices (reference, substitution, etc.); and the role of cohesion in creating coherent texts.
What cohesive devices are analyzed in the study?
The study analyzes various cohesive devices, including reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, and lexical cohesion. These are categorized as grammatical and lexical cohesion. Specific examples within substitution include repetition, collocation, and synonymy.
What is the structure of the study?
The study is structured into several key sections: an abstract providing an overview; a theoretical background defining cohesion and its types; a practical study applying the theoretical framework to selected poems; and a conclusion summarizing the findings. Each section builds upon the previous one, moving from theoretical concepts to empirical analysis.
What type of poems are included in the study?
The study examines selected British and American poems written by modern poets. The specific poems are not listed in the provided preview.
What is the methodology used in the study?
The study employs a contrastive linguistic analysis to compare and contrast the use of cohesive devices in British and American modern poetry. This involves identifying instances of cohesive devices, analyzing their frequency and distribution, and comparing their function across the two national poetic traditions. The methodology relies on established linguistic theories of cohesion, particularly the work of Halliday and Hasan (1976).
What are the key findings or conclusions of the study (as previewed)?
The provided preview does not offer specific findings. However, it indicates that the study will present a detailed empirical analysis of cohesive devices in the selected poems, comparing their frequency and function in British and American poetic traditions. The conclusions will likely summarize the similarities and differences in the usage of these devices.
What are the keywords associated with this study?
The keywords include: Cohesion, coherence, grammatical cohesion, lexical cohesion, reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, contrastive analysis, British poetry, American poetry, modern poetry, and linguistic analysis.
Where can I find the full study?
The provided text is a preview and doesn't include access to the full study. Further information on obtaining the complete work would need to be sought from the publishing company.
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- Sajjad Abed Ali Shareef (Autor:in), 2017, Cohesion in selected british and american poems, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/372244
