A Stylistic Analysis on the Nightingale and the Rose

Abstract
Oscar Wildes The Nightingale and the Rose, similar to other Oscar Wildes short stories, is written in an aesthetic voice. Throughout the story, Oscar Wilde employs various stylistic devices for the expression of aesthetic concept. In order to show how Oscar Wilde engross readers in this incredible story through stylistics analysis, this paper firstly presents an overview of stylistics based on the textbook English Stylistics by u !ou"hi and gives a brief introduction of Oscar Wilde and some knowledge on The Nightingale and the Rose. Then, with the basis of stylistic theory, a comprehensive stylistic analysis of the story in phonetic, lexical, syntactic, semantic and contextual aspects will be carried out. #inally, this thesis will try to summari"e the stylistic features, which help Oscar Wilde create a story that successfully absorbs and shocks whoever reads it. Key words: stylistic analysis, The $ightingale and the %ose, Oscar Wilde, aesthetic voice &omment' (. ) table of contents is needed to show the organi"ation of your ideas. *. ) literature review on the previous studies of the story by critics is a must, so that you can find the features and limitations of their studies, and then decide on your own aspect of study. +. !ou failed to indicate the theme of The Nightingale and the Rose. ,. #or a story, the creation of a setting, the spots, the portrayal of characters, the conflict between characters shown by their actions and speeches are the conventional means for the author to present the theme. Therefore, it is essential for you to elaborate how the author succeeds in the above-mentioned aspects by means of language. .. The linguistic features in the text are demonstrated by high fre/uency. #or example, on the lexical level, what are the authors preferences0 $ouns or 1erbs0 What are their ratios0 )mong nouns, what is the ratio of abstract ones as against concrete ones0 2. #or all the information you have put in the essay, you are re/uired to indicate their sources each by means of brackets and then to match them in the references at the end of the essay.

1. Overview of Stylistics 1.1 Definitions of stylistics

3tylistics refers to stylistic study specially. The aim of the stylistic study is to interpret the literary meaning and aesthetic effect of literature texts linguistically. There are many definitions on the stylistics. 4eech and 3hort (56('*+defined that 7&ompared with many other studies, literary stylistics is a new science, a linguistic approach towards literature works. It applies theories of modern linguistics to the study of literature and attempts to relate the critics concern with aesthetic appreciation and the readers intuition with the linguists concern with linguistic description8. Thornborrow and Wareing (556'+ defined that 79y far the most common kind of material studied by stylisticsis literature.8 This thesis mainly depends on u !ou"his view on stylistics. :e said;*<<.' (=7The stylistics we are discussing here is modern stylistics, a discipline that applies concepts and techni/ues of modern linguistics to the study of styles of language use. It has two subdivisions' general stylistics and literary stylistics, with the latter concentrating solely on uni/ue features of various literary works, and the former on the general features of various types of language use.8 That is to say, stylistics goes beyond the linguistic description of the literature texts> its final purpose is to relate literary effects to relevant linguistic causes. It is the most explored section in the stylistic domain.

1.2 The oncern of Stylistic

The style is a pattern of linguistic features distinguishing one piece of writing from another or one category of writing from another. ) writers style often varies from work to work> there is usually enough uniformity in ones article to allow the readers to observe that this overall style differs from the others style. In the study of stylistics, the concern is mainly on the usage of stylistics, which is a discipline that studies the sum of stylistic features of the different varieties of language, the language, aspects of the speech event, language varieties and function, stylistic study and other spheres of study. 73tylistic study concerns itself with the situational features that influence variations in language use, the criterion for the classification of language variety, and the description and interpretation of the linguistic features and functions of the main varieties ;both literary and non-literary= of a language. 8 u !ou"hi ;*<<.' ?=

1.! The Need for Stylistic St"dy

In u !ou"his opinion, stylistic study is of vital importance. :e illustrated the significance of stylistic study from three aspects. #irst, stylistic study can help cultivate a sense of appropriateness. We know that the language usage should depend on the concrete occasions. In formal occasions, we use standard expressions. In casual context, the collo/uial speeches are under considered. Therefore, we should develop a sense of appropriateness in order to choose the suitable speeches in such situations. The choice of a particular speech style is corresponding with the context. If we talk to the people who are not well educated using more formal speech style, the communication effects will be inconspicuous. Otherwise, the stylistic study is necessary to develop a sense of appropriateness. ; u !ou"hi, *<<.' (<=

3econd, stylistic study sharpens the understanding and appreciation of literary works. 4iterary works use various devices to achieve a particular effect or meaning. )nd usually the devices are the representation of style of the works. :owever, different readers have different understanding on the devices used in the literature works. In the process of discussion, a new understanding of the works begins to emerge as a more coherent description emerges. The stylistic study can sharpen the understanding and appreciation of literary works. ; u !ou"hi, *<<.' (*= Third, stylistic study helps achieve adaptation in translation. )ll languages have different features, so in the translation process, it is not enough to transfer the original meaning of the source language but ignore the target language readers. ) good translated version should be able to exert on an impact similar to that of the original text on the readers of the source language with the target language readers in style. If the original text is full of humor, the translated text should also be full of humor. If the original is ironic in tone, then the translated text should be like that too. ; u !ou"hi, *<<.' (,=

1.#. The $evels of $ang"age

)s a code, language is multi-leveled. )s u !ou"hi said% there are three levels of language' the level of semantics, the levels of lexis and grammar and the level of phonology@graphology. (= The 4evel of Ahonology@Braphology Ahonology is the study of the rules for governing the structure, distribution, and se/uencing of speech sounds and the shape of syllables. It deals with the sound system of a language by treating phoneme as the point of departure. ;:u Chuanglin, *<<('(6= Ahonological level is the expression or reali"ation of language in its spoken form. Braphology is the study of the writing system of a language. Dach language selects only a few alphabets and the selected marks are used in a limited number of combinations. Braphological level is the expression or reali"ation of language in its written form. ; u !ou"hi, *<<.' *.= *= The level of 4exis and Brammar Brammar is the science of the structure of a language and both the syntactic and semantic rules of the generally accepted used. ;&hen 4inhua, *<<,' ,= 4exicology is the study on the choice of specific lexical items in a text, their distribution in relation to one another, and their meanings. ; u !ou"hi, *<<.' *.= += The 4evel of 3emantics 3emantics deals with the meaning system of language. It is the scientific study of the meaning of words. 9esides, semantics is a very complicated and more abstract subEect because it has much to do with logic, psychology and some other fields of science.

2. &rief acco"nt of Oscar 'ilde

Oscar Wilde, known for his acerbic and urbane nonfiction, was also a master of fairy tale. While some of his inimitable irony remains, Wilde created lovely tales filled with princes and nightingales mermaids, giants, and kings. In fact, all of his fairy tales are written in an erudite, aesthetic voice. )s one of the representatives of )estheticism, his

fairy tales are studied as a model of )estheticism in terms of style. Wilde showed the particular appeal of language to the readers and made the literature the art of language more charming. :is fairy tales is characteristic of making use of rhetoric means and ironic humor to convey its theme, such as love or art and the spirit of self-sacrifice as in The $ightingale and the %ose.

!. &rief acco"nt of The Nightingale and the Rose and its (a)or the(e
The Nightingale and the Rose was published in (666. In the story, a student fell in love with a professors daughter who wouldnt want to dance with him in the princes ball, unless he can find a red rose for her to wear. 9ecause of cold weather, it is hard for the student to find a red rose for the girl, 7the need of a red rose made his life wretched8. When the nightingale heard of his sorrow, he was moved by the girls passion and 7true love8. The bird decided to sacrifice himself Eust for exchanging a red rose. Tragically, the red rose ended up under the wheel of a cart, because the professors daughter really wanted was ascendancy and wealth. Oscar Wilde has great passion for love and has been persistently pursuing it for his whole short life. In the famous fairy tale The $ightingale and The %ose, the nightingale became his tongue and mouth. 3he sang to death with a thorn in her heart for the passion which she thought was the most precious thing in the whole world. :er passion is pure passion, and she doesnt want anything in return except that the student should be a true lover. )ll he wrote in this tale like an ill omen in his later life. The passion of nightingale reflects the deep theme )rt is for )rts 3ake. It also shows Wildes aestheticism in its ongoing conflict with utilitarianism. What he did for his love is like what the nightingale did for the student. :owever, all she did was in vain, because although the student listened, he couldnt understand what the nightingale was saying to him, for he only knew the things that are written down in books. )nd the red rose- -the fruit of great passion - - was thrown away into the gutter for something unworthy.

#. *revio"s st"dies on The Nightingale and the Rose #.1 o((ents on The Nightingale and the Rose by critics #.2 +a)or the(e of the ,assage$i(itations of the ,revio"s st"dies
Oscar Wilde has great passion for love and has been persistently pursuing it for his whole short life. In the famous fairy tale The $ightingale and The %ose, the nightingale became his tongue and mouth. 3he sang to death with a thorn in her heart for the passion which she thought was the most precious thing in the whole world. :er passion is pure passion, and she doesnt want anything in return except that the student should be a true lover. )ll he wrote in this tale like an ill omen in his later life. The passion of nightingale reflects the deep theme )rt is for )rts 3ake. It also shows Wildes aestheticism in its ongoing conflict with utilitarianism. What he did for his love is like what the nightingale did for the student. :owever, all she did was in vain, because although the student listened, he couldnt understand what the nightingale was saying to him, for he only knew the things

that are written down in books. )nd the red rose- -the fruit of great passion - - was thrown away into the gutter for something unworthy.

-. The ,resent st"dy -.1 The foc"s of the ,resent st"dy..l$ing"istic ,resentation of the the(e
the creation of the setting, the spots, the portrayal of characters, the conflict between characters shown by their actions and speeches

-.1.1. *honological feat"res

In the description of The Nightingale and the Rose Wilde applies onomatopoeia to make the vivid and lively description. It is very helpful to describe the different characters inner mental activities thoroughly and show the exact feelings, respectively. ;Cou Tao, *<<+= #or example' FThe prince gives a ball to-morrow night,8 murmured the young 3tudent. In this sentence, it is Eust by using the word murmurto show the students feelings of grievance and helplessness. %esponding to the word murmur the word 7tomorrow8 may be twisted as to-morrow and the normal pronunciation of it is changed into@tu'mo rou@.9ecause the vowel sound@ u'@and the diphthong are usually connected with the words blue and low respectively, naturally we can imagine the students feelings of anxiousness, fret as well as his low spirits .

-.1.2. $e/ical 0eat"res

The words used in the fairy story are accurate, vivid, expressive and plentiful. There is a sentence listed below to illustrate the lexical features. :er hand will be clasped in mine. :ere, 7clasp8 means to hold tightly. 9ut why does not the author use the word 7grip8 or 7grasp80 This word is powerful enough to express the students strongest passion and love to the Arofessors daughter. )nd the action of the word clasp is also capable of revealing the students eagerness as well as his beautiful daydreaming.

-.1.!. Syntactic 0eat"re

The syntactic features of the tale are that the short but elliptical sentences are applied fre/uently. The language is very clear and easy to be understood, which makes the tale more close to the readers. It is featured by the collo/uial style. )ccording to Wang 3houyuan ;(55<'.*=, ellipsis is the omission from a sentence of words needed to complete a construction. Dllipsis in spoken Dnglish and normal everyday written discourse is usually a grammatical device for economy of words. In literature, ellipsis is not merely a grammatical means to make the work compact, but a stylistic device to express the meaning or message of the work. #or example' F$o red rose in all my gardenG8 :e cried. FWhy, indeed0F said a 9utterfly.

The complete sentence should be FThere is no red rose in all my gardenF. While FWhy, indeed0F should be FWhy is he weeping, indeed0F These elliptical sentences have the same expressive effect as a whole. The ellipsis here, from a stylistic perspective seems to be multifunctional Horeover, in this tale, Oscar Wilde also used inversion devices to make the languages rich and colorful. :ere are some syntactic parallel constructions to show the inversion. #or example' I I louder and louder grew her song , bitter and bitter was the painwilder and wilder grew her song I. fainter and fainter grew her song.

The above sentences are inverted, but they are more important in view of parallelism. When we read, the tone is up and down with strong rhythm. It gives us a musical effect to the readers.

-.1.#. Se(antic feat"res1fig"res of s,eech

In the tale, Oscar Wilde uses many figures of speech to accomplish the semantic expressions. Aersonification is a typical rhetorical device in fairy tales. In the fairy tale, the $ightingale Eust symboli"es Oscar Wilde himself, and the %ose stands for the true love and the true art. #urthermore, this tale also applied simile metaphor and antithesis which make the language diversified and beautiful. :ere lists some examples excerpted from this tale to illustrate the semantic features in the tale. (= 3he sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. *= 3he sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid. += 3he sang of the 4ove is perfected by Jeath of the 4ove that dies not in the tomb. These three sentences run through the whole process of the tale, in which the $ightingale fostered the red rose by heart and blood, accompanied with her sad and moving songs. The readers are moved not by birth neither love nor death, but by the determination and devotion to foster the true love perfected by death. ;Cou Tao, *<<+=

2-.2. oncl"sion
The style of the language that Oscar Wilde applied is tactful in The Nightingale and the Rose. Oscar Wilde has set a brilliant example of achieving the delicate harmony between the language and his own artistic view. #or Oscar Wilde the purest art is worthy of his life and is the highest in society. This paper mainly adopts the pattern for stylistic analysis in u !ou"his book English Stylistics, to illustrate this tale which may give readers a new angle to know better about Oscar Wildes fairy tale.

A,,endi/.
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F3he said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses,F cried the young 3tudent> Fbut in all my garden there is no red rose.F #rom her nest in the holm-oak tree the $ightingale heard him, ands he looked out through the leaves, and wondered. F$o red rose in all my gardenGF he cried, and his beautiful eyes filled with tears. F)h, on what little things does happiness dependG I have read all that the wise men have written, and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made wretched.F F:ere at last is a true lover,F said the $ightingale. F$ight after night have I sung of him, though I knew him not' night after night have I told his story to the stars, and now I see him. :is hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his desire> but passion has made his face like pale ivory, and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow.F FThe Arince gives a ball to-morrow night,F murmured the young 3tudent, Fand my love will be of the company. If I bring her a red rose she will dance with me till dawn. If I bring her a red rose, I shall hold her in my arms, and she will lean her head upon my shoulder, and her hand will be clasped in mine. 9ut there is no red rose in my garden, so I shall sit lonely, and she will pass me by. 3he will have no heed of me, and my heart will break.F F:ere indeed is the true lover,F said the $ightingale. FWhat I sing of, he suffers-what is Eoy to me, to him is pain. 3urely 4ove is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Aearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the marketplace. It may not be purchased of the merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold.F FThe musicians will sit in their gallery,F said the young 3tudent, Fand play upon their stringed instruments, and my love will dance to the sound of the harp and the violin. 3he will dance so lightly that her feet will not touch the floor, and the courtiers in their gay dresses will throng round her. 9ut with me she will not dance, for I have no red rose to give herF> and he flung himself down on the grass, and buried his face in his hands, and wept. FWhy is he weeping0F asked a little Breen 4i"ard, as he ran past him with his tail in the air. FWhy, indeed0F said a 9utterfly, who was fluttering about after a sunbeam.

FWhy, indeed0F whispered a Jaisy to his neighbor, in a soft, low voice. F:e is weeping for a red rose,F said the $ightingale. F#or a red rose0F they cried> Fhow very ridiculousGF and the little 4i"ard, who was something of a cynic, laughed outright. 9ut the $ightingale understood the secret of the 3tudentKs sorrow, and she sat silent in the oak-tree, and thought about the mystery of 4ove. 3uddenly she spread her brown wings for flight, and soared into the air. 3he passed through the grove like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed across the garden. In the centre of the grass-plot was standing a beautiful %ose-tree, and when she saw it she flew over to it, and lit upon a spray. FBive me a red rose,F she cried, Fand I will sing you my sweetest song.F 9ut the Tree shook its head. FHy roses are white,F it answered> Fas white as the foam of the sea, and whiter than the snow upon the mountain. 9ut go to my brother who grows round the old sun-dial, and perhaps he will give you what you want.F 3o the $ightingale flew over to the %ose-tree that was growing round the old sundial. FBive me a red rose,F she cried, Fand I will sing you my sweetest song.F 9ut the Tree shook its head. FHy roses are yellow,F it answered> Fas yellow as the hair of the mermaiden who sits upon an amber throne, and yellower than the daffodil that blooms in the meadow before the mower comes with his scythe. 9ut go to my brother who grows beneath the 3tudentKs window, and perhaps he will give you what you want.F 3o the $ightingale flew over to the %ose-tree that was growing beneath the 3tudentKs window. FBive me a red rose,F she cried, Fand I will sing you my sweetest song.F 9ut the Tree shook its head.

FHy roses are red,F it answered, Fas red as the feet of the dove, and redder than the great fans of coral that wave and wave in the ocean-cavern. 9ut the winter has chilled my veins, and the frost has nipped my buds, and the storm has broken my branches, and I shall have no roses at all this year.F FOne red rose is all I want,F cried the $ightingale, Fonly one red roseG Is there no way by which I can get it0F FThere is away,F answered the Tree> Fbut it is so terrible that I dare not tell it to you.F FTell it to me,F said the $ightingale, FI am not afraid.F FIf you want a red rose,F said the Tree, Fyou must build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with your own heartKs-blood. !ou must sing to me with your breast against a thorn. )ll night long you must sing to me, and the thorn must pierce your heart, and your life-blood must flow into my veins, and become mine.F FJeath is a great price to pay for a red rose,F cried the $ightingale, Fand 4ife is very dear to all. It is pleasant to sit in the green wood, and to watch the 3un in his chariot of gold, and the Hoon in her chariot of pearl. 3weet is the scent of the hawthorn, and sweet are the bluebells that hide in the valley, and the heather that blows on the hill. !et 4ove is better than 4ife, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man0F 3o she spread her brown wings for flight, and soared into the air. 3he swept over the garden like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed through the grove. The young 3tudent was still lying on the grass, where she had left him, and the tears were not yet dry in his beautiful eyes. F9e happy,F cried the $ightingale, Fbe happy> you shall have your red rose. I will build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with my own heartKs-blood. )ll that I ask of you in return is that you will be a true lover, for 4ove is wiser than Ahilosophy, though she is wise, and mightier than Aower, though he is mighty. #lame-colored are his wings, and colored like flame is his body. :is lips are sweet as honey, and his breath is like frankincense.F The 3tudent looked up from the grass, and listened, but he could not understand what the $ightingale was saying to him, for he only knew the things that are written down in books. 9ut the Oak-tree understood, and felt sad, for he was very fond of the little $ightingale who had built her nest in his branches.

F3ing me one last song,F he whispered> FI shall feel very lonely when you are gone.F 3o the $ightingale sang to the Oak-tree, and her voice was like water bubbling from a silver Ear. When she had finished her song the 3tudent got up, and pulled a note-book and a lead-pencil out of his pocket. F3he has form,F he said to himself, as he walked away through the grove--Fthat cannot be denied to her> but has she got feeling0 I am afraid not. In fact, she is like most artists> she is all style, without any sincerity. 3he would not sacrifice herself for others. 3he thinks merely of music, and everybody knows that the arts are selfish. 3till, it must be admitted that she has some beautiful notes in her voice. What a pity it is that they do not mean anything, or do any practical good.F )nd he went into his room, and lay down on his little pallet-bed, and began to think of his love> and, after a time, he fell asleep. )nd when the Hoon shone in the heavens the $ightingale flew to the %ose-tree, and set her breast against the thorn. )ll night long she sang with her breast against the thorn, and the cold crystal Hoon leaned down and listened. )ll night long she sang, and the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast, and her life-blood ebbed away from her. 3he sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. )nd on the topmost spray of the %ose-tree there blossomed a marvelous rose, petal following petal, as song followed song. Aale was it, at first, as the mist that hangs over the riverLpale as the feet of the morning, and silver as the wings of the dawn. )s the shadow of a rose in a mirror of silver, as the shadow of a rose in a water-pool, so was the rose that blossomed on the topmost spray of the Tree. 9ut the Tree cried to the $ightingale to press closer against the thorn. FAress closer, little $ightingale,F cried the Tree, For the Jay will come before the rose is finished.F 3o the $ightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and louder and louder grew her song, for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid. )nd a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose, like the flush in the face of the bridegroom when he kisses the lips of the bride. 9ut the thorn had not yet reached her heart, so the roseKs heart remained white, for only a $ightingaleKs heartKs-blood can crimson the heart of a rose. )nd the Tree cried to the $ightingale to press closer against the thorn. FAress closer,

little $ightingale,F cried the Tree, For the Jay will come before the rose is finished.F 3o the $ightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and the thorn touched her heart, and a fierce pang of pain shot through her. 9itter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song, for she sang of the 4ove that is perfected by Jeath, of the 4ove that dies not in the tomb. )nd the marvelous rose became crimson, like the rose of the eastern sky. &rimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson as a ruby was the heart. 9ut the $ightingaleKs voice grew fainter, and her little wings began to beat, and a film came over her eyes. #ainter and fainter grew her song, and she felt something choking her in her throat. Then she gave one last burst of music. The white Hoon heard it, and she forgot the dawn, and lingered on in the sky. The red rose heard it, and it trembled all over with ecstasy, and opened its petals to the cold morning air. Dcho bore it to her purple cavern in the hills, and woke the sleeping shepherds from their dreams. It floated through the reeds of the river, and they carried its message to the sea. F4ook, lookGF cried the Tree, Fthe rose is finished nowF> but the $ightingale made no answer, for she was lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart. )nd at noon the 3tudent opened his window and looked out. FWhy, what a wonderful piece of luckGF he cried> Fhere is a red roseG I have never seen any rose like it in all my life. It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long 4atin nameF> and he leaned down and plucked it. Then he put on his hat, and ran up to the ArofessorKs house with the rose in his hand. The daughter of the Arofessor was sitting in the doorway winding blue silk on a reel, and her little dog was lying at her feet. F!ou said that you would dance with me if I brought you a red rose,F cried the 3tudent. F:ere is the reddest rose in all the world. !ou will wear it to-night next your heart, and as we dance together it will tell you how I love you.F 9ut the girl frowned. FI am afraid it will not go with my dress,F she answered> Fand, besides, the

&hamberlainKs nephew has sent me some real Eewels, and everybody knows that Eewels cost far more than flowers.F FWell, upon my word, you are very ungrateful,F said the 3tudent angrily> and he threw the rose into the street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it. FMngratefulGF said the girl. FI tell you what, you are very rude> and, after all, who are you0 Only a 3tudent. Why, I donKt believe you have even got silver buckles to your shoes as the &hamberlainKs nephew hasF> and she got up from her chair and went into the house. FWhat I a silly thing 4ove is,F said the 3tudent as he walked away. FIt is not half as useful as 4ogic, for it does not prove anything, and it is always telling one of things that are not going to happen, and making one believe things that are not true. In fact, it is /uite unpractical, and, as in this age to be practical is everything, I shall go back to Ahilosophy and study Hetaphysics.F 3o he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty book, and began to read.

&ibliogra,hy
N(O4eech, B., P3hort, H. 3tyle in #iction. 4ondon and $ew !ork' 4ongman, (56(' *+Q+( N*OThornborrow and Wareing, Aatterns in 4anguage' an introduction to language and literary style. 4ondon' $ew !ork' %outledge.(556'+ N+OWang 3houyuan, ) &ourse in Dnglish 3tylistics. 3handon Dducation Aress,(55<.* N,O. NHO. , *<<,, N.O. NHO.' , *<<('(6 N2O. NHO.',*<<* N?O. NHO. ,*<<. N6O, Aassion in RestOscar Wildes The $ightingale and the %ose NRO, *<<6;(5= N5O, NJO, , *<<+