Ling 131 - Welcome and Introduction > History of stylistics > Why "Stylistics" ?

A brief history of Stylistics

Why "Stylistics" ?

The term 'Stylistics' became associated with detailed linguistic criticism because, at the time it developed, the study of authorial style was a major critical concern, and linguistic analysis, allied to statistics, was popular with the more linguistically inclined critics. To some degree, it is a less happy name now, as stylisticians have, by and large, moved away from the study of style and towards the study of how meanings and effects are produced by literary texts. There have been a few attempts to change the name of the enterprise: for example to 'literary linguistics' or 'critical linguistics'. But none of the labels so far proposed covers all the aspects of field adequately (for example the two just mentioned can just as easily apply to areas not covered by Stylistics and do not adequately represent the psychological aspects of the approach), and so 'Stylistics' has survived as the most popular label, despite its shortcomings.

What's in a name?

As we can't find a better label for Stylistics, we tend to agree in general terms with Juliet's view about Romeo's name:

    What's in a name? That which we call a rose
    By any other word would smell as sweet.
    So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
    Retain that dear perfection which he owes
    Without that title.
                     (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, II, ii, 43-7)

If you have a suggestion for a new name for Stylistics (serious or amusing), mail it to us ( m.short@lancaster.ac.uk) and we will start a list.

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