Lec. Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study

The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study

Lec. Saleema Abdul-Zahra

University of Al-Qadissiya

Abstract

Language is a powerful tool in the hands of a poet. Punctuation marks (symbols or signs used to make the writer‟s meaning clear) are the tool one can use to talk to the reader and draw his/her attention to specific points. Punctuation marks are important syntactically and semantically; since each one has its own uses and meanings. Their oddness and unconventional use by some poets such as Cummings, Blake, and Pound helps them to color their poems with special aspects and serves them to convey various meanings. Naturally, stylistics is the science through which the use of language in literature can be dealt with.

1. Punctuation Marks : An ntroduction Truss (2004:77) reveals that the first Actually, when one speaks, one can writing systems were mostly use different linguistic devices to make logographic and /or syllabic and they do his/her meaning clear such as: stress, not necessarily require punctuation intonation, rhythm, pauses sometimes because the entire morpheme or word is by using facial expressions or by using typically clustered within a single glyph. gestures, even if all else fails , by The Greeks began using punctuation repeating what one has said. However, marks, consisting of vertically arranged when one writes, one cannot use any of dots, in around the 5th century B.C. The these devices and if the words are Romans also adopted symbols to strung all together without ever indicate pauses. Punctuation developed indicating where the pauses should be, dramatically when large numbers of no one would understand the thoughts copies of the Christian Bible started to and ideas we are trying to express. The be produced and read aloud and the work that these devices do in speech is copyists began to introduce a range of entirely handled by "punctuation". To marks to help the readers including grasp what punctuation is, it is indentation, various punctuation marks important to pass through its historical and initial capitals. With the invention development briefly. of moveable type in Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries began an increase of

3 مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م Lecturer Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study printed material. The rise of printing reason for punctuating is to make the meant that a standard system of meaning clear and every punctuation punctuation was urgently required. The mark has particular job to do, so there , , and the were should be a conventional system of the only ones used until the close of the punctuation which is consistent and 15th century. In process of time, the sensible. If the case is not like this, a was added and the marks of reader has to wade through the writer‟s interrogation and admiration were strange punctuation, having trouble introduced later. following his /her meaning; at worst, Shaw (1986:137) makes it clear that the reader may be genuinely unable to punctuation is a method by which the understand what the writer has written. meaning of written communication is Depending on many references, made clear through the use of certain Razzak and Helen (2000:43-59) classify marks. punctuation marks into four types: Similarly, Trask (1997:2) explains 1. End punctuation marks: The full stop, that punctuation is not an the , and the exclamation inconsequential bit of decoration and it mark. is not regarded as a deeply personal 2. Non- end punctuation marks: The matter; it is one aspect of written comma, the semicolon, the colon, and the English. Punctuation is placed in text " . to make meaning clear and to make 3. Enclosing punctuation marks: reading easier."(MacCaskill, 2012:44). (square and round), invented Moreover, punctuation usually serves or quotation marks. certain general purposes through 4. Punctuation marks used within the certain symbols or signs called word: The , the , and punctuation marks. Shaw (1986:138) the abbreviation dot. summarizes these purposes as follows: It is worth noting that some 1.To end or terminate a statement (by writers such as Trask(1997:53)and using a period , a question MacCaskill(2012:75) add the mark , or an ); these and the as punctuation marks marks are called used in writing. " terminal marks". Each of these marks is a sort of 2.To introduce (by using a comma, a short hand device, or road sign that colon, or a dash). assists the reader. Every mark is 3.To separate parts of a sentence or effective and it has its own meaning as it word (by using a comma, a semicolon, a will be shown at section 2. The presence dash, a hyphen, or an apostrophe). or absence of every mark is harmful if it 4.To enclose parts of a sentence or a impedes the flow of the idea the writer whole section (by using parentheses, or intends to convey to the reader. brackets). MacCaskill (2012:44) assures that the Thus, the purpose of punctuation is function of a punctuation mark is the practical, not ornamental, and the basis for the rules governing its use and

مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م 4 Lec. Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study should be the basis for determining phonology or syntax. In his text whether or not it is needed. grammar, Nunberg treats all words Chafe (1987:21-25) argues that uniformly and groups them iteratively punctuation marks should be into certain textual units according to considered in strict connection with the the surrounding punctuation. Dale particular organization structure, and (1991:13-14) proposes that the the written text at the discourse level, semantics of punctuation can be treated not merely the sentence. in terms of rhetorical or discourse Punctuation is considered by relations such as narrative, Ferreiro and Pontecorvo (1999:544) as continuation, explanation, elaboration, one of the main streams of writing parallel, contrast and so forth. He mechanism; it is of psychological and emphasizes the important role of educational importance because punctuation in cueing the correct punctuation is a part of writing that interpretation for many text sentences. needs to be dealt with in text To shed more light on the construction. The appropriate use of importance of the punctuation marks, it punctuation shows that a person has is interesting to summarize what good knowledge of grammar and it Buchholz (1979:227-234) explains. He helps to bring the right kind of clarifies that everybody wants power to expression into writing for which voice, exert control over others; one way to intonation, volume, tone, pauses are seize this control, at least in writing, is used while speaking. through punctuation dynamics: the In addition, Truss (2004:71) makes subtle power to awe the reader into it clear that" on the page, punctuation submission through adept placement of performs its grammatical function, but punctuation. Certain punctuation in the mind of the reader it does more marks, if used well, signed whether the than that. It tells the reader how to turn writer is power figure or not. For the tune."For instance," Don‟t stop" instance, parentheses enhance the means carry on .You are not required devastation because they graphically to stop. Rewriting the same words as represent the inconspicuous relay, as "Don‟t. stop" immediately. Definitely they look much like hands cupped both sentences would be spoken in a around a whisper being mouthed with different manner to show the difference subtle finesse. Subconsciously, they in meaning. represent two sidewise smiles, the Nunberg(1990)and Dale(1991) superior cunning. He states that the explain the syntax and semantics of dash dramatically holds us at bay for a punctuation and its use in moment and then speeds the statement. interpretation. Nunberg (1990:18) The power of semicolon is derived argues that punctuation system is firstly largely from its psychological impact. systematic and linguistic in the sense He thinks that the semicolon is that it obeys principles and constraints, misunderstood; it is mysterious: it is and secondly it is a separate linguistic therefore held in esteem and is even subsystem not reducible to principles of feared. He considers the semicolon as( a

5 مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م Lecturer Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study conspicuous punctuation ) that gives included before the end of quotation strength, so sentences with semicolon mark. Points of (three evenly spring from a good consciousness. spaced periods) are used in formal Buchholz regards colon the mark of writing to indicate an omission from presidents and full professors, the quoted material. The terminal period ultimate mark of punctuation, for it (full stop) is always retained after commands obedience. The colon, ellipsis to enhance meaning. because it reflects the heights erudition, is therefore used in any endeavor that 2.Question Mark (?) needs style to bolster flattering It is placed to terminate a direct substance. question, whether the question is an From the previous discussion, it is independent sentence or a direct clear that punctuation marks are not quotation. It may be inserted into the only important to clarify specific middle of something, inside parentheses meanings in a text but they also convey to show uncertainty. certain messages about their users to the reader. 3.Exclamation Mark (!) 2. Uses of Punctuation Marks It is known informally as a bang or a The researcher adopts the shriek. It is used to express surprise, classification of the punctuation marks command, emphasis, or strong emotion. in the made by Larry It is used after interjection such as Oh! , Trask(1997:1-62) and Mary K. Wow! , and That hurts! . McCaskill(1998:44-75) because their books in "punctuation" are direct and 4.Comma (,) comprehensive. These marks can be It is frequently used but it is often used listed as follows: wrongly. It has four distinct uses: 1.Full Stop (.) also called period a.The listing comma: It is used as a kind It is chiefly used to mark the end of of substitute for the word „‟and‟‟, or declarative and imperative sentences. sometimes for „‟or‟‟. It is also used `A period` should be used only after a before „‟and‟‟ or „‟or‟‟ only if this is complete sentence with subject and necessary to make meaning clear. predicate. - You can fly to Bombay via Moscow, It may follow abbreviations except via Athens or via Cairo. those for units of measure; or it may be -My favourite opera composers are used after a person‟s initials and in this Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, and Gilbert and case it is called abbreviation dot by Sullivan. some writers such as Razzak and Helen Here the comma before and shows (2000:52) . `A period` may be used only clearly that Gilbert and Sullivan with quotation marks, parentheses and worked together brackets, and points of ellipsis; it is never repeated after an abbreviation. It b. The joining comma: it is used to join is important to state that the period is complete sentences and it must be

مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م 6 Lec. Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study followed by one of these connecting at www.blogger.com by Julia Newman words: and, but, yet, or, and while. titled as " sex and the semicolon". She -You must hand in your essay by discusses the idea that some writers Friday, or you will receive a mark of think that the semicolon bears feminine zero. qualities; she believes that this idea c. The gapping comma: It is easy, it is comes from the fact that many writers used to show that one or more words do not like the semicolon and are have been left out when the missing looking for ways to devalue it. She adds words would simply repeat the words that one way of looking at this already used earlier in the same argument is that semicolon is more sentence. feminine in that it produces lengthier -Some Norwegians wanted to base their sentences. Alternatively, another piece national language on the speech of the of punctuation, such as the masculine capital city; others, on the speech of the dash or blunt period, is more „manly‟ rural countryside. because they get to the point more d. The bracketing commas (isolating directly. commas): A pair of bracketing commas Clearly, such articles enforce the is used to set off a weak interruption impressive stylistic role of the which could be removed from the punctuation marks in addition to their sentence without destroying it. syntactic and semantic effect, for their -These findings, we would suggest, cast use may even refer to the sex of the doubt upon his hypothesis. writer as some writers claim. 5.Semicolon (:) 6.Colon (:) It is used to join two complete It is used to indicate that what sentences into a single sentence. The use follows it is an explanation or of the semicolon highlights the close elaboration of what precedes it. A colon relationship between the two sentences. may be used to introduce a direct Certain connecting words require a quotation, particularly if the quote is preceding semicolon such as: however, long (more than one sentence). It may therefore, hence, thus, consequently, be used between two clauses when the nevertheless and meanwhile. It denotes second amplifies or restates the first. nearly a full stop. It precedes phrases A colon is nearly always preceded like that is, namely, for example, in by complete sentence; what follows the other words, and for instance. colon may or may not be a complete Sometimes a semicolon is used as `super sentence, and it may be a mere list or commas ` to avoid confusion to separate even a single word. A colon is not elements in series when one or more normally followed by a capital letter , contain commas; for instance though sometimes it is preferred to use Attending the meeting were Travis Clay a capital. pool, the mayor; Richard Hold, the city 7.Dash (-) engineer; and Sandra Lee, the architect. It is an informal punctuation While the researcher was surfing device that denotes a sudden break in the internet, she came across an article thought, an interruption, or an abrupt

7 مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م Lecturer Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study change to tone. Double may be nonstandard way. When one needs to separated or combined; they may act as quote a quotation within a quotation, , colons or commas to one would use single quotation to set off separate nonessential elements which the inside quotation. It is important to require additional emphasis or some explain that the period is included form of exclamation or interruption. before the end of but if The double dashes give much more the quotation is a sentence within a emphasis than a comma to a question, the quotation marks will nonessential element. Triple dashes are appear after the end of quotation mark. also used but infrequently to introduce Similarly, if the exclamation is part of a quoted text, working similarly to an quotation that ends the sentence, then ellipsis mark (…). the exclamation mark is placed before 8.Parentheses ( ) the end of quotation. However, if the A pair of parentheses is used to set exclamation belongs to the writer, and off a strong or weak interruption, not the original source, then it is rather like a pair of dashes or a pair of included after the quotation mark. bracketing commas. Parentheses are 10. Apostrophe (‘) preferable rather than dashes or It is considered the most bracketing commas, when the troublesome punctuation mark in interruption is best regarded as a kind English, for the confusion about of “aside‟‟ from the writer to the is great, yet it is a blunt reader. Parentheses are also used to set fact that the incorrect use of off additional information or a brief apostrophes will make one‟s writing explanation of an unfamiliar term. look illiterate more quickly than almost However, some poets like Cummings any other kind of mistake. It is used to have used them to indicate several indicate possession; to form the plurals functions in their poems as it is of abbreviations, characters, and signs. amplified lately in this research. It is used in writing contractions- that 9.Quotation Marks(‘’ ‘’) or Inverted is, shortened forms of words from Commas which one or more letters have been The chief use of quotation marks is omitted. to enclose a direct quotation (a 11. Hyphen (-) repetition of someone‟s exact words). It is used to connect words or parts Sometimes quotation marks are used to of words: it connects the syllables of distance the writer from a word or words broken at the ends of lines, it phrase or to show that he/she is using it connects prefixes and suffixes to words, ironically. They may enclose words that and it connects compound words. The need to be differentiated from the text modern trend is away from in order to make meaning clear. Italics hyphenation. The hyphen has several are used for much the same purpose. related uses; yet in every case, it is used Sometimes the quotation marks are to show that what it is attached to does used to enclose technical terms used in a not make up a complete word by itself.

مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م 8 Lec. Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study 3. Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry 12. Italics, Capital letters, , and Linguists are, naturally enough, Slashes interested in poetry for their own The purpose of using italics, capital sectarian reasons. They may seek letters, or asterisks very closely linguistic uses of poetic facts like the resembles the purpose of punctuation, syllable, the syntactic phrase, prosodic to make meaning clear and reading structures, and the like; they hope” to easier. mine poetry for its evidential nuggets”. Italics are used to distinguish letters, But there are also poetic uses of words, or phrases to be emphasized, linguistic facts and it is in this realm special terminology, symbols, and linguists can contribute to the study of words or letters to be differentiated poetry (Zwicky, 1986: 64). What the from text. Most commonly, italics are researcher has in mind here is to used to draw attention to some illuminate the deviated use of the particular part of a text. The punctuation marks by some poets which conventional substitute is to use helps them to add special flavour to underlining or write the elements in their poems and to achieve specific bold. poetic purposes. Stylistics concerns with Capital letters are used at the such field of study. beginning of a sentence, for names of Leech (1989:1) defines stylistics as people, places, and rivers; for nations "the study of literary style or the study and adjectives of nationality, for names of the use of language in literature, the of days, months, festivals and historical language of a particular writer, a eras, for titles of people and names of particular period , a particular genre, things and for titles of books, plays, even a particular poem". One can works, of art. Quirk et al (1985: 1079) conclude from the above definition that remark that capitals are used to literature cannot be examined apart "indicate spoken prominence for the from language, that is to say, a literary words so specified." work cannot be properly understood Asterisks are commonly used to show without a thorough knowledge of something interesting or important that language, which is its medium of is later explained in a footnote. expression. Roberts(1990:3) asserts this The slash (/), also called a „virgule‟ or idea by saying that "poetry is primarily „solidus‟, is a diagonal line that an exploration of possibilities of separates or joins words in special language". circumstances. It is used to separate Verdonk (2002:5) shows that quoted lines of poetry, i.e.to divide one stylistics is the study of language in line from the next. literature and it seeks to account for After surveying the conventional interpretation effects of a text through uses of the punctuation marks, let us close study of its linguistic detail, such deal with their deviated use which may as syntactic structuring, semantic convey various meanings or deviation, deixis, modality, etc. the term interpretations. stylistics is also sometimes used to

9 مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م Lecturer Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study describe critically reflexive many modern poets break many of development of linguistic tools through these rules. Saleem (2012:408) reveals literary application(usually called that the twentieth century literature linguistic stylistics),or the use of under the effect of various powerful linguistic tools to analyse literary or influences grows mature and turns poetic features within naturally experimental, self- defining in occurring language. character. The expansion of knowledge Carter and Stekwell(2008:10) caused the intellectual minds of the explain that the aim of stylistics is to literary writers like Ezra Pound, T.S. provide a less subjective, and Eliot make the sphere of literature retrievable account of interpretation elastic, open and flexible both in formal and to show the effective effect of structure and themes. Under the literary texts through a more textually influence of the new artistic material, sensitive, syntactic and socio- some poets make new experiments in linguistically informed analysis of their their poetic discourse that is enviable linguistic feature. and a source of inspiration for others. It is important to add that the One of these artistic experiments is linguistic analysis of the literary text the graphological deviation which can help the reader to discover the stands for the violation of the system of poetic meaning and effect of linguistic writing: ‟‟discarding of capital letter structure. Sharma (2009:130) states and punctuation where conventions call that "a linguistically oriented analytic for them, jumping of words, eccentric approach can ensure the kind of use of parentheses,…. etc." (Leech, motivation". 1989:47). A good starting point for the Helms (1980:177) believes that analysis of any literary text specifically punctuation, far from operating as a a poem is to examine the foregrounded peripheral part of a poet‟s work, is parts, written in poetic language, and central to our understanding of poetic provide an interpretation which links meaning because of its ability to them together. The language of poetry influence prosody. Punctuation is is different from the language of other considered as a significant poetic device. literary genres. Levin (1969:59) clarifies Moreover, Parkes(1992:4) and that the language of poetry differs Levenston (1992:63-65) heighten the drastically from ordinary discourse. In connection between punctuation and poetry, a writer addresses himself to the creation of meaning embodied in the writing a poem. This fact entails a text and how punctuation is used to considerable number of variety of communicate particular interpretations linguistic particularities. to the readers and provide additional Before the twentieth century, there information not directly available from were rules and conventions about the flow of speech. writing poems. Usually, the poems were Breaking the rules of language or quite neat and evenly shaped. However, deviating from the norm is looked down

مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م 10 Lec. Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study upon and proscribed except for the deviation in literature as follows: deviations in poetry. Javanovic strengthening mood, accentuating a (1991:84) argues that understanding particular part of writing, attracting deviations is like understanding readers‟ attention, and pursuing figurative meaning; first you have to aesthetic value. Moreover, Saleem know the literal meaning and only then (2012:410) reveals that the can you hope to understand the graphological deviations used to be figurative (metaphorical) one. What analysed not only because they fore- this means is that one has first to ground the various parts of the understand the rule, and only then the discourse but also they are devised to meaning of breaking it. shed light on the various important Previously, the researcher explains tensions and situations of life and uses of punctuation marks and their personality of the persona (narrator) of importance in writing, so it would be the poem. Consequently, it can be easier to understand their deviated noticed that some poets write sentences meaning in some poems. without full stop or successive clause as Using unconventional or original lines in a poem without a semicolon and language, the poet can give his readers sometimes they intentionally omit unexpected surprise and make a strong punctuation marks. Williamson impression on their minds. This kind of (1988:21) points out that sometimes the creative use of language is called there is no punctuation mark at the end „‟linguistic deviation‟‟. Leech (1989:37) of any of the lines; even the last line is claims that there are kinds of linguistic without a full stop. Eliot, for example, deviations in poetry: lexical, semantic, on purpose avoids sometimes the use of phonological, morphological, syntactic, punctuation mark, but it does not mean graphological, historical, the use of that the meaning of his poetry becomes dialect, and the use of register. He confused because the succession of connects linguistic deviation with a words is not random, but connected or concept of foregrounded: related often in an obvious way. He goes ……anyone who wishes to investigate the on explaining that his punctuation is significance and value of a work of must functional not conventional, for concentrate on the element of interest and instance the visible absence of the surprise, rather than on the automatic pattern, such deviations from linguistic or other comma and the question mark in T.S. socially accepted norms have been given the Eliot‟s poem „‟ Ash-Wednesday,‟‟ special name of fore- grounding. The symbolizes the denial of the faith of the foregrounding figure is the linguistic Christians in their private life, and the deviation, and the background is the language. care of the reader that there should Grice (1975:41) explains that have been the comma and the question language deviation is a linguistic device mark which symbolize the affirmation of purposeful violation of grammatical of faith in public. Gish (1981:68) reveals rules and pragmatic regulations in that the absence of the full stop at two language communication. He sums up places in Eliot‟s poem represents the functions of applying language absence of common place practices of

11 مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م Lecturer Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study the life of senses and the presence of end… used verbs, adverbs, and adjectives intuition which has its own colors and as nouns." orders. Moreover, among the various Thus, it is clear that not only the punctuation marks none has been more presence of punctuation marks affect explored, used, and abused by the coherence of a text to a certain Cummings than parentheses. extent but also their absence. Cummings is the unparalleled poet of These graphological novelists are not parentheses and they are for him an a common practice in everyday extraordinarily prized poetic device. language. The poet may introduce these Lennard (1991)in a research traces the abnormalities to foreground the history of using the parentheses; he relevant textual portion and stir the shows that no poet, from Shakespeare intended impressions. As examples of to Modernism, has used it more the poets whose poems are decorated by thoroughly or more innovatively than irregular punctuation, the researcher Cummings. chooses E .E .Cummings, William Cummings‟ linguistic innovation Blake, and Ezra Pound because their and serve poetic means deviated use of some punctuation marks within his philosophy. Spencer is clear and because it plays an essential (1946:120) is accurate when he writes role in introducing their poems as that through his typography, unique and effective. Cummings" wants to control the E.E.Cummings reading of the poem as much as he can Cuminngs‟ poetic reliance on so that to the reader as to the poet, punctuation is unique in quality and there will be the smallest gap between quantity, but it is also prototypical of the experience and its expression." the role punctuation can play in poetry. Tratakovsby (2009:219) makes the Mehata (2012:266-268) assures that crucial point that the parentheses used Cummings‟ name is associated with in Cummings‟ poems can be divided unconventional punctuation , into seven categories according to their capitalization, and word displacement. functions within a poem: Punctuation marks intrude irregularly. 1.Iconicity: Cummings has gotten benefit Thus, typographical disarrangement is of the parentheses graphic shape. He the characteristic of his writing to used it not only to suggest the moon but convey his message more effectively. as a substitution for the word moon itself. Among wide circles, Cummings is Webster (1995:124) finds two or more best known as the poet who does not use iconic uses of the parentheses in capital letters even his name is often Cummings poems: the edges of a pond spelled in lower case letters. Marks and swooping shapes of birds. He also (1964:94) states that "Cummings broke has used them (when they are empty) to off lines in the middle of words; placed express an image of nothingness. the first syllable of a word at the 2.Protection and intimacy: He attempts beginning of a poem and at the last at the in some of his poems to convey a sense of

مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م 12 Lec. Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study a need for protection. The parenthesized or even an entire poem. Levenston material is so intimate, secretive, and (1992:63-65) writes ‘’simultaneity of delicate that it is hard to imagine it said perception in time can best be outside the protection afford by the represented by interpretation in .’’ parentheses. Sometimes they are used to expose a word within a word as when ‘’he’’ is 3.Direct address: The privileged space shown to be hiding in ‘’ where’’. between parentheses is a textual that Actually, Cummings wrote many poems Cummings often uses for purposes of in which he used the parentheses as creating intimacy between his speaker effective poetic device but it is not and another, by way of direct address. necessary to find all the categories in 4.Plural layers and Framed poems one poem, so the researcher chooses Parentheses provide a dual status to the some of his short poems just to illustrate material in them: It is part of the whole samples of the various functions of text (it is on the same page and part of parentheses in his poetry. the same poem) but also separate. The Cummings‟use of the parentheses in his separation is not complete. They are used famous early poem ”O Sweet to interlink two different sections of the Spontaneous”;for instance, shows text, causing them to exist simultaneously protection and separation: in isolation and in interaction. O Sweet spontaneous 5.Hetero-glossia and Interpolation earth how often have Parentheses are often used by the doting Cummings to echo epistemological fingers of uncertainty. Perkins (1987:45) prurient philosophers pinched distinguishes these cases: ‘’ parentheses and may indicate an interpolated thought or poked an utterance in different tone of voice or thee by a different speaker.’’ ,has the naughty thumb of science prodded 6. Subverting Formal Expectations thy In parentheses, Cummings finds a beauty .how rich field to generate effects by playing often have religious taken off the reader’s expectations. He thee upon their scraggy knees foregrounds the parentheses typography, squeezing and uses them to enclose the most intimate buffeting thee that thou mightiest conceive gods material or no material at all, and inverts (but them. true 7.Temporality, simultaneity, Tmesis to the incomparable The parenthetical material suspends couch of death thy the progression of the narrative in iconic rhythmic temporal correspondence to the lover thou answerest prolonged duration of the action. With them only with Cummings, a single word is split and is spring) interpolated by another word, fragment,

13 مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م Lecturer Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study In this poem, the parentheses combine with From the previous discussion, It is the conjunction but to distinguish between the clear to notice the important various first part of the poem and its last part, as if to functions of the parentheses used protect the earth by way of separating it from the rest of the poem. greatly by Cummings in his poems A simple example of direct address which emphasize the effective role of function can be found in the short poem punctuation in poetry in that it "Of all things under our" indicates the poet‟s intentions and Of all things under our makes his poetry not only have special blonder than blondest star aspect but it also gives Cummings The most mysterious poems special shape through its (eliena, my dear)is this deviated use. -how anyone so gay William Blake Possibly could die Fuller (2012:2) points out that Here the parentheses include only the among the unique eccentricities three words: ‘eliena,my dear’. However, sometimes taken for punctuation which it is found out at the end of the poem may be the result of careless etching or that eliena is dead and this is an poor linking; Blake‟s colons are apostrophe rather than a naive question included which merge into exclamation addressed to someone .It is as if the marks, his full stops which merge into speaker wishes to postpone as much as commas, his uncertain distinction he can the reality of her death until the between lower case and capital letters, very last word of the poem and not and his irregular spacing for all before. punctuation marks. All these irregular Sometimes Cummings uses parentheses forms may imply irregular meanings. to expose a word within a word, as The irregular punctuation as one aspect when „he’ is shown to be hiding in of the decorated character of Blake‟s „where’ which is itself part of „nowhere’ script plays its part in adornment. r Blake‟s punctuation has to be olle understood in the context of his script di nt as a whole in a way that conventional o typography simply cannot reproduce. n Blake was often not careful about o punctuation; most repeated lines are w(he)re Besides an iconic representation of the not punctuated in the same way in their act of hiding ,surrounding ’he’ different appearances. The different multiplies the possible readings and punctuation suggests that he was opens the door for others: in addition to relatively indifferent about punctuation. rolled into nowhere, also rolled into now, Some of his have been into he, into here, into where. Here the carefully considered and expressive. parentheses are a prized device to The common absence of punctuation at achieve the controlled fragmentation in line endings, for example often means the poem. that lines can be connected either

مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م 14 Lec. Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study backwards or forwards. Blake‟s cleverly to present different meanings punctuation is often not syntactic it has and to express his attitude towards specific purpose ;i. e, it may be used to different topics he deals with in his point the shapes that do not coincide poems. with the lineation. Ezra Pound Fuller (2012:6) explains that Blake‟s most notable and potentially Most of Pound‟s poems are full of misleading idiosyncrasy is his use of the deviated uses of the punctuation marks. full stop, which commonly occurs in the The researcher chooses one of his middle of grammatical units. It may famous poems ‟ In a station of the sometimes be intended to mark internal Metro’ because the entire poem is two rhyme. The presence of the syntactically lines long: redundant comma in the following lines The apparition of these faces in by Blake implies that „‟ down‟‟ is a the crowd; noun parallel to „‟ crown‟‟ rather than Petals on a wet, black bough as an adverb modifying “Flow‟d‟‟ Semicolons can be crucial On his head a crown punctuation marks in creative writing On his shoulder down and this is demonstrated clearly in this Flow’d his golden hair. poem. The semicolon in this poem has (The title is „‟ Girl Found‟‟) been a hot topic for debate because On the other hand, Blake in people wonder whether the semicolon is another poem " The Little Blake Boy" making the last line secondary to the does not use a comma where it is one before it or if the semicolon is syntactically expected between two simply connecting two equal ideas. parallel phrases " comfort in morning It is considered as the most famous joy in the noon day" momentarily of imagist‟s poems which yields a confuses about the function of surprising variety of readings. Elis „morning‟, which can be mistaken for (1988:7) states that readings are an adjective modifying „joy‟. The influenced to an extent by the frequent competent reader readily negotiates changes Pound made to the punctuation these oddities. „‟The Little Blake Boy‟‟ of the poem in the early years of its Look on the rising sun; there God does existence. The differently-punctuated live early versions are interchangeable. It is And gives his light, and gives his heat true that changes made by Pound to away. the poem are small, but they remain far And flowers and trees and beasts and from unimportant. The earliest printing men receive of „‟ In a station of the Metro‟‟ in April Comfort in morning joy in the noonday. of 1913 was spaced and punctuated as There may be all sorts of meanings this: in Blake‟s punctuation according to the The apparition of these faces in reader's understanding. The bottom the crowd line of what is mentioned previously; Petals on a wet, black bough. Blake uses the punctuation marks

15 مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م Lecturer Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study The same version had been published clear in Pound‟s poem; he states that on June 1913 as: Pound shrinks the poem from thirty The apparition of these faces in lines to a single sentence. The poem the crowd: turns radically on the twist everything Petals on a wet, black bough. around and back on itself, structurally These lines were reproduced with a coming us to read the apparitional faces comma after "petals" in 1914. The as an image or sign, a simile (faces like comma represents Pound‟s wish to petals) or symbol(petals of faces). „‟The retain the suggestion of the prominence image is itself the speech‟‟, Pound of the word "petals" which the original insists. The image is the word beyond spacing, by isolating the word, had formulated language. given to it. In 1915 Pound felt that the By the previous brief discussion of poem‟s final line contains a consistent the long debate about Pound‟s short rather than contradictory image of the poem, the researcher adds another beauty of his Parisian experience, and example which shows how punctuation that there is no need to safeguard plays an important role in expressing „petals‟ through increasing the distance different meanings or various intentions between it and the following adjectives. of the poet by the changeable use of the So, by September 1916, the poem punctuation marks from semicolon or retained the semicolon instead of the comma to colon . Thus, punctuation colon. The colon tends to subordinate marks should be studied within variety the first line to the second by indicating of theoretical and descriptive frame that the first line was incomplete, its works because of their discoursive and function being primarily that of expressive role in writing. introducing the ‟ image‟ in line two Conclusion which the colon informs us is necessary To conclude, it is expedient to to complete the first line‟s meaning. sum up the following remarks: Barbarese (1993:11) clarifies that 1.Speakers may use their voice tone, Pound writes to Harriet Monroe, „‟ I facial expressions or gestures to indicate was careful, I think, to indicate spaces power, exclamations,… etc. However, between the rhythmic units, and I want they use punctuation marks to do so in them observed.‟‟ Pound admits that he writing. They can be classified into became modernist homiletic, where he different types: end punctuation marks, recounts his creation to getting off the non–end punctuation marks, enclosing pairs train one day in 1912 and stepping punctuation marks, and punctuation into the steaming crowd of „‟ beautiful marks used within the words. Each one „‟ faces. The emotion, he goes on to has its own job to do; their use affects explain, required over a year to the coherence of the text. They are discover its proper verbal shape. important in cueing the correct Genders (2001:14) reveals that the interpretation for many texts. The imagist‟s poem derives its power from specific use of certain punctuation its resistance to languages and this is marks may refer to the character and

مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م 16 Lec. Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study show many other features of the writer. (234-227). In return, they may present different Carter, R.A. and Stekwell, interpretation to the reader. Thus, R.(ed.)(2008). The Language and punctuation marks should be shed Literature Reader.London:Routledge. sufficient light upon. Chafe,V.(1987)„‟Cognitive 2.Punctuation marks are used by poets constraints on information flow‟‟. In as a poetic device to express their R.S.Tomling (Ed.), Coherence and attitudes and they have given their grounding in discourse. Amsterdam: poems specific colour and flavour. The John Benjamens. excessive use of the violations of some of the punctuation marks serves to do Dale,R.(1991)‟‟The Role of many functions as it is shown in Punctuation in Discourse Structure‟‟. Cummings‟ use of the parentheses and In proceedings of the AAAI Fall the special use of some punctuation symposium on Discourse Structure in marks such as the semicolon or the Natural Language Understanding and colon by Blake and Pound. These poets Generation have relied greatly upon punctuation to Elis, Steve (1988)‟‟ The convey deep and crucial meanings. Punctuation of „ In a Station of the They have used the graphological Metro‟ „‟ in Paidenma 17: 2-3. deviation to make the reader try to seek Ferreiro, E. and Pontecorvo, the intended interpretation to their C.(1999). „‟Meaning the Written text: lines. the beginning of punctuation in 3. The research emphasizes the Children‟s writing‟‟. Learning and importance of stylistics in appreciating Instruction,9(4). the use of language in literature, for Fuller, David (2012) „‟Editing and great deal of literary work may not be Reading Blake Modernizing Blake‟s understood without a good knowledge Text: Syntax, Rhythm, Rhetoric‟‟. of language which is its tool to explain. Durham University. This is enhanced in this research, for if Genders ,R(2001).Races and one does not realize the importance of Religious Cultures in Modern American punctuation and its function in writing, Poetry. Cambridge : Cambridge UP. he will not have the capacity to grasp Gish, N. (1981) Time in the poetry of the meaning of their deviation in T.S.Eliot: A Study in structure and poetry. theme. London: The Macmillan Press Bibliography Ltd. Barbasese,J.T.(1993)„‟Ezra Pound‟s Grice, H. (1975) „‟Logic and Imagist Aesthetics‟‟. In the Columbian Conversation‟‟. In Cole and Morgan History of American Poetry. Ed. Jay (eds.) Syntax and Semantics, vol.3. New parini and Brettc. Miller. York: Academic Press. Newyor:ColumbiaUP. Helms, Allen (1980). „‟The Sense of Buchholz, William (1979) Punctuation‟‟. Yale Review 69.2. „‟Punctuation: the Dynamics of obscure mark‟‟.PhiDeltaKappan,November1979

17 مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م Lecturer Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study Leech, G.(1989) A linguistic Guide to Institute for the Development of English English Poetry. Hong Kong: Longman Language Teaching in Iraq. group UK Ltd. Roberts, M.(1990) The Faber Book Lennard, J.(1991) But I Disgress. of Modern Verse. London: Faber and The Exploitation of parentheses in Faber. English printed Verse. Oxford: Saleem, M. (2012)‟‟ Analysing Clarendon Press. Grapological Deviations in T.S.Eliot‟s Levenston,E.(1992) The Staff of poem Ash- Wednesday‟‟. Language in Literature: physical of Texts and their India,Vol12:3 March 2012 ISSN 1930- Relation to Literary Meaning. Albanny: 2940. SUNY Press. Sharma , R.(2009) Linguistic Aspects Levin, S.(1969) Linguistic Structure of English Poetry. New Delhi : SARUP in Poetry. The Hague: Mouton. Book publishers Ltd. MacCaskill, Mary (2012) Grammar, Shaw, Harry (1986) MeGrawn- Hill Punctuation and Capitalization. Handbook of English. New York: New Virginia: Langley Research Centre. York University Press. Marks, Barry (1964) E.E.Cummings. Spencer, Theodore(1946) „‟ New Haven: Twayne. Technique as Joy‟‟. EETI: Mehata, A. (2012) Stylistic Analysis E.E.Cummings‟ parentheses: of E.E.Cummings‟ poems. Finland: Punctuation as Poetic Device. Tel Aviv Saurashtra University. University. Newman ,Julia(2009)Sex and the Trask, Larry(1997) The Penguin semicolon.URL(http://www.bolgger.co Guide to Punctuation. Harmonds worth: m) Penguin. Nunberg ,G(1990) „‟The Linguistics Truss, Lynn (2004) Eats, Shoots and of Punctuation‟‟. CSLI Lecture Notes 1. Leaves: the Zero Tolerance Approach to Stanford,CA. Punctuation. New York: Gootham Parkes, M. (1992) Pause and Effect. Books. An Introduction to the History of Verdonk, P. (2002) Stylistics. Punctuation in the West. Cambridge: Oxford:OUP. Scolar Press. Webster, Michael(1995) Reading Perkins, D.(1987) A History of Visual Poetry after Futurism: Marinett: Modern Poetry. Modernism and After. Apollinaire, Schwitters, Cummings. New Cambridge : Belknap Press of Harvard York: Peter lang. UP. Williamson, G. (1988) A Reader’s Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, Guide to T.S.Eliot: A Poem by poem G., & Svartvik, J. (1985). A Analysis. Yugoslavia: Thames and Comprehensive Grammar of the English Hudson. Language. London: Longman. Zwicky, A(1986) Linguistics and Razzak,F. and Helen Al Hassan the Study of Folk- Poetry. California : (2000) College Composition. Baghdad: University of California Press.

مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م 18 Lec. Saleema Abdul-Zahra The Deviated Use of Punctuation Marks in Poetry: A Stylistic Study الخالصة

المغة هي أداة قوية يستخدمها الشاعر . عالمات الترقيم التي هي رموز تستخدم لتوضيح معنى الكاتب ، هي األداة التي يمكن بوساطتها التكمم مع القارئ وجذب انتباهه عمى نقاط معينة . عالمات الترقيم مهمة من ناحية التركيب والمعنى أل ن كل واحدة منها لها استعمالها ومعناها الخاص بها . استعمالها الغريب او غير المتعارف عميه من قبل بعض الشعراء امثال » كمنجز « ، » بميك « ، » باوند « ساعدهم في إعطاء صبغة خاصة لشعرهم وخدمهم في إيصال معا ن مختمفة . بطبيعة الحال ، عمم األسموب هو العمم الذي من خالله يمكن التعامل مع استعمال المغة في األدب.

19 مجمة القادسية في اآلداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 21 ( العددان ) 2 ، 1 ( سنة 1023 م