The stylistics movement originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s, emphasizing close textual analysis and the study of literary style as an essential element in literary interpretation. Stylisticians argue that the form and structure of a text are directly related to its meaning and that a careful analysis of these elements can help us better understand the author’s intent and the text’s overall impact.
Stylistics has been used to analyze a wide range of literary texts, from poetry to prose to drama. Stylistic analysis can help us identify the distinctive features of a text and understand how these features contribute to the text’s overall meaning. This analysis can reveal patterns of imagery, symbolism, syntax, and diction that might otherwise go unnoticed.