Linguistics Meets Literature: More on the Grammar of Emily Dickinson (Trends in Linguistics - Studies and Monographs 329)

Until recently, collaborative efforts between formal linguistics and literary studies have been relatively sparse; this book is an attempt to bridge this gap and add to the hitherto small pool of studies that combine the two disciplines. Our study concentrates on Emily Dickinson’s poetry, since it displays a highly uncommon and therefore challenging use of language. We argue this to be part of her poetic strategy and consider Dickinson an intuitive linguist: her apparent non-compliance with linguistic rules is a productive exploration of linguistic expression to reveal the flexibility and potential of grammar, leading to complex processes of interpretation. Our study includes a number of in-depth analyses of individual poems, which combine formal linguistic methods and literary scholarship and focus on specific aspects such as ambiguity, reference, and presuppositions. One of our findings concerns the dynamic interpretation of lyrical texts in which the pragmatic step of establishing what a poem means for the reader is postponed to text level. We provide readers with a tool-box of methods for the formal linguistic analysis not just of Emily Dickinson’s poetry but of linguistically complex literary texts in general. Trends In Linguistics Is A Series Of Books That Open New Perspectives In Our Understanding Of Language. The Series Publishes State-of-the-art Work On Core Areas Of Linguistics Across Theoretical Frameworks, As Well As Studies That Provide New Insights By Approaching Language From An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Trends In Linguistics Considers Itself A Forum For Cutting-edge Research Based On Solid Empirical Data On Language In Its Various Manifestations, Including Sign Languages. It Regards Linguistic Variation In Its Synchronic And Diachronic Dimensions As Well As In Its Social Contexts As Important Sources Of Insight For A Better Understanding Of The Design Of Linguistic Systems And The Ecology And Evolution Of Language. Trends In Linguistics Publishes Monographs And Outstanding Dissertations As Well As Edited Volumes, Which Provide The Opportunity To Address Controversial Topics From Different Empirical And Theoretical Viewpoints. High Quality Standards Are Ensured Through Anonymous Reviewing. This book aims at a systematic analysis of linguistic phenomena in the poetry of Emily Dickinson by combining the methods of linguistics and literary studies. The authors concentrate on the poetry of Emily Dickinson, since it displays a highly uncommon use of language. They argue that this is part of her poetical strategy and gives evidence of a large degree of linguistic competence and awareness