The Convergence of Stylistic Devices in Jerome K.Jerome's "Three Men on the Bummel"

Introduction.

The author of this term paper chose to investigate the convergence of stylistic devices taking into account the fact that this is an interesting theme, first of all. Exploring stylistic devices one comes across various ways of expressing certain ideas, feelings, and emotions. It is also worth knowing how worldwide popular authors choose to use the devices, more, how they (Jerome K. Jerome in this case), converge those devices thus making it even more interesting as well as useful for one to be aware of. The author will also provide the reader with information of how stylistic devices were regarded in the past, in the times of the rise of literature. It will be shown how the convergence of devices might have begun. We believe that this as important as the convergence itself, as it can only be judged about things knowing about their beginnings.
It will be explored how/which devices are more likely to merge, and which tend to be converged rather seldom. Obviously, such devices as metaphors, epithets are used very often, even in everyday language and consequently they are so easy to use and adapt, that they also take in other stylistic devices, or even turn themself in them (e.g. with similes, hyperboles).
Another point of discussion, investigating such author as Jerome K. Jerome, is humour. The way he puts humour into everything he writes about. Thus also the stylistic devices used by him are humorous; the vast majority of them are like that. And here one could say that that would be the major convergence in his works: the humour’s interference in all the expressive means. It will be shown later that there are literally no use of a stylistic device in “Three Men on the Bummel” that would not be meant to cause you to smile. There are not many authors that would be so popular for their comic novels, so popular for so long. Jerome can be regarded as one of the great talents of the genre.

The goal of this term paper is to prove that it is easier to find converged stylistic devices than the pure ones.

History of stylistic devices.

Various stylistic devices were used already in the very beginning of the literature. It would be a mistake to think that the figures of speech we now know and study have been created just recently, with the emergence of classification of different periods of literature, introduction of the terms for all the existing devices and so on. Already Aristotle (A.D. 353-430) (3) taught rhetoric which was prevalent in Rome. Also ancient rhetoricians in Rome (fourth century) were concerned with qualities of figures of speech, virtues of style.
Later authors were also interested in this subject, and the unknown author of Rhetorica ad Herennium focused mainly on the figures of speech. In his book he defines and illustrates sixty-four different figures of speech. Translated from the Greek word ‘schemata’, the word ‘figura’ had not yet become into use, and they were regarded as exornatio. During the fourth century B.C. the Gorgianic figures were the best known. Those were devices of sound and balance. However, metaphors and other devices were also identified. A distinction between figures of thought and figures of diction was recognised in Hellenic times. This is what the author Ad Herrenium said about figures of speech:
“They ought to be used very rarely in real speeches, because it does not seem possible for them to be contrived without labour and expense of effort. A striving for this kind of thing seems better suited to entertainment than to real speeches.”
(2, 121)
Here we could fully agree to what he said, the work we are going to explore is surely for entertainment, and we look up the devices not in politicians’ speeches but in literary works, like ones created by Jerome K. Jerome.
Then again, St. Augustine (A.D. 353-430) was convinced that a variety of stylistic devices should be used in speeches given by Christian bishops, in order to persuade the audience that the ways of God are true and good. De Doctrina Christiana thus synthesised Christianity and rhetoric, therefore it warrants deeper consideration when examining the history and uses of the figures of speech.

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