Example #2

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 604.

Example #1

Syntax in Prose

Example #2

Similarly, Milton shifts words in his poems frequently. Let us analyze lines from his poem Lycidas:

“Thee, Shepherd, thee the woods and desert caves,
With wild thyme and the gadding vine o'ergrown,
And all their echoes mourn”

The modified word order in the above lines is Object+Subject+Subject Complement+Verb.

Syntax affects the nature of a prose text as well. It enhances its meanings and contributes toward its tone. Quickness, decisiveness and speed are added to a text by using short phrase, clauses and sentences. Whereas, in a text where the subject matter is serious that requires contemplation, long, convoluted sentence are used to slow down the pace of a prose text.

“That night I sat on Tyan-yu's bed and waited for him to touch me. But he didn't. I was relieved.”

(The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan)

“They left me alone and I lay in bed and read the papers awhile, the news from the front, and the list of dead officers with their decorations and then reached down and brought up the bottle of Cinzano and held it straight up on my stomach, the cool glass against my stomach, and took little drinks making rings on my stomach from holding the bottle there between drinks, and watched it get dark outside over the roofs of the town.”

(A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway)

The two syntax examples above show a distinct use of syntax. Amy Tan uses short sentences to communicate in a powerful and concise manner. Ernest Hemingway, on the other hand, uses long and complex structures to emphasize the laziness of his character.