THE STYLISTIC PATTERN OF ALLUSION: A COGNITIVE APPROACH

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the benefits of a cognitive stylistic approach to the study of the stylistic pattern of allusion, and examine its essential features in creative instantiations. The empirical material for this research has been chosen from a self-composed corpus of actual cases of creative use of allusion in the media, drawn from analytical articles, political speeches in the House of Commons, debates in the EU, BBC news, and cartoons. The theoretical points are illustrated by case studies of the creative use of allusion in verbal and visual discourse, seeking an understanding of each specific case within a particular context. Semantic and stylistic analyses along with in-depth investigation of the empirical material allow me to draw conclusions about the creative use of allusion. Identifying allusion not only calls for insights into cognitive stylistics but also cognitive psychology, namely, understanding of the role of cognitive faculties of the mind: perception, recognition, comprehension, imagination, long-term memory and associative thinking, which are central to drawing inferences. Cognitive stylistic studies of the material reveal that allusion is not merely an implied reference to historical, mythological, cultural, social and political phenomena and events. First and foremost, allusion proves to be a stylistic pattern of both thought and language. Its creative use in discourse results in novel expression of thought.