Abstract
This paper adopts the model of Leech and Short (1981 and 1997) tools of analysis of ‘Lexical items’ (words) and grammatical categories (expressions) to inwardly study a poetry book by Isa Muhammad Inuwa, titled Loud Whispers. The reason for the analyses of words and expressions in the poems is because Stylistic analysis mainly relates to Language Choice and Language Use. Also, studies and analysis in the field is account for the effects of texts on readers. Choice in language use also defines how and why a writer or speaker chooses or prefers to the words and expressions in his work, instead of any other option of their substitutes. The speaker’s or writer’s preference to say or write a word instead of its synonyms, such as ‘see’ instead of ‘witness’, surpasses just grammatical reason. Rather, may be as a result of stylistic purpose towards achieving certain effects. In this study, some lines are purposively selected from 6 poems, from a total of 41 poems in the book. The selection is done to facilitate the process as well as to make the study more concise. The study reveals that the choice of words and expressions in the poems is guided by several purposes, such as achieving poetic beauty, achieving collocation in the poems, as well as eliciting certain ideological notions.
Keywords: Words, Expressions, Language Choice, Languages, Purposively, Stylistic purposes
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i03.021
author/Isa Muhammad Inuwa (PhD)
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 1(3) | December 2025 |
