Linguistic pecularities of english-american fable

Too late she moans her folly past;She faints, she sinks, she breathes her last[5; p. 321];

He trembled—he started—his mane shook with fright, and he staggered half round, as preparing for flight[5; p. 321]

    

Inversion:

Yet know I how the envy looks[14; p. 132];

Scarsely had he entered the den[14; p.67];

Hardly had the rain finished [14; p.67];

Never has  the hare enjoyed himself more[3; p.684];

A brilliant lie was it[14; p. 145];

So, approaching the treesays he…[14; p. 165];

Says the Fox in her cunning way [14; p. 165];  

Little does the person appreciate what the results will be [2; p. 329];

No sooner had she received this emblem of departure than a change came over her [8; p. 127].

     Inversion in the fables are used to draw the attention of the listener to one or another component.

Separated sentence:

A Cock, being perched among the branches of a lofty tree, crowed aloud[14; p.12];

But Reynard, finding the Cock was inaccessible by reason of the height of his situation, had recourse to stratagem in order to decoy him down[14; p. 12];

So, approaching the tree, "Cousin," says he[14; p. 165];

A Crow, ready to die with thirst, flew with joy to a Pitcher[14; p.149];

At last, seeing some pebbles lie near the place, he cast them one by one into the Pitcher [14; p. 149];

A Young Mouse, that had seen very little of the world, came running, one day, to his mother [14; p. 140];

A Fox, who was half-starved with hunger, stretched himself all along upon the ground[14; p. 133];

The Fox, hearing her answer, resolved to find out the truth of the matter[14; p. 133].

Nominative sentence:

Horrible![3; p. 125];

Wonderland …[3; p. 128];

Never seen [3; p. 128];

Cruelty, Neglect, Inhuman Treatment, Violent Temper, Threats [14; p. 148]; "Humorous?" [14; p. 148];

 “Except your Wife” [3; p. 125];

"That's it, exactly. " [3; p.163];

Not on your Life [3; 143];

"But look here!” [14; p.154];

"Shameful!"[14; p. 163];

"Forget the Everglades. “ [14; p. 164];

“Cheer up!" [14; p. 142];

Bless me! [14; p. 166];

I like people. Not just empty streets and dead buildings. People.People [16; p.235].

Antithesis:

Too black for heaven, and yet too white for hell,who just dropp'd halfway down, nor lower fell.[12; p. 541];

Many are called, but few are chosen[12; p. 541];

One small step for a man, one giant leap for all mankind [3; p.185];

The big Tree and the little hare [1; p. 125];

Sometimes I’m kind, sometimes I’m wicked [12; p. 123];

Cat came, rat went…[1; p. 125]; 

One time pale, another time red [3; p. 185];

Snail was I born, and Snail shall end[7; p. 341];

People of talents, sure, should thrive,And not be buried thus alive[7; p. 431].

Rhetorical figures:

“Whobythatsearchshallwisergrow, / Whenweourselvescanneverknow?” [2; p.12 ];

“Who by the partial work hath shown / He knows so little of his own?”[2; p. 63]; “Whatclemencyhistempersways! / Howincorruptareallhisways!” [2; 81];

What more could fright my faith, than Three in One?[2; p. 163];

But how can finite grasp infinity?[2; p. 329];

How can Belinda blame her fate?[2; p. 172];

Was it wise to put himself into a position where he might have to eat his words?[5; p. 231].

Parcellation:

A hideous insect. Vile. Unclean[5; p. 66];

For beauty of symmetry, fleetness, and force[5; p.69];

I say.I pray.I beg [5; p. 92];

A cunning fox. Red. With long tale [12; p.82];

And flowers and bumblebees, and grass and ears, and blue, and the midday heat  [12; p. 123];

I am an old man. Poor man [7; p. 321];

I have to beg you for help. Daily[7; p.436];

Stood in the square before the church. Sighed[6;p.328].

 

 

In English- American fables of 19 centuries the following datas had been found:

Paronymy:

Spy-fly /vain-again/ nice-slice/ wise- eyes/shelf-yourself/say-day [5; p. 32];

Whenever a courtier’s out of place, the country shelters his disgrace /Where, doomed to exercise and health, his house and gardens own his wealth [5; p. 45];

Employed the solitary hour, in projects to regain his power/ A snake with hideous trail, proteus extrends his scaly mail/ “Know”, says the man, “ though proud in place, all countries are of peptile race [5; p. 76];

The cat and the mouse played in the malt-house [8; p.23];

Crush, then, the slow, the pilf'ring race;So purge thy garden from disgrace. [5; p. 48];

All upstarts, insolent in place,Remind us of their vulgar race [5; 76];

A colt, for blood and mettled speed,The choicest of the running breed[9; p. 78];

Of youthful strength and beauty vain,Refused subjection to the rein[15; p. 90]

The trees no more a shelter yield;The verdure withers from the field:And, friendly, to the stable led,And saw him littered, dressed, and fed [16; p. 58];

To-morrow varies but his toil:Chained to the plough, he breaks the soil [8; p. 56];

Had but my restive youth been broughtTo learn the lesson nature taugh[6; p, 63];

He who disdains control, will only gain ,a youth of pleasure for an age of pain [9; p. 91].

Repetitions:

“O no, no,” said the little fly, “to ask me is in vain, for who goes up your winding stair can ne’er come down again.”[5; p. 32];

They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed [5; p.32];

“Come hither, hither, pretty fly, with the pearl and silver wing [5; p. 32];

Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little fly,hearing his wily flattering words, came slowly flitting by[5; p. 32];

Then he would collapse on the floor and lie there until he went to sleep. His wife was greatly distressed and his children were very frightened/ Then he would lie down on the floor, tired by his healthful exercise, and go to sleep. His wife was greatly distressedand his children were very frightened [16; p.132];

“He’s God!” screamed a Plymouth Rock hen. And the others took up the cry “ God! God!” [16; p. 134];

"My husband," she said, "saw a unicorn this morning." The police  looked at the psychiatrist and the psychiatrist looked at the police. "He told me it ate a lilly," she said. The psychiatrist looked at the police and the police looked at the psychiatrist.[16; p. 154];

Midnight .. What a beautiful midnight! [16; p. 63];

Thieves! I saw thieves! Thives! [16; p. 231];

Fire! I see fire! [1; p. 176];

How funny! To think of it! Funny at all! [2; p. 71];

Damn your money! What a damn! Damn [6; p. 84];

 “Oh King, oh King...!”/ “The king of all kings, the greatest of us all...”[6; p. 67]; Snail was I born, and Snail shall end [16; p. 78];

Late she moans her folly past;She faints, she sinks, she breathes her last [5; p. 43]; But still, mighty Jupiter, still, by your aid [16; p.  85].

Inversion:

So devastating were the floods [16; p. 80];

Not until he got home did he undersood that he made the wrong decision [16; p. 80]; Ordered the lion not to deceive him at last[5; p. 63];

Scarcely had he entered the forest [16; p. 84];

No sooner had he reached his home [16; p. 88];

Never has she heard such nonsense [16; p. 93];

Offered the elephant to sray with him [16; p.127];

Where they to escape, there would be an outcry[16; 138];

On no condition are they to come [7; p. 51].

Separated sentences:

One day, wandering through forbidden walls of the country house, to show his inferiors that he knew his way around, he came upon a treasure in currency which someone had hidden years before between the plaster and the lath [16; p. 72];

An old Frog, being wonderfully struck with the size and majesty of an Ox that was grazing in the marshes, was seized with the desire to expand herself to the same portly magnitude [ 16; p. 86];   

But, not contented with this,  he was resolved to kill the Goose [16; p. 88];

Then old Trusty, who never is at fault, proclaimed that the hare was gone away [16; p. 89]; 

The partridge, his companion, thought fit to soothe his last moments with some scoffing remarks upon his fate [16; p. 92];

The Ant, compelled by thirst, went to drink in a clear, purling rivulet [16; p. 103];

A Dove, pitying her distressed condition, cropped a branch from a neighbouring tree and let it fall into the water [16; p. 129];

However, to make the best of a bad matter, he formed a project in his head to call an assembly of the rest of the Foxes [16; p. 152]; 

When a sly old Fox in the company, who understood trap, answered him [16;  136].

Nominative sentence:

Hawk-lover! Unbeliever! Flaghater! Bomb-thrower! [16; p. 88];

“He’s God!” screamed a Plymouth Rock hen. And the others took up the cry “ God! God! ” [16; p. 134];

Get away from me! [16; 136];

 “Don’t tell him “- she cried rapidly[16; p. 132];

Silence. Summer. Midnight.[16; p. 163];

  Marvelous! [16; p.123];

How very interesting! [5; p. 165];

A field. The same. [16; p.63];

Never mind! [1; p. 63];

Midnight.. What a beautiful midnight! [16; p. 63]; 

Going home? [1; p. 63];

Understand? [2; p. 93];

"Nothing like it”[2; p. 134];

By no means[2; p. 142];

"But this surely will?"[2; p. 143];  

"Enchanted!" cried the landlord [1; p. 152];

"What arrogance!" the Snail replied[2; p. 127].

Antithesis:

Take it or let it alone [16; p. 123];

He was running very slowly but he got to the place very fast [16; p. 123];

He has never liked the rabbit, now he likes them very much [2; p. 63];

You are very clever, I am very blunt [1; p. 174];

The poor and the Rich [16; p. 252];

You go straight, I go back [9; p.887];

Yesterday the sky was black. Today is white [5;p.72];

Lion is angry. But now he is kind [7;p.51];

How late I thought about it! How early it failed [8;p.94].

Rhetorical questions:

“Dear friend, what shall I do,to prove the warm affection I’ve always felt for you?[5; p.32];

 “Can he see in the daytime, too?” asked a red fox. “Yes,” echoed a dormouse and a French poodle.“Can he see in the daytime, too?” [16; p. 140];

Is anybody here who can help me?[5; 75];

Are you going crazy my little poor friend?[5; 87];

How can I help to break the  anger?[5; 73];

Am I so funny? Am I so weird?[5; 98];

 “She is going to share her deals with us”.- “ Is she”?[5; p. 99];

What was he to do—this poor Narcissus?[5; 73];

But who can resist the beauty of a woodland stream?[5; p. 76];

What means yon peasant's daily toil,From choaking weeds to rid the soil? [5; p. 87];

Why wake you to the morning's care?[[5; p. 76];];

Why with new arts correct the year?[5; p. 76];

Why glows the peach with crimson hue?[5; p. 88];

And why the plum's inviting blue?[5; p. 86];

Were they to feast his taste designed,That vermin, of voraciouskind?[5; p. 123];

Have I not suffered you safely to draw your neck out of my jaws?[5; p. 76];

And have you the conscience to demand a further reward?[5; p143];

Could she be worse than where she was?[5; p. 176].

Parcellation:

“I am Lion. King of the Jungle.  And you are in my house” [16; p. 72];

She was silent. As never before. She was upset [8;p.53];

They are here. In front of the tree. Safe and sound [4; p.563];

Dream.What a beautiful state. Sleep[7; p. 56].

“I wait. For a long time. Come” [6; p, 82];

Run. Go. Like never before. Run.Run [17; p.84];

What a beautiful day! Sun is shining. I go. I need some wolk [18; p. 63].

     With the help of these devices, authors of fables of 18- 19 centuries were able to express different aspects of life.

      With the help of repetition, authors had been emphasising on certain fact, which they wanted to highlight.

    In the fable of 18-19  century, paronymy are mostly  used for rhyme, if to speak about verse fable. In prose, they are used to create playful game of words.

      Separated sentences are used for specifying some information. Or to draw attention of the readers.

     Nominative sentences in the fables were used as  the beginning  or  the end of  expressive  texts , that convey memories, thoughts, excited narration .

     Antithesis  was used to describe the characteristics of objects, often ironic or satirical.

     Society had been developing, many questions had been raised, but nobody could answer. Fable was good way to express their questions in disguised way. That is why there are a lot of rhetorical questions in the fables of 18-19 century.

 

Humorous irony of English –  American fables of 19 century

To implement the humorous irony the scholar defines its lexical and syntactic features: 

• Metaphor(a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied tosomething to which it is not literally applicable in order tosuggest a resemblance: Language is a road map of a culture).
• Simile(two fundamentally unlike things are explicitly compared, usually in a phrase introduced by like or as: as sweet as a a candy).
• Allusion(reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event :  She was no Scrooge, but she seldom purchased anything except the bare necessities).
• Phraseological units( a complex word-equivalent in which the globality of nomination reigns supreme over the formal separability of elements).
• Hyperbole(exaggerated statement that is not meant to be taken literally, e.g. a thousand apologies).

     The result of quantitiative analysis of the English-American fables of 18 century shows the following datas:

Metaphor:

Envy’sasharperspurthanpay (2;p.65);

Flattery’sthenurseofcrimes (2; p. 15)

Our timesare in his hand [14; p.164];

The learned, full of inward pride – [2; p. 263];

The woman's blind,' the mother cries; 'I see wit sparkle in his eyes.'[2; p. 341];

The wind was south, the morning fair[2; p. 341];

Like those I flattered feed on air[2; p. 341]; 

'How weak is pride!' [2; p. 148] ;

She is sunshine [9;p.8];

Her laughter is a gentle melody[9; p. 36];

My dad is a bear [7; p. 64];

The light was the sun during our fight [7; p.64]; 

She toyed with the thoughts [7; p. 64];

A friend is our soul [7; p. 64]; 

Friendship is golden bowl[10; p. 69];

He was a main keythrough all their trouble[12; p. 95];

The giant’s steps were thunder as he ran toward the lion [23; p. 99];

He was a lion in the fight[14; p. 67];

The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas[12; p. 677];

The truck flew down the empty highway[9; p. 76];

Over my head the clouds thicken, then crack and split like a roar of cannonballs tumbling down a marble staircase [9; p. 76].

Simile:

Friendship, like love, is but a name [3; p. 683];

Like lightning, Brer Rabbit was off that roof and in through the open doorway [14; p. 247]; 

As pert as France, as grave as Spain [2; p. 201];

Where are the father's mouth and nose, the mother's eyes, as black as sloes? [2; p. 341];

Pops through the key-hole, swift as light[2; p. 344];

The Horse went as near as he dared to the throne[2; p. 344];

And thus made his donkey-like sentiments known[2; p. 344];

Once on a time, a foolish Frog,Vain, proud, and stupid as a log[2;p.242];

The water was as bright as the sun[7; p. 56];

”This class is like a three-ring circus!”[7; p. 56];

I feel like a limp dishrag[7; p. 57];

Those hens are like two peas in a pod[7; p. 82];

She breaths like a fish[7; p. 57];

He's as hairy as a gorilla[14; p. 72];

He was as red as a ripe tomato[12; p. 78];

It is like rat's tail[4; p. 67];

A roar like that of cannonballs[8; p. 45];

The clouds were fluffy like cotton wool[8; p. 89];

The moon was as misty shadow[8; p. 89].

Allusion:

As Doris, at her toilet's duty,sat meditating on her beauty[2; p. 42];

As Cupid in Cythera's grove employed the lesser powers of love [2; p. 43];

Thus Hymen, with assuming air…[14; p. 376];

How can Belinda blame her fate?[2; p. 172];

Like Orpheus burnt with public zeal [2; p. 172];

Might well a Raphael's hand require[14; p. 371]; 

A lady came, with borrowed grace , he from his Venus formed her face [2; p. 97] ;

What was he to do—this poor Narcissus?[2; p. 97].

Phraseological units:

"Whilst there is life, there's hope!"[2; p. 346];

Necessity is no transgression[2; p. 346];

But Jove, who hates the liar's ways,at once cut short my prosperous days[2; p. 279];

Who knows a fool, must know his brother [14; p. 85];

All fools are vain, when fools admire [14; p. 135];

It is better to ask some of the questions than to know all of the answers [2; p.178];

Hyperbole:

Behold the busy negro race, see millions blacken all the place[2; p. 321];

A Cock, being perched among the branches of a lofty tree, crowed aloud, so that the shrillness of his voice echoed up to  the sky[14; p. 236];

“The king of all kings, the greatest of us all...” [2; p, 331];

He thought his face and figure the handsomest in all the world[2; p. 331];

I’m bigger than the entire earth[4; p. 65];

More powerful than the sea[4; p. 66];

Not one could ever stop me[4; p.66 ];

I control each person with my hand[4; p. 72];

I can make them bend to my willwith one word from my lips[4; p. 72];

I’m the greatest power in the worldin this land[8; p. 67];

They ran like greased lightning[12; p. 84];

He is older than the hills[15; p.231];

The skin on her face was as thin and drawn as tight as the skin of onion and her eyes were gray and sharp like the points of two picks[12; p.237];

It was not a mere man he was holding, but a giant; or a block of granite. The pull was unendurable. The pain unendurable[12; p.237];

It's a slow burg. I spent a couple of weeks there one day[12; p.237];

Why does a boy who’s fast as a jet take all day and sometimes two to get to school? [12; p.237];

He won’t drive her home because she lives on the other side of the river[8; p. 67];

The only thing that he ever wants to do is play that game[12; p.235];

Once I get you in my arms, I’m never going to let you go[12; p.237];

Nothing could ever go wrong with his plan[12; p.239];

Everyone knows that[12; p.239];

That’s the best idea ever[15; p. 321].

 

 

      Investigations of the humorous irony of 19 century show the

 next results:

Metaphor:

Thinking only of her crested head — poor foolish thing! [5; p. 32];

Unto an evil counselor close heart, and ear, and eye[5; p. 33];

Her soul panted for the higher life [1; p. 18];

Looking out where our planet is swung, doubt loses his writhen grimace,dry heartsdrink the gleams and are young [9; p. 34];

It was a dirty trick, but it killed old Rat [2; p. 75];

With an eye full of fire, and mane quite erect,Which, I'm sorry to say, shewed but little respect[9; p. 34];

As in the sunshine of the morn[9; p. 34];

A Butterfly, but newly born, sat proudly parking on a rose,with pert conceit his bosom glows[9; p. 34]; 

So that he might come to the inexhaustible treasure which he fancied she had within her[9; p. 34];

A certain Man had a Goose, which laid him a golden egg every day[9; p. 34];

Life is a burning candle and it is not easy to handle the fire[9; p. 34];

It's a sunseburning with romance[9; p. 34];

As my soul begins to scream not knowing ...[12; p. 35].

Simile:

Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead[5; p.32];

A slim Girl with a forehead which was shiny like a pear [1; p.18];

His ears were translucent, and his front teeth showed like those of a gray squirrel[2; p. 21];

Than the Metro-Goldwyn lion looks like Calvin Coolidge [16; p. 76];

Person with a Head in the shaped like a Rocky Ford Cantaloupe [1; p. 12];

Crazy as a jaybird [16; p. 142];

She was young as the rose in the garden [1; p. 94];

He acts  like he is  about seventeen [1; p. 94];

…started chuckling like a madman [16; p. 231];

It smelled like last year's grass [2; p. 93];

Allusion:

WHERE the singers of Saturn find tongue,where the Galaxy's lovers embrace [9; p. 23];

Scroodge is not good example [6; p. 98].

Phraseological units:

The Learned Phrenologist looked up at the Stranger as through a Glass[1; p.12];

The exception proves the rule [2; p. 34];

By a whisker[16; p. 72];

Between you and me and the cat's whiskers[16; p. 72];

At a snail's pace[16; p. 74];

As rare as hen's teeth [16; p. 95];

Shape of his heart[16; 102];

Beat about the bush[16; p. 112];

Hyperbole:

The moles hurried away and told the other creatures of the field and forest that the owl was the greatest and wisest of all animals because he could see in the dark and because he could answer any question[16; p. 132];

“He’s God!” screamed a Plymouth Rock hen. And the others took up the cry “ God! God! ” [16; p. 134];

Seems he was so tall that nobody could reach his forehead [2; p. 154];

She didthat about twenty times [2; p. 165];

Ten times worse than  the previous flood was [2; p. 263];

He gazed hopelessly at the endless pile of bills stretching across the counter[2; p. 263];

Nothing can bother him[2; p. 263];

My dad is always working[2; p. 263];

Hehas been teaching here since the Stone Age[2; p. 263];

Thisnoise is killing me[2; p. 263];

He walked down the road to nowhere[2; p. 263].

     With the help of these devices symbolic content of the fables had been created.

      It was dangerous to speak in derect way, but important in order to show the truth. As the result, using metaphors was the perfect way out.

     Simili in the fablea were used for comparing 2 objects, in order to specify some  characteristic in more concentrated demonstration.

     Allusions in the fables play very important role. With their help, fabulists refer to some famous characters;  it is kinf of a hint, and the readers should try to guess what does it mean. In fables of 18 century there were many references to myths. It is connected with the fact, that fable was not widespread genre. It had been developing on the basis of Aesop’s fables.  In 19 century there are less allusions, what means that fabulist felt surer.