FOREGROUNDING EMOTION: A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF DEVIATIONS IN FARZANA AQIB’S WHEN WILL THESE WALLS GO DOWN

Authors

  • Muhammad Hassan Shah, MPhil in English, lecturer, Department of English and Applied Linguistics, University of Science and Technology(UST), Bannu,KP, Pakistan Author
  • Muhammad Aizaz Farooqi, Lecturer, University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan Author
  • Shahab Ullah BS English, Department of English and Applied Linguistics, University of Science and Technology, Bannu, KP, Pakistan Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63878/jalt2793

Keywords:

Stylistic deviation, foregrounding, phonological deviation, graphological deviation, grammatical deviation, lexical deviation, semantic deviation, register, historical deviation, Farzana Aqib, contemporary poetry

Abstract

This study explores the multifaceted stylistic deviations present in Farzana Aqib’s poem When Will These Walls
Go Down (2021), employing the theoretical framework of deviation and foregrounding as articulated by Leech
and Short (2007). Through a detailed linguistic analysis, the poem reveals extensive phonological,
graphological, grammatical, lexical, semantic, dialectal, register, and historical deviations that collectively
enhance its emotional resonance and aesthetic complexity. These deviations, including repetition, non-standard
grammar, inventive lexical choices, metaphorical paradoxes, and the blending of poetic and colloquial registers,
serve to foreground the poem’s themes of love, protection, and emotional vulnerability. The study demonstrates
how deliberate linguistic irregularities function not only as artistic devices but also as mechanisms for engaging
the reader cognitively and effectively. This analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of contemporary
poetic expression and the role of deviation in constructing rich, layered meanings within poetic texts.

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Published

2025-03-27

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 01 (2025): (JALT)

Section

English