Current Volume 9
Abstract
This study examined stylistic foregrounding as a key mechanism for aesthetic expression in selected literary texts, using the analytical framework of Leech and Short (2007). Adopting a qualitative stylistic approach, the study investigated how foregrounding was achieved through patterned linguistic choices at multiple levels, including lexis, grammatical structure, figurative language, and textual cohesion. The analysis demonstrated that writers manipulated language to create deviation and parallelism, thereby drawing attention to specific textual elements and enhancing interpretive depth. These foregrounded features functioned to intensify meaning, reinforce thematic concerns, and evoke emotional and aesthetic responses from readers. The findings revealed that aesthetic expression in literature was not incidental but emerged from deliberate stylistic orchestration, where linguistic form and literary function were closely intertwined. The study provided a nuanced account of how literary language operated to produce artistic effects by situating foregrounding within Leech and Short’s model of stylistic analysis. It concluded that stylistic foregrounding remained central to understanding the relationship between language, meaning, and aesthetic experience in literary discourse.
Keywords
Aesthetic Expression, Literary Stylistics, Linguistic Analysis, Leech and Short (2007), Stylistic Foregrounding.
Citations
IRE Journals:
Godfrey Ngozi Ogbonna, PhD., Amadi, Gloria Ukamaka, PhD., Cynthia Adaeze Onuegwunwoke. Ph.D. "Stylistic Foregrounding and Aesthetic Expression in Literature" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 11 2026 Page 4607-4616 https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718096
IEEE:
Godfrey Ngozi Ogbonna, PhD., Amadi, Gloria Ukamaka, PhD., Cynthia Adaeze Onuegwunwoke. Ph.D.
"Stylistic Foregrounding and Aesthetic Expression in Literature" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(11) https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718096
About IRE Journals
IRE Journals is an open access online journals established with an aim to publish high quality of research work in various diciplines. We have more than 6 years in publications. Over 2500+ papers already published.
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