LESLEY JEFFRIESPROFESSOR OF ENGLISH

LANGUAGEUNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD

Opposition in poetry

Audience participation bit...

Write down a nounCollect up another noun from your neighbourPut them into one of the following frames:

She wanted a X. He wanted a Y. It was a X, not a Y. It was more X than Y

However silly it sounds, think of a context in which it could be used.

Structure of talk:

1. Introduction – constructed opposites2. Conventional opposition3. Constructed opposites – examples and

triggers4. Textual meaning

1. Introduction

Constructed opposites:

Your examples....

It’s a cowpat, not a roundabout!She wanted a diary, he wanted a pond.

2. Conventional opposition

Lexical semantics – sense relationsComplementary – mutually exclusive:

alive/dead; right/wrong; man/womanConverse – mutually dependent:

borrow/lend; husband/wife; above/belowGradable – range between extremes:

hot/cold; tall/short; beautiful/uglyReversive – two directions in a process:

raise/lower; break/mend

2. Conventional opposition

Complementary – mutually exclusive:alive/dead; right/wrong; man/woman

Logical relationship – you can only be one or the other:

She is not alive = she is dead.You are not wrong = you are right.It was a man = it was not a woman.

2. Conventional opposition

Converse – mutually dependent:borrow/lend; husband/wife; above/below

Logical relationship where both or neither must exist:

If there is a husband, there must be a wife.If someone is borrowing, someone is lending.If something is above, there is something

below.

2. Conventional opposition

Gradable – range between extremes:hot/cold; tall/short; beautiful/ugly

Although often treated as complementaries (you are not beautiful = you are ugly), in fact there are many levels between and the test is to see if you can ‘intensify’ using very or quite to show how much is relevant:

She is very tall / not so tall / rather short.

This room is terribly hot / rather cold.

2. Semantic opposition

Reversive – two directions in a process:raise/lower; break/mend

These opposites reverse the direction of a process, though of course you cannot always do so in practice! There is no obvious ‘test’:

First he raised the flag and then he lowered it.

Can you mend the vase I have broken?

2. Conventional opposition is learned

3. Constructed opposites - Philip Larkin

The North Ship (Faber 1943):

Is it for now or for always,The world hangs on a stalk?Is it a trick or a trysting-place,The woods we have found to walk?

3. Constructed opposites - Philip Larkin

The North Ship (Faber 1943):

Is it for now or for always,The world hangs on a stalk?Is it a trick or a trysting-place,The woods we have found to walk?

3. Constructed opposites - Philip Larkin

Is it a mirage or miracle,Your lips that lift at mine:And the suns like a juggler's juggling-

balls,Are they a sham or a sign?

Shine out, my sudden angel,Break fear with breast and brow,I take you now and for always,For always is always now.

3. Constructed opposites - Philip Larkin

now or alwaystrick or trysting-placemirage or miracle,sham or sign

now and for always,for always is always now.

Opposition: examples

Until Wednesday I couldn’t decide whether Russell Brand was a fatuous buffoon or a misunderstood genius.

by Simon Kelner, The Independent

What’s going on here?

Parallel structures in two noun phrases:

a fatuous buffoon or

a misunderstood geniusResult is to set up two sets of

oppositions:fatuous vs misunderstoodbuffoon vs. genius

4. Constructed opposites – Conservative Party

LABOUR SAYS HE’S BLACK.

TORIES SAY HE’S BRITISH.

• X says he’s Y

• X = Labour vs. Tories (conventional opposites in Britain)

• Y thus expected to be opposite

• This produces textual opposite:

BLACK BRITISH

4. Constructed opposites – triggers

I started the development of a list of opposition ‘triggers’: Negation (not X but Y)

The politicians that the public likes best are not the aloof ones but the human ones.

Parallel structures We took coffee, in industrial quantities, Mr Blair, as

usual, took nothing for granted. Coordination (and, but, or)

a struggle (…) between politicians as soap powder and parties as vehicles for informed debate

4. Constructed opposites – Big Bang Theory

Big Bang Theory (U.S. sitcom): A bit like but with nerdy scientists…

I’m a physicist, not a hippy:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=play

er_detailpage&v=b5V0QY1d904

4. Constructed opposites – Big Bang Theory

I’m a physicist, not a hippy:Trigger: negation (X, not Y)Opposition type – complementaryUnderlying conventional opposition

– rational vs. emotional Evaluative intention: good vs.

badHumour: the value system of the

nerdy… from the outside!

Textual construction of the female body

Nor am I the kind of guy who only goes for earthy types (you know, girls who prefer eco-terrorism to experiencing life and refuse to, like, shave and stuff). (from Jeffries 2007:113-4)

Doorsteps

Cutting bread brings her hands back to me - the left, with its thick wedding ring,steadying the loaf. Small plump handsbefore age shirred and speckled them.

Doorsteps

Cutting bread brings her hands back to me - the left, with its thick wedding ring,steadying the loaf. Small plump handsbefore age shirred and speckled them.

Doorsteps

Bread:

Colour

Spread

Presentation

Doorsteps

Bread:

Colour – Always white, coburg shape stoneground wholemeal

Spread

Presentation

Doorsteps

Bread:

Colour – Always white, coburg shape stoneground wholemeal

Spread – already softened butter butter’s counterfeit

Presentation

Doorsteps

Bread:

Colour – Always white, coburg shape stoneground wholemeal

Spread – already softened butter butter’s counterfeit

Presentation – herringboned across a doylied plate

falling forward into the crumbs

Song of the Non-existent

This is the hour between dog and wolf

the sky becomes lighter and darker at the same time

something adrift and homelessIs caught and pronounces itself a nightingale

your sudden reluctance to rememberHow hard it was, and how beautiful, to live.

Textual meaning

A coherent set of textual meaning functions: Naming and Describing Representing Actions/Events/States Equating and Contrasting Exemplifying and Enumerating Prioritising Implying and Assuming Negating Hypothesising Presenting others’ speech and thoughts Representing time, space and society

Thanks for listening