Professional Writing Service http://StudyHub.vip/A-Stylistic-Study-Of-Language-Deviation 👈

1. 1
A STYLISTIC STUDY OF LANGUAGE DEVIATION IN THOMAS
HARDY’S THE RUINED MAID
By: Sukasih Ratna Widayanti*
*dosen Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Unversitas Widya Dharma Klaten
ABSTRACT
This study is aimed to describe the language deviation in a poem entitled
The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy. In writing a poem, every poet has a poetic
license to gain the beautiful poem even it creates language deviation. The poetic
license may be ignoring the ordinary rule in making a word, phrase, or even
sentence. The author of this poem, Thomas Hardy, is a good poet in performing
his ideas through his poem. He intended to make his poem, The Ruined Maid,
become unique and eye-catching poem.
In Thomas Hardy’s The Ruined Maid, it can be concluded that there are
five language deviations which is occurred. They are lexical deviation,
grammatical deviation, graphological deviation, semantic deviation, and historical
deviation. The language deviations are used to make a beautiful poem.
Keywords: stylistic, language deviation
INTRODUCTION
Literary works cannot be separated from language. It becomes the most
important things in performing the works, especially in written form. Literary
work uses language as a tool in delivering ideas, messages, and information.
Literary work is not only showing the product of the works, but it is also viewing
the author’s ideas and feeling through the works. The author’s ideas illustrate by
language, especially by the word choices in creating the works. What the author
wants to deliver and what the reader interprets are restricted in language. Literary
works with everything they communicate are controlled by language of the
author.
Poem as one of literary works has a unique characteristic in using its
language. It is showed in the word choices and style of the author. As the other
artists, a poet has a certain style to express his feeling idea, and desire to please
his or her readers. Hornby (1995) states that style as the manner of doing,

2. 2
performing, or presenting something. It includes word choices, rhetorical devices,
sentence structure, and expressions which are employed by every writer.
This study tries to reveal the word choices of the author from linguistic
point of view, especially on the language deviation. In analyzing the problem, the
writer employs stylistics study which is appropriate to the problem. Stylistics is
the study of style in written or spoken language (Longman, 2003).
This study takes Thomas Hardy’s The Ruined Maid as the representative
of a poem. It is chosen since the phenomenon of language deviation is occurred in
this poem. In Thomas Hardy’s The Ruined Maid, the language deviation can be
analyzed in each line of the poem. In writing a poem, every poet has a poetic
license to gain the beautiful poem even it creates language deviation. As
mentioned above, language deviation is an interesting phenomenon so the writer
wants to explore more about it.
LITERARY REVIEW
1. Stylistics
Etymologically, stylistics comes from the word ‘style’ which is
derived from a Latin word ‘stylus’ means a writing instrument. In general,
style refers to the way in which language used by writer to deliver his or her
feelings, ideas, and messages in purpose to achieve particular effects on
readers.
The stylistic study is originally invented by a French linguist named
Charles Bally. According to him, stylistics is the study of expressive effects
and mechanism in all language. Even, he excludes literary language as the
scope of stylistics study.
Stylistics is the study of varieties of language whose properties
position that language in context. It also attempts to establish principles
capable of explaining the particular choices made by individuals and social
groups in their use of language, such as socialization, the production and
reception of meaning, critical discourse analysis and literary criticism. It can
be concluded that stylistics is the study of language style.

3. 3
2. Language Deviation
Language deviation is one of varieties poetic language. Poetic
language is language that is used in poetry. Varieties of poetic language occur
when a poet has a poetic license. According to Oxford Dictionary, poetic
license is the freedom to change the normal rules of language. Leech (1968)
also states that poetic license is the poet’s right to ignore rules and
conventions generally observed by users of the language. This poetic license
creates the deviation of the language that usually occurs in a poem. It also
called as language deviation in a poem. Language deviation, itself, means the
use of language that does not follow the ordinary rules of the language use.
There are five types of language deviation according to Leech (1968).
They are as follow.
a. Lexical Deviation
As Leech(1968) points out, neologism or the invention of the new
‘words’ is one of the more obvious ways in which a poet may exceed the
normal resources of the language. We call new words as nonce-formations
if they are made of ‘for the nonce”, i.e. for a single occasion only, rather
than as serious attempts to augment the English word-stock for some new
need. The poet’s lexical innovations can mostly be placed in the category
of nonce-formation, although obviously poetic neologisms are inclined to
be less brief than conversational ones, for a successful poem will be read
time and time again, by the poet’s contemporaries and by succeeding
generations. It is misleading to suggest that neologism is a ‘violation of the
lexical rule’. So, we can conclude that lexical deviation is the invention of
new word by the author in the term of vocabulary.
b. Grammatical Deviation
Leech (1968) states the types of grammatical deviation can be
drawn between morphology and syntax. In morphological deviation, it will
analyze from the grammar of the word. While, the syntactical deviation is
more about the grammar of how words pattern with sentences.

4. 4
c. Graphological Deviation
Graphological deviation is deviation on the form of word,
especially in spelling. According to Leech (1968), to the extent that
spelling represents pronunciation, any strangeness of pronunciation will be
reflected by strangeness of written form. But there is also a kind of
graphological deviation which need have no counterpart in speech. It is the
characteristic line by line arrangement of poetry on the printed page, with
irregular right-hand margins.
d. Semantic Deviation
Semantic deviation is the deviation of meaning. It means that the
meaning of the word, phrase, or sentence is ambiguous. It is also
reasonable to interpret ‘semantic deviation’ into ‘non-sense’ or ‘absurdity’
(Leech, 1968). In poetry, transference of meaning is the process whereby
literal absurdity leads the mind to comprehension on a figurative term. It
will be the characteristic of a poem.
e. Historical Deviation
Historical deviation is about the archaic or ancient word.
According to Leech (1968), archaism as ‘the survival of the language of
the past into the language of the present’ is an institutionalized license of
poetry, and may perhaps be distinguished from linguistics anachronism, or
the conscious and calculated resurrection of the language belonging to a
bygone age.
3. Poem (The Ruined Maid)
Poem is a piece of creative writing in verse expressing deep feelings
(Hornby 1995). It means that poem can view from the content of the poem
because it expresses the author’s felling and ideas. The poem tilted The
Ruined Maid stories about the transformation of a girl named Melia, a maid
who has changed her life at present and the past. In the past, she was a pretty
girl, raw country girl and pure girl. Then at present she became a prostitute
girl in the high-class.

5. 5
FINDING AND DISCUSSION
The writer found all the types of language deviations which are occurred
in Thomas Hardy’s The Ruined Maid. They are lexical deviation, grammatical
deviation, graphological deviation, semantic deviation, and historical deviation.
The discussion is as follow.
1. Lexical Deviation
The finding on lexical deviation in the poem entitled The Ruined Maid
by Thomas Hardy is occurred in Line 19. The Line 19 is as follow.
To know not of megrims or melancho-ly!” (Line 19)
The word ‘megrims’ in Line 19 is regarding as the lexical deviation
since it is an invention of a new word by the author. The word is not state in
dictionary. It becomes the author’s word which means ‘morbid low spirit’.
2. Grammatical Deviation
The findings on grammatical deviation in the poem entitled The
Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy are the use of double conjunction and the use
of verb in a sentence. Below are the findings.
a. The use of double conjunction
The findings on the use of double conjunction are found in Line 10 and
Line 18. Both lines are as follow.
And ‘think oon’, and ‘theas oon,’ and ‘t’other’; but now (Line 10)
And you’d sigh, and you’d sock; but at present you seem (Line 18)
The word ‘and’ in Line 10 and Line 18 which is used more than one time
creates the grammatical deviation, especially in the form of syntactical
deviation.
b. The use of verb in a sentence
The finding on the use of double conjunction is found in Line 13. The Line
13 is as follow.
– “Your hands were like paws then, your face blue and bleak (Line 13)
The bold words ‘your face blue and bleak’ in Line 13 above is the
grammatical deviation. It does not use ‘verb’. As a good correct sentence,

6. 6
it should add to be ‘is’. The correct sentence is ‘…, your face is blue and
bleak’.
3. Graphological Deviation
The findings on graphological deviation in the poem entitled The
Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy are as follow.
a. Graphological deviation in the word can be seen in Line 3, 10, 11, 15, and
19. The lines are as follows.
And whence such far garment. Such prosperi-ty?” – (Line 3)
And ‘think oon’, and ‘theas oon,’ and ‘t’other’; but now (Line 10)
Your talking quite fits ‘ee for high compa-ny!’ – (Line 11)
And your little gloves fit as on any la-dy!” – (Line 15)
To know not of megrims or melancho-ly!” – (Line 19)
The correct word of the word ‘prosperi-ty’ in Line 3 is the word ‘prosperity’.
The correct word of ‘t’other’ in Line 10 is the word ‘the other’. The correct word
of ‘compa-ny’ in Line 11 is the word ‘company’. The correct word of ‘la-dy’ in
Line 15 is the word ‘lady’. The correct word of ‘melancho-ly’ in Line 19 is the
word ‘melancholy’.
b. The use of dash (-) in the poem such as in Line 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17,
19, 21, 22, and 23. Below are the lines.
And whence such far garment. Such prosperi-ty?” – (Line 3)
– “You left us in tatters, without shoes or sock, (Line 5)
And now you’ve gay bracelets and bright feathers three!” – (Line 7)
– “At home in the barton you said ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ (Line 9)
Your talking quite fits ‘ee for high compa-ny!’ – (Line 11)
– “Your hands were like paws then, your face blue and bleak (Line 13)
And your little gloves fit as on any la-dy!” – (Line 15)
– “You used to call home-life a hag-ridden dream, (Line 17)
To know not of megrims or melancho-ly!” – (Line 19)
– “I wish I had feathers, a fine sweeping gown, (Line 21)
And a delicate face, and could strut about Town!” – (Line 22)
“My dear–a raw country girl, such as you be, (Line 23)

7. 7
c. The use of capital letter in some words which are not considering as the
beginning of the sentence. The findings in the poem are as follow.
1) The word ‘and’ in Line 3, 7, 10, 15, 18, and 22
And whence such far garment. Such prosperi-ty?” – (Line 3)
And now you’ve gay bracelets and bright feathers three!” – (Line 7)
And ‘think oon’, and ‘theas oon,’ and ‘t’other’; but now (Line 10)
And your little gloves fit as on any la-dy!” – (Line 15)
And you’d sigh, and you’d sock; but at present you seem (Line 18)
And a delicate face, and could strut about Town!” – (Line 22)
2) The word ‘tired’ in Line 6
Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks; (Line 6)
3) The word ‘but’ in Line 14
But now I’m bewitched by your delicate cheek, (Line 14)
4) The word ‘to’ in Line 19
To know not of megrims or melancho-ly!” – (Line 19)
5) The word ‘cannot’ in Line 24
Cannot quite except that. You ain’t ruined,” said she. (Line 24)
d. The use of colon (:) after the word ‘yes’ in Line 8. The Line 8 is as follow.
“Yes: that’s how we dress when we’re ruined,” said she. (Line 8)
e. The use of small letter in the name of place in Line 9. The Line 9 is as
follow.
– “At home in the barton you said ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ (Line 9)
The letter ‘b’ in the word ‘barton’ in Line 9 should write in the capital
letter. It becomes ‘Barton’ since it is a name of a place.
4. Semantic Deviation
The finding on semantic deviation in the poem entitled The Ruined
Maid by Thomas Hardy is found in Line 17. The Line 17 is as follow.
– “You used to call home-life a hag-ridden dream, (Line 17)
The word ‘home-life’ in Line 17 is supposed to become the semantic deviation
since there is a double meaning in the word. The denotative and connotative
meaning can distinguish in the word. The denotative meaning of the word

8. 8
‘home-life’ in Line 17 is life in a home, life with family. The connotative
meaning of the word ‘home-life’ in Line 17 is better life.
5. Historical Deviation
The findings in historical deviation in the poem entitled The Ruined
Maid by Thomas Hardy are found in Line 3, 9, and 10. The archaic or ancient
words and phrases in this poem can be seen below.
And whence such far garment. Such prosperi-ty?” (Line 3)
“At home in the barton you said ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ (Line 9)
And ‘think oon’, and ‘theas oon,’ and ‘t’other’; but now (Line 10)
The word ‘whence’ in Line 3 is the archaic word of ‘from when’. The word
‘thee’ in Line 9 is the archaic word of ‘you’. The word ‘thou’ in Line 9 is the
archaic word of ‘you’. The phrase ‘think oon’ in Line 10 is the archaic phrase
of ‘this one’. The phrase ‘theas oon’ in Line is the archaic phrase of ‘that one’.
CONCLUSION
Based on the discussion above, language deviation is commonly occurred
in a poem. It happened since a poet has the poetic license to create the beautiful
poem which may be ignore the ordinary rule in making a word, phrase, or even
sentence. The author of this poem, Thomas Hardy, is a good poet in performing
his ideas through his poem. He intended to make his poem, The Ruined Maid,
become unique and eye-catching poem to see and read.
In Thomas Hardy’s The Ruined Maid, it can be concluded that there are
five language deviations which are occurred. They are lexical deviation,
grammatical deviation, graphological deviation, semantic deviation, and historical
deviation. The language deviations are used to make a beautiful poem.
REFERENCES
Hardy, Thomas. 1866. The Ruined Maid. Retrieved from
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173597 on October 24th
, 2014.
Horby, A.S. 1995. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Leech, Geoffrey N. 1968. A Linguistics Guide to English Poetry. London:
Longman.
Longman. 2003. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. London:
Longman.