Use Of Phonetic Redundancy In Literature

Abstract

This article focuses on the nature of phonetic redundancy and its literary functions, with the concept of redundancy first developing out of linguistic theory but being an integral part of the stylistic construction of literary discourse. As redundancy relates to its usual definition of unnecessary sequences of repeated material, the process of phonetic redundancy within the literary context could serve the purpose of rhythmic consistency, the reinforcement of meaning with the addition of stronger emotions due to the sound patterns provided by the text, or the creation of images through the development of particular sounds. The study of this phenomenon through the use of canonical English literary works of the great playwright William Shakespeare and later the great writers Edgar Allan Poe and Robert Frost, along with the works of modern literary writers who make extensive use of this method of redundancy based on sound patterns, argues that this redundancy is an intrinsic part of the construction of the artistic experience surrounding the literary text.