杰弗里· N. 利奇（Geoffrey N. Leech）：英国著名语言学家、文体学家、哲学家，曾任英国学术院院士、兰卡斯特大学语言学及现代英语系教授。

本书是运用语言学理论和分析方法解析诗歌语言的开山之作。作者以“前景化”为主线，重点介绍了诗歌语言的特点及其变异形式，用丰富的实例与翔实的解析引导我们运用语言学分析方法赏析英诗，为我们研究文学语言的本质和属性提供了许多宝贵的启示和依据。本书理论阐述清晰易懂，既适合专业研究者与高校师生，也适合喜爱英文诗歌的一般读者。

Foreword xxi
Preface xxiii
Acknowledgments xxv

INTRODUCTION 1
0．1?The ‘lang．-lit．’ problem 1
0．2?A descriptive rhetoric 3
0．3?Poetic language and ‘ordinary’ language 5
0．4?A possible misgiving 6
Notes 7

1?POETRY AND THE LANGUAGE OF PAST AND PRESENT 8
1．1?Varieties of English usage 8
1．2?Linguistic convention in poetry 12
Examples for discussion 19
Notes 22

2?THE CREATIVE USE OF LANGUAGE 23
2．1?The escape from banality 23
2．2?Two meanings of ‘creative’ 24
2．3?The qualities of prose in poetry 25
2．4?Degrees of linguistic audacity 29
Examples for discussion 33
Notes 35

3?VARIETIES OF POETIC LICENCE 36
3．1?Anatomy of language 37
3．2?Types of deviation 42
3．3?Conclusion 52
Examples for discussion 53
Notes 54

4?FOREGROUNDING AND INTERPRETATION 56
4．1?Foregrounding 56
4．2?Interpretation 58
4．3?Parallelism 62
Examples for discussion 69
Notes 71

5?VERBAL REPETITION 73
5．1?Schemes and tropes 74
5．2?Formal repetitions 76
Examples for discussion 86
Notes 88

6?PATTERNS OF SOUND 89
6．1?Sound patterns within syllables 89
6．2?Sound patterns in relation to stress 91
6．3?‘Music’ in poetry 93
6．4?The interpretation of sound patterns 95
Examples for discussion 100
Notes 102

7?METRE 103
7．1?Rhythm and metre 103
7．2?The rhythm of English 104
7．3?Metre and the line of verse 111
7．4?The interaction of rhythm and verse form 119
7．5?Grammar and metre 122
For discussion 128
Notes 128

8?THE IRRATIONAL IN POETRY 131
8．1?A logical view of meaning 131
8．2?Redundancy in poetry 136
8．3?Absurdity in poetry 140
8．4?Beyond reason and credibility 143
Examples for discussion 144
Notes 146

9?FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE 147
9．1?Transference of meaning 148
9．2?Aspects of metaphor 153
Examples for discussion 164
Notes 165

10?HONEST DECEPTIONS 166
10．1?Hyperbole and litotes