In this work Dr. Sharma has achieved a unique synthesis of literary scholarship and linguistic analysis. The modus operandi is highly absorbing: each successive linguistic splitting instead of destroying the aesthetic experience leads us deeper into the nuances of meaning and feeling which constitute the poem. Chapter one deals with important theoretical issues such as polarity of literary criticism, ambiguity, use of stylistics, logic and poetry. The author also presents the context of situation for contemporary poetry. In chapter two, Philip Larkin’s short poem "Wants" is subjected to detailed linguistic analysis and interpretation. Chapter three demonstrates practical application of the proposed model to some selected poems by British and American poets. Chapter four deals with analysis and interpretation of poems written during the past time. Concluding remarks contain powerful insights into poetic meaning and its recovery.
The work represents an important step in the linguistic study of poetry; it demonstrates that reading and teaching of a poem, instead of being a difficult and embarrassing task, could be a thrilling experience of discovery. In the three appendices Dr. Sharma discusses metaphor the pedagogical implications of his model, and poetry and the language of advertising.
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