A Pragmatic Study of Speech Acts in Thoreau’s Inspiration

Abstract

This paper deals with identifying the speech act types in Henery David Thoreau’s Inspiration. This study is basically qualitative as it tries to define the different categories of speech acts according to Searle’s classification. representatives and declarative speech acts score the highest percentage of flouting i.e., 12 (44%). Expressive speech act signifies a considerable difference as it scores i.e., 2 (7%). For commissive speech acts, the level of its representation in Thoreau’s Inspiration scores only one occurrence (3%). As each speech act score certain level of representation, directive speech acts could not be identified through Thoreau’s Inspiration. The study tries to show one feature of Thoreau’s poetry which is variety of speech act types that enables him to express abstract themes and conceptions. Whereas, the absences of directive speech acts indicate that the nature of themes and ideas expressed in Thoreau’s Inspiration does not agree the nature of that speech act.