A Stylistic Study of Visual and Linguistic Interplay in Apollinaire’s Calligrams

This research at hand investigates the effectiveness of stylistic analysis in the interpretation of visual poetry, specifically Guillaume Apollinaire’s calligrams, emphasizing the interplay between visual form and linguistic components. The study confronts the difficulties presented by the visual intricacies of this poetic genre, which amalgamate graphic design with textual elements, thereby rendering conventional interpretative approaches inadequate. To this end, it examines how stylistic analysis can enhance the comprehension of the multifaceted meanings inherent in Apollinaire’s oeuvre. The methodology employs qualitative textual analysis, examining graphological, phonological, lexical, and syntactic features across selected poems, including La Cravate et la Montre and Cœur Couronne et Miroir. The analysis concentrates on how stylistic anomalies—such as nontraditional layout, punctuation, and word selection—enhance the overall significance of the poems. The findings indicate that stylistic analysis provides critical insights into the synergistic relationship between visual and textual elements, which collectively forge a cohesive poetic message, with visual forms frequently acting as an additional layer of meaning. The study concludes that stylistic analysis serves as an effective instrument for unravelling the complexities of Apollinaire’s calligrams, yielding a more subtle interpretation that harmonizes visual aesthetics with linguistic content.