Ecological Stylistics

“This book introduces a new dimension into the study of language and ecology. Instead of criticizing the use of language about the ‘environment’, as is done in Ecolinguistics, Virdis’s book on Ecostylistics shows the positive side of language about Nature. The way the author displays how ‘beneficial discourse’ (including beneficial metaphor) describes Nature is fascinating. Her definition and evaluation of five ‘marker words’ by using five relevant texts is an outstanding feature of the book.”
–Prof. Alwin Fill, University of Graz, Austria

“In the growing climate crisis, it is difficult to think of a more important branch of discourse analysis today than stylistic analysis of our evolving ways of talking, writing, and thinking about our environment. This study is timely, meticulous and original. It is a fascinating and probing contribution to contemporary ecostylistics, painstakingly tracking the uses of key ecological terms on the websites of certain equally key environmental agencies — influential shapers of the unfolding public conversation we are all part of, which in turn shapes and reflects our adjusting behaviour and policies. In addition to thorough analysis, there is here a subtle and stimulating argument about the role of ‘beneficial’ discourse strategies in the ‘environet’, which should prompt further reflection and discussion among ecostylistic researchers and ordinary readers alike.”

–Prof. Michael Toolan, University of Birmingham, UK

This book reflects the cutting edge in ecostylistic approaches to nature, the environment and sustainability as represented in contemporary non-literary discourse. It starts by presenting the ecolinguistic and stylistic terms and theories applied in this ecostylistic analysis, then examines the occurrences of five marker words (nature, environment, ecosystem, ecology, sustainability) on the websites of five environmental organisations (Forestry England, Greenpeace International, National Park Service, Navdanya International, WWF). This book will be of interest to scholars of stylistics, ecolinguistics and ecocriticism, as well as discourse analysis, environmental communication and environmental humanities.



Daniela Francesca Virdis is an Associate Professor of English Language at the University of Cagliari, Italy.