Seven Types of Ambiguity [Paperback]

William Empson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 1966

First published in 1930, Seven Types of Ambiguity has long been recognized as a landmark in the history of English literary criticism.

Revised twice since it first appeared, it has remained one of the most widely read and quoted works of literary analysis.

Ambiguity, according to Empson, includes "any verbal nuance, however slight, which gives room for alternative reactions to the same piece of language." From this definition, broad enough by his own admission sometimes to see "stretched absurdly far," he launches into a brilliant discussion, under seven classifications of differing complexity and depth, of such works, among others, as Shakespeare's plays and the poetry of Chaucer, Donne, Marvell, Pope, Wordsworth, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and T. S. Eliot.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: New Directions (January 17, 1966)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081120037X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811200370
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

143 of 152 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Read & Think Subtly, February 8, 2001

By 

PeterM Schuller (Oxford, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seven Types of Ambiguity (Paperback)

The prose of the author is delightful: it was originally published in 1930 when better authors had a genteel but sophisticated style. The author's original intention was to set forth a theory of metaphor by distinguishing and analyzing, as the title says, seven forms of (linguistic) ambiguity. He draws the examples on which he exercizes his probative skill mostly from great writers in the English language. But for those schooled after, say, the 1950s it is a wonderful exhortation to read, speak and write with more subtelty than is usually encountered. A corollary of the case he makes is that ambiguity--carefully crafted ambiguity, not ambiguity of the slothful kind--can be very powerful, but it presupposes a precision in reading and writing which is a precondition for well-crafted metaphor. As such it stands for OUR generations as an exhortation to lingusitic sophistication and an implicit disproof that "liberty" goes hand in hand with slovenliness. It certainly does make better readers out of those who go through his book.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poetry in Action, March 22, 2007

By 

Robert E. Koskulics "Word Lover" (new jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seven Types of Ambiguity (Paperback)

This book is for people who love words. Not just love them, but have a serious lust for them, who have such a powerful desire to absorb as much as possible that you can't even fully articulate why. What this novel does is help us remember why we love poetry, and the enormous power it can have. That's not to say it can make you like poetry if you don't already have a healthy understanding of it; indeed, in order to read this book I need complete silence and total concentration. This is not a book to read before you go to bed, or while you're at the gym. This is a book to read on your day off, when you can shut off all outside distraction. That seems like a lot to ask, but the rewards are great. After reading this, take another look at your all time favorite works of literary art. Take a look at "Macbeth," or, "The Sun Also Rises," or even, "Fight Club." This book will help you get more depth of meaning than you ever suspected out of these words.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 7 Types of Ambiguity, February 18, 2006

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Ulysses (Manhattan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seven Types of Ambiguity (Paperback)

This is one of the great milestones of twentieth century literary criticism. Published originally in 1930, its relevance has not faded. It is heartily recommended to anyone with an interest in poetry, and is absolutlely essential for anyone working for a college or graduate English degree. It could also be profitably used by younger persons in high school honors English programs.