Cognitive Stylistics: Foundational Concepts of an Emergent Field

Abstract This article seeks to add to the current body of knowledge regarding Cognitive Stylistics an approach that has witnessed an increase in popularity in recent years due to the emergence of Cognitive Linguistics as a valuable tool for studying language in general. Stylistics and its evolved form, Cognitive Stylistics, have proved influential in understanding the process involved both in the creation as well as in the reception of literature. The study demonstrates that Cognitive Stylistics is a reliable framework for explaining how textual features such as deviation, metaphor or foregrounding trigger specific cognitive models and mental processes in readers. It argues that incorporating cognitive theories and tools, like conceptual metaphor theory, schema theory, text-to-world theory and foregrounding, can enhance literary interpretation and reveal both universal and text-specific aspects of reading comprehension.