Style of writing
The dominant feature of Alex Bilmes’ style of writing in “Paul McCartney is Esquire’s August Cover Star” is his focus on the emotional side of the audience. The way in which Bilmes depicts Paul McCartney is meant to stir a reaction in the readers and to make them view the singer as a great person whose life and career are worth appreciating. To better understand Bilmes’ style of writing, several elements can be analysed:
- Sentence structure
- Word choice
- Figures of speech
- Point of view
- Tone
Sentence structure
The article is easy-flowing, and the sentence structure is clear and straightforward. They are either medium-length or long, like in the following example, where supplementary explanations are added:
He was carrying the Hofner violin bass guitar that is one of his trademarks – he has had this one since the Royal Variety performance of 1963 – and that travels everywhere with his personal assistant, John Hammel, who has been with him almost as long. (ll. 44-50)
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Point of view
Bilmes employs several points of view in his article. First of all, he uses his point of view when he depicts the man he interviewed: “He started by telling me that preparing to talk to me was a bit like going to the dentist.” (ll. 333-335)
Then, he adopts the point of view of the masses who still act hysterically when they see a rock star:
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Tone
In the article, Bilmes employs a very optimistic tone meant to convince readers of Paul McCartney’s positive qualities. Bilmes’ tone also expresses emotions that range from humorous to praising. For instance, here is an example of Bilmes’ praising tone towards McCartney, illustrated through rhetorical questions:
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