FRESHMAN COMPOSITION, RHETORIC, GRAMMAR II
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INTRO. TO LITERARY RESEARCH & WRITING
INSTRUCTOR: James Maxfield
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FRESHMAN COMPOSITION, RHETORIC, GRAMMAR II&INTRO. TO LITERARY RESEARCH & WRITINGINSTRUCTOR: James Maxfield
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Use this introductory handout and the websites listed below to help you learn some of the basic rhetorical devices and figures of speech commonly used in poetry as well as argument and persuasive essay writing. Some of the more common terms were introduced on your poetry lecture handouts. You may need to consult these resources to assist you in completing the rhetoric part of Ex. #7 (part 4) and for completing your organizational plan for your research paper (Ex. #9).Introduction to Rhetoric and Figures of Speech There are probably more than 500 various figures of speech and rhetorical devices, and about 450 of them are listed on several available internet websites. Perhaps the best site is Silva Rhetoricae listed on the Brigham Young University website. Search on Google.com for Rhetorical Figures and look for www.humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric or something similar. Check out this web site as well as this one: www.uky.edu/artssciences/classics/rhetoric.Figures of Speech include a number of divisions, of which there are in turn numerous sub-divisions, classifications, and examples of each. Some divisions are as follows:Tropes: a creative deviation in writing where ordinary speech is amplified, emphasized, colored, or expressed in a special way. Some common Sub-divisions of Tropes: Examples: Metaphor—the implying of comparison between two things Ex. "Life is but a walking shadow" (Shakespeare) Ex. The creampuff was deflated in the first round of the fight. Ex. The pansy planted himself as far away as possible from the front lines of battle. Ex. This project is a real headache. (means: this project is like a headache) Simile—the explicit comparison of one thing in terms of another using "like or as" Ex. The poet’s verses spring up like snowdrops in March. Ex. She was as lovely as a warm spring afternoon. Ex. And soft as a summer breeze, so were her whispered words to her lover. Metonymy—When we associate one thing instead of something else within the same class by referring to one of its attributes Ex. He is a man of the cloth. (occupation for the man) Ex. We don’t want any more Viet Nams? (place for event) Ex. No comment has been forthcoming from the White House. (place for the institution) Ex. The headline read that Pres. Bush bombed Baghdad. (controller for the controlled) Ex. Have you been reading Shakespeare? (the producer for the product) Ex. The team needs a new rebounder under the boards. (skill for the person) Ex. The team needs a new glove behind the plate. (object for the person/user) Synecdoche— referring to the whole for the part or the part for the whole (a form of metonymy) Ex. We need a new head in the corporate office. (Part of body for the whole) Ex. Can you give me a hand with this project? Ex. The pen is mightier than the sword. Personification—referring to abstract concepts or inanimate objects as having human qualities, abilities, or attributes, such as when the abstract or inanimate object speaks; giving personality to the impersonal. Ex. Often has earth felt the wounds of war. Ex. During the crucial board meeting, the presenter’s water glass was sweating more than he. Ex. "Nostalgia grew wild in naked windows and open doorways." Ex. "The insatiable hunger for imagination preys upon human life." Samuel Johnson Pun—intentionally confusing the use or meanings of two similar sounding words or two identical words with very different meanings. Ex. Comment regarding the 35th anniversary issue of Playboy Magazine: "A journey down mammary lane." Ex. The life of a politician (according to Winston Churchill) is one where "he is asked to stand, [but] he wants to sit, and he is expected to lie." Antanaclasis—repeating a word, but using it in two different senses or parts of speech (similar to pun); using words with the same pronunciation, but different spellings Ex. "Your argument is sound . . . all sound." Ben Franklin Ex. Advertisement for men’s clothing for Lawyers: Law suits our specialty. Ex. A recipe for self-improvement: Filet of Soul Ex. "While we live, let us live. Onomatopoeia—using words that imitate the natural sound of the word’s meaning or sense Ex. whirring, humming, murmur, whisper Periphrasis—substituting a descriptive word or phrase in place of the quality of a proper name; Ex. I don’t know him, but he must think he is the life of the party. Ex. From a Beverly Hillbillies show: Jed Clampet (Buddy Ebson) says trying to dance with Miss Hathaway: "Well, I ain’t no Buddy Ebson, but I’ll give it a whirl." Also it is ironic! Hyperbole—intentional exaggeration for emphasis or special effect Ex. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a billion times to stop exaggerating. Ex. The lion roared so loudly, he looked wonderfully grim. (based on lines from Pope) Ex. If you fix it, it will be as good as new—It will look like a million dollars. Litotes—intentional understatement; expressing a thought by denying its opposite. Ex. The bumbling criminal was not the wisest man in world. Ex. War is not healthy for children and other living things. Ex. One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day. (also see meiosis) Other Common Figures of Speech Irony—speaking or using words to imply the opposite of what you actually say . . . often for the purpose of derision, mockery, or jest. There are at least 5 forms of irony: Here are two of them: paralipsis—stating or drawing attention to something while pretending to ignore it Ex. We won’t name names, but his initials are John Smith. Ex. Far be it from me to speak ill of the dead, but he was the most despicable, drunken man I knew. Antiphrasis—using a word to patently contradict your meaning Ex. Referring to a rich person: "There goes the poorest man I know." Ex. Referring to someone very successful: "He’s a proverbial loser." Alliteration—repetition of first letter of successive words in a sentence or line Ex. Veni, vidi, vici. (Caesar) (This is also an Isocolon: Parallelism in structure) I came, I saw, I conquered. Anaphora—repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive lines or sentences. Ex. "We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight . . . we shall . . . " (Churchill) Ex. This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, this earth of majesty . . . (Shakespeare) Antithesis—contrasting ideas or words in a parallel construction Ex. Brutus: "It is not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more." Shakespeare Ex. "Extremism in defense of liberty is not vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is not virtue." Barry Goldwater Ex. "It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues." (Lincoln) Epanalepsis—repetition of a word or phrase separated by other phrases or clauses. Ex. "A lie begets a lie." English Proverb Ex. "To each the boulders that have fallen to each." (Robert Frost) Ex. "In times like these, it is helpful to remember that there have always been times like these." (Paul Harvey) Ex. "Believe not all you can hear, tell not all you believe." Native American Proverb Medodiplosis—repetition occurring in the middle of successive lines or clauses Ex. We are [ . . . ] persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. (Corinthians) Epistrophe—ending a series of phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or phrase. Ex. "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny compared to what lies within us." (Emerson) Ex. We are born to sorrow, pass our time in sorrow, end our days in sorrow. Oxymoron—an apparent contradiction of terms between two words used together Ex. "I must be cruel only to be kind" (Shakespeare) Ex. He is awfully nice. Ex. Hospital food. Paradox—a self-contradictory statement that still has an element of truth Ex. Whosoever loses his life, shall find it. (from Scripture) Syllepsis—use of a single word to govern or modify two more other words of different meaning. Ex. You held your breath and the door for me. (Alanis Morissette) Ex. Rend your heart, and not your garments. (Joel 2:13) Scriptures Ex. Fix the problem, not the blame. (Dave Weinbaum) Synonymia—using several synonyms together to emphasize or amplify your point Ex. You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things! Tautologia—unnecessary repetition of the same idea in different words Ex. The patient has a severely injured fractured foot. |
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