Klinkenborg Writes About Metaphor

My critique partner in Corpus Christi and I are reading Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg. I’m opening the book at random instead of reading it cover to cover. Today, on p. 43 the topic was metaphor. Klinkenborg states that often metaphors are like “A stage prop, a paraphrase, a clarification, at best, […]

Antanagoge Rhetorical Device

Antanagoge is a rhetorical device that means: putting a positive point on something negative. (2) answering the charge of an adversary, by a counter charge. Example: She always forgets my birthday, but she gives me gifts during the year. He lost his job, but he’s looking forward to spending more time with his family.

Rhetorical Device Epanalepsis

President John Kennedy said, “Mankind must put an end to war — or war will put an end to mankind.” Our ears heard it, but we could not believe our ears. The theory sounds all wrong; but if the experiment is a success, I cant worry about theory. “Next time there won’t be a next […]

Rhetorical Devices Anastrophe and Antanaclasis

Anastrophe is the deliberate changing of normal word order for emphasis. For example: “Enter the forest primeval.” “On a black cloak sparkle the stars.” “Bright he was not.” Antanaclasis is when the same word is repeated but with a different sense each time.  Antanaclasis creates comic effect when used in the form of irony and […]

Rhetorical Devices Euphony and Cacophony

The Rhetorical devices euphony and cacophony are opposites. Euphony is the use of words having pleasant and harmonious effects by using long vowels and the consonants l, m. n, r, f, v, y,  th, and wh. An example of euphony is from ‘The Lotos-Eaters’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson: “The Mild-eyed melancholy lotos-eaters came.” John Keats […]

Rhetorical Device Chiasmus

The Rhetorical Device, Chiasmus means repetition of ideas in inverted order. For example: “It is boring to eat; to sleep fulfilling.” Chiasmus frequently uses the pattern above which is present participle-infinitive; infinitive-present participle. Other examples: “The instinct of a man is to pursue everything that flies from him, and to fly from all that pursues him.”  (Voltaire) “Bad men live that they […]

Antiphrasis Rhetorical Device

Antiphrasis is a figure of speech in which a phrase or word is opposite to its literal meaning in order to create an ironic or comic effect.  Examples: “The Chihuahua’s name is Goliath.” “The actress was a mere babe of forty years.” “Get in, little man,” he told his six foot tall friend. Antiphrasis surprises […]

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