Hyperbaton (hy-per’-ba-ton): 1. An inversion of normal word order. A generic term for a variety of figures involving transposition, it is sometimes synonymous with anastrophe. 2. Adding a word or thought to a sentence that is already semantically complete, thus drawing emphasis to the addition.
Last night I dreamed of a virus, dreaded. There’s something about virus that I think is cool. First, not all viruses are deadly. Second, it is unrestrained–that’s a joke about its strains. In virus world they say, “No strain no gain.”
Understanding this, I’m trying! But why aren’t there new strains of people? You would think that if some mucous-borne purple-colored slime sphere could be a new strain–a deadly strain–of virus, there could be new strains of people. Actually, maybe there are!
I see people gathered at red-hat rallies that seem a little off, or maybe a little on, given your perspective. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but maybe they are a new strain of human. Are they dangerous? Don’t try to take their guns away, get an abortion, or tell them you’re gay, or ask them to tell you about Jesus, or criticize their Uber Spore, Donald Trump. I’ve seen them get all puffed up, change colors, and gang up on people of ‘other’ strains, even run them over or desecrate their cemeteries.
Oh well, I’m probably wrong. Just like the COVID-19 virus, it’s probably a lot worse than I think. Wait we must, and wash our hands we will. We’ll get through these loony times.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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