Enantiosis (e-nan-ti-o’-sis): Using opposing or contrary descriptions together, typically in a somewhat paradoxical manner.
If you don’t know the truth, tell the truth.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in enantiosis
Tagged elocutio, enantiosis, example, figures of speech, lies, paradox, politics, religion, rhetoric, style, trope, truth
Ecphonesis (ec-pho-nee’-sis): An emotional exclamation.
Pat: “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”
Terry: “You’re exactly where you belong! You’re lucky your cheap vodka comes in plastic bottles or you’d probably be cut on broken glass and bleeding all over the kitchen floor!”
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in ecphonesis
Tagged ecphonesis, elocutio, example, figures of speech, food, rhetoric, trope, vodka
Eutrepismus (eu-tre-pis’-mus): Numbering and ordering the parts under consideration. A figure of division, and of ordering.
It’s as easy as one, two, three: 1. Buy it; 2. Use it; 3. Use it again! Batteries not included.*
*Caution: May cause slothfulness, hallucinations, gas, self-loathing, and loss of appetite. Not recommended for use when driving, standing, walking, jumping, swimming, meditating, or consuming alcohol. If you can’t stop using it, call the Better Business Bureau and ask for Pat.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in eutrepismus
Tagged addiction, entrepismus, example, figures of speech, health, rhetoric
Consonance: The repetition of consonants in words stressed in the same place (but whose vowels differ). Also, a kind of inverted alliteration, in which final consonants, rather than initial or medial ones, repeat in nearby words. Consonance is more properly a term associated with modern poetics than with historical rhetorical terminology.
Sad dreaded bard speaks to my heart–his lamentation sifts through the ashes of my war-torn life–son gone, blood on the wall, twilight beckons, darkness calls. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. How can I believe that God is just?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in consonance
Tagged consonance, death, depair, elocutio, example, figures of speech, politics, rhetoric, war
Epergesis (e-per-gee’-sis): Interposing an apposition, often in order to clarify what has just been stated.
When my new Roomba 700, the robo-vacuum, showed up late last night I was slightly alarmed.
At 11:00 pm the doorbell rang. I opened the door and there there was Roomba, all charged up and sweetly humming on the stoop. I let Roomba in. We had a drink.
It was late. Roomba put me to bed, and went to work sucking the dirt out of the filthy shag carpet in my man cave.
As Roomba’s sweetly droning hum sent me off to sleepy land, I thought, I love you Roomba, nighty-night.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Inopinatum (in-o-pi-na’-tum): The expression of one’s inability to believe or conceive of something; a type of faux wondering. As such, this kind of paradox is much like aporia and functions much like a rhetorical question or erotema. [A paradox is] a statement that is self-contradictory on the surface, yet seems to evoke a truth nonetheless.
I can’t imagine what the world would be like without the internet–if John Lennon were still alive I bet he could write a song about it–
“Imagine there’s no email, push notifications, tweets, or chats:
No emoticons or Facebooks, no stupid threaded gmail spats.
Imagine all the people living face-to-face:
Smelling and touching each other, dancing, and hugging and actually being some place.
I know I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one:
If we shut down the internet the world would be more fun.”
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in inopinatum
Tagged aporia, elocutio, emoticons, erotema, example, Facebook, figures of speech, imagine, inopinatum, John Lennon, paradox, philosophy, rhetoric, rhetorical question, technology
Oxymoron (ox-y-mo’-ron): Placing two ordinarily opposing terms adjacent to one another. A compressed paradox.
We live in a dictatorial democracy.
Our political system is like a supermarket where all the shelves are already stocked by the management and the only freedom that shoppers have is the freedom to choose from what’s already on the shelf–as dictated by the management.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in oxymoron
Tagged dictatorial democracy, example, figures of speech, oxymoron, rhetoric
Eucharistia (eu-cha-ris’-ti-a): Giving thanks for a benefit received, sometimes adding one’s inability to repay.
Thanks for the kidney Uncle Eddy! I owe you my life! There’s no way I’ll ever be able to do the same for you, but if you need a lung or some other body part or organ & I’ve got one to spare, I’m here for you!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in eucharistia
Tagged elocutio, eucharistia, example, figures of speech, giving thanks, kidney, kidney donation, rhetoric
Abbaser [George] Puttenham’s English term for tapinosis. Also equivalent to meiosis: reference to something with a name disproportionately lesser than its nature (a kind of litotes: deliberate understatement, especially when expressing a thought by denying its opposite).
Love: Not bad for a four-letter word!
Post your own abbaser on the “Comments” page!
Definitions courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
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Posted in abbaser
Tagged abbaser, elocutio, figures of speech, four-letter words, george puttenham, litotes, love, meiosis, rhetoric, tapinosis
Exouthenismos (ex-ou-then-is’-mos): An expression of contempt.
Your so-called advice is a fatal plague spread by the infectious stench of your speech.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in exouthenismos
Tagged elocutio, example, exouthenismos, figures of speech, rhetoric, style
Homoioptoton (ho-mee-op-to’-ton): The repetition of similar case endings in adjacent words or in words in parallel position.
Note: Since this figure only works with inflected languages, it has often been conflated with homoioteleuton and (at least in English) has sometimes become equivalent to simple rhyme: “To no avail, I ate a snail.”
We have come to the edge of hope. Here we stand, looking ahead toward the steep divide, down a rock-strewn slope. On the upward breeze of sunset’s onset we are inspired by the smell of wild heliotrope. As sunset’s orange shadows start to stretch across the hard terrain, at last, in the day-ending glow we see what we had begun to think was a brutal hateful joke–the chiseled steps of the ancient long-lost stope! As the stars begin to appear in the humid sky, we fall asleep on billowy beds made of freshened hope. We dream of gold–a snoring band of bliss-filled hyperopes!
Definition and commentary courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in homoioptoton
Tagged elocutio, example, figures of speech, homoioptoton, homoioteleuton, hyperope, rhetoric, trope
Antirrhesis (an-tir-rhee’-sis): Rejecting reprehensively the opinion or authority of someone.
You keep telling us to stop talking and do something. Instead of telling us to stop talking, why don’t you just shut up? That’s something actually worth doing! Go sit in the corner and send Tweets to your nutty friends, Rand.
Now, let’s continue our discussion. Let’s see . . . where were we? Mitch, what are your thoughts on furloughing the Coast Guard so we won’t be forced to close the Senate Cafeteria while the sequester’s up and running? Seems like a classic case of guns vs. butter. What say, Mitch? Send the Coasties home?
Definition courtesy of Silva Rhetoricae (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in antirrhesis
Tagged antirrhesis, current-events, elocutio, example, figures of speech, politics, rhetoric, social security, trope, Tweet
Hysterologia (his-ter-o-lo’-gi-a): A form of hyperbaton or parenthesis in which one interposes a phrase between a preposition and its object. Also, a synonym for hysteron proteron.
We climbed up and over (despite the rain and falling rocks) the steep canyon wall so we could reach the tomb ahead of the band of looters who took the lazy trail about six miles up the canyon. We would get there first. We would save the sacred site and, with luck, capture the craven thieves.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in hysterologia
Tagged elocutio, example, figures of speech, hyperbaton, hysterologia, hysteron proteron, parenthesis, rhetoric, style
Congeries (con’-ger-eez): Piling up words of differing meaning but for a similar emotional effect [(akin to climax)].
The new Appple iGod is indestructible, immutable, and runs on pure sweet love beamed from above by iDove. Its media player will supposedly “restoreth your soul” with endlessly looping ambient angelic music available on iHymn for all eternity for only 99¢! Bottom line: like all things Appple, it’s beyond biblical, man! It’s like, hyperousion!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in congeries
Tagged congeries, elocutio, example, figures of speech, hyperousion, rhetoric, trope
Apocarteresis (a-po-car-ter’-e-sis): Casting of all hope away from one thing and placing it on another source altogether.
When I was young beauty was in the eye of the beholder–I was the beholder and I was delighted to be in the presence of beauty–of beautiful bodies and beautiful things.
Now that my sight has faded and my other senses are failing, I have found that being in the presence of beauty and beholding its glory can no longer be a source of delight: there is no beholding, just a dull awareness of the material world–of light and darkness and moving shadows and the garble of human speech.
Yet, as I drift into old age’s oblivion it is the persistance of the idea of beauty that lingers and embraces me and excites me and delights me! For this, I am grateful. For this, I am not fearful of what will come next.
When I was young, I thought Plato was an idiot. Now, I can ‘see’ the Truth of what he was telling me and why you should take him seriously.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in apocarteresis
Tagged apocarteresis, beauty, elocutio, example, figures of speech, old age, rhetoric
Palilogia (pa-li-lo’-gi-a): Repetition of the same word, with none between, for vehemence. Synonym for epizeuxis.
Snow snow snow and more snow! The first foot was fun, but now you need to stop! Stop!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Diazeugma (di-a-zoog’-ma): The figure by which a single subject governs several verbs or verbal constructions (usually arranged in parallel fashion and expressing a similar idea); the opposite of zeugma.
I couldn’t get to sleep because my report wasn’t finished, my psycho neighbor was playing with his musical clapper, the handgun my mother had given me was missing, and worst of all, my Sleep Number bed’s 5-part fully adjustable electric frame was stuck at 9–AKA spine bending speed bump.
Definition courtesy of Silva Rhetoricae (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Epitrope (e-pi’-tro-pe): A figure in which one turns things over to one’s hearers, either pathetically, ironically, or in such a way as to suggest a proof of something without having to state it. Epitrope often takes the form of granting permission (hence its Latin name, permissio), submitting something for consideration, or simply referring to the abilities of the audience to supply the meaning that the speaker passes over (hence Puttenham’s term, figure of reference). Epitrope can be either biting in its irony, or flattering in its deference.
A specific form of epitrope is the (apparent) admission of what is wrong in order to carry our point.
Take your time–go ahead, obey the speed limit! It can’t matter that much. I’ll have the baby right here on the front seat. It’s better than a hospital. I won’t die. You won’t be sorry, and our baby won’t suffer! Why don’t you just slow down a little bit more–there’s no rush.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Dendographia (den-dro-graf’-ia): Creating an illusion of reality through vivid description of a tree.
Trees! Tall trees. Small trees. All trees. Dark bark maybe grey, birch bark black and white; day and night with leaves–leaves hanging by their thread-thin stems feeding light to sap, and in the sunny breeze of dawn’s mortal moment they swarm like clouds of butterflies waving winged shadows over tangled bumpy stumpy roots reaching deep beneath the soddy earth. The smell of pine. The womb of woods. The trees!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in dendrographia
Tagged dendographia, elocutio, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, trees
Isocolon (i-so-co’-lon): A series of similarly structured elements having the same length. A kind of parallelism.
I drove. I parked. I shopped. I dropped.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in isocolon
Tagged elocutio, example, figures of speech, isocolon, public speaking, rhetoric, style
Scesis Onomaton (ske’-sis o-no’-ma-ton): 1. A sentence constructed only of nouns and adjectives (typically in a regular pattern). 2. A series of successive, synonymous expressions.
1. Wild nights, bleary mornings, sunburned days. Spring break !
2. I have your best interests close to my heart. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. The sky’s the limit. Just ask.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in scesis onomaton
Tagged elocutio, example, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, scesis onomaton, The Daily Trope
Symploce (sim’-plo-see or sim’-plo-kee): The combination of anaphora and epistrophe: beginning a series of lines, clauses, or sentences with the same word or phrase while simultaneously repeating a different word or phrase at the end of each element in this series.
We never know what the future will bring. We never know what a promise will bring. We never know and yet we must travel on, not knowing, but hoping for what only hope will bring.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in symploce
Tagged anaphora, elocutio, epsitrophe, example, figures of speech, hope, rhetoric, symploce
Polyptoton (po-lyp-to’-ton): Repeating a word, but in a different form. Using a cognate of a given word in close proximity.
Lovers love loving and being loved.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in polyptoton
Tagged elocutio, example, figures of speech, polyptoton, public speaking, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
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