Epergesis (e-per-gee’-sis): Interposing an apposition, often in order to clarify what has just been stated.
I saw you right over there, that is, in my office, rummaging through my desk. What were you looking for?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in epergesis
Tagged appositio, apposition, elocutio, epergesis, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
Dialogismus (di-a-lo-giz’-mus): Speaking as someone else, either to bring in others’ points of view into one’s own speech, or to conduct a pseudo-dialog through taking up an opposing position with oneself.
When I was a little boy, right before he died, the last thing my Grandpa said to me was, “You better go to school. School is good for you.” So I went to school. I went, and I went, and I went; and I graduated, and I graduated, and I graduated. Education saved my life. Grandpa was right. Thanks Grandpa! Thanks for the great advice!
So, I want to say to you, even though I’m not your grandpa: You better go to school. School is good for you. Take it from me, education will save your life.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in dialogismus
Tagged dialogismus, elocutio, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
Epicrisis (e-pi-cri’-sis): When a speaker quotes a certain passage and makes comment upon it.
Related figures: anamenesis–calling to memory past matters. More specifically, citing a past author from memory–and chreia (from the Greek chreiodes, “useful”) . . . “a brief reminiscence referring to some person in a pithy form for the purpose of edification.” It takes the form of an anecdote that reports either a saying, an edifying action, or both.
At Gettysburg, it was Abraham Lincoln’s earnest hope that “this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” This hope is alive today–especially as we wind our way, as a nation, toward the upcoming presidential elections. As candidates vie for our attention and for our votes, we should ask at the close of every one of their speeches: “What would Abraham Lincoln say about their resolve–their desire–to listen to the people’s voice?” For every election is underwritten by our deep faith in the people’s voice–in the collective good will and dignity of the people, and the desire of the people, as far as they are people, for liberty and justice and peace and prosperity–the soul of the Republic and the substance of our humanity.
Definitions courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in epicrisis
Tagged anamnesis, anecdote, chreia, elocutio, epicrisis, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
Amphibologia (am’-fi-bo-lo’-gi-a): Ambiguity of grammatical structure, often occasioned by mispunctuation. [A vice of ambiguity.]
Barny fed his dog Eddie.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in amphibolgia
Tagged ambiguity, amphibologia, elocutio, example, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, trope
Dianoea (di-a-noe’-a): The use of animated questions and answers in developing an argument (sometimes simply the equivalent of anthypophora).
Have no fear hubby’s here! And well . . . What did I do on Friday? I went to the mall for four hours! What did I do on Saturday? I made reservations for dinner at your favorite restaurant! What about Sunday? I contacted all your friends to invite them over tonight. And how about right now? I made you breakfast in bed (with this juicy little Rolex on the side)! You are my number one! There’s no way I want it any other way. You are the love of my life! You are the best! Happy birthday dear wife! Today’s your day! Your wish is my command.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in dianoea
Tagged anthypophora, dianoea, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
Systrophe (si’-stro-fee): The listing of many qualities or descriptions of someone or something, without providing an explicit definition.
Human beings are complicated creatures! How caring, how filled with rage, how attentive, how lost in space, how loyal, how unfaithful, how obedient, how rebellious, how generous, how stingy–how completely dialectical–how vexed, how mercurial!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in systrophe
Tagged elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, rhetoric, style, systrophe, The Daily Trope
Ellipsis (el-lip’-sis): Omission of a word or short phrase easily understood in context.
I gave a book to my daughter and my daughter, a book to me!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in ellipsis
Tagged ellipsis, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, style, The Daily Trope
Mesozeugma (me’-so-zyoog’-ma): A zeugma in which one places a common verb for many subjects in the middle of a construction.
Neither hope nor fear could move her; neither bright promises nor beligerent threats.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in mesozeugma
Tagged composition, elocutio, example, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, mesozeugma, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope, trope
Brachylogia (brach-y-lo’-gi-a): The absence of conjunctions between single words. Compare asyndeton. The effect of brachylogia is a broken, hurried delivery.
Love, hate, fear, joy, anger, pity, hope, guilt, disgust–all banging together in his pulsing head. He was flipping out! He needed more than a vacation–he needed a medical leave.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in brachylogia
Tagged asyndeton, brachylogia, composition, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Merismus (mer-is’-mus): The dividing of a whole into its parts.
The USA is made up of states, counties, parishes, townships, towns, cities, neighborhoods & more–so much more!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in merismus
Tagged composition, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, merismus, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Simile (si’-mi-lee): An explicit comparison, often (but not necessarily) employing “like” or “as.”
He was so closed-minded that trying to get him to change his mind was like trying to push an armored car up a hill with a lawn tractor.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in simile
Tagged composition, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, simile, style, The Daily Trope
Prolepsis (pro-lep’-sis): (1) A synonym for procatalepsis [refuting anticipated objections]; (2) speaking of something future as though already done or existing. A figure of anticipation.
1. They’re going to say we don’t have the resources–the experiential and material capital to pull this one off. Well, I say, we’ve accomplished similar goals–even more challenging goals–in the past. Remember the Foster deal? Complicated! But it came off like clockwork! We made a bundle and everybody was happy. And moreover, as far as the money goes, we’ve always managed to raise the funds we need to finance our ventures. Remember how quickly we secured financing for the Panama project? What about the 600 cargo containers for the Singapore deal? Let’s not forget the oyster farm! We’re all over the map–but all roads lead back to due diligence, well-calculated risks, and happy investors. Come on–let’s go for it!
2. I can’t believe you told her about last night. My Spam is fried. The end. That’s it. We’re through.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in prolepsis
Tagged composition, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, procatalepsis, prolepsis, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
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.
The dried hard bud will never blossom–caught in time–somehow dead and alive all-at-once: like a memory, like a broken promise; a broken promise I can’t forget.
Posted in consonance
Tagged alliteration, composition, consonance, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Adianoeta: An expression that, in addition to an obvious meaning, carries a second, subtle meaning (often at variance with the ostensible meaning).
He fielded the line drive with his nose.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in adianoeta
Tagged adianoeta, composition, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, style, The Daily Trope
Syllepsis (sil-lep’-sis): When a single word that governs or modifies two or more others must be understood differently with respect to each of those words. A combination of grammatical parallelism and semantic incongruity, often with a witty or comical effect. Not to be confused with zeugma: [a general term describing when one part of speech (most often the main verb, but sometimes a noun) governs two or more other parts of a sentence (often in a series)].
You broke my heart and my i-phone–what’s next, my leg?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in syllepsis
Tagged elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, public speaking, rhetoric, style, syllepsis, The Daily Trope
Congeries (con’ger-eez): Piling up words of differing meaning but for a similar emotional effect [(akin to climax)].
You are my generous, intelligent, kind, creative, loving, self-confident buddy! My child! My daughter! My rainbow!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in congeries
Tagged climax, composition, congeries, daughter, elocutio, example, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope, trope
Alleotheta (al-le-o-the’-ta): Substitution of one case, gender, mood, number, tense, or person for another. Synonymous with enallage. [Some rhetoricians claim that alleotheta is a] general category that includes antiptosis [(a type of enallage in which one grammatical case is substituted for another)] and all forms of enallage [(the substitution of grammatically different but semantically equivalent constructions)].
The tree was hit by the car. Or, did the tree hit the car? Ask an insurance adjuster–they know everything about accidents (and grammar too)!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in alleotheta
Tagged alleotheta, antiptosis, composition, elocutio, enallage, figures of speech, public speaking, style, The Daily Trope
Conduplicatio (con-du-pli-ca’-ti-o): The repetition of a word or words. A general term for repetition sometimes carrying the more specific meaning of repetition of words in adjacent phrases or clauses. Sometimes used to name either ploce or epizeuxis.
Sometimes it’s worth it to take a risk. Often a risk is not worth taking. Do you really want to take this risk?
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in conduplicatio
Tagged composition, conduplicatio, elocutio, epizeuxis, figures of speech, ploce, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Epiplexis (e-pi-plex’-is): Asking questions in order to chide, to express grief, or to inveigh. A kind of rhetorical question[–the speaker does not expect an answer].
Why did you drink and drive? Why did you get behind the wheel? Even if you don’t care about yourself, don’t you care about your friends who you could’ve killed? What are we going to do with you? Out of jail on $1,000 bail. Don’t you think you’ve really gone over the top this time? Underage drinking! DWI! Go to your room! We’ll talk about this in the morning.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in epiplexis
Tagged composition, elocutio, epiplexis, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, rhetorical question, style, The Daily Trope
Epizeuxis (e-pi-zook’-sis): Repetition of words with no others between, for vehemence or emphasis.
You are nothing but trouble–trouble, trouble, trouble!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in epizeuxis
Tagged composition, elocutio, epizeuxis, figures of speech, public speaking, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Astrothesia (as-tro-the’-si-a): A vivid description of stars. One type of enargia.
This morning I was up at 3.45–I had to drive my daughter to school to catch the bus for her class trip. As we came out the back door, we saw the big dipper low over the treetops in the northeastern sky. As we rode down the hill toward school, we were both struck by the sudden appearance of a brilliant star–maybe a planet–reflecting the beautiful speeding light that races in and out of every day and every night! Sunrise. Sunset. The night sky. The stars. Wow!
And, as we said “Wow” together, there together, being together, happy together, riding together, my heart ached with the painful realization that this moment would not come again. So, I wrote it into The Daily Trope to give that moment a chance to virtually repeat itself again and again.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Posted in astrothesia
Tagged astrothesia, elocutio, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, The Daily Trope, trope
Polysyndeton (pol-y-syn’-de-ton): Employing many conjunctions between clauses, often slowing the tempo or rhythm. (Asyndeton is the opposite of polysyndeton: an absence of conjunctions.)
Over four years ago we held hearings, and we were shown evidence, and we deliberated, and a decision was made, and we went to war. And recently, we held more hearings and evidence was shown, and we deliberated, and again, a decision was made. And so, the war continues.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in polysyndeton
Tagged asyndeton, elocutio, figures of speech, polysyndeton, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
Adage (ad’-age): One of several terms describing short, pithy sayings, or traditional expressions of conventional wisdom. [Others include apothegm, gnome, maxim, paroemia, proverb, sententia, and anamnesis {a related figure}]
No pain, no gain.
Or:
“Do not remove a fly from your friend’s forehead with a hatchet.” (The Quotations Page)
Defintion courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.
Posted in adage
Tagged adage, anamnesis, apothegm, elocutio, figures of speech, gnome, Gorgias's Weblog, maxim, paroemia, proverb, rhetoric, sententia, style, The Daily Trope
Epanorthosis (ep-an-or-tho’-sis): Amending a first thought by altering it to make it stronger or more vehement.
The more they try to make us look bad, the more we should try to make them look bad–no–pathologically evil–a threat to the existence of our way of life, our core values, and the safety of the people we love!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Posted in epanorthosis
Tagged elocutio, epanorthosis, example, figures of speech, rhetoric, style, The Daily Trope
The Daily Trope 