Figures of syntax. Inversion. Pleonasm. Tautology. Figures of rhetoric. Allegory. Alliteration. "The sick and weak the healing plant shall aid, "And in thy fane, the dusty spoils among, РОРЕ. High on a burnished roof, my banner shall be hung." "Long love to her has borne the faithful knight, Pleonasm (an excess, Gr.) is the introduction of superfluous words in a sentence. "This was the most unkindest cut of all." Julius Cæsar. "For the rain it raineth every day."-Twelfth Night. 66 From hence a passage broad, Tautology (a saying of the same thing, Gr.) consists in the needless repetition of words of the same meaning in a sentence. "Excess of too much liberty produces tyranny." "His omnipresence fills Land, sea, and air, and every kind that lives." FIGURES OF RHETORIC. MILTON. Allegory (a saying of another thing, Gr.) is a continued succession of metaphors, describing the thoughts and actions of human beings, under the guise of an account of birds or beasts, or describing one set of thoughts and actions by an account of some different occupation. All fables and parables are examples of allegory. Alliteration consists in joining together several words with the same initial letter in a Figures of sentence. rhetoric. Alliteration. "When this the watchful wicked wizard saw." THOMSON. Antithesis (a placing in opposition, Gr.) is Antithesis. the contrast of actions or qualities of the same or different objects by placing words expressive of them in juxtaposition. "But, oh! what damned minutes tells he o'er, Who dotes, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves." Othello. "Have you not a moist eye? a dry hand? a yellow cheek? a white beard? a decreasing leg? an increasing belly? Is not your chin double? your wit single?" Henry IV. Apostrophe (a turning away, Gr.) is the Apostrophe. breaking off from the regular course of the narrative to address some person or object; as, "The world recedes; it disappears! Lend, lend your wings! I mount! I fly! O Death! where is thy sting?"—POPE. Archaism (archaios = ancient, Gr.) consists in Archaism. the use of antiquated words and phrases; as, By my troth, By our La'kin, In good sooth. Catachresis (a misapplication, Gr.) is the Catachresis. confusion of language either in the composition of words or in the use of metaphors; as, The river has overflown its banks; that is, overflowed, flown being the past participle K Syntax. Absolute phrases. Compound expressions: mood, or a participle followed by other words, but quite independent of the grammatical structure of the rest of the sentence, is called the Imperative, Infinitive, or Participle Absolute; as, There were a good many present, say four hundred; You are very near the mark, judging roughly; To say nothing of writing, he can't even read. "And, to conclude, The victory fell on us."-Macbeth. "He was a man, take him for all in all, COMPOUND EXPRESSIONS. Such expressions as, The queen of England's navy, The professor of Greek's lectures, etc., are to be considered as compound terms, and therefore are inflected at the end only. PART VI. FIGURES OF SPEECH. A figure of speech is an intentional deviation Figures of from the laws of grammar. The figures of speech are divided into three classes: speech. (1.) Figures of Etymology; (2.) Figures of Syntax; (3.) Figures of Rhetoric. A Figure of Etymology is an intentional deviation from the laws of the construction of words. A Figure of Syntax is an intentional deviation from the laws of the construction of sentences. A Figure of Rhetoric is an intentional deviation from the ordinary application of words. FIGURES OF ETYMOLOGY. etymology. Aphoresis (a taking away, Gr.) is the omis- Figures of sion of some letter or letters at the begin- Apheresis. ning of a word; as, 'gan for began; 'gainst for against. Apocopè (a cutting off, Gr.) is the omission Apocope. of some letter or letters at the end of a word; as, tho' for though; th' for the. Diaresis (a taking apart, Gr.) is the sepa- Diæresis. ration of two vowels in a word, which would Figures of etymology. Prosthesis. Synæresis. Syncope. Tmesis. Figures of syntax. Anacolu thon. Ellipsis. otherwise be pronounced as a diphthong. It is marked thus (·); as, aërial, not œrial. Prosthesis (a placing to, Gr.) is the prefixing of an additional syllable to a word; as, adown for down; yclad for clad. Synæresis (a taking together, Gr.) is the taking of two syllables together, and pronouncing them as one; as, loved for lovèd, appeared for appeared. Syncopè (a cutting away, Gr.) is the omission of a consonant or vowel in a word. It is generally marked with an apostrophe ('); as, lik'st for likest; e'en for even. Tmesis (a cutting, Gr.) is the separation of the parts of a compound word; as, to us ward for toward us. FIGURES OF SYNTAX. Anacoluthon (not following, Gr.) is a confusion of two different constructions in the same sentence. "You are three men of sin, whom destiny "Do that good mischief, which may make this island "But lend it [money] rather to thine enemy; Ellipsis (an omission, Gr.) is the omission of some word or words which are necessary to |