An example of a figure of speech is litotes, as in “My dog is not the friendliest.” Instead of directly saying that the dog is aggressive or unfriendly, one may choose a milder expression and downplay the situation using litotes. This implies that the dog might be somewhat unfriendly, but it softens the expression, making it less harsh.
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In rhetoric, figures of speech are divided into two types:
However, nowadays, in many contexts, the term trope is synonymous with figure of speech.
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Caesura and enjambment are both techniques that impact the rhythm and pacing of a poem, but they should not be confused.
A caesura is an intentional break when reading a poem, often created with the help of punctuation, such as a comma, full stop, or a colon. It creates a moment of reflection or emphasis within the line, often altering the rhythm and pace of the poem.
Enjambment occurs when a sentence or phrase continues from one line of poetry to the next without a pause or punctuation at the end of the first line. This encourages the reader to continue until the sentence is concluded, speeding up the pace of the poem.
In short, caesura introduces a pause in a line of verse, while enjambment eliminates pauses between lines to create a continuous flow.
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An example of caesura can be found in the lines from the prologue of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet:
“Two households, // both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, // where we lay our scene.”
Here, the commas after “households” and “Verona” create natural pauses, marking the caesurae. These pauses emphasize the words that precede them—the two families and the setting—directing the audience’s attention to key elements of the plot.
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Pleonasm and tautology are often used interchangeably, but some sources draw a distinction between the two:
In short, both pleonasm and tautology involve redundancy, and the terms are often used as synonyms. However, some sources define tautology as explicitly repeating the same meaning, while pleonasm is the broader concept of using more words than needed to convey an idea.
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The term “pleonastic” refers to expressions that contain a pleonasm or redundancy. For example, “vibrating with motion” is a pleonastic expression because “vibrating” already implies motion.
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A kenning example is “battle-sweat” for “blood.” By equating blood with sweat in the context of battle, the kenning paints a vivid image, emphasizing the effort and intensity of fighting.
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An example of kenning in Beowulf is the compound “sea-wood” for “ship.” On their way to kill Grendel, Beowulf and his men travel on a boat, which in the poem is referred to as “sea-wood,” an explicit reference to the boat’s material.
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The phrase “You win some, you lose some” is an example of a truism. It encapsulates a generally accepted truth (the inevitability of both successes and failures) and is broad enough to apply to any situation without requiring proof or explanation.
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Cliche and truism are closely related, but there is a difference between the two:
While both clichés and truisms express ideas that may be widely accepted, clichés are overused expressions that have lost their impact, whereas truisms are obvious truths that do not provide new insights or information.
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