Syntactic devices, schemes

Whereas tropes concern unusual uses of words, schemes con­cern unusual patterns of words. Tropes involve word meanings; schemes, word arrangements. Note that as long as language units function when arranged syntagmatically some devices listed above as belonging to phonetic may also be viewed as syntactic.

Schemes of Balance

Parallelism - involves grammatical elements similar in structure (It adds weight and force to ideas and thus af­fects the rhythm of the voice).

/… / here is a certain place where dumb-waiters boom, doors slam, dishes crash /…/

Antithesis - the use of parallel structure to emphasize con­trasting ideas. More generally, antithesis can be defined as ideas or words in sharp opposition.

It is a sin to believe evil of others, but it is seldom a mistake. (H.L. Mencken, A Book of Burlesques) To every complicated problem, there's a simple solution—­that is wrong. (H.L. Mencken) Marriage has many pains, but celibacy has no pleasures. (Samuel Johnson, Rasselas XXVI)

Isocolon - the use of grammatical elements equal in structure and in length (the same number of words, and in its strictest use, the same number of syllables).

With stars in her eyes and veils in her hair, with cyclamen and wild violets—what nonsense was he thinking? She was fifty at least; she had eight children.

Schemes of Unusual or Inverted Word Order

Anastrophe - the use of inverted or unusual word order.

Insoluable questions they were, it seemed to her, standing there, holding James by the hand. (Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse)

Parenthesis - the insertion of a phrase or a clause that inter­rupts the main part of a sentence. The interruption is usually indicated by ( ) or by commas or dashes.

And the very fact that he had had to choose respectability to hide behind was proof enough (if anyone needed further proof) that what he fled from must have been some opposite of respectability too dark to talk about.

(William Faulkner)

Schemes of Omission

Ellipsis - the deliberate omission of a word or words that can be understood by the reader from the previous context and from the grammar of the sentence. The understood words must be compatible with the grammar.

To some people that's the stuff of which legends are made, to others jokes. (Phyllis Rose, "Nora Astorga," New York Times)

Asyndeton - a deliberate lack of conjunctions between par­allel or related clauses. One effect is to quicken the rhythm of a sentence or series of sentences. An asyndetic style often includes anaphora (repeated clause or phrase openers).

Now that science is looking, chaos seems to be everywhere. A rising column of cigarette smoke breaks into wild swirls. A flag snaps back and forth in the wind. A dripping faucet goes from a steady pattern to a random one. (James Gleick, Chaos)

Aposiopesis or break - a sudden interruption in speech caused by some strong emotion or reluctance to continue or finish the sentence for some other reason. – She was so nice to me whenever I dropped into her old shabby place and I... but who cares!

Polysyndeton —the intentional use of many conjunc­tions.

Then the elephant had gone on into the thick forest and Da­vid had seen him ahead standing gray and huge against the trunk of a tree. (Ernest Hemingway, The Garden of Eden)

Alliteration - the repetition of initial consonants.

The soul selects her own society. (Emily Dickinson)

Polyptoton - the repetition of words with the same root but different endings or in different forms.

Poverty and isolation produce impoverished and isolated minds.

Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel sounds.

The spider skins lie on their sides, translucent and ragged, their legs drying in knots.

(Annie Dillard, Holy the Firm)

Anaphora - the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginnings of clauses or sentences.

We forget all too soon the things we thought we could never forget. We forget the loves and the betrayals alike, forget what we whispered and what we screamed, forget who we were. (Joan Didion, "On Keeping a Notebook")

Epistrophe - the repetition of words or phrases at the end of subsequent clauses or sentences.

What I do know is this. If you go so far out on a limb that it breaks, you have gone too far. If you lose your perspective, you have gone too far. If you don't see the joke anymore, you have gone too far. (Connor FreffCochran, "Going Too Far")

Epanalepsis - the use of the same word or phrase at the beginning and end of a clause or sentence.

Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'd blows;

Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power. (William Shakespeare, King John, Act II, Scene i)

Anadiplosis - the repetition of the last word of a clause (or sentence) in the first word of the following one.

How can people think that artists seek a name? A name, like a face, is something you have when you're not alone. (Annie Dillard, Holy the Firm)

Tricolon - the use of three parallel phrases or clauses, usually climactically arranged.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot conse­crate—we hannot hallow this ground. (Abraham Lincoln)

Chiasmus - repetition in which the order of words in one clause is reversed in the second.

Nature forms patterns. Some are orderly in space but disor­derly in time, others orderly in time but disorderly in space. (James Gleick, Chaos)

Anadiplosis or catch repetition -repetition of the same element or unit at the end, of the preceding and at the be­ginning of the following utterance. - With Bewick on my knee I felt happy: happy at last In my way. (Ch.Broate).

Anaphora - repetition of the first word or group of words at the beginning of several successive sentences or clauses. - And everywhere- there were people. People going into gates and people coming out of gates. People staggering and falling. People, fighting and cursing. (P.Abrahams).

Apokoinu construction - blend of-two cla­uses through a word which has two syntactical functions, one in each of the .two blended clauses. - There was a door led into the kitchen.(E.Hemingway)

Chain repetition - combination of several catch repetitions.

Chiasmus- reversed parallelism. – I know what you want – you want what I’ve got.

Coordination instead of Subordination - usage of coordination in the cases where subordination is logically ex­pected (usually the use of "and'', as in Hemingway). Detachment- isolation of some parts of the sentence to make it more prominent.

E11ipsis- deliberate omission of. some members of the sentence for stylistic purpose.

I won’t take a single buck from him. You got it? Not one.

Epiphora - repetition of the final word or group of words in several succeeding sentences or clauses.

Parallelism- two or wore sentences built by the same syntactic pattern closely following each other.

Polysyndeton- connection of sentences, phrases or words based on the repetition of the sane conjunction.

Rhetorical question - presentation of an affirmative or negative statement in the form of a question. - Is there not blood enough upon your penal codes that must be pored forth? (Byron).

Ring repetition- repetition of the same unit at the beginning and at the end of some utterance. We are nice to our mas-s-s-ster, yesssss we are... (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Stylistic inversion- violation of the tra­ditional order of words which does not alter the grammatical meaning of the sentence but gives it an additional emotional or emphatic colouring.

Subordination instead of coordination - usage of subordination In cases where coordination is logically expected.

Syntactic tautology- repetition of some member of the sentence, usually the subject expressed by a noun or, a pronoun. – Old Ms. Spider, she was a disaster incarnate.

Zeugma - usage of semantically different bat syntactically similar construction in close succession. - Mr. Pikwick took his hat and his leave. /Dickens/.

Antithesis- presentation of two contrasting ideas in close succession. Mr. Pinski was a man of great ambitions and tiny toes.

Litotes - presentation of a statement in the form of a negation. – I surmise the individual standing in front of me is far from a loser you’ve tried to make of him.

Periphrasis- using a roundabout for of expres­sion instead of a simpler one, to designate the same object. Wearing leather on a horse of steel I ride (Joe de Maio, Manowar).

Climax- structure in which every successive sentence, phrase or word is emotionally stronger and logically more impor­tant than the preceding one. For that one instant there was no one else in the room, in the house, in the world, besides themselves. (M.Wilson).

Anticlimax- counterpart of climax, where emotional or logical importance is accumulated only to be unexpectedly broken and brought to a sudden break. This was appalling - and soon forgotten. (J.Galsworthy)