Schemes Flashcards
‘I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth’
Epistrophe
repetition phrases/words at end of sentences. It not only sets up a pronounced rhythm but secures a special emphasis, both by repeating the word and by putting the word in the final position.
‘By day the frolic, and the dance by night’.
‘exalts his enemies, his friends destroys’.
Chiasmus
‘the criss-cross’. reversing structure. Not necessary about reversing words, but about structure to emphasize what you want. Similar to the scheme antimetabole in that it too involves a reversal of grammatical structures, but it is unlike antimetabole in that it does not involve a repetition of words. Both chiasmus and antimetabole can be used to reinforce antithesis
JFK: ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.
‘one should eat to live, not live to eat’.
Antimetabole
reverse order of part of sentence in next sentence. Makes it memorable.
Original Text from MLK’s I Have a Dream:
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
With This Scheme:
“I have a dream that one day … the sons of former slaves … and former slave owners will … sit down together.”
Ellipsis
certain aspects of sentence/saying is deliberately left out to make a point (which is not Grammarly correct always). We must watch out that the understood words are grammatically compatible (i.e. plural and single nouns can’t have the same verb).
Let a man acknowledge obligations to his family, his country, and his god
Climax
words or phrases are arranged in order of increasing importance. Climax is only a scheme of repetition when it is a continued anadiplosis involving 3 of more members. Otherwise, it is simply a scheme which arranges a series in an order of gradually importance.
‘what we need… what we need’,
‘we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets’ -Churchill.
Anaphora
repetition of a word or phrase at beginning or sentence. The repetition of words helps to establish a marked rhythm I the sequence of clauses. This scheme is thus usually reserved for those passages where the author wants to produce a strong emotional effect.
‘I walk to school, I fly to Barcelona, I swim 5 km’. He tried to make the law clear, precise, and equitable. ‘speaking is silver, but silence is gold’ Wrong example(grammarly): ‘other common complaints are the failure of Webster’s Third to include encyclopedic matter and for its technique of definition’.
Parallelism
Parallelism is a scheme of balance. Similarity in structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases or clauses. Two phrases in same form/content. Or use the same structure. Make sure that elements joined by the conjunction are of the same grammatical kind.
‘small step for a man, but great step for manhood’. ‘though studious, he was popular, though argumentative, he was modest, though inflexible, he was candid’.
‘Our knowledge separates as well as it unities, our orders disintegrate as well as bind, our art brings us together and set us apart’.
Antithesis
2 opposite ideas for contrast, often in parallel structure. Antithesis can produce the effect of neatness and can win the author a reputation for wit. Obviously related to topic of dissimilarity and contraries.
An old, mad, blind, despised, and dying king.
Assonance
when things sound the same (like in a song/rap). Repetition of similar vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of near words. Be aware of it becoming an awkward jingle though.
‘I came, I saw, I conquered’. ‘they may have it in well-doing, they may have it in learning, they may have it even in criticism’.
Asyndeton
deliberately leaving out conjunctions between series of related clauses. and, or, but etc are left out. Asyndeton is especially appropriate for the conclusion of a discourse, because there we may want to produce the emotional reaction that can be stirred by rhythm
Note the difference in the following two sentences:
‘This semester, I am taking English, history, biology, mathematics, and sociology’.
‘This semester, I am taking English and history and biology and mathematics and sociology’.
Polysyndeton
opposite of asyndeton: deliberate use of many conjunctions. many conjunction words instead of leaving them out. Polysyndeton can be used to produce special emphasis
coca cola, paypal, best buy.
‘Already American vessels had been searched, seized, and sunk’. ‘better business builds bigger bankrolls’. ‘sparkling, flavorful, miller, bottle beer, brewed only in Milwaukie’,
he was a preposterously pompous proponent of precious pedantry.
Alliteration
repeating the same sound(of first or middle part of words), for example to memorize a brand name. Easy to remember
judge, judgemental, judicial.
Polyptoton
repetition of a word (derived from the same root) in different forms
‘Good musicians of their type they are. Clean and neat in appearance they are’.
‘People that he had known all his life he didn’t really know’.
Anastrophe
deviation for normal set of words. Start with the subject for example: most important word first. Such deviation surprises expectation, thus it can be an effective device for gaining attention. But the main function is to secure emphasis.
Year after year, decay pursues decay. Strength matched with strength, and power confronted power
Epanalepsis
Sentence starts with same word as the word it ends with. Often to express emotion. Repetition is one of the characteristics of highly emotional language. Advice: if you find yourself consciously deciding to use epanalepsis, don’t use it: when the time is appropriate, the scheme will present itself.
