修辞学复习

修辞学复习

（一）

D

efinition

1. Choice of words

(1).

Denotation and connotation

Denotation is the specific, direct, and literal meaning of a word.

Connotation is the associative or suggestive meaning of a word.

(2).

General words and specific words

appeal to the imagination, a vivid image, more informative and persuasive

(3). Abstract words and concrete words

(4). Long words and short words

2. Choice of sentences

(1) Simple sentences

(2) Compound sentences

(3) Complex sentences

(4) Compound-complex sentences

(5) Loose sentences

(6) Periodic sentences

(7) Long and short sentences

3. Figures of speech

(1) Phonetic figures of speech (choice of sounds)

a.

Alliteration

It is the repetition of initial consonant in a sequence of (

一系列的

) words.

It is good for sound rhyme, musical effect and significant emphasis. It

’

s a great

help to memory. By highlighting the sounds of words, alliteration catches the attention

of the audience and makes the idea impressed deeply on the audience and thus easier

for them to remember.

b. Assonance

['?s(

?

)n

?

ns]

半韵，谐音

It is the repetition or resemblance of vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of a

sequence

of

words,

preceded

and

followed

by

different

consonants

as

in

“

late

and

make

”

. Assonance also refers to the likeness of sound in a series of words, as in

“

fair

and square

”

. It

’

s a partial- or half- rhyme.

It

is

often

used

in

poetic

language

to

create

a

musical

rhythm

for

a

particular

effect of euphony.

['ju

?

f(

?

)n

?

]

悦耳之音

c. Consonance

It refers to the repetition of the final and identical consonants whose preceding

vowels are different, words like sing

—

rang, dash

—

fish.

Consonance, like alliteration and assonance, is often employed in poetry.

d. Onomatopoeia

[,< /p>

?

n

?

(

?

)m?t

?

'pi

?

?

]

拟声

It is a term used to describe the phenomenon of language sounding like the thing

if refers to.

Onomatopoeia

helps

make

description

lifelike,

add

vividness

or

vitality

to

the

description and give auditory description to break up a little the visual description that

is

often felt strenuous to understand.

It

helps

make the implied exquisiteness

of the

diction more directly to the readers in an auditory way.

(2) Semantic figures of speech

语义修辞格

（

what is semantic figure of speech?

）

a. Simile ['s

?

m

?

l

?

]

明喻

Two concepts or two similar things are imaginatively and descriptively compared

because they have at least one quality or characteristic in common or in resemblance.

The commonest connectives are

“

like

”

and

“

as

”

.

It

’

s

to

draw

sharp

pictures

in

the

mind

through

comparisons,

to

give

deeper

insight

into

things,

persons

and

ideas

through

suggestive

association,

or

to

explain

abstract, complicated ideas in simple, concrete imagery.

Four basic demands:

?

It has simile indicator such as

“

like

,

“

as

”

or

“

as if

”

etc.

?

Two things involved in comparison: tenor and vehicle.

?

The two things mush be substantially different

?

The two things should be similar in at least one quality.

Classification of Simile:

?

Descriptive Simile

?

Illuminative Simile

?

Illustrative Simile

?

Closed Simile

?

Open Simile

b. Metaphor

Metaphor

uses

words

to

indicate

something

different

from

their

literal

meaning--one

thing

is

described

in

terms

of

another

so

as

to

suggest

a

likeness

or

analogy ([

?

'n?l

?

d

?

?

]

类比，类似

) between them.

Classification

Three requirements for metaphor

Common types of Metaphor

c.

Metonymy

Metonymy involves the substitution of the name of one thing for that of another.

For example, the name of a referent (

指示物，指示对象

) is substituted by the

name

of

an

attribute

or

entity

related

in

some

semantic

way

or

by

spatial

proximity or by other reasons.

Sources of Metonymy:

?

Body part

?

?

?

?

?

?

Name of a person

Name of a clear sign of an object or a person

Name of a place

Instrument

Trade mark or brand

Location

d. Synecdoche [s

?

'nekd

?

k

?

]

提喻法（以局部代表全部和以全部指部分）

Synecdoche is a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole

，

the whole

for a part

，

the species for the genus

，

the genus for the species

，

or the name of the

material for the thing made.

Types of Synecdoche:

?

The part for the whole

?

The whole for the part

?

The abstract for the concrete, or the concrete for the abstract

?

The species for the genus

，

or the genus for the species

?

Name of the material for the thing made:

e. Personification

Personification

is

a

figure

of

speech

which

attributes

human

characteristics

to

impersonal things, such as animals, inanimate objects, or abstractions.

It is usually employed to add vividness to expression.

f. Synesthesia

通感

As

a

rhetorical

term,

synesthesia

refers

to

the

mixing

of

sensations

or

the

stimulation of one sense that produces a mental impression associated with a different

sense.

Synesthesia generally takes the following forms

：

?

Sense of vision mixed with sense of hearing

?

Sense of vision mixed with sense of touch

?

Sense of touch mixed with sense of hearing

?

Sense of taste mixed with sense of hearing

?

Sense of vision mixed with sense of taste

?

Sense of vision mixed with sense of hearing

?

Sense of smell mixed with other sense of modalities

g.

Transferred epithet

转移修饰

Transferred

epithet

is

a

figure

of

speech

in

which

an

adjective

properly

modifying one noun is shifted to another noun in the same sentence.

Transferred epithet bears the characteristics of brevity and vividness.

According

to

the

logical

relationship

between

the

word

modifying

and

the

word

modified we can divide transferred epithets into

three groups

.

?

Parallel relationship

?

She sat there with embarrassed delight.

?

He's recent kindness was winning a surprised gratitude from the lonely

girl.

?

Cause- effect/Effect-cause relationship

?

He answered with a delighted smile

，

?

The warrant officer shook his head in numb astonishment

?

The child gazed in wide-eyed amazement

?

Modifying relationship

?

He answered with a helpless smile.

?

It

is

the

law,

remarked

the

ancient

clerk,

turning

his

surprised

spectacles upon him.

?

The sky turned to a tender Pallet of pink and blue.

(3) Syntactic figures of speech

句法修辞格

a. Repetition

Repetition

is

a

powerful

rhetorical

device

which

creates

good

rhythm

and

parallelism to make the language musical, emphatic, attractive and memorable.

Redundancy

is

a

kind

of

faulty

wording,

which

results

from

ideological

confusion.

Functions of Repetition:

?

Knit the ideas together

?

Emphasize an idea

?

Generate emotional force

Classification of Repetition

b. Parallelism

Parallelism

is

the

repetition

of

syntactically

similar

constructions

of

coordinated sentences or phrases.

Parallelism

gives

emphasis,

clarity

and

coherence

of

ideas

as

well

as

the

rhythm of the language.

?

Parallelism is often used in persuasive speech. It is either within a sentence or

across sentences, within a paragraph or across paragraphs.

?

Parallelism

is

deeply

rooted

in

our

mind.

Some

people

even

argue

that

parallelism

should

be

grouped

into

grammar

because

on

so

many

occasions

parallelism is a rule and a must.

?

Parallelism

is

often

used

together

with

repetition,

either

verbally

or

syntactically. They make a very formidable pair in forceful writing of any kind.

They help drive home a point.

c. Antithesis

Antithesis is placing contrasting ideas side by side for emphasis and rhythm.

The elements (usually two) are contrary in meaning but similar in form.

Arranged this way, the contrasting ideas provide a sharp and forceful way of

measuring

difference.

Antithesis

always

gives

strength,

adds

vividness

and

appeals

to

the

audience's

emotion.

It

results

in

linguistic

brevity

and

rhythmic

harmony.

Ways of creating antithesis:

?

The use of antonyms

?

The reverse of the word order

d. Climax

Climax

is

the

arrangement

of

words,

phrases,

clauses

or

sentences

in

ascending order of importance.

Ideas arranged in such a way develop gradually, like climbing a ladder, each

idea outweighing the preceding one until reaching the summit.

It

is

extremely

effective

in

stirring

up

feelings

and

emotions,

and

helps

to

drive home a point.

?

Basic requirement:

?

The progression of thought in climax must ascend at least three steps.

?

Climax

is

often

combined

with

repetitive

devices

such

as

parallelism,

anaphora, epihora, etc.

e. Anticlimax

It

is

defined

as

“

a

sudden

drop

from

the

dignified

or

important

in

thought

or

expression to the commonplace or trivial, sometimes for humorous effect

”; “

a sudden

often funny change from something noble, serious, exciting, etc., to something foolish,

unimportant, or uninteresting esp. in a sp

eech or piece of formal writing”

.

It is a figure of speech that involves stating one's thought in a descending order of

significance

or

intensity,

from

the

sublime

to

the

ridiculous,

from

strong

to

weak,

from weighty to light or frivolous.

f. Syllepsis [s

?

' leps

?

s]

一语双叙法；兼用法；轭语法

It is a construction in which the word that governs two or more other words means

differently when it is collocated with these words separately.

Syllepsis is often used for comic or satiric effect. To produce a witty, humorous or

satirical effect, it ought to be original and creative.

Structures of syllepsis:

?

one verb+two or more nouns or noun phrases

?

He opened the door and her heart to the homeless child

?

The senator picked up his hat and his courage.

?

He lost his coat and his temper.

?

one adjective+two or more nouns