10. Of the Interjection; as, "Oh! the folly, [Oh!] the wickedness of men!"

11. Of a Clause; as, "The active commonly do more than they are bound to do; the indolent [commonly do] less [than they are bound to do)."

II. Pleonasm is the introduction of superfluous words. This figure is allowable only when, in animated discourse, it abruptly introduces an emphatic word, or repeats an idea to impress it more strongly; as," He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."-" All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth!"—"There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down."—" I know thee who thou art."—Bible. A Pleonasm is sometimes impressive and elegant; but an unemphatic repetition of the same idea is one of the worst faults of bad writing.

III. Syllepsis is agreement formed according to the figurative sense of a word, or the mental conception of the thing spoken of, and not according to the literal or common use of the term; it is, therefore, in general, connected with some figure of rhetoric: as, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory."—John i. 14. "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them."—Acts viii. 5. "While Evening draws her crimson curtain round."—Thomson.

IV. Enallage is the use of one part of speech, or of one modification, for another. This figure borders closely upon solecism; and, for the stability of the language, it should be sparingly employed. There are, however, some forms of it which can appeal to good authority: as,

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They fall successive [ly], and successive [ly] rise."
Pope.

"Than whom [who] none higher sat."—Milton. "Sure some disaster has befell" [befallen].—Gay. V. Hyperbaton is the transposition of words; as, "He wanders earth around."—Cowper. "Rings the world with the vain stir."—Id. "Whom therefore ye ignorantly

How can there be an ellipsis of the interjection---of a clause? What is pleonasm? and when is this figure allowable? What is syllepsis---enallage---hyperbaton ?

worship, him declare I unto you."—Acts. This figure is much employed in poetry. A judicious use of it confers harmony, variety, strength, and vivacity, upon composition. But care should be taken lest it produce ambiguity or obscurity.

FIGURES OF RHETORIC.

A Figure of Rhetoric is an intentional deviation from the ordinary application of words. Figures of this kind are commonly called Tropes.

Numerous departures from perfect simplicity of diction occur in almost every kind of composition. They are mostly founded on some similitude or relation of things, which, by the power of imagination, is rendered conducive to ornament or illustration.

The principal figures of Rhetoric are fourteen; namely, Sim-i-le, Met-a-phor, Al-le-gor-y, Me-ton-y-my, Sy-necdo-che, Hy-per-bo-le, Vis-ion, A-pos-tro-phe, Per-son-ifi-ca-tion, Er-o-ti-sis, Ec-pho-né-sis, An-tith-e-sis, Cli-max, and I-ro-ny.

I. A Simile is a simple and express comparison; and is generally introduced by like, as, or so: as,

66 Thine is like the star of eve,

eye

And sweet thy voice as seraph's song."—Coleridge. II. A Metaphor is a figure that expresses the resemblance of two objects by applying either the name, or some attribute, adjunct, or action, of the one directly to the other; as, "See how the golden groves around me smile."

Addison.

"Conscience is a thousand swords."—Shakspeare. Speechless and fix'd in all the death of woe."

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Thomson.

III. An Allegory is a continued narration of fictitious

What is said of hyperbaton? What is a figure of rhetoric? What name have such figures? Do figures of rhetoric often occur? On what are they founded? How many and what are the principal figures of rhetoric? What is a simile---a metaphor--an allegory?

events, designed to represent and illustrate important realities. Thus the Psalmist represents the Jewish nation under the symbol of a vine: "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root; and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars."—Psalm lxxx. 8.

OBS.-The Allegory, agreeably to the foregoing definition of it, includes most of those similitudes which in the Scriptures are called parables; it includes also the better sort of fables.

IV. A Metonymy is a change of names. It is founded on some such relation as that of cause and effect, of subject and adjunct, of place and inhabitant, of container and thing contained, or of sign and thing signified: as, "The thorns of state;" i. e. annoyances of power." They smote the city" i. e. citizens.— The sceptre shall not depart from Judah;" i. e. kingly power.

V. Synecdoche is the naming of the whole for a part, or of a part for the whole; as, "This roof [i. e. house] protects you."- "Now the year [i. e. summer] is beautiful."

VI. Hyperbole is extravagant exaggeration, in which the imagination is indulged beyond the sobriety of truth; as,

"The sky shrunk upward with unusual dread, And trembling Tiber dived beneath his bed." Dryden.

VII. Vision, or Imagery, is a figure by which the speaker represents the objects of his imagination as actually before his eyes and present to his senses; as,

"On yonder cliffs a grisly band,

I see them sit, they linger yet,

Avengers of their native land."—Gray.

VIII. Apostrophe is a turning from the regular course of the subject into an animated address; as, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death! where is thy sting? O Grave! where is thy victory?"—1 Cor. xv. 54, 55.

What is a metonymy—synecdoche—hyperbole—vision—apostrophe ?

IX. Personification is a figure by which, in imagination, we ascribe intelligence and personality to unintelligent beings or abstract qualities; as,

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"My children,' the Camelion cries."—Merrick..

"Lo, steel-clad War his gorgeous standard rears!"

Rogers. "O, now doth Death line his dead chaps with steel." Shakspeare.

X. Erotesis is a figure in which the speaker adopts the form of interrogation, not to express a doubt, but, in general, confidently to assert the reverse of what is asked; as, "Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?"—Job xl. 9. "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?" Psalm xciv. 9.

XI. Ecphonesis is a pathetic exclamation, denoting some violent emotion of the mind: as, "O liberty!—O sound once delightful to every Roman ear!—O sacred privilege of Roman citizenship!— -once sacred—now trampled upon!"— Cicero. "O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest!"—Psalm lv. 6.

XII. Antithesis is a placing of things in opposition, to heighten their effect by contrast; as,

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Though deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not dull;
Strong without rage; without overflowing, full."

Pope.

XIII. Climax is a figure in which the sense rises, by successive steps, to what is more and more important and interesting, or descends to what is more and more minute and particular; as, "Add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity."—2 Pet. i. 5.

XIV. Irony is a figure in which the speaker sneeringly utters the direct reverse of what he intends shall be under

What is personification---erotesis---ecphonesis---antithesis---climax---irony?

6

stood; as, "Very well,' cried I, that's a good girl; I find you are perfectly qualified for making converts, and so go help your mother to make the gooseberry pie.'"—Goldsmith.

VERSIFICATION.

Versification is the art of arranging words into lines of correspondent length, so as to produce harmony by the regular alternation of syllables differing in quantity.

In poetry, every syllable is considered to be either long or short. A long syllable is reckoned to be equal to two short ones: as, tube, tub.

Obs. 1.—The quantity of a syllable does not depend on the sound of the vowel or diphthong, but principally on the degree of accentual force with which the syllable is uttered, whereby a greater or less portion of time is employed. The open vowel sounds are those which are the most easily protracted, yet they often occur in the shortest and feeblest syllables.

Obs. 2.—Most monosyllables may be made either long or short, as suits the rhythm. In words of greater length, the accented syllable is always long; and a syllable immediately before or after that which is accented, is always short.

Rhyme is a similarity of sound between the last syllables of different lines. Blank verse is verse without rhyme.

Obs. The principal rhyming syllables are generally long. Double rhyme adds one short syllable; triple rhyme, two. Such syllables are redundant in iambic and anapæstic verses.

POETIC FEET.

A verse is a line of poetry consisting of successive combinations of syllables, called feet. A poetic foot generally consists of two, and sometimes of three, syllables, one of which is always accented.

What is Versification? What is the quantity of a syllable? How is quantity distinguished? How is it said to be proportioned? On what does quantity depend? and what sounds are the most easily lengthened? What words are variable in quantity? and what syllables are fixed? What is rhyme? What is blank verse? Of what does a verse of poetry consist? Of what does a foot consist?