高级英语写作-修辞

RhetoricalDevices

2021/5/91MajorSimileMetaphorPersonificationSynecdocheMetonymy

MinorAnalogyRhetoricalQuestionsAlliterationAntithesisClimaxEuphemismHyperboleIronyOxymoron2021/5/92What’saSimile?Similescomparetwodissimilarobjects,concepts,etc.,inordertosuggestanunexpectedlikenessbetweenthetwo.Similescanoftenbedistinguishedbythepresenceofoneoftwocodewords,“like”

and“as”.2021/5/93ForExample…TwoDissimilarSubjectsBlanketSnow2021/5/94SimileTime!Ifwewishtomakeacomparisonbetweenthewayablanketcoversabedandthewaythesnowcoverstheground,weshoulduseasimile.Howcanweuseasimiletocomparethetwo?2021/5/95TheFinishedProduct!Thesnowislikeathickblanketontheground.Noticethekeypresenceof“like”.2021/5/96MoreExamplesWhenyoucompareanountoanoun,thesimileisusuallyintroducedbylike:

Aftersuchlongexposuretothedirectsun,theleavesofthehouseplantlookedlikepiecesofovercookedbacon.Thesoulinthebodyislikeabirdinacage.Whenaverborphraseiscomparedtoaverborphrase,asisused:Theyremainedconstantlyattentivetotheirgoal,asasunfloweralwaysturnsandstaysfocusedonthesun.2021/5/97MetaphorsMetaphorcomparestwodifferentthingsbyspeakingofoneintermsoftheother.Metaphorassertsthatonethingisanotherthing,notjustthatoneislikeanother.Veryfrequentlyametaphorisinvokedbythetobeverb.2021/5/98ForExample…“Thesnowisablanketontheearth.”Isthesnowactuallyablanket?No!However,theimagetheequationcreatesisavividlydescriptiveone–andvividimagesareexcellent!2021/5/99DirectionAneasywaytorememberthedifferencebetweensimilesandmetaphorsistodeterminewhetherthewriteristryingtobedirect.“Thesnowisablanket”isdirect;thecomparisonin“thesnowislikeablanket”isbydefinitionmoreabstractthantheequation.2021/5/910Metaphors:MoreExamplesYoureyeisthelampofyourbody;whenyoureyeissound,yourwholebodyisfulloflight;butwhenitisnotsound,yourbodyisfullofdarkness.--LukeThemindisbutabarrensoil;asoilwhichissoonexhaustedandwillproducenocrop,oronlyone,unlessitbecontinuallyfertilizedandenrichedwithforeignmatter.--JoshuaReynolds2021/5/911PersonificationPersonificationinvolvesgivingthequalitiesofanimalsorpersonstoinanimateobjects–toanimatethenonliving.Onceagain,figurativelanguageisusedtobringimages,concepts,orobjectstolife!“Englandexpectseverymantodohisduty."

WeboughtthishouseinsteadoftheoneonMaplebecausethisoneismorefriendly.2021/5/912Synecdoche(提喻）

Synecdoche:thepartstandsforthewhole,thewholeforapart,thegenusforthespecies,thespeciesforthegenus,thematerialforthethingmade,etc.2021/5/913Synecdoche:ExamplesItishardtoearnadollarthesedays.Hisparentsboughthimanewsetofwheels.AustraliabeatCanadaatCricket.Shewasdressedinsilksandsatins.Springshouldvanishwiththerose!Whatadespicablecreatureheis!2021/5/914MetonymyThethingchosenforthemetaphoricalimageiscloselyassociatedwith(butnotanactualpartof)thesubjectwithwhichitistobecompared.TheHallapplauded.Helikestoplaywiththerosycheeks.Shemeanstomarrymoney.Thepenismightierthanthesword.Greyhairshouldberespected.WillyouplaymesomeChopins?Heistheadmirationofthewholeschool.2021/5/915WhatisanAnalogy?Analogiesallowwriterstohelpreadersunderstanddifficultissuesorconceptsbycomparingthemtofamiliarones.Asaresult,similaritybetweenthedifficultconceptanditsfamiliarcounterpartiscrucial;ifthereisnosimilarity,thecomparisonisuselessforrhetoricalpurposes.2021/5/916AnalogyAnalogiescanbeseparatedintotwoparts.Target–theunknownideaorobject;we’retryingtoexplainit,oratleastmakeitclearSource–thefamiliarideaorobject;weusesourcestoshedlightonthemorecomplicatedtarget2021/5/917Analogy:ExamplesYoumayabuseatragedy,thoughyoucannotwriteone.Youmayscoldacarpenterwhohasmadeyouabadtable,thoughyoucannotmakeatable.Itisnotyourtradetomaketables.--SamuelJohnson

Someanalogiessimplyofferanexplanationforclarificationratherthanasubstituteargument:Knowledgealwaysdesiresincrease:itislikefire,whichmustfirstbekindledbysomeexternalagent,butwhichwillafterwardspropagateitself.--SamuelJohnson2021/5/918RhetoricalQuestionsThequestionisnotansweredbythewriter,becauseitsanswerisobviousorobviouslydesired,andusuallyjustayesorno.Itisusedforeffect,emphasis,orprovocation,orfordrawingaconclusionarystatementfromthefactsathand.2021/5/919RhetoricalQuestionsHowmanytimesdoIhavetotellyoutodoyourhomework?Buthowcanweexpecttoenjoythescenerywhenthesceneryconsistsentirelyofgarishbillboards?...Forifwelosetheabilitytoperceiveourfaults,whatisthegoodoflivingon?--MarcusAureliusIsjusticethentobeconsideredmerelyaword?Orisitwhateverresultsfromthebarteringbetweenattorneys?2021/5/920AlliterationRepetitionoftheinitialconsonantsoundsbeginningseveralwordsinsequence.

"....weshallnotfalter,weshallnotfail."

(PresidentG.W.BushAddresstoCongressfollowing9-11-01TerroristAttacks.)"Letusgoforthtoleadthelandwelove.“(PresidentJ.F.Kennedy,Inaugural1961)"Veni,vidi,vici.“

(JuliusCaesar

-“Icame,Isaw,Iconquered”)2021/5/921AntithesisAntithesisestablishesaclear,contrastingrelationshipbetweentwoideasbyjoiningthemtogetherorjuxtaposingthem,ofteninparallelstructure.Toerrishuman;toforgive,divine.--Pope

人孰无过？心存宽恕，就是圣洁。

ThatshortandeasytripmadealastingandprofoundchangeinHarold'soutlook.That'sonesmallstepforaman,onegiantleapformankind.--NeilArmstrong2021/5/922Climax(层进法)Consistsofarrangingwords,clauses,orsentencesintheorderofincreasingimportance,weight,oremphasis.Parallelismusuallyformsapartofthearrangement,becauseitoffersasenseofcontinuity,order,andmovementuptheladderofimportance.2021/5/923Climax:ExamplesTohavefaultsisnotgood,butfaultsarehuman.Worseistohavethemandnotseethem.Yetbeyondthatistohavefaults,toseethem,andtodonothingaboutthem.Buteventhatseemsmildcomparedtohimwhoknowshisfaults,andwhoparadesthemaboutandencouragesthemasthoughtheywerevirtues.2021/5/924EuphemismEuphemismissubstitutionofanagreeableoratleastnon-offensiveexpressionforonewhoseplainermeaningmightbeharshorunpleasant.

ugly—homelydebt—cashadvancesecond-handfurniture---antiquecostumejewelry---fashionjewelryillegitimatechild---lovechildfreelove---trialmarriageheadwaiter---captain(总管）

retreat---strategicwithdrawal

(战略转移）2021/5/925Hyperbole

Hyperboleisintentionaloverstatementforthesakeofemphasis.Weoftenusehyperboleineverydayspeechbymakingstatementssimilartothefollowing:"Ifyoucallmethatnameagain,I'mgoingtoexplode!"“Inearlydiedlaughing.”Histerriblestoriesmadeourbloodfreeze.Hewasnearlykilled---hewouldnothavesuchanotherwalkforthethreekingdoms.2021/5/926(Verbal)IronyIronyistheuseofwordsorstatementscarryingtheoppositeoftheirliteralorintendedmeaning,suchasinsarcasm,whichisaneverydayformofIrony.“YetBrutussayshewasambitious;

AndBrutusisanhonorableman.”(Shakespeare'sMarkAntonyinJuliusCaesar)“Oh,sure,we’dlovetoworkovertime,Martha.

2021/5/927OxymoronApparentparadoxachievedbythejuxtapositionofwordswhichseemtocontradictoneanother.“Imustbecruelonlytobekind.”

"Hurtssogood…“

SenatorRosebudcallsthis