All entries for September 2009

Literary Term of the Day

Priamel

“Originally: a type of short poem cultivated in Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries, culminating in a witty or ingenious turn of thought. Later applied to similar literary forms; spec. (in ancient Greek poetry) a device in which a number of items or options, culminating in a preferred one, are listed for comparison” (OED)

Eg:

Sappho, ‘On what is best’

Some celebrate the beauty
of knights, or infantry,
or billowing flotillas
at battle on the sea.
Warfare has its glory,
but I place far above
these military splendors
the one thing that you love.

For proof of this contention
examine history:
we all remember Helen,
who left her family,
her child, and royal husband,
to take a stranger’s hand:
her beauty had no equal,
but bowed to love’s command.

As love then is the power
that none can disobey,
so too my thoughts must follow
my darling far away:
the sparkle of her laughter
would give me greater joy
than all the bronze-clad heroes

- translated from the Greek by Jon Corelis

Alice Eardley : 30 Sep 2009 11:07 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Rhetorical Term of the Day

Tmesis

The separation of the elements of a compound word by the interposition of another word or words (OED)

Athenæum 23 Mar. 373/1 Forgive the quaint tmesis of his opening line:{em}How bright the chit and chat!

From Wiki-not usually to be trusted-pedia:

• “Abso-fuckin-lutely”.
• “Guaran-damn-tee”.
• “La-dee-freakin’-da”. This phrase was popularized by fictional character Matt Foley, portrayed by Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live.
• “Wel-diddly-elcome”, a signature phrase of fictional character Ned Flanders’, where a nonsense word is inserted.
• “Any-old-how”.
• “A-whole-nother”.
• “Legen-wait for it-dary”, in which the phrase “wait for it” is inserted into the word Legendary. This phrase was popularized by Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother.
• “Abso-bloody-exactly”, a humourous misuse of infixation by fictional character Alan Partridge.

Alice Eardley : 28 Sep 2009 14:40 |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem