Stylistic Devices Gcse Latin Literature

Front 1

Alliteration

Back 1

Occurrence of SAME LETTER/SOUND in several words in CLOSE SUCCESSION e.g. in 'Baucis and Philemon', line 5, 'parva quidem stipulis et canna tecta palustri', alliteration in 'p', 'c', 't'

Front 2

Anaphora

Back 2

REPETITION of SHORT WORD in CLOSE PROXIMITY e.g. in 'A country spring', 'tu' (referring to fons), line 10, is repeated in line 13 and line 9 (in accusative form 'te')

Front 3

Antithesis

Back 3

CONTRAST of IDEAS emphasised by choice of words/their arrangement

Front 4

Apostrophe

Back 4

Part of speech/poem addressed to ABSENT PERSON/ABSTRACT IDEA

Front 5

Assonance

Back 5

REPEATED VOWEL SOUNDS in CLOSE PROXIMITY, e.g. in 'Baucis and Philemon', line 9, 'levem nec iniqua mente ferendo', assonance in repeated short 'e' vowel sounds

Front 6

Asyndeton

Back 6

OMISSION/ABSENCE of CONJUNCTION e.g. 'and' between parts of sentence e.g. Caesar's famous saying, "I came, I saw, I conquered'

Front 7

Chiasmus

Back 7

The INVERSION in a second phrase/clause of order of words in the first
FRAMING IMAGERY - A:B:B:A e.g. adjective:noun:noun:adjective, creates frame/brackets around noun
e.g. in 'The town mouse and the country mouse', line 2, 'rusticus (nominative) urbanum (accusative) murem (accusative) mus (nominative)', followed immediately in line 3 by reversal of this chiastic structure, 'veterem (accusative) vetus (nominative) hospes (nominative) amicum (accusative)'

Front 8

Ellipsis

Back 8

OMISSION of WORDS from speech/writing which can be supplied from context e.g. in 'The city, hour by hour', line 6, 'imperat exstructos frangere nona toros', noun 'hora' omitted

Front 9

Enjambment

Back 9

CONTINUATION of sentence WITHOUT PAUSE beyond END of line/couplet/stanza e.g. in 'Baucis and Philemon', lines 21 and 22, sentence continues without pause beyond end of line into next 'quodque suus coniunx riguo collegerat horto/truncate holus foliis'/ in 'A country spring', lines 4 and 5, sentence continues without pause beyond end of stanza into next, 'cui frons turgida cornibus/primis et venerem et proelia destinat'

Front 10

Hendiadys

Back 10

Expression of SINGLE IDEA by TWO WORDS connected with 'AND' (e.g. 'nice and warm') when one word could MODIFY other (here, 'nicely warm') e.g. in 'A country spring', line 5, 'et venerem et proelia destinat' (predicts both love and battles) is equivalent to 'veneris proelia destinat' (predicts the battles of love)

Front 11

Juxtaposition

Back 11

PLACING CLOSE TOGETHER of words which, though may not be connected grammatically, CLEARLY BELONG TOGETHER e.g. in 'Baucis and Philemon', line 5, closeness of phrases 'parilique aetate Philemon' (and of equal age Philemon) and 'pia Baucis anus' (dutiful old Baucis) suggests phrases virtually interchangeable: Philemon also 'dutiful' and 'old', Baucis also 'of equal age'

Front 12

Metaphor

Back 12

Application of word/phrase to something it DOESN'T apply to literally, in order to indicate COMPARISON with the literal usage e.g. in 'The city, hour by hour', 'gressu timet ire licenti/admatutinum nostra Thalia Iovem', Thalia and her cheeky walk equivalent to Martial, the witty poet, and Jupiter equivalent to Emperor Domitian

Front 13

Onomatopoeia

Back 13

Formation of words that IMITATE/SUGGEST what they stand for e.g. in 'The sights, sounds and seasons of the countryside', 'mugitibus' is onomatopoeic as sounds like mooing

Front 14

Pathos

Back 14

Quality that EVOKES SYMPATHY/SADNESS - Roman poets loved to evoke sympathy for characters and to create picture of sadness around them e.g. in 'Baucis and Philemon' Ovid repeatedly refers to poverty and old age of couple
MOST PATHOS created by phrase 'unicus anser erat' (there was just one goose) especially as we find out it was 'minimae custodia villae' (guard of their very small house) in same line

Front 15

Personification

Back 15

REPRESENTATION of idea in HUMAN FORM/ thing as having HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS
abstract ideas which are personified usually also DEIFIED (regarded as GODS) e.g. in 'A country spring', 'lymphae' (waters) personified by words 'loquaces' (talkative) and 'desiliunt' (jump down) as these describe human behaviour

Front 16

Polysyndeton

Back 16

REPEATED INCLUSION of CONJUNCTION e.g. 'and', when NOT strictly NEEDED e.g. in 'Baucis and Philemon', lines 16 - 21, contain 'et' four times and '-que' five times (both words meaning 'and')

Front 17

Repetition

Back 17

Take form of whole phrases/words, parts of phrases/words e.g. in 'Baucis and Philemon', lines 3 and 4 hold repetition: 'mille domos' at start of each line, followed by verb with same ending, 'audire' (line 3), 'clausere' (line4)/ 'illa' repeated at start and end of line7/ repetition of ablative gerunds, lines 9 and 10, 'fatendo' and 'ferendo'

Front 18

Simile

Back 18

Figure of speech in which one thing COMPARED to another e.g. in 'The town mouse and the country mouse', line 29, 'veluti succinctus' (like a slave with his clothes tucked up)

Front 19

Tricolon

Back 19

Group of THREE PHRASES, LINKED in IDEA and of SIMILAR STRUCTURE, usually with intention of EMPHASISING idea
ASCENDING TRICOLON: three phrases BUILD UP in SIZE and/or IMPORTANCE to climax in third phrase
Tricolon is RHETORICAL DEVICE, mostly used by ORATORS e.g. Cicero
TETRACOLON - four phrases

Front 20

Zeugma

Back 20

Figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in DIFFERENT SENSES e.g. 'both John and his driving licence expired last week' ('expired' applied to John means 'died', and to licence means 'ran out')

Front 21

Emphasis by position

Back 21

e.g. subject placed at end of sentence/ verb placed at beginning of sentence

Front 22

Graphic vocabulary

Back 22

Vocabulary giving very VIVID, easy-to-picture description

Front 23

Spondaic/dactylic rythm

Back 23

More spondees than dactyls/ more dactyls than spondees in line

Front 24

Historic/vivid present

Back 24

When PRESENT TENSE used where PAST TENSE would be more usual, to make action more VIVID or cause events to seem to follow QUCKLY from one to another

Front 25

Historic infinItive

Back 25

When PRESENT INFINITIVE used where PAST INFINITIVE would be more usual, to make action more VIVID or cause events to seem to follow QUCKLY from one to another

Front 26

Archaic vocabulary

Back 26

Use of OLD, DISUSED vocabulary, to give sense of GRANDEUR

Front 27

Others

Back 27

Exaggeration (hyperbole) and irony