Litotes as stylistic device
Litotes is a figure of speech featuring a phrase that utilizes negative wording
or terms to express a positive assertion or statement. Litotes is a common literary
device, most often used in speech, rhetoric, and nonfiction. As a figure of speech,
the meaning of litotes is not literal. Instead, litotes is intended to be a form of
understatement by using negation to express the contrary meaning. This is a clever
use of language in its combination of negative terms as a function to express a
positive sentiment or statement.
Litotes is a form of ironic understatement. An understatement can be any
expression that minimizes the importance of something. Understatement and
litotes both invoke a certain restraint or stoicism when describing something.
However, the definition of litotes is much more specific than that of
understatement. Litotes only refers to the negation of one quality to emphasize its
opposite. If a person is “not unimaginative,” this negation of the negative quality
“unimaginative” implies that the person is, in fact, imaginative.
Litotes is a device used to state an affirmative without direct use of
affirmative wording. For example, the phrase “I don’t hate it” reflects use of litotes.
In this case, juxtaposing the negative words “don’t” and “hate” function together
to indicate the opposite meaning or affirmative. In saying “I don’t hate it,” the
speaker is actually affirming the sentiment “I like it.” However, since the speaker
does not directly say “I like it,” the affirmation is mitigated and downplayed. The
use of litotes in this case reflects the speaker’s intention to state a positive without
directly affirming it or being too complimentary. Instead of expressing “like” for
something, litotes in this case expresses an absence of hate.
Litotes is commonly used as an understatement or ironic figure of speech.
It is a successful device in that it affirms a positive statement or sentiment typically
through the use of double negatives. Here are some common examples of litotes
you may find in everyday conversation:
Litotes is a stylistic device consisting of peculiar use of negative
constructions instead of positive forms. It is used to diminish the positive meaning.
E.g.: He is no coward - He is a brave man. He is not a silly man - He is a clever man.
In this case we have intentional restrain which produces a stylistic effect. “Not silly”
is not equal to ‘clever” although the two constructions are synonymous.
The same can be said about the other pair: “no coward” and “a brave man”.
In both cases the negative construction is weaker than the affirmative one. But it
should be noted that the negative constructions here have a stronger impact on
the reader than the affirmative ones. The latter have no additional connotation;
the former have. That is why such constructions are regarded as stylistic devices.
Thus litotes is a deliberate understatement used to produce a stylistic effect. It is
not a pure negation, but a negation that includes affirmation. Therefore here we
may speak of transference of meaning, i.e., a device with the help of which two
meanings are materialized simultaneously: the direct (negative) and transferred
(affirmative).
The stylistic effect of litotes depends mainly on intonation:
1. It troubled him not a little.
2. Mr. Bardell was a man of honour - Mr. Bardell was a man of his word Mr. Bardell was no deceiver... (Dickens)
The negation does not indicate the absence of the quality mentioned, but
suggests the presence of the opposite quality. In one of the above given examples
the litotes “no deceiver” is clearer and more emphatic oecause of the preceding
phrases “a man of honour”, “a man of his word”. Thus like other stylistic devices
litotes displays a simultaneous materialization of two meanings: one negative, the
other affirmative. This interplay of two grammatical meaning is keenly felt, that the
affirmation suppresses the negation. The two senses of the litotic expression,
negative and positive, serve a definite stylistic effect. In litotes we have two
meanings of quality - positive and negative.
The positive meaning is in opposition to the negative meaning. The negative
part is under double stress. This double stress helps to overestimate the whole
construction. In usual negative constructions we do not have double stress and
emphasis. Litotes as a stylistic device must not be mixed up with logical negation.
Sometimes litotes serves to make a negative statement less categorical.
Litotes in Literature
Litotes is used in different styles of speech but official and scientific prose.
There have been many times in which litotes has been used in literature in order
to display an understated irony to a situation. By using these double negatives, an
ironic twist can be added to the text. We will now take a look at some examples
of times when litotes has been used in literature such as poetry, stories, and
songs.
“For he is not stupid, blind or disrespectful to our Gods.”
This is an example of litotes being used in the Classic text from ancient Greece
written by Homer, entitled Illiad.
“Hildeburgh had little cause to question them.”
This example of litotes is found in the poem Beowulf, which has been translated
by Seamus Heaney.
“He has not failed to annoy us with messages.”
This is a line from the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare in which we
can see a clear example of litotes being used.
“To express the odd and not a little eerie contrast between them”.
This is an example of litotes in use from the novel The Great Gatsby written by F
Scott Fitzgerald.
“The sword was not useless for the warrior.”
This is another example from Beowulf of litotes being used as a literary device.
“I am no prophet and here is no good matter.”
This is an example of litotes being used in The love song of Alfred Prufock written
by T S Elliot.
“No, it is not as deep as a well nor is it as wide as the door of a church.”
Here we see litotes being used in the play Romeo and Juliet written by William
Shakespeare.
“It is really not that hard to provide, if that is what you want to do.”
This example of litotes is taken from The glass castle written by Jeanette Ward.
“I am not unaware of the productions effects.”
This example of litotes is taken from A tale of a tub written by Jonathan Swift.
“It is not uncommon for the slaves to argue amongst themselves.”
Here is an example of litotes which is found in the written text The Narrative of
the life of Fred Douglas, an American slave, which was written by Frederick
Douglas.
“I can not say that I consider you to be kind to the ladies.”
This example of litotes is taken from Abigail Adams, letter to John Adams.
“I shall multiply and they will not be few.”
This is an example of litotes which can be found in the book of Jeremiah in the
Holy Bible.
“I am guessing that you were not burdened with a good schooling.”
This is an example of litotes being used in Firefly by Malcolm Reynolds.
Conclusion
In looking closely at the use of litotes, we have learnt that it is used to convey an
understated irony by using a double negative. By negating a word, we can add the
required understatement. Litotes is used frequently in every day spoken language
and we can see plenty of examples of its use in a literary context.