Ten Ways to Turn a Phrase

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Some Ways to Turn a Phrase

1. Anadiplosis

Gradatio

Repetition of the end at the next beginning

Repeated anadiplosis

Does the silkworm expend her yellow labours for thee? For thee does she undo herself.

Who has not the spirit of his age, of his age has all the unhappiness.

All men that are ruined are ruined on the side of their natural propensities.

When I give I give myself.

Everything that can be said, can be said clearly.

Pleasure might cause her to read, reading might make her know,

Tourneur

Voltaire

E. Burke

Whitman

Wittgenstein knowledge might mity win, and pity grace obtain. Sidney

2. Anaphora Repetition of beginnings

Everything is good when it leaves the hands of the Creator; everything degenerates in the hands of man. Rousseau

She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined.

She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Mark Twain

Matt. 5:3 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

3. Epistrophe Repetition of endings

Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live. It is asking others to live as one wishes to live.

Men have never been good, they are not good, they will never be good.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child.

Macaulay

Barth

1 Cor. 13:11

4. Symploce Repetition of beginnings and endings

If thou hast any sound, or use of voice,

Speak to me.

If there be any good thing to be done,

That may to thee do ease and grace to me,

Speak to me.

Who are they who have so often broken treaties? The Carthaginians. Who are they who have waged war with such atrocious cruelty? The Carthaginians. Who are they who have laid Italy to waste? The

Carthaginians. Who are they who pray for pardon? The Carthaginians.

5. Epanalepsis Repeat the beginning at the ending

Inclusio Same thing, only at the beginning and ending of a passage (not exemplified here)

Nothing can be created out of nothing.

Judges must be many in number, for few will always do the will of a few.

The thoughts are but overflowings of the mind, and the tongue is but a servant of the thoughts.

Common sense is not so common.

Whistling to keep up courage is good practice for whistling.

Ham. 1.1.128

Cicero

Lucretius

Machiavelli

Spencer

Voltaire

Haskins

6. Epanados Repetition of elements from a central point outwards, both forward and back

Chiasmus A epanados worked out in the structure of a text.

Circumstances rule men; men do not rule circumstances. Herodotus

I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.

That he is mad, ‘tis true; ‘tis true ‘tis pity; And pity ‘tis ‘tis true.

If guns were outlawed, only outlaws would have guns.

R II 5.5.49

Ham. 2.2.97

NRA slogan

7. Metonymy Substitution of a word for a related word

The pen is mightier than the sword.

Rome has spoken; the case is concluded.

8. Synecdoche

One hundred head of cattle

Substituting the whole for the part, or vice versa

All hands on deck

The law arrived

Augustine

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