Reviewing Stylistic Elements: Repetition and Metaphor

As we continue to read Latin, it is important to remember that there are deeper structures in play beyond just simple grammar. The way a sentence is composed, its syntax, can provide added depth or meaning to otherwise flat prose. In this lesson, we will review two of the most common stylistic elements: repetition and metaphor. These two elements will be a feature of nearly every piece of Latin prose you read, as well as much of the poetry, so take a moment to review these elements carefully and watch for them as you are reading.

Repetition

Nothing gets a point across quite so well as saying it multiple times. Saying something in slightly different ways, or emphasizing certain elements, or starting with the same word or phrase can be an effective method of conveying important information. What do you want to emphasize? What do you want to hide? What do you want readers to conclude from your prose? Style and substance symphonize in syntax.

Repetition comes in many forms, as our paragraph above illustrates. Before we move on, how many types of repetition did you catch in the paragraph? By the time we're done with this lesson, you'll not only be able to recognize these syntactical flourishes, but name them as well.

Alliteration
Anaphora
Parallelism

Alliteration

One of the easiest ways to implement repetition within a prose passage is to repeat (two or more times) a single consonant sound at the start of a word multiple times. Above we see:

Saying something...slightly
Style...substance symphonize...syntax

Related to alliteration is assonance, in which a vowel sound is repeated (see: emphasizing...elements).

So, why do this? There are two common reasons: drawing attention to a particular idea (the alliteration makes the phrase more memorable) or simply providing a more pleasant rhythmic quality. Look back through the first part of the reading passage (lines 1-12) - can you find any examples of alliteration or assonance? In the very first line, we see:

posteris possis

Can you find more?

Anaphora

The next repetition is anaphora, which is a repetition of a particular phrase at the start or several clauses or sentences. Did you catch this one in our opening paragraph?

What do you want to emphasize? What do you want to hide? What do you want readers to conclude from your prose?

What's the goal with anaphora? It is similar to alliteration: repetition is used to draw attention, but with this particular element, you can also build a sense of momentum, as though your repeated phrases are drawing the reader in a very specific direction.

We saw several examples of anaphora in Pliny the Elder's writing earlier in the course. From the first reading passage, we had two examples back to back in a single paragraph:

Uni animantium luctus est datus, uni luxuria et quidem innumerabilibus modis ac per singula membra, uni ambitio, uni avaritia, uni inmensa vivendi cupido, uni superstitio, uni sepulturae cura atque etiam post se de futuro. Nulli vita fragilior, nulli rerum omnium libido maior, nulli pavor confusior, nulli rabies acrior.

Of additional interest in this particular example is how the two examples of anaphora act as polar opposites: to a person vs. to no one. Pliny here is using multiple different stylistic elements to really drive home his point: humans are uniquely situation among all animals, and our situation is one that is worth pitying.

Can you find any example of anaphora in the reading passage from Pliny the Younger?

Parallelism

Also called parallel structure, this stylistic element is more general - almost like an umbrella term for repetition. Essentially, it is a repetition of phrases, clauses or sentences, creating a balance of ideas, generating emphasis or creating a relationship between ideas. The specific mechanism of parallelism is the grammatical structure being repeated (see the repeated use of the dative phrases in our Pliny example above), which makes this possibly the most common form of rhetoric. Latin tended to use similar structures by nature (subject + direct object + verb, for instance, was the most common sentence structure - so any repetition of that structure would be an example of parallelism).

In our example paragraph, we see:

Saying something in slightly different ways, or emphasizing certain elements, or starting with the same word

The repetition of multiple parallel clauses, each beginning with a gerund (saying...emphasizing...starting), creates a connection between the content in each phrase. Go back through the first part of Pliny's letter - you will find multiple examples of parallelism!

Figurative Language

Figurative language is key to creating interest in prose. While clarity should always be the main goal of any prose passage, you don't want to bore your audience to death! By creating allusions, you can not only create interest but also create new connections between previously understood information and your newly conveyed message. There are multiple ways to include figuration language, but for now, let's focus on metaphors and similes.

Metaphor
Simile

Metaphor

According to the college board: a metaphor is a rhetorical figure in which an implied comparison is achieved through a figurative use of words. Pay attention to the key word there: implied. Metaphors are implicit, not explicit. In a metaphor, words are used not in their literal sense but in an analogous sense. Metaphors transfer meanings, create surprising and unexpected connections, and provide vivid imagery, among other effects.

The army was a thunderous storm cloud coming toward the village.
- What message does the use of "thunderous storm cloud" imply about the army? They are loud, powerful and completely unstoppable. The metaphor serves to emphasize the ensuing danger to the village.
The ash blanketed the land, choking the life out of plant and animal equally.
- Here we see a verb being used metaphorically: blanketed is an evocative representation of how the ash covered the ground (as a blanket covers a bed).

Can you find any metaphors in Pliny's letter? Pay particular attention to his description of his uncle's legacy - what figurative language can you find within that prose? Additionally, re-read the section of the letter in which Pliny describes the initial appearance of the smoke over Mt. Vesuvius.

Simile

Similes are similar to metaphors in their purpose, but they are explicit, using the words like or as to make clear the figurative point.

His blow struck like lightning.
- What explicit connection do you get from this simile? If you were to describe how this person hits a target, what would you say? "Like lightning" tells us that his hits are fast, sharp, and devastating.
The ash caused several of my neighbors to rush out of their houses, gasping like fish on land for air.
- Again, you can see the power of an explicit comparison: the people are suffering from their lack of breathable air just as a fish would if stuck on land.

In Latin, you can seek words such as similis or dissimilis for explicit comparisons. Remember that Roman writers were not afraid to use double negatives, so an expression like non dissimilis (not unlike...) could be used for expressing a simile!

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