Figures of Speech

In this relatively short (103 pages, including glossary) volume, Quinn labels and provides examples of more figures of speech than most of us could begin to imagine. A figure of speech, as the author defines it, is an "intended deviation from normal usage." Most of us use figures of speech frequently, and, I hazard to guess, without knowing what they're called. Somehow I doubt that the my drill instructor at boot camp, knew that he was using a tmesis when he bellowed out "out(*&^%%standing" and "fan*&^%$tastic".Quinn, a professor, begins the preface by sharing an anecdote about when he teased his journalist friend about the "handsome zeugma" in the journalist's article. Of course the journalist had no idea what zeugma meant, and Quinn seemed to take great delight in this fact. A few hours later, after the two had shared a nice dinner, the journalist asked, "Alright, what the hell is a zeugma?" If you're the type of person who enjoys knowing what a tmesis (splitting a word into two parts) or zeugma (omission of a verb from one of two or more parallel clauses) is, this book may be for you.You may have heard of some of the figures of speech discussed herein, such as a palindrome, perhaps, or ellipsis. But auxesis? Antimetabole? Anapodoton? Anadiplosis?One might think it sufficient to know the definition of metaplasmus (an intended misspelling). To give you a sense of the level of detail (and the academic nature of this work -- by the way, that parenthetical is a tmesis at the sentence level, I now know), in the discussion of metaplasmus, Quinn offers descriptions of each of the following. -Asyndeton (omission of an expected conjunction) -Metaplasmus (intended misspelling) -Epithensus (adding letters to the middle of a word) -Proparalepsus (adding letters at the end of a word) -Aphaearesis (subtraction of letters from the beginning of a word -Syncope (deletion of letters from the middle) -Apocote (Deleting letters at the beginning of the word) -Synaloepha (omitting a vowel) -Antisthecon (substituting letters) -Metatheses (rearranging letters)And so it goes, in excruciating detail (starting a sentence with an unnecessary cojunction -- that's a polysyndeton, by the way).Quinn provides example after example of the figures of speech he describes, but examples from the 20th century are few and far between. The Bible and Shakespeare are well represented in the examples, as are writers such as Milton, Horace, Virgil, Cervantes, Rabelais, and Euripedes (all identified by last name only). One chapter begins with a reference to Gertrude Stein, and I did recognize a snippet of e e cummings poetry (identified by last name only, Cummings), but otherwise, the examples draw heavily from days long ago.In the end, Quinn cautions us to reject rigid distinction between ordinary usage and figure of speech, lest language become a prison. He also notes that figures which are the most unusual are the least useful.Overall, I would recommend this book only to the most die-hard students of grammar or syntax, or to those who just enjoy knowing things that few people know. I think its usefulness for students of writing and rhetoric is somewhat limited. As a word-lover who occasionally likes to read books about writing and rhetoric, I thought this might be a nice addition to my library, and I was struck by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. Interesting, it is -- but I would hardly call it a fun read, nor is it a book that has broad appeal, nor is it something I will turn to again and again.

I recommend this book for anyone who would like a few more clues on the many ways masterful sentences are put together. If you have the soul for good writing, but need a little more concrete guidance on how powerful phrases from the Bible to Virgil to Shakespeare to Churchill are constructed--this book will be a delightful teacher.I was impressed by the lighthearted and humble approach of the author. Although he gives the formal (and quite forgettable) names for the figures of speech, he says he doesn't expect readers to remember the names, but rather to "taste" the examples he cites, and to get a feel for how to apply these patterns in their own writing. He repeatedly stresses that knowing how to use words and rhetorical patterns is far more important than memorizing their names or even agreeing upon their proper classifications.The author also cites classics ancient and modern in making the unconventional and refreshing point that we need not slavishly follow the dictates of the now-popular rules of usage as promulgated by Strunk and White and other like-minded authorities. For example, while contemporary authorities repeatedly (yes, ironically) stress the importance of avoiding any unnecessary words, the author of Figures of Speech cites many passages from the Bible, Shakespeare, and other sources of distinction, that clearly do not follow such strictures--and choose elaboration and repitition over spare economy.Overall, the book is informative, accessible, generous-spirited, and, in places, even humorous and playful.When I got to the end of the slim volume I found myself wishing there was more.

Having received a solid business education, there are obviously some aspects of the liberal arts curriculum I missed. Such as how to spell curriculum apparently (thank you Google). One of the other topics was rhetoric or how to draft a phrase that conveys more than just what the words say. This short and surprisingly easy read provides a simple explanation of each figure of speech and numerous examples to see it employed in practice. While the title is Figures of Speech, I think the real application is in writing. I've only read it once, so I didn't attempt to employ any figure of speech in this review. Baby steps to elocution....but now I have a resource.

Professor Quinn's slim volume is perhaps the best treatment of the subject of rhetorical devices that I have ever read. I say "best," not because it is the most extensive, nor because it is the most detailed coverage of the subject. I say "best" because I feel it is the most *useful* coverage I have ever encountered.In concise fashion, Professor Quinn takes the reader through many of the most common figures of speech, tells us the formal names, and provides numerous illustrative examples.It is true that simply knowing the name given to a particular turn of phrase will not guarantee that one can effectively employ it in one's writing. Nevertheless knowing theforms and having names to identify them makes it easier to see them in use in the writing of others. By thus making them memorable, they also become a more ready part of one's writing toolkit.The engaging and entertaining style which Quinn uses throughout the book makes even the most daunting technical terms readily accessible. His well-chosen examples are also entertaining and informative, and most are quite memorable. I can't be certain that merely reading this book will improve every reader's writing, but I believe that most folks will benefit from reading it.

The poor print quality is disappointing because the written content is good.

I'm torn here. Prof. Quinn's book deserves 5 stars and more - it's witty, informative, and an all-around easy read. However, this edition is typeset abysmally, with smeared, uneven ink, huge margins, poor-quality paper; this looks like the output of one of those soulless print-on-demand services. Do yourself a favor and buy the first edition, if you can find it, or just get the ebook: at least then you can tweak its appearance for a better read.

great