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Thread: Literary Term Question

  1. #1
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    Literary Term Question

    What is it called when a poet uses the same verb or other part of speech twice in a row, in two clauses, but doesn't write it the second time?

    Example: Kind hearts are more than coronets,
    and simple faith than Norman blood.
    --Tennyson.

    If you wrote this sentence out grammatically, it would read: Kind hearts are more than coronets, and simple faith is more than Norman blood.

    Poets used to do this all the time. I do it in prose from time to time, and I know there's a term for it. English teachers, please help me out here.

  2. #2
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    I'm not even sure if I understand your question but you may want to try
    http//www.yourdictionary.com/cgi-bin/agora/agora.cgi
    There's a few more literary term experts there.

    Chrissy wink

  3. #3
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    Got it. It's zuegma. My Norton Anthology defines it as, "the use of a single verb or adjective to control two nouns." They give this example:

    Or stain her honor, or her new brocade.
    --Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock.

    Thanks for your help.

  4. #4
    zeugma.
    Bricolage: a process which uses given material, given signifiers but which creates from these new signifiers, a new reality which is not given.

    The bricoleur may not ever complete his purpose but he always puts something of himself into it.

  5. #5
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    I've just found out that it's also called syllepsis.

    Thanks for your help, guys.

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