Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect. (R.W. Emerson)

The term “antithesis” has a broad range of meanings. According to I.R. Galperin, only stylistic opposition which arises out of the context may be called antithesis. Logical opposition based on antonyms and displaying no additional shade of meaning can not be regarded as “antithesis”. However, some scholars (Y.M. Skrebnev) consider that this term denotes any opposition, really or presumably contrastive, e.g. from top to toe; dead or alive; black or white, etc.

There are two varieties of antithesis:

· two opposed notions may refer to the same object of thought, e. g. I had walked into that reading-room a happy healthy man, I crawled out a decrepit wreck. (J.K. Jerome)

· two different objects are opposed to each other and are given opposite characteristics. The device serves to emphasize their incompatibility, e. g. To a General setting before the maps eighty miles away, matters are proceeding as planned <…>, but to the soldiers everything is going wrong. Here antithesis accentuates the difference between the two levels of the battle – the peril and commotion of the battlefield is opposed to the peace and quite of the Headquarters.

Antithesis stands close to oxymoron. The difference between them is structural: oxymoron is a single combination of words, syntactically connected but semantically incongruent, while antithesis is a confrontation of two separate phrases (sentences or even paragraphs) of opposite meaning. Usually antithesis is based on parallel constructions: e.g. To err is human. To forgive is divine.

Antithesis may be used in every type of emotional speech:

· to create certain rhythmic effect;

· to compare two objects or to set a contrast between them;

· to (dis)connect words, clauses or sentences and to (dis)unite their senses;

· to give a point and vivacity to the utterance.

Antonomasia [ֽæntәnә ′meІzІә] is the use of a common name as a proper name and vice versa. A title, epithet, or descriptive phrase may serve as a substitute for a personal name. It includes “speaking names”, characterizing the person meant, e.g. Mr. Snake, Mrs. Dirty Fringe, Mr. Altruism.

e.g. He is still Mr. New Broom, slightly feared. (D. Lodge)

There are two types of antonomasia: trite and genuine. In trite antonomasia the association between the name and the qualities of the bearer is a result of long and frequent usage (Don Juan, Brutus). In genuine antonomasia this association is unexpected, fresh, e.g. He’d met Miss Original Pure and planned to marry her (F. Weldon). Antonomasia may serve:

· to designate a member of a group or class;

· to characterize the bearer of the name;

· to create humorous effect, e.g. When I eventually met Mr. Right I had no idea that his first name was Always. (R. Rudner)

 

Aposiopesis [ ֽæpousaiou′pisІs] denotes intentional break in the narrative.

e.g. He had a gopher-wood stave with which… well, some of the animals carry stripes to this day. (J. Barnes)

He almost smiled. And I was grateful. He is a source of guilt and annoyance to me now, but he was my friend, and – … (J. Banville)

In works of fiction, aposiopesis is used for some stylistic effect:

· the emotional or the psychological state of the speaker depriving him of the ability to express himself in terms of language: e.g. Now I hear it – yes, I hear it, and have heard it. Long – long– long – many minutes, many hours, many days, have I heard it – yet I dared not – oh, pity me, miserable wretch that I am! – I dared not – I dared not speak! We have put her living in the tomb! (E.A. Poe).

· unwillingness to proceed;

· speaker’s uncertainty as to what should be said (to threaten, to beg);

· hint, warning, promise etc. The author breaks his narration and invites the reader to give to his own imagination.

Aposiopesis should not be confused with unintentional break in the narrative, when the character’s speech is interrupted by the interlocutor. Such instances are of no stylistic significance.

Assonance is the repetitionof the same stressed vowelsfollowed by different consonants in two or more neighbouring words.

e.g. Old age should burn and rave at close day.