in order to express the opposite opinion the more strongly.

"Doth God pervert judgment?"

Exclamation is a figure which expresses a thing strongly by expressing emotion on account of it.

"How poor are they that have not patience!” "Ah! vainest of all things is the gratitude of kings!"

Apostrophe means a turning away. The speaker turns from the regular course of thought to address the absent as though present, the inanimate as though animate, the dead as though living.

"O death, where is thy sting? where is thy victory?"

O grave,

"Thus, O Genius, are thy footprints hallowed."

Personification is the attributing of life, sex or action to an inanimate object; or the ascribing of intelligence or personality to inferior creatures. Personification and Apostrophe often go together.

"The earth smiles."

"There has fallen a splendid tear
From the passion-flower at the gate.
She is coming, my dove, my dear;
She is coming, my life, my fate;

The red rose cries, 'She is near, she is near.'
And the white rose weeps, 'She is late.'

The larkspur listens, 'I hear, I hear.'

And the lily whispers, 'I wait.'"-Tennyson.

The English language affords peculiar opportunities for the use of this figure, from the fact that sex alone determines the gender of a noun.

In many languages the masculine and feminine forms are used for inanimate objects.

Personification is of various degrees. It is produced by adjectives; as, "A deceitful calm.” By verbs; as, "The hoary old oak looked down on the children at play."

By combining with Apostrophe; as, "Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city."

Antithesis is the placing of opposites in juxtaposition for the purpose of heightening their effect by contrast.

This figure is in accordance with a general law of mental action that all objects make a stronger impression by being contrasted with their opposites.

Ex. "The prodigal robs his heirs; the miser robs himself."

Character is what we are; reputation is what others think we are.-Miss Lockwood.

In Antithesis the contrasted ideas should have a similar verbal construction; verbs contrasted with verbs; nouns, with nouns; adjectives, with adjectives, etc. Clauses also should be arranged as nearly alike as possible.

Antithesis should not be used too frequently, if the writer wishes to avoid the appearance of a

labored style. No figure is more effective when used properly, and in moderation.

"To extirpate Antithesis from Literature," says a well-known author, "would be to destroy at one stroke about eight-tenths of all the wit, ancient and modern, now existing in the world."

Climax is the arrangement of a succession of words, clauses, members or sentences, in such a way that the weakest stands first, and each rises in importance until the end or climax is reached. The word comes from the Greek, and means a ladder. A fine effect is produced by combining the climax of sound with that of sense.

Ex. "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

Irony consists in ridiculing an object under the form of praise. The literal meaning of the language employed is exactly the opposite of the meaning intended.

The greatest writers have used Irony with fine effect. It is also frequently employed in the Bible.

Cicero calls Verres, who was notorious for his rapacity, "The upright and honest prætor of Cicily."

"Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is on a journey,

or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be waked!" [Elijah to the priests of Baal.]

Vision consists in describing past, present, or imaginary scenes, as if they were actually before the eye. It is frequently combined with Personification and Apostrophe.

"I see before me the splendid abbeys of Ireland with their thousands of scholars; I see the saint and the sage carrying Christianity and wisdom to the furthermost parts of Europe."

Onomatopeia consists in adapting the sound to the sense.

Southey's "Cataract of Lodore," and "The Bells," by Poe, are good examples of this figure. "From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells."

Parallel is an extended Antithesis. It is a continued comparison of two objects, showing the points of resemblance or of difference.

Euphemism is the mention of ugly or disagreeable things by agreeable names. "She has no vanity in regard to her personal appearance,' is the Euphemism for untidiness or absence of fashion.

"He certainly commits no sins with his tongue," indicates a want of conversational abilities.

Litotes consists in making a statement by denying its opposite.

"She was not sent to college to become a mere household drudge."

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Allusion is a reference to a familiar name or event in history or literature, for the purpose of explanation or illustration.

"It was a regular Romeo and Juliet affair." "She is the Sairy Gamp of Miltonville." Alliteration consists in the repetition of the initial letter in successive words. It is not really a figure of speech.

"Many men of many minds." "Artful Arty's artful aim."

CHAPTER XV.

STYLE. SPECIAL PROPERTIES OF

STYLE.

Style, according to Webster, is "the mode of expressing thought in language." The word comes (as every schoolgirl knows) from the Latin stylus, a small steel instrument used by the Romans for writing on wax tablets. It was very easy to make the instrument of expression a metaphor for the thing expressed.

THE FORMATION OF STYLE.

In order to write well, say good authorities:"Have something to say, then say it in the best possible way."