Aposiopesis - Poem Analysis (2024)

This sentence is left incomplete, breaking off into silence. A writer does this intentionally in order to create some kind of effect on the writing and the reader. Examples include a speaker being distracted, overcome with an emotion such as passion or dread, or forgetting the words they were about to say. The technique is often used to allude to something darker, like death or disappearance.

When a sentence is left unfinished it is up to the reader to determine what happened and what is going to happen next. This means that examples of aposiopesis are often subjective, with multiple possible interpretations. One reader might interpret a line break as something dramatic and exciting, alluding to pleasant possibilities in the world of the characters. While another might see it as foreshadowing something terrible.

When using this technique a writer might employ an em-dash “—“ or an ellipsis “…”

Explore the term 'Aposiopesis'

  • 1 Types of Aposiopesis
  • 2 History of Aposiopesis
  • 3 Examples of Aposiopesis in Literature

Types of Aposiopesis

  • Emotive aposiopesis: This first kind of aposiopesis is used when there is a conflict or difference between the emotional state of the speaker and their environment. The environment is unsuited to the emotion and does not react to the speaker. The pause is usually in the middle of a sentence.
  • Emphatic aposiopesis: This is a kind of aposiopesis that is quite common in poetry and prose. It removes part of a sentence in order to express the inexpressible. A speaker might stop talking because they really don’t know how to say what they want.
  • Calculated aposiopesis: In these examples were is a conflict between what is said and a force that rejects what is being said. The content is removed due to an outside force acting on the speaker.
  • Audience-respecting aposiopesis: This occurs when thoughts or words are removed for the sake of the audience. They might be offensive in some way. A dash or silence will stand in for them.
  • Transitio-aposiopesis: With this kind of aposiopesis an idea is removed from the end of a sentence or phrase in order to encourage one to continue reading or listening. It alludes to something else that might be revealed.

History of Aposiopesis

The word “Aposiopesis” is derived from a Greek word meaning “becoming silent”. There are examples of this technique reaching back to Virgil and the Bible. Take for example this passage from the Bible. It comes from Psalm 27, verse 13. It reads: “Unless I had believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living …” While reading this, one can’t help but fill in what they think is going to come next. The speaker meant this to be the case and he could not put into words what he would’ve done in this situation.

Examples of Aposiopesis in Literature

Example #1 King Lear by William Shakespeare

Take these lines from King Lear, Act II, Scene iv as an example.

No, you unnatural hags,

I will have such revenges on you both,

That all the world shall— I will do such things,—

What they are, yet I know not: but they shall be

The terrors of the earth.

Here, the speaker, King Lear, is addressing Regan, speaking about his own daughters. The dashes interrupt his words as he contemplates what he would do to them. There are “such things” that he hasn’t even thought of yet.

Example #2 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

One of the most famous passages from this classic novel comes from the end of the book:

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.… And then one fine morning—

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

These emotional lines come from the narrator of the novel, Nick Carraway. He comments on Gatsby’s mental state and his intention of reaching into the future and achieving his dreams. The ellipsis at the end of “one fine morning” is powerful. It leads the reader into the final line of the book. This breaking of speech represents the speaker’s hope that hope is real and that what they are all searching for will reveal itself.

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Aposiopesis - Poem Analysis (2024)

FAQs

Aposiopesis - Poem Analysis? ›

Explanation: Aposiopesis is a literature device that engages the reader by leaving a thought incomplete. Engagement makes the story more dramatic by involving the reader's imagination. The reader has to use their imagination to complete the thought.

What is the purpose of aposiopesis in poetry? ›

Aposiopesis is the art of cutting yourself short, and it's a powerful literary technique that can add a whole new dimension to your writing. By breaking off a thought or sentence before it's finished, you create a sense of tension and anticipation in your reader.

What is an example of an aposiopesis? ›

An example would be the threat "Get out, or else—!" This device often portrays its users as overcome with passion (fear, anger, excitement) or modesty. To mark the occurrence of aposiopesis with punctuation, an em-rule (—) or an ellipsis (...) may be used.

What is the effect of aposiopesis? ›

Aposiopesis is used in literature for dramatic effects. It can show that a character is overwhelmed with emotion. Or, it can allow the reader to fill in horrors or threats with their own imaginations. When characters pause due to strong emotion or searching for words, they appear more realistic and believable.

What are the literary devices used in poem analysis? ›

These literary tools empower speakers and writers to enhance the literal meaning of words by drawing attention to the words' sound, form, and function. Rhyme, meter, alliteration, caesura, simile, metaphor, irony, and allusion are some of the most common poetic devices.

What is an example of apophasis? ›

Apophasis can be used passive-aggressively, as in, "I forgive you for your jealousy, so I won't even mention what a betrayal it was."

What is the difference between ellipsis and aposiopesis? ›

Aposiopesis is the use of an ellipsis to trail off into silence—for example: "But I thought he was..." When placed at the end of a sentence, an ellipsis may be used to suggest melancholy or longing.

Is apotheosis a literary device? ›

Apotheosis can be used as a character development tool to determine the qualities of a character. Maybe the hero of the story has their core character traits defined by their persistence in acting as the personification of hope or love or humility.

What is the origin of the word aposiopesis? ›

From Latin aposiopesis, from Ancient Greek ἀποσιώπησις (aposiṓpēsis), from ἀποσιωπάω (aposiōpáō, “be silent”), from ἀπό (apó, “off, from”) + σιωπάω (siōpáō, “to be silent”).

What is a sudden breaking off in the midst of a sentence? ›

Aposiopesis : a sudden breaking off in the midst of a sentence, as if from inability or unwillingness to proceed.

What is the plural form of Aposiopesis? ›

plural aposiopeses ˌa-pə-ˌsī-ə-ˈpē-ˌsēz. : the leaving of a thought incomplete usually by a sudden breaking off (as in "his behavior was—but I blush to mention that") aposiopetic.

What literary device is an unfinished sentence? ›

Aposiopesis is a rhetorical term for an unfinished thought or broken sentence.

What is the enjambment in poetry? ›

Enjambment, from the French meaning “a striding over,” is a poetic term for the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next. An enjambed line typically lacks punctuation at its line break, so the reader is carried smoothly and swiftly—without interruption—to the next line of the poem.

How to identify poetic devices in a poem? ›

How to Identify Poetic Devices?
  1. Understanding the Poem: Before delving into identifying the specific devices, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of the poem's basic elements: its theme, tone, and structure. ...
  2. Repeated Elements: Look for words, phrases, or sentences that recur in the poem.
Sep 1, 2023

What does an allusion do in a poem? ›

Allusions are a quick way to add meaning to a poem and to help audiences connect what they are reading to other works of literature. To allude to something, therefore, is to reference it without fully explaining it, operating on the assumption that one's audience will understand what the allusion means.

What is the purpose of metonymy in poetry? ›

Metonymy has the effect of creating concrete and vivid images in place of generalities, as in the substitution of a specific “grave” for the abstraction “death.” Metonymy is standard journalistic and headline practice as in the use of “city hall” to mean “municipal government” and of the “White House” to mean the “ ...

Why do poets use epistrophe? ›

Writers use epistrophe in literature and poetry in an attempt to create impact and memorable rhythms, whether the words are spoken or read. However, whether their intention becomes a reality depends on audience interpretation.

What is the purpose of juxtaposition in poetry? ›

Writers use juxtaposition as a literary device in literature to emphasize differences, stir emotions, highlight themes, foil characters, and make their stories richer. By placing two words or ideas next to one another, we can highlight the differences between them.

What is the purpose of oxymoron in poetry? ›

The purpose of an oxymoron ranges from enhancing descriptions and intensifying emotions to simply bringing about a lighthearted mood or tone. A paradox, on the other hand, is a rhetorical device or self-contradictory statement that could be true.

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