Litotes

Litotes – a two – component structure, in which two negations are foined to give a positive evaluation.For example, rather than saying that something is attractive (or even very attractive), one might merely say it is "not unattractive".

 

Litotes:	As a means of saying:
"Not bad."	"Good."
" no ordinary city."	" a very impressive city."
"He was not unfamiliar with the works of Dickens."	"He was acquainted with the works of Dickens."
"She is not as young as she was."	"She's old."
"He's no oil painting."	"He's ugly."
"Not unlike..."	"Like..."
"You are not wrong."	"You are correct."

In this figure of speech, the usages are intentional, ironical and provide emphasis to the words. In literary circles, plenty of poets as well as writers have used this concept to convey strange and vivid images. It changes the thought process and thereby beautifies and adorns the literary works. Most of the literary works describe litotes in such a way that the words described are not false, but do not come near a complete description of the action in question. Rather, they are presented in a passive tone and demand more careful attention from the reader. Even figurative language use litotes to convey messages in a clear and impressive manner.

Examples Of Litotes In Poems

 

-       In the lines from the poem 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D. Salinger, 'It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain', you can see litotes.

-       Alexander Pope in his lines says , ' If you can tell the fair one's mind, it will be no small proof of your art, for I dare say it is more than she herself can do.

-        He who examines his own self will not long remain ignorant of his failings.

-        Overall the flavors of the mushrooms, herbs, and spices combine to make the dish not at all disagreeable to the palate.

 

Antithesis

"You agree to disagree to the solution, which Jack gave you the previous day?" Well, you can see the way the statement has an opposite opinions placed in one line. This is called antithesis - a figure of speech which contrasts ideas, words and concepts in one sentence. However, contrasting words like bittersweet, dark-light, etc. aren't antithesis. To be an antithesis, a sentence should have contradicting words positioned in a balanced way in a phrase or a clause. Antithesis examples can be commonly spotted in novels, poems and quotes. In fact, you can find people often using quotes like 'to err is human, to forgive is divine' to inculcate good acts in others, which is a very valid example of antithesis. Antithesis is normally used to give out the exact opposite meaning of something. Opposites are not always for arguing or conflicting with each other; it is just the way you use to describe two different moods. Read on to get a clear idea on antithesis.

• Many are called, but few are chosen.
• Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing. - Goethe
• We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. - MartinLuther King, Jr.
• One small step for a man, one giant leap for all mankind.
• You're easy on the eyes, Hard on the heart.

Polysyndeton and Asyndeton.

 

Polysyndeton is the use of conjunctions between all of the elements requiring coordination.

EX:Visitors to lpeds.com will find Lars Peterson’s resume and a portfolio and contact information and a blog about writing.

Asyndeton is the absence of conjunctions between the elements requiring coordination.

At www.lpeds.com, visitors can see Lars Peterson’s resume, his portfolio, his contact information, his blog about writing.

Asyndeton and polysyndeton are not limited to coordinating items in a series. Both can be used with phrases and clauses, too.

Phrases and Polysyndeton:

A successful freelance project requires understanding client goals and developing familiarity with the material and transforming both into a compelling read.

…and Asyndeton:

A successful freelance project requires an understanding of client goals, familiarity with the material, solid language skills.

Clauses:

Polysyndeton:

The freelance writer, who has worked in publishing and who has worked in education and who has worked in fishing and who has worked in shipbuilding, brings lessons learned from all of his experiences to each of his projects.

Asyndeton:

The freelance writer has worked in publishing, he has worked in education, he has worked in fishing, he has worked in shipbuilding, and he brings lessons learned from all of his experiences to each of his projects.

 

http://lpeds.com/2008/05/22/syndeton-polysyndeton-asyndeton/

http://fos.iloveindia.com/antithesis-examples.html