Craft of Writing: Ellipsis, Anthimeria, and Antithesis

 

Time for another installment of some Craft of Writing mini-lessons. As mentioned in more detail previously on this blog, these are mini-lessons designed to support students in practising writing craft all year-round. Below are three writing techniques or elements that can be brought into close-up to make the craft of writing more explicit for students.

Ellipsis

What is it: Anything that has been 'cut out' or omitted from a text. This is often explicitly denoted by three dots '...' but can also be implicitly used without the punctuation marks, such as when a key detail is deliberately left unsaid or taken out of the text.

Examples:

• "Did he... peacefully?" - The Dubliners, James Joyce
• "Honestly, Vernon Gregory, if your father was here..." - Vernon God Little, DBC Pierre

Why use it: 

• Omits unnecessary words in everyday language, EG. "I asked for a Pepsi, [I did] not [ask for] Coke."
• Indicates in dialogue when someone loses a train of thought, or gets cut off, or deliberately leaves something unsaid. Can build tension in this way, or reinforce characterisation.
• Used by academics and journalists when quoting, with [...] to signify when a quote has been trimmed down for usefulness.
• Conveys 'jumps' in thinking during stream-of-consciousness.
• In a broader sense, ellipsis is used to remove parts of a narrative that are either unnecessary (the Harry Potter series takes place over 7 years but Rowling only includes the parts of Harry's life that are relevant to the main narrative) or intended to be ambiguous (certain details related to Laura Wishart's life and death are left unsaid in the novel Jasper Jones).

Quick Activity: Write an exchange, using ellipsis, between a character from The Tempestand a character from Hag-Seed.

Anthimeria

What is it: Taking a word and using it in a way contrary to its normal grammar function. This could be using a noun as a verb, or a verb or noun as an adjective. Anthimeria can often start as a form of slang before becoming a permanent part of the language. It demonstrates the way the English language is constantly changing.

Examples:

• "Way to red plague go!" - Hag-Seed, Margaret Atwood
• "Teach me how to dougie" - the song 'Teach Me How to Dougie' by Cali Swag District; about a dance named after the '80s rapper Doug E. Fresh.

Why use it: 

• Cultural changes can lead to words being used in new ways, such as a proper noun (Orwell) being used as an adjective (Orwellian).
• Can be used to build a distinct shared lexicon between a set of characters when they talk to each other.
• A lot of neologisms (new words) are often examples of anthimeria - 'texting', 'hashtagging', etc. 
• Used in pop culture to grab attention or emphasise new ideas. 

Quick Activity: Invent two anthimeria and then use them in a sentence each. One must be a noun turned into a verb, the other a noun turned into an adjective.

Antithesis

What is it: An opposition between two things. This can include opposition between two statements or ideas. These pairs are presented in a similar fashion, or in close proximity, and to qualify as antithesis there must be parallel use of grammatical structure or equal weight given to each of the ideas.

Examples:

• "She is ten times more gentle than her father (is ten times) crabbed" - The Tempest, William Shakespeare
• "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" - Neil Armstrong, moon-landing (1969)
• "We will extend a hand if you are unwilling to unclench your fist" - Inaugural speech from Barack Obama (2009)
• On a conceptual scale, Ariel and Caliban are presented as the antithesis of one another in The Tempest - both are servants to Prospero but one is linked to the air, the other the earth.

Why use it:

• To show contrast in order to emphasise one side of the contrast.
• Separating an idea into two halves in this manner can demonstrate its duality and/or complexity.
• Separating an idea into two opposing halves can indicate a sense of tension between the halves.
• Builds a sense of difference between ideas when presented on a larger scale. 

Quick Activity: Write a 4-8 line piece of poetry about the view from a window. Make sure that it demonstrates antithesis.  

You can find these all together on a handy sheet below:

• Writology Issue 7

Happy writing!