An apostrophe is a rhetorical figure of speech in which a speaker or writer directly addresses an absent, dead, or inanimate entity as if it were present, alive, and capable of responding.
What Is an Apostrophe in Rhetoric?
An apostrophe is a literary device in which we address the absent or dead, as if present or alive, and the inanimate as if living; or in which we turn from the logical order of thought, or regular course of our subject, to address the person or thing spoken of.
Consider this famous example from Shakespeare:
"O gentle sleep,
Nature's soft nurse, how have I frighted thee,
That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down,
And steep my senses in forgetfulness?"
— Shakespeare.
Classes of the Apostrophe
Of the apostrophe there are two classes—the protracted and picturesque, the product of imagination; and the more brief and suggestive, which originates in the violence of passion.
Ossian's address to the Moon is regarded as one of the most splendid apostrophes in any language:
"Daughter of heaven, fair art thou! The silence of thy face is pleasant Thou comest forth in loveliness. The stars attend thy blue steps in the east. The clouds rejoice in thy presence, O Moon! and brighten their dark-brown sides. Who is like thee in heaven, daughter of the night 1 The stars are ashamed in thy presence, and turn aside their sparkling eyes. Whither dost thou retire from thy course, when the darkness of thy coun tenance grows? Hast thou thy hall, like Ossian? Dwellest thou in the shadow of grief! Have thy sisters fallen from heaven? and are they who rejoiced with thee at night no more? Yes, they have fallen, fair light! and often dost thou retire to mourn. But thon thyself shalt one night fail, and leave thy blue path in heaven. The stars will then lift their heads; they who in thy presence were astonished will rejoice."
Famous Examples of Apostrophe in Literature
In the tragedy of Douglass, Lady Randolph thus bewails the loss of her son:
"My murder'd child! had thy fond mother fear'd The loss of thee, she had loud fame defied,
Despised her father's rage, her father's grief, And wander'd with thee through the scorning world."
Quinctilian also thus laments the untimely death of a favorite son:
"Hast thou left me, my son, a childless father, reserved to drag on a wretched life? Thou, who wast so lately, by consular adoption, entitled to succeed to all thy father's honors? Thou, whom a prætor, thy uncle, had marked out for his son-in-law? Thou, who wouldst also have restored eloquence to all her native glories? Thou art gone, while I am reserved to suffer grief and affliction."
The passionate apostrophe of the bereaved and eloquent Hebrew monarch, over the corpse of his beloved yet unnatural son Absalom, is familiar to all. The Scriptures abound in beautiful apostrophes; as in the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah, where the fall of the Babylonish king is described; or where the prophet Jeremiah exclaims, "O thou sword of the Lord? how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put thyself up into the scabbard, rest and be still;" or in the pathetic lamentation of David over Saul and Jonathan:
"Ye mountains of Gilboa, no dew, neither rain be upon you, nor fields of offerings! How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places! I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been unto me; thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women!"
Adam's Morning Hymn in Paradise "is a chain of the most beautiful apostrophes;" so his soliloquy on the miserable con dition to which sin had reduced him embodies the same figure:
"O woods, O fountains,
With other echoes late I taught your shades
To answer and resound for other song."
Rules for Using the Apostrophe
To employ this rhetorical device effectively in oratory or writing, keep these fundamental principles in mind:
- First: Avoid the profuse and affected use of ornaments, for these are the product of fancy, not of passion.
- Second: Let not the apostrophe be carried to an undue length. The language of passion is concise and abrupt; it passes suddenly from one object to another.
- Third: Never employ it unless under the influence of strong emotion.
Oratory, in some of its forms, is a fine field for the use of apostrophe. Demosthenes and Cicero abound in it. So have modern orators, both British and American, of which it would be easy to produce m: ay brilliant and admirable specimens.
EXERCISE
It would be useful to the pupil or reader, to examine some book of selections in prose and verse, for the purpose of discerning and pointing out the various rhetorical figures tested upon in this, in former, and in succeeding lessons.
Key Takeaways
- An apostrophe directly addresses absent, dead, or inanimate entities as living participants.
- It features two main classes: protracted/picturesque products of imagination and brief/suggestive products of passion.
- Writers should avoid overuse, keep passages concise, and rely on genuine emotion rather than affected ornamentation.
Quick Practice
Share your thoughts or answers in the comments below:
- Can you find another example of an apostrophe in a poem you know well? Write a brief line containing it.
- Why should an apostrophe never be carried to an undue length according to the rules?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an apostrophe in literature?
An apostrophe is a rhetorical figure where the speaker addresses an absent person, a dead individual, or an inanimate object directly as though it were present and alive.
What are the two main classes of apostrophe?
The two classes are the protracted and picturesque (products of imagination) and the brief and suggestive (originating in passion).
What are the golden rules for writing an apostrophe?
Avoid excessive ornamentation, keep the address concise and abrupt to reflect true passion, and use it only under the influence of strong emotion.