Hyperbaton/Syntactic Inversion
We have
been beginning to study syntactic inversion and the rhetorical device of
hyperbaton in Early American Poetry. The goal of this assignment is to go
beyond simply breaking down a sentence’s unusual syntax and to really evaluate
what purpose an author might have for using syntax that does not follow the
typical grammatical patterns of the English language. Type your answers to the
below exercise in a Word document.
1.
Take
a look at the following web resources:
Dr. Wheeler (Carson-Newman College)
After reading through their definitions of
hyperbaton, synthesize your findings and knowledge from class discussion to
write a cohesive definition for the term in your own words.
2.
According
to the Carrollton – Farmer’s
Branch School District resource, what rhetorical reasons might an author for
using hyperbaton in his/her literary work?
3.
Read
the poem, “By Night When Others
Soundly Slept”
by Anne Bradstreet. Determine the message of the work and compose a theme
statement in the appropriate format.
4.
Select
a line/sentence from the poem that features syntactical inversion and follow
the three step process we have been practicing in class to determine what
grammatical unit has been inverted.
5.
Write
a brief signifying comment explaining what the use of syntactical inversion in the
line accomplishes and how it helps the author to convey the theme of the work.
“Powerful you have become; the
dark side I sense in you.”-- Yoda