Rhetorical Terms #3

Inverted sentences, wax poetic, syllogims—premise and conclusions

Inverted Sentence (syntax)

• Traditional English Syntax S-V-C

• Inverted moves parts of the sentence around.

• When you reach 900 years old, you will not look as good.

• When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not.

Wax poetic (diction)

• Waxing (v.) – the phase of the moon when the size increases.

• Wax poetic – to become increasingly verbose or romantic in one’s diction, often when it is not warranted.

• He waxed poetic over the loss of his homework.• Similar phrase: ‘purple patch,’ or ‘purple prose’

is language dense with technique and figurative language.

A pun on wax

• It would be remiss to leave out a Marx Brothers gag at this point. Groucho Marx's role as Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff in the 1932 film Horse Feathers yielded this gem:

• Wagstaff's Receptionist: The Dean is furious! He's waxing wroth!Prof. Wagstaff: Is Roth out there, too? Tell Roth to wax the Dean for awhile

• http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/wax-poetic.html