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Periphrasis
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Periphrasis
Real-World Example
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."
Examples from the clip
The way Abraham Lincoln begins his
speech is a great example of periphrasis. He uses a much longer phrasing of words to express a short idea. President Lincoln simply could have said, "Eighty-seven years ago, the United States of America was founded," but he does not. In this particular speech, periphrasis is utilized by Lincoln establish his tone.
"The boy who lived"
= Harry Potter
You try! See if you catch the periphrasis in this clip!
What is it?
"He who shall not be named"
Example in Literature
= Voldemort
Why use it?
From a more famous source (Oh Hamlet, Hamlet, Hamlet): "When I am with you, my toes tingle and my knees are weak. The world is a better place altogether and I find myself giving my fortune to beggars, and I am a beggar before you, craving a smile, a whim." (= I love you).
Good Question! It is the substitution of a descriptive word or phrase for a proper name; or conversely, the use of a proper name as a shorthand to stand for qualities associated with it.
So basically it's a round-about way of saying a single word, person, or a place
Periphrasis occurs when a single word is replaced by several others to form a longer phrase that names the same thing: for instance, 'briny deep' for 'ocean,' or 'the manly art' for boxing. . . . It's often used in euphemisms to speak 'around,' and thus spare readers from any distasteful associations the more direct, single-word variant might trigger:such as saying 'passed on to greener pastures' for 'died.' Writers also use periphrasis to elevate their prose. Periphrasis can also lend prose a poetic or even archaic flavor.