What do Dwight D. Eisenhower, Mae West, StarKist Tuna, and Charles Yelton all have in common? Read on to find out!
panegyric (n.)
Pronunciation: păn'ə -jǐrǐk, -jī'rǐk
Definition: 1. A formal eulogistic composition intended as a public compliment. 2. Elaborate praise or laudation; an encomium (formal expression of praise; a tribute).
"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears," Marc Antony intoned panegyrically, "I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones; so let it be with Caesar."
It's a famous panegyric, largely for its use of apophasis, a dubious rhetorical device and sarcastic pedagogical tool. Apophasis is easy to understand. "I'm not even going to talk about all the times he stood me up!" "I don't have to mention, of course, that these papers are to be typed."
Marc Antony's chocablock speech of rhetorical devices is illuminating for understanding the impact rhetoric has on people. It's chock-full of anastrophe, anacoenosis, and a whole lot more. (by the by, go here for a humorous translation of the speech)
On the subject of rhetoric, did you ever notice JFK's heavy usage of chiasmus (specifically, antimetabole): "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate"; "mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind"; "...ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."
Even ole Al Gore used it once, "Let's make sure that the Supreme Court does not pick the next president, and this president does not choose the next Supreme Court."
Eisenhower used antimetabole AND antanaclasis, "What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog." Same with Mae West (a bit more applicable day-to-day, I should think), "Well, it's not the men in your life that counts, it's the life in your men."
Ellen, you know the whole "Sorry, Charlie" thing we were talking about? StarKist used both antimetabole and antanaclasis, as well, "Sorry, Charlie. StarKist doesn't want tunas with good taste - StarKist wants tunas that taste good."
Oh, it's been a whirlwind romance with the internet today researching this subject. I should probably go do my job now.
Pear Cleaving: it's not the pairing of the pears, it's the paring of the pears.
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