5.22 Rhetoric and figures of speech — Epoché
What you will be able to do Name the common figures of speech in German and recognise them in a poem, a speech or an editorial. Tell überreden from überzeugen , and wörtlich from bildlich . Talk about tone: irony, sarcasm, understatement, an undertone of mockery. Use the words of praise, blame and politeness that a speech or a review is built from. Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the German aloud; all of them come back below. German English Ich vermute, dass das eine wörtliche Übersetzung einer Redewendung ist. [1] I think this may be a literal translation of an idiom. Ich kann dich nicht dazu überreden, mit uns zu kommen, oder? [2] I can't talk you into coming with us, can I? Ich bin nicht sicher, ob es ein Kompliment oder eine Beleidigung ist. [3] I'm not sure if it's a compliment or an insult. Ich frage mich, was die Leute dazu bringt, so etwas zu tun. [4] I wonder what makes people do a thing like that. Er sprach mit einem sarkastischen Unterton. [5] He spoke with a suggestion of sarcasm in his voice. Gefällt dir der Rahmen dieses Gemäldes? [6] Do you like the frame on this painting? Er erklärt die wörtliche Bedeutung des Satzes. [7] He explains the literal meaning of the sentence. Prerequisites : 5.21 — you need the words for the parts of a text and for tone and style from 5.21 Vocabulary . The German school essay on a poem or a speech has a fixed step: find the Stilmittel , name them, and say what they do. Most of the names are Greek and Latin, and English uses the same ones, so Metapher , Ironie , Hyperbel and Euphemismus will cost you little. The work is in the stress, which often falls on a different syllable from English, and in the native German words around them: Anspielung , Untertreibung , Wortspiel , Unterton . This lesson gives you both, together with the verbs of persuasion and the vocabulary of humour, praise and insult that rhetoric works with. Word list Sixty words in six groups: figures of speech, speaking to persuade, words and phrases, humour and mockery, praise and blame, and sound and structure. Figures of speech Word (article, plural) Meaning Notes die Metapher（-n） de metaphor Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Stress on the second syllable. Welch eine ungeschickte Metapher! [8] What a clumsy metaphor! der Vergleich（-e） de comparison; simile Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs German uses one word for both; a simile is a Vergleich with wie . Vergleiche sind schwer. [9] Comparisons are difficult. das Gleichnis（-se） de parable; simile Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs The parables of the Bible are Gleichnisse . Ich will es mit einem Gleichnis erklären. [10] Let me explain by way of a parable. die Ironie de irony Gender / part of speech feminine noun, no plural How English differs Stress on the last syllable. Die anwesenden Journalisten verstanden die Ironie in ihren Worten. [11] The journalists who were present understood the irony in her words. ironisch de ironic Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs Stress on the second syllable. Das wäre ironisch, oder? [12] That would be ironic, wouldn't it? die Anspielung（-en） de allusion, hint Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs eine Anspielung auf etwas , an allusion to something . Sie machte eine Anspielung auf seine fehlende Bildung. [13] She made an insinuation about his lack of education. die Andeutung（-en） de hint, intimation Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs From andeuten , to hint . Ich verstehe die Andeutung. [14] I understand the allusion. übertreiben de to exaggerate Gender / part of speech inseparable verb How English differs over-drive ; the noun is die Übertreibung . Ich habe übertrieben. [15] I exaggerated. die Untertreibung（-en） de understatement Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs The opposite of Übertreibung . Zu sagen, dass die Weltmeisterschaft das Fußballfieber in Amerika entfacht hat, dürfte eine Untertreibung sein. [16] Saying that the World Cup sparked interest in soccer in America might be an understatement. die Hyperbel（-n） de hyperbole Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Stress on the second syllable; also a curve in mathematics. Ich könnte – ohne mich hier einer Hyperbel zu bedienen – ein Pferd verspeisen. [17] I could eat a horse, and that's not hyperbole. das Paradox（-e） de paradox Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs Plural also Paradoxa . Viele Paradoxa sind nur paradox, weil sie seltsam klingen. [18] Many paradoxes are paradoxical only because they sound strange. der Euphemismus（Euphemismen） de euphemism Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Latin plural in -en . Das ist ein Euphemismus! [19] That's a euphemism. das Stilmittel（-） de stylistic device, figure of speech Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs The school word for any figure: style-means . Die Metapher ist ein Stilmittel. A metaphor is a stylistic device. Speaking to persuade Word (article, plural) Meaning Notes die Rhetorik de rhetoric Gender / part of speech feminine noun, no plural How English differs Like English, can be neutral or dismissive. Dieses Argument ist reine Rhetorik. [20] This argument is pure rhetoric. rhetorisch de rhetorical Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs eine rhetorische Frage , a rhetorical question . Das war eine rhetorische Frage. [21] That was a rhetorical question. der Redner（-） de speaker, orator Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs From reden , to talk . Er ist ein guter Redner. [22] He is a good speaker. die Ansprache（-n） de address, short speech Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs eine Ansprache halten , to give a speech . Ich hielt auf der Hochzeitsfeier gestern eine Ansprache. [23] I gave a speech at the wedding yesterday. vortragen de to recite, to present Gender / part of speech sep