Rhetoric & FiguresIntermediate
Apostrophe
Direct address to an absent, dead, abstract, or nonhuman addressee.
Principle
Address can make absence theatrically present.
Takeaways
- It turns lyric or rhetorical pressure outward.
- The addressee need not be able to answer.
- It can heighten grief, praise, accusation, or invocation.
Overview
Apostrophe occurs when a speaker turns to address someone or something not literally present or responsive. It is common in poetry, drama, prayer, elegy, and heightened prose.
Examples
- O memory, leave the room for once.
- A mourner speaks directly to the dead child.