Reading Poetry
Hypallage moves a description to an unexpected neighbour
Hypallage shifts a description to an unexpected word. Try a close-reading exercise that shows how a transferred epithet can change the atmosphere of a sentence.
BOOKS & THE LIFE AROUND THEM
Keep the conversation going after the last page.
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Reading Poetry
Synecdoche: when one small part stands for a larger whole
Synecdoche lets a part stand for a whole. Use a few original examples to see how the choice of detail can change a sentence’s emphasis and tone.
Reading Poetry
An ekphrastic poem can answer a painting instead of simply describing it
An ekphrastic poem does more than describe an artwork. Try reading for the speaker, the imagined moment and the details the poet chooses to leave out.
Reading Fiction
Zeugma lets one verb pull a sentence in two directions
Zeugma lets one word govern several parts of a sentence, sometimes in different senses. Try an original example and see when the turn adds meaning.
Book History
When buying a book meant buying the sheets before the binding
Early printed books could reach buyers unbound or in temporary covers. Learn what that changes about reading a historical book’s physical evidence.
Book History
Chain lines in laid paper leave clues inside an old book
Chain lines can reveal how an old sheet of paper was made. Learn what to look for and why the pattern alone cannot date a book.