Ploce

Techniques > Use of language > Figures of speech > Ploce

Method | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

Ploce is moving between specific and general meanings of a word.

Example

He is more English than the English.

That is a very dog-like dog.

It was a sheep amongst sheep, a follower the follower.

Discussion

Some words are used both as a singular and plural and so can be used in this initially confusing form -- which is of course the reason for using it. When the reader encounters two words the same but with apparently different meanings, they pause and pay more attention.

In some ways, the ploce is the reverse of the isocolon. Whilst the polyptoton repeats the same word in different forms, the isolcolon repeats the same form in different words.

Classification: Attention, Repetition