Aphorismus is a figure of speech that calls into question the meaning of a word ("How can you call yourself a man?"). It often appears in the form of a rhetorical question and is meant to imply a distinction between the present subject and the general notion or ideal of the subject. A figure of speech, sometimes termed a rhetorical figure or device, or elocution, is a word or phrase that departs from straightforward, literal language. ... A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer. ...

It is sometimes confused with the word, "aphorism," which means "a wise saying." An aphorism is a wise saying that bears repetition. ...

Examples

• "For you have but mistook me all this while. / I live with bread like you, feel want, / Taste grief, need friends: subjected thus, / How can you say to me I am a king?" William Shakespeare, Richard II Act 3, scene 2, 174-177

Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

See Also

• Figure of Speech