Aposiopesis (from Classical Greek, ἀποσιώπησις, "becoming silent") is the term for the rhetorical device by which the speaker or writer deliberately stops short and leaves something unexpressed, but yet obvious, to be supplied by the imagination, giving the impression that she is unwilling or unable to continue. It often portrays being overcome with passion (fear, anger, excitement) or modesty. The ellipsis or dash is used. Note: This article contains special characters. ... A rhetorical device is a technique, sometimes called a resource of language, used by an author or speaker to induce an emotional response. ... The Passion is the technical term for the suffering and Agony of Jesus that led directly to the Crucifixion, a central Christian event. ... Modesty comprises a set of culturally or religiously determined values that relate to the presentation of the self to others. ... For the Figure of speech, see Ellipsis (figure of speech). ... A dash is a punctuation mark. ...

The traditional example of aposiopesis is the threat of Neptune in Virgil's Aeneid 1.135: A sculpture of Virgil, probably from the 1st century AD. For other uses, see Virgil (disambiguation). ... The Aeneid is a Latin epic written by Virgil in the 1st century BC (between 29 and 19 BC) that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who traveled to Italy where he became the ancestor of the Romans. ...

Quos ego—!

Meaning, in context, "Such rebels I—!" This mirrors a more modern example, from Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer: "Well, I lay if I get ahold of you I'll–." Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, novelist, writer, and lecturer. ... Tom Sawyer is the title character of the Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. ...

A biblical example can be found in Psalm 27, verse 13. The Hebrew, written by King David (c. 1005 BC - 965 BC), says in English: "Unless I had believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living . . . " The implication is that David does not know what he would have done. This page is about the Biblical king David. ...

Another common example comes from William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, 3.2.104-107, in which Antony interrupts his own speech at Caesar's funeral: Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare probably written in 1599. ... For his relatives and other people with similar names, see Marcus Antonius (disambiguation). ... Gaius Julius Caesar (IPA: ; Classical Latin: IMP•C•IVLIVS•CAESAR•DIVVS[1]), July 12, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader. ...

O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have lost their reason. Bear with me,

My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.

Another modern example of Aposiopesis can be heard in a song by The Doors titled "L'merica" The Doors (formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California) were a popular and influential American rock band. ...

I took a trip down to l’america

To trade some beads for a pint of gold

I took a trip down to l’america:

To trade some beads for a pint of gold:

C’mon people, don’t ya look so down

You know the rain man’s comin’ ta town

Change the weather, change your luck

And then he’ll teach ya how ta..

...find yourself

In common syntax, an aposiopesis may arise when the protasis of a condition is stated without an ensuing apodosis.

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.