Apostrophe (Greek ἀποστροφή, apostrophé, "turning away"; the final e being sounded) is an exclamatory rhetorical figure of speech, when a talker or writer breaks off and directs speech to an imaginary person or abstract quality or idea. In dramatic works and poetry, it is often introduced by the word "O" (not to be confused with the exclamation "oh"). For the prime symbol (′) used for feet and inches, see Prime (symbol). ... A figure of speech, sometimes termed a rhetoric, or locution, is a word or phrase that departs from straightforward, literal language. ...

It is related to personification, although in apostrophe, objects or abstractions are implied to have certain human qualities (such as understanding) by the very fact that the speaker is addressing them as he would a person in his presence. Phillipp Veits Germania (1877), a personification of Germany. ...

Apostrophe is often used to convey extreme emotion, as in Claudius' impassioned speech in Hamlet. ^[1] Claudius is a fictional character from William Shakespeares play Hamlet. ... For other uses, see Hamlet (disambiguation). ...

Examples

• "O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, / That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! / Thou art the ruins of the noblest man / That ever lived in the tide of times." Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 1.
• "To what green altar, O mysterious priest, / Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies, / And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?" John Keats, "Ode on a Grecian Urn".
• "O eloquent, just, and mighty Death!" Sir Walter Raleigh, A Historie of the World
• "Roll on thou dark and deep blue ocean." Lord Byron, "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage".
• "Science! True daughter of Old Time thou art!" Edgar Allan Poe, "To Science".
• Common usage as an opposition speaker at a political convention: "And I say to you, Mr. President, we do not want our children to grow up in a world where...(etc.)"
• O Captain! My Captain!, title of Walt Whitman's poem.
• Oh, brave new world that has such people in't!, Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act 5, Scene 1.
• Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws, from Sonnet 19 by William Shakespeare
• O cunning Love! , from Sonnet 148 by William Shakespeare
• Death, be not proud, though some have called thee, John Donne, Death be not Proud
• And you, Eumaeus...(The Odyssey)

In epic poetry the author will often address characters, which does not conform to the poem's usual style. Homer used apostrophe to show a particular fondness for a character he may be writing about. This is further shown in 'The Iliad' where he acts as though directly speaking to Patroclus in the last books before his death. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Facsimile of the first page of Julius Caesar from the First Folio, published in 1623 Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed written in 1599. ... Keats redirects here. ... Ode on a Grecian Urn is a poem by John Keats, first published in January 1819 (c. ... Alternatively, Professor Walter Raleigh was a scholar and author circa 1900. ... Lord Byron, English poet Lord Byron (1803), as painted by Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, (January 22, 1788 – April 19, 1824) was the most widely read English language poet of his day. ... Childe Harolds Pilgrimage by J.M.W. Turner, 1823. ... Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short story writer, playwright, editor, literary critic, essayist and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. ... To Science, or Sonnet - To Science is an 1829 poem written by Edgar Allan Poe. ... Facsimile of the Authors Proof. ... Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... [edit] See also Shakespeares sonnets [edit] External links Analysis CliffsNotes Shakespeares 154 Sonnets Categories: | | ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... For the Welsh courtier and diplomat, see Sir John Donne. ... Death Be Not Proud is a title that has been used by several writers. ...

Ambition,you have been a cruel master,I'll serve you no longer

References

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

1. ^ Shakespeare, William, "Act 3, Scene 3", Hamlet