Hypophora
Hypophora is a discern of speech wherein a author raises a question, after which immediately affords an answer to that query. Commonly, a question is asked within the first paragraph, after which the paragraph is used to reply the question. It is likewise recognized as “antipophora,” or “anthypophora.” At first look, examples of hypophora may additionally seem similar to rhetorical question examples, but there is a moderate distinction as explained below.
Difference Between Hypophora and Rhetorical Question
The basic distinction between hypophora and a rhetorical question is that, in a rhetorical query, the answer isn't always furnished by way of the author, because it does now not require a solution. Such as, “… for if we lose the potential to understand our faults, what is the coolest of living on?” (Marcus Aurelius). However, in hypophora, the author first poses a question, and then answers that query without delay; such as on this example:
“What must young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the maximum daring thing is to create stable groups wherein the horrible sickness of loneliness can be cured.”
(Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage, by way of Kurt Vonnegut)
Examples of Hypophora in Literature
Example #1: A Christmas Memory (By Truman Capote)
“Thirty-one cakes, dampened with whiskey, bask on window sills and shelves.
Who are they for?
Friends. Not always neighbor friends: indeed, the larger share is intended for folks we’ve met perhaps once, perhaps now not at all. People who’ve struck our fancy. Like President Roosevelt.”
In this example, the speaker raises a question in the beginning, and then solutions it in the direction of the passage. The query is shown in bold, that is “Who are they for?” The author wants to heighten the impact of important topics with the aid of asking a question.
Example #2: Henderson the Rain King (By Saul Bellow)
“What made me take this ride to Africa? There isn't any quick explanation. Things got worse and worse and worse and pretty quickly they had been too complicated.”
In this passage, the author asks the query and at once explains. This creates a rhetorical effect, which lies in providing the solution that readers might count on to be given by using a creator.
Example #3: Cherry Orchard (By Anton Chekov)
TROFIMOV:
“Who knows? And what does it mean–you’ll die? Perhaps a person has a hundred senses, and when he dies most effective the five recognised to us are destroyed and the last ninety-five are left alive …”
LUBOV:
“You want giants, do you? … They’re simplest desirable in stories, and even there they frighten one …”
TROFIMOV:
“Isn’t all of it the equal whether or not the estate is sold to-day or isn’t? It’s been all up with it for a protracted time; there’s no turning back, the path’s grown over. Be calm, dear …”
There are 3 hypophora examples in this excerpt, shown in bold. Initially, the characters pose questions, and then solutions in an effort to draw the eye of readers.
Example #4: Waiting for Godot (By Samuel Beckett)
ESTRAGON:
(gesture toward the universe). “This one is enough for you? (Silence.) It’s now not satisfactory of you, Didi. Who am I to tell my private nightmares to if I can’t tell them to you …”
ESTRAGON:
“That would be too bad, really too bad. (Pause.) Wouldn’t it, Didi, be absolutely too bad? (Pause.) When you observed of the beauty of the way. (Pause.) And the goodness of the wayfarers. (Pause. Wheedling.) Wouldn’t it, Didi?”
Waiting for Godot is packed with this rhetorical tool. Such as here, Estragon asks questions after which offers explanations to answer his very own questions. The questions create curiosity, and additionally bring a new topic of discussion.
Function of Hypophora
The major reason of the use of hypophora is to create curiosity most of the readers, at the same time as a well-timed silence produces heightened effect, and creates interest. It facilitates to capture the attention of the audience. However, hypophora can also be employed to introduce new discussions or subjects of importance approximately which the readers might not have information. Also, it could be used as a directional tool to alternate the subject matter. It can boost the kinds of query readers might already have on their minds and would like to get solutions to. In addition, it is often used in political speeches as well as literary works.
Popular Literary Devices
- Ad Hominem
- Adage
- Allegory
- Alliteration
- Allusion
- Ambiguity
- Anachronism
- Anagram
- Analogy
- Anapest
- Anaphora
- Anecdote
- Antagonist
- Antecedent
- Antimetabole
- Antithesis
- Aphorism
- Aposiopesis
- Apostrophe
- Archaism
- Archetype
- Argument
- Assonance
- Biography
- Cacophony
- Cadence
- Caricature
- Catharsis
- Characterization
- Cliché
- Climax
- Colloquialism
- Comparison
- Conflict
- Connotation
- Consonance
- Denotation
- Deus Ex Machina
- Dialect
- Dialogue
- Diction
- Didacticism
- Discourse
- Doppelganger
- Double Entendre
- Ellipsis
- Epiphany
- Epitaph
- Essay
- Ethos
- Eulogy
- Euphemism
- Evidence
- Exposition
- Fable
- Fallacy
- Flash Forward
- Foil
- Foreshadowing
- Genre
- Haiku
- Half Rhyme
- Hubris
- Hyperbaton
- Hyperbole
- Idiom
- Imagery
- Induction
- Inference
- Innuendo
- Internal Rhyme
- Irony
- Jargon
- Juxtaposition
- Limerick
- Line Break
- Logos
- Meiosis
- Memoir
- Metaphor
- Meter
- Mood
- Motif
- Narrative
- Nemesis
- Non Sequitur
- Ode
- Onomatopoeia
- Oxymoron
- Palindrome
- Parable
- Paradox
- Parallelism
- Parataxis
- Parody
- Pathetic Fallacy
- Pathos
- Pentameter
- Persona
- Personification
- Plot
- Poem
- Poetic Justice
- Point of View
- Portmanteau
- Propaganda
- Prose
- Protagonist
- Pun
- Red Herring
- Repetition
- Rhetoric
- Rhyme
- Rhythm
- Sarcasm
- Satire
- Simile
- Soliloquy
- Sonnet
- Style
- Superlative
- Syllogism
- Symbolism
- Synecdoche
- Synesthesia
- Syntax
- Tautology
- Theme
- Thesis
- Tone
- Tragedy
- Tragicomedy
- Tragic Flaw
- Transition
- Utopia
- Verisimilitude