📌 Metalepsis
Definition:
Metalepsis is a rhetorical or literary device in which a figurative expression is used in a chain of references, often through multiple layers of meaning, so that understanding it requires knowledge of the original context. It can also be described as a reference through another reference.
✅ Example:
- “He’s a real Romeo with the ladies.” → Using “Romeo” (from Shakespeare) to imply a lover, which relies on the audience knowing the original story.
- “He’s already bitten by the serpent.” → A layered reference to biblical temptation, implying he has been misled or corrupted.
💡 Metalepsis often compresses complex ideas into a single phrase, relying on shared cultural or literary knowledge to convey meaning quickly.
And there it is! Now go ahead and use metalepsis in your CXC prep/ CSEC prep.
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