Page 16 - Pliny Stylistic Notes

hoc certamine puer quidam

chiastic arrangement of pronouns and nouns to suggest the deep involvement of the boy in this particular activity / competition.

audentior ceteris in ulteriora tendebat

paiir of comparatives (and ablative of comparison) suggest the extraordinary bravery of the boy

nunc (x3) paired with threehistoric infinitives of directional verbs

tricolon, with repeated nunc, to show the dynamism of the dolphin as it playfully darts about him

praecedere... sequi... circumire... subire... deponere... subire... perferre

repeated historic infinitives to suggesta thick and fast flurry of action

postremo subire deponere iterum subire

a second tricolon with directrepetition and juxtaposed verbs (plus iterum)to paint a vivid picture of the dolphin picking the boy up and putting him down –suggesting how the dolphin is playfully trying out the new situation of the boy riding him

circumire... subire... subire

polyptoton of ‘ire’ to show the quick and various motions of the dolphin.

et ... -que... -que... et

polysyndeton to emphasise the amount of movement

in altum... ad litus

contrast of directions to highlight the darting nature of the dolphin all across the sea.

serpit

– a verb that means to creep and is used of animals and rivers – a vivid image of the rumour spreading through the colony like a meandering river or creeping snake.

concurrere … aspicere, interrogare audire narrare

the historic infinitives suggest urgent action – the rush of the citizens in their wonder to see, understand, hear and tell about what they have seen; they are all in the present tense, and there is no time to conjugate an ending!

omnes

hyperbole of the amount of people engaged in this story in order to shows its quick-spreading nature.

miraculum

more emphasis on the almost unbelievable nature of this

story; the internal audience (the townsfolk) are aligned with the external audience (us and Caninius) in their wonder.

aspicere, interrogare audire narrare

the asyndetic tetracolon reflects the eager appetite among the townsfolk to question, hear and spread this story.