Figures of description
Enargia is the general term for employing description within rhetoric (see also the various Greek and Latin synonyms for this, below). Various kinds of description are also specified with individual terms.
General Figures of Description:
Principal Greek terms:
enargia
ecphrasis
hypotyposis
diatyposis
Latin synonyms:
descriptio
demonstratio
evidentia
adumbratio
representatio
Specific Kinds of Description
See Topographia -a description of a place. Very commonly used in a statement of facts.
See Prosopographia -The vivid description of someone's face or character; or, the description of feigned or imaginary characters. The former is commonly used in a statement of facts.
See Ethopoeia -The description and portrayal of a character (natural propensities, manners and affections, etc.) Very commonly used in a statement of facts.
See Pragmatographia -a description of an action; a reported narrative. (very commonly used in law)
See Chronographia, which is a vivid representation of a certain historical or recurring time (such as a season)
See Characterismus, which is a description of a person's character. (commonly used in a statement of facts)
See Effictio -A verbal depiction of someone's body, often from head to toe. (relevant to personal injury cases)
See Icon - A figure which paints the likeness of a person by imagery. (imagery is often used in a statement of facts)
See Peristasis - A description of attendant circumstances.
See Chorographia -The description of a particular nation. (relevant in constitutional law and international law issues)
See Geographia which is a vivid representation of the earth. (relevant to environmental law matters)
See Anemographia -which is a description of the wind. (relevant to marine lawyers)
See Dendrographia - a description of a tree. (Relevant to planning cases and environmental law matters)
See Topothesia - a description of an imaginary place (might be used in an IP claim)
See Hydrographia, which is a description of water. (Relevant to marine lawyers)
See Astrothesia -A vivid description of stars (may be relevant to either space law or marine law)
Related Figures
See also Figures of Place -Many of the figures of description are also figures describing a place.
See also Figures of Pathos -The vividness of description is often used to affect the emotions; thus, many of the figures of description are also figures of pathos.
See also Figures of Amplification
Acknowledgement
The above information on individual rhetorical techniques is reproduced from the website “Silva Rhetoricae” (www.rhetoric.byu.edu ) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Credit for this content lies with Professor Gideon O Burton of Brigham Young University.