I am afraid I owe my honest readership an apology. Oh, what a bad boy I have been! For two days I puzzled over how to use Aporia, which is talking about not being able to talk about something. Then suddenly I realized that my problem was its own answer.
Now it puzzles me that an online source defines Aporia otherwise. More thought needed on that one.
Meanwhile, the mnemonic image is simple enough. An enormous limestone letter A, riddled with pores, stands erect as a man tries unsuccessfully to scale it. Part of his problem is that a huge pitcher is pouring water over the top. So the figure that expresses your unsuccessful effort to express your thought is the porous A, or "A porous", or the "A pouring"--any of these should bring Aporia to mind.
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2 comments:
Ever get the feeling you and I are the only ones reading each other's blogs? Well, there's Joe, but...
I gotta admit that I had absolutely no idea on this one. Part of it was the deceptive phraseology and choice of words. Purposeful?
At any rate, the etymology of aporia seems to point more to the Silva Rhetoricae definition-- difficulty in dealing with, being at a loss. (Lidell/Scott/Jones) This involves questioning the audience/deliberating rhetorically
Yes, it seems that way, although Sitemeter tells me that my wife's family in Iowa and in Texas drop in to read, if not to comment. I have enjoyed the back-and-forth, and it has kept me going on some lighter writing and has given me a chance to try out some things that would not fit into the writing I do for work. I never expected to have a reader who was actually interested in the figures of speech!
Now, I feel guilty about the deceptive phrasing. I was in a hurry and so wrote whatever came out, and while I realized it was misleading I didn't take the time to revise it. I repent!
Point well regarding the etymology. I'll have to let this combox discussion serve as a note to myself to work from the Silva Rhetoricae definition.
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