Examples of Apostrophe in LiteratureĪs a literary device, apostrophe is used in literature to allow a character to speak to an object, abstract idea, absent person, or someone who doesn’t exist as if it is a living, present person. O saber, my saber! I would have rather with me at this hour to fight in the battle.O, father! I wish you were here with me to help me out of this conundrum.
O, Wordsworth! You should have lived in this age when nature is absent from everywhere.O, my boy! Where should I find you after you have left us? We have become destitute, miserable, and poor.O cow! You shouldst have lived in this age / When grass is absent from the land.Difference Between Apostrophe as Literary Device and Punctuation I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.” ( Macbeth)– Macbeth addresses a dagger that he envisions is in front of him, but it is not actually there. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.“Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend, more hideous when thou show’st thee in a child than the sea-monster!” ( King Lear)– King Lear addresses the abstract idea of ingratitude as it is displayed, in his mind, by his daughter Goneril.“Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy” ( Hamlet)– Hamlet addresses the skull of Yorick, former jester to the king, which has been unearthed by gravediggers.“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” ( Romeo and Juliet)–Juliet addresses an “absent” Romeo, unaware that he is nearby.Here are some examples of apostrophes in Shakespeare’s literary works: By allowing the speaker to express their thoughts and feelings to an absent or inanimate “third party,” the audience becomes more aware of the character’s motivations and personal truth. William Shakespeare utilized apostrophe in many of his plays as a device to allow characters to convey their emotions and/or internal viewpoints. Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone / without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own Examples of Apostrophe in Shakespeare.I said “No, no, you’re not the one for me” Well, the big black horse said “Look this way”.Oh Charles, Prince Charles, can you hear my heartbreak / Can you hear me telling you, marrying her is a big mistake.Don’t tell my heart, my achy breaky heart / I just don’t think he’d understand.Hello darkness, my old friend / I’ve come to talk with you again.Little Red Corvette / You need a love that’s gonna last.