XII. Antithesis is a placing of things in opposition, to heighten their effect by contrast; as, “I will talk of things heavenly, or things earthly; things moral, or things evangelical; things sacred, or things profane; things past, or things to come; things foreign, or things at home; things more essential, or things circumstantial; provided that all be done to our profit.”—­Bunyan, P. P., p. 90.

   “Contrasted faults through all his manners reign;
    Though poor, luxurious; though submissive, vain;
    Though grave, yet trifling; zealous, yet untrue;
    And e’en in penance, planning sins anew.”—­Goldsmith.

XIII. Climax is a figure in which the sense is made to advance by successive steps, to rise gradually to what is more and more important and interesting, or to descend to what is more and more minute and particular; as, “And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity.”—­2 Peter, i, 5.

XIV. Irony is a figure in which the speaker sneeringly utters the direct reverse of what he intends shall be understood; as, “We have, to be sure, great reason to believe the modest man would not ask him for a debt, when he pursues his life.”—­Cicero.  “No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.”—­Job, xii, 2.  “They must esteem learning very much, when they see its professors used with such little ceremony!”—­Goldsmith’s Essays, p. 150.

XV. Apophasis, or Paralipsis,[482] is a figure in which the speaker or writer pretends to omit what at the same time he really mentions; as, “I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it; albeit I do not say to thee, how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.”—­Philemon, 19.

XVI. Onomatopoeia is the use of a word, phrase, or sentence, the sound of which resembles, or intentionally imitates, the sound of the thing signified or spoken of:  as, “Of a knocking at the door, Rat a tat tat.”—­J.  W. GIBBS:  in Fowler’s Gram., p. 334. “Ding-dong! ding-dong! Merry, merry, go the bells, Ding-dong! ding-dong!”—­H.  K. White.  “Bow’wow n. The loud bark of a dog. Booth.”—­Worcester’s Dict. This is often written separately; as, “Bow wow.”—­Fowler’s Gram., p. 334.  The imitation is better with three sounds:  “Bow wow wow.”  The following verses have been said to exhibit this figure: 

   “But when loud surges lash the sounding shore,
    The hoarse rough verse should like the torrent roar.”
        —­Pope, on Crit., l. 369.