When the object whence a comparison is sought to be instituted, is expressed in terms indicating some of its defects, in order thereby to elevate the object to which the same is compared, the comparison is called -e. g. * සොමි කිවනසුළූ, රිවි සැඩසු තනනුයේ: හිතට ලාව උවම්වේ. What comparison in the world will prove suitable to thee, when the moon is waning, the sun cruel, and the ocean fluctuating? If an existing or inherent quality is represented as nonexisting, or a non-existing quality is represented as existing, so as to convey some significant meaning-[the language is a species of comparison] called 85 Irony; e. g. කනුඳුන ජීවතක, නොදෙනුදනුමෝදු වතින්: Even though the ear is a non-existing member: we (yet) know that he is a churl by (his) conduct. † මහබාවතො බියනැත්තෙහි පරට කෙසේ බිය දෙහි: O powerful person! thou art fearless: how then dost thou impart fear to others? ‡ either to the sun or the bosom. We have given both the readings which the words admit of. * Aristotle says, that metophors may be employed either “to elevate or degrade the subject according to the desire of the author; being drawn from similar or corresponding objects of a higher or lower character." The rule in the text is slightly different from the above; for it has reference to a double elevation of the subject, by a comparison drawn from a similar object of a higher character, and at the same time by a reference to some degradig quality in that object-a quality non-existing in the subject. Thus, in the above example, the ocean' is compared to a person. The former of itself bears a high character; but by a reference to its inherent defect—' fluctuation,' the writer cries' what comparison in the world will prove suitable to thee. when the ocean itself is fluctuating (which thou art not !)' This passage would be less obscure to the European, if the sentence were rendered thus: Although he has not an ear; yet by his conduct do we know that he will not give.' Fear is an inherent emotion of the human mind; yet the speaker has declared the party whom he addressed, "fearless," with a view to increase the force of the compliment. When at the conclusion of a dialogue, there is some significant meaning conveyed [which the words themselves do not impart], the language is called -e. g. රා සඳවන සිඳු කිය කුඹුයොගන මස ත රා The above, when rendered into prose, is read as follows:- River—. And wherefore hast thou named the enemy thyself? Agastiya—යලවැලිනිතො හොරා කිහෙනි අරුනුවි. But river Velley! thou art white: how hast thou became partially red? River—6. Having imbibed the blood of the inhabitants of Keyrelle. Agastiya—zęcęyn Jaraççuided. Pathiraje waged a war in that direction. * Yes. King 65. When an estimable subject is treated of in disparaging terms, Rhetoricians have designated such composition Sęond—e. g. † This, it will be perceived, is nearly identical with Prosopopœia, or Personification of the Western nations. We say "nearly; " because, although this like their Prosopopoeia, is a metaphor which attributes life and action to inanimate objects, yet it never occurs except in a dialogue; which dialogue concludes by illustrating the reality by an imaginary circumstance or incident. Thus, in the above example, the writer wishes to convey that king Pathiraja was victorious in a war which he had waged in the vicinity of the Velliganga; since with the enemy's (Keyrelle's) blo d the river became "partially red." This dialogue is given as being conducted between Agas Liya, regent of the star Canopus" (otherwise called Koomba; a jar or pot), and the river in Ceylon called Veiganja-characters which in Oriental mythology are inimical to each other. See another example of this in the Introduction. 66 It is stated by Aristotle, that "the person whom we wou'd bold up to admiration should always be advantageous y compared, if ගනුතතොපකෙරන් මතඟදරිය සිලිය සැම්: O powerful man! thou tookest in thy hand the Rhodia-slave of a black floering sword; and in consequence, do I think, thine enemies have left thee far. If an idea, different from that conceived in the mind, be manifested by the words, the language is called අන්අලප්.— Metaphor, e. g. මහා මැගි සුව විස ලීමලී යා මීවිම් ලීතු වූ වි ලිපිලී යා පිලින්නෙලෙ උල: ඟිබැලිමිලියා A travelling parrot, who seeing the large flowers, was glad and delighted therewith, having perched upon the cotton tree, thinking 'let me extract honey,' thrust his beak into a ripe-pod-(and lo!) the cotton that up-rose by means of the bruise exhibited a melancholy appearance. † possible, with those that are already illustrious. but if not, at least with some person whom he excels : to excel being in itself. a ground of admiration." The converse of this is put by the canon laid down in the text. For in the example before us instead of speaking of the person addressed in reference to some illustrious object, a degrading one, (a " Rhodia ") is mentioned. *This is a sort of allegorical me:aphor. 66 The object of the above is to shew that the bruised cotton presented the appearance of flowers, and that of the following, to convey that “the women" were so handsome that even the very bees mistook their faces for Lotuses. ත් ත් 6 ත 33 ර හt ස පුරඹහලකළුවෙන්ගෙට ප The bees who pursued the breeze, impregnated with the sweets of the Lotus, entered the house through the windows opened by town-women faint with dissipation.—Kariasokara. 66. To express the reality in a different way is called caden, a Trope; e. g.* අපොලතරියොරබිමතන බඳුපෙද නොසැහැමෙන් Whilst a woman, who repeatedly struck on the ground a ball, jealous of its similarity to her own bosom; the eyes-like Lotuses in her ears through fear fell at her feet. [When a comparison is instituted, the resemblance being stated t] the figure is called iór Simile; e. g. ‡ ගැඹුරෙ සයුරුවිමිගුණෙනිඳු විතෙදින් By reason of profoundness—(he is) like an ocean—by reason of gentleness, the moon-by reason of his power, the sun— by reason of his strength, a rock-and by reason of his liberality, the wish-conferring tree. When an object or a multitude of objects compared, by reason of its or their similitude to some quality or attribute of another object, is illustrated by metaphorical terms; the figure is called 66 Metaphorical simile. § යසපඬරොදු සුපුල් කමිසිසිසේ සුරුගහරැස්: සේවලාදල නල කෙලෙස් දියවිලැබිජිං— * We cannot find the equivalent to this. Perhaps it would not be amiss to call it by a general term-a Trope. + Vide Whately on Rhetoric, Part III, chap. II. § 3. p. 265. "The simile or comparison may be considered as differing in form only from a metaphor; the resemblance being in that stated, which in the metaphor is implied.-Dr. Whately's Rhetoric, 265. "The greatest masters of this kind of style, when the case will not admit of pure metaphor, generally prefer a mixture of metaphor with simile first pointing out the similitude. and afterwards employing metaphorical terms which imply it; or vice versa, explaining a metaphor by a statement of the comparison. To take examples of both kinds from an author who particularly excels in this point (speaking of a morbid fancy), like the bat of Indian brakes, Her pinions fan the wound she makes, And soothing thus the dreamer's pain, She drinks the life-blood from the vein.-Rokeby. The renown of his full-blown white Lotus, (whose pod is moon-like, whose pollen star-like, whose petals lightcloudy-like, and whose stalk mount-Meru-like,) spreads itself in the pond of the world." For the sake of his reputation, let the student follow in the footsteps of ancient sages; and let him also bear in mind that, except the letters, and the like, no [letters or] phrases should be adopted in Poetry for the sake of completing the verse. † The word End of the twelfth Chapter. ‡ like" makes this a comparison; but the three succeeding lines are metaphorical. Again, to take an instance of the other kind: They melted from the field, as snow, When streams are swol'n, and south winds blow, Dissolves in silent dew-Marmion. Of the words here put in italics, the former is a metaphor, the latter introduces a comparison.-Whale'y p. p. 267,-8. * See note (*) at p. 38. We select the two following stanzas, the first from the Kaviasakera, and the second from the Goottilla Jataka, to shew that the letters and are used without adding anything to the sense, and for the sake of completing the verse. There were young gambolling deer, which touch with their lips the bud ding foliage; luxuriantly growing Girinil trees (chinoria myza); and peafowls heavy laden with plumage. Near the proud city of king Bimbisara, teeming with all prosperity, was the Temp'e called Weyloowana. It has been a source of great difficulty, even with Western nations, to define the exact and true limits of Grammar and Rhetoric. Perhaps it is therefore not a matter for surprise to the student, to find in the Sidath' Sangerawe a Chapter on (literally the beautiful) Rhetoric. Gram |