Ecphonesis


Ecphonesis is an emotional, exclamatory phrase used in poetry, drama, or song. It is a rhetorical device that originated in ancient literature.

Examples

Literature

A Latin example is "O tempora, o mores", which translates as "Oh, the times! Oh, the morals!".
American writer Edgar Allan Poe used ecphonesis in his short story The Tell-Tale Heart:

Music

In the song Y.M.C.A. by the Village People, lead vocalist Victor Willis says "Young man!"

Television

Other examples of ecphonesis include when Homer Simpson said "No! No-no-no-no-no-no! Well, yes" during The Simpsons episode "Homer the Heretic", and when the Scarecrow said "Oh joy! Rapture! I got a brain!" in ''The Wizard of Oz.''

Politics

used the expressions "Sad!" and "Wrong!" without elaboration throughout his 2016 US presidential campaign.

In Eastern Orthodox Liturgy

In the Eastern Orthodox Church many prayers are recited silently by the priest who "speaks to God face-to-face" according to St. Symeon of Thessaloniki. However, the closing words of such prayers are usually chanted aloud, especially at the closing of an ectenia, and those closing words are called an ecphonesis.
Examples:
  • In the anaphora, the prayer following the sanctus is said silently by the priest but its ending, the Words of Institution, are intoned in a loud voice.
  • During most ectenias the priest silently recites a prayer up to its last line and then, when the ectenia has concluded, he chants aloud that last line.