Apostrophe
Literary term · say it uh-POS-truh-fee
Apostrophe is a figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses someone absent or dead, or something that cannot answer. It can turn grief, anger, love, or wonder into words spoken to an imagined listener.
Two ways apostrophe appears
Addressing someone absent or dead
A speaker talks directly to someone who is elsewhere or has died, as though that person could hear.
In Julius Caesar, Antony speaks to Caesar's body after the conspirators leave, asking forgiveness for treating the killers gently.
In Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Addressing something that cannot answer
A speaker talks to an object, a force of nature, or an idea as though it could listen.
In King Lear, Lear addresses the winds and rain during the storm, commanding them to rage around him.
In King Lear by William Shakespeare
How to spot apostrophe
- Look for a speaker talking directly to someone or something.
- Check whether the listener is absent, dead, or unable to answer.
- Notice what feelings the direct address brings into focus.
Is apostrophe the same as the punctuation mark?
No, literary apostrophe is a figure of speech, while the apostrophe punctuation mark shows possession or missing letters. They share a name, but a passage can contain literary apostrophe without using that punctuation mark at all.
What is the difference between apostrophe and personification?
Apostrophe addresses someone or something directly; personification gives human qualities to something nonhuman. They can overlap when a speaker talks to the sea as though it could listen, but addressing a dead friend is apostrophe without necessarily being personification.
Related terms
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