Stylistic Arguments for Music & Studying

Tropes about music’s effect on studying:

-Read my original post about music and studying here: Music & The Mind

1.       Metaphor/Simile

·         “If studying is like attempting to read a road map, then music is a GPS.”

·         This is a combination of a metaphor and a simile. The simile is referencing the act of studying and the metaphor directly compares music to a GPS. I like the use of both here as many people have experienced the pain of trying using a road map, but then experienced the simplicity of having a GPS, which is implied by the metaphor.

2.       Paronomasia

·         “Studying with music brings reward, while studying without brings discord.”

·        Both reward and discord end in the same sound, but differ in meaning. What I like most about this statement is the omitted word music from the second part of the statement, and then the word discord to complete the pun has reference to music itself.

3.       Anthimeria

·         “By the looks of these grades, I’d guess you have really been musicing up your studies.”

·         This makes music into a verb, and implies the idea that adding music to this person’s studies has become a regular thing, and produces good results.

4.       Hyperbole

·         “Music isn't a simple aid! It is a catalyst to achieving otherwise unattainable results!”

·         Obviously this is an exaggerated claim, like a hyperbole should be. It also helps that the understatement of the power of music is made clear before the over exaggerated statement of its usefulness.

5.       Oxymoron

·         “Studying is an act of understanding confusion, when music is not involved.”

·         Understanding and confusion are clearly the opposite of each other, and when placed together create a paradoxical idea. Studying for many people can be an attempt to understand things that are confusing and new to them. Music is an aid to the confusion.

Schemes about music’s effect on studying:

1.       Parallelism

·         “Studying is required; music is optional; but both is success.”

·         The parallel parts, which there are three of, are all in the form of “____ is ____”. Although it words a little funny to me I think that the idea is clear, and brings a strong argument to the table.

2.       Anastrophe

·         “Greater focus, music brings to studying.”

·         Much like master Yoda from the Star Wars series the beginning or focus of the sentence becomes “greater focus” rather than music or studying. I think this scheme really helps your audience focus on the benefits of whatever you are arguing.

3.       Ellipsis

·         “Studying with music is assuredly effective, while studying without can go anywhere.”

·         I really think this ellipsis is powerful in my example/topic because it is able to represent exactly what I am arguing: studying with and without music. When music is in the first part of the sentence it ends with a positive word, while when music is missing but implied in the second part of the sentence it ends on a less positive note.

4.       Alliteration

·         “A study with sublime sounds shall score stupendous success, while a study shorn of a single strain of song will settle for sufficiency.”

·         The repeated S’s at the begging and throughout most of the words in this sentence make it sound very smart. I think this specific example is powerful because it is able to incorporate two things (music and studying), without ever using the word music.