Syntax & Word Order
Anastrophe
Reversing the usual order of words, as in “the forest primeval.” The inversion can emphasize the displaced word or suggest an older or poetic register.
"the forest primeval" — Longfellow
Don't confuse it with Hyperbaton. The gentle end of hyperbaton's spectrum; periodic structure delays whole clauses, not word pairs.
Examples
the forest primeval
The adjective follows its noun instead of preceding it.
Often used alongside this device
Explore devices that often appear in the same passages as anastrophe.
Passive Voice 4 Synecdoche 3 Asyndeton 3 Litotes 3 Polyptoton 3 Hyperbaton 3
The rest of the family
Hyperbaton Periodic Sentence Cumulative (Loose) Sentence Parataxis Parenthesis Apposition / Appositive Zeugma Hendiadys Pleonasm Enumeration / Accumulatio Passive Voice Cleft Sentence