Passage 154 · 1929
"A Farewell to Arms"
Main effectThrough vague temporal demonstrative, nested spatial prepositions, relative clause extending view, coordinated geographical items, and predominantly monosyllabic diction, Hemingway creates syntax of telegraphic simplicity—grammar that refuses emotional coloring or historical specificity, presenting wartime experience with the flat declarative structure of objective reporting.
Device index
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Tropes
Restrained expression.
Schemes
Many conjunctions.
Repetition at beginning.
Syntax
"In the late summer of that year"—temporal preposition with vague demonstrative. Syntax establishes time without naming it.
"that year"—demonstrative pronoun creating temporal remove. Syntax marks event as past, already distanced.
"we lived"—simple past of dwelling. Syntax makes war location into domestic fact.
"in a house in a village"—two prepositional phrases of location. Syntax creates spatial containment, Russian doll structure.
"that looked across"—restrictive relative extending description. Syntax makes view part of village's identity.
"the river and the plain"—two definite articles with conjunction. Syntax itemizes geography.
"to the mountains"—directional preposition. Syntax establishes distant visual terminus.
Most words single syllable. Syntax performs Hemingway's characteristic stripped style.
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Temporal Prepositional Opening
"In the late summer of that year"—temporal preposition with vague demonstrative. Syntax establishes time without naming it.
Deictic Distance
"that year"—demonstrative pronoun creating temporal remove. Syntax marks event as past, already distanced.
Simple Past Stative
"we lived"—simple past of dwelling. Syntax makes war location into domestic fact.
Nested Prepositions
"in a house in a village"—two prepositional phrases of location. Syntax creates spatial containment, Russian doll structure.
Relative Clause Extension
"that looked across"—restrictive relative extending description. Syntax makes view part of village's identity.
Coordinated Landscape
"the river and the plain"—two definite articles with conjunction. Syntax itemizes geography.
Final Prepositional Destination
"to the mountains"—directional preposition. Syntax establishes distant visual terminus.
Monosyllabic Predominance
Most words single syllable. Syntax performs Hemingway's characteristic stripped style.
Stylistic Effect
Through vague temporal demonstrative, nested spatial prepositions, relative clause extending view, coordinated geographical items, and predominantly monosyllabic diction, Hemingway creates syntax of telegraphic simplicity—grammar that refuses emotional coloring or historical specificity, presenting wartime experience with the flat declarative structure of objective reporting.