Do you collect things? My grandson collects Lego creations. My husband collects carpentry tools. My brother collects genealogical trivia. I collect books on writing. 
Frank Bruni, a New York Times columnist, collects sentences. He has just published what he considers the best ones of 2023, most submitted by readers. Almost all are about politicians. And almost all use one or more figures of speech, bringing complexity to the sentence meanings. Yet many are a hoot. To read 40 of them, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/opinion/2023-journalism-writing-sentences.html
But what makes them “the best” sentences of 2023? Let’s analyze a few.
Maureen Dowd, columnist for The New York Times, writes about an interview with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she stepped down from that office: “I was expecting King Lear, howling at the storm, but I found Gene Kelly, singing in the rain.”
Dowd uses antithesis, a figure of speech which contrasts opposites. King Lear, a tragic Shakespearean character, is contrasted with Gene Kelly, a blithe, happy-go-lucky dancer. To intensify the contrast, Dowd describes King Lear as “howling at the storm” which his life has become and describes Kelly as “singing in the rain.” Dowd expected to find Pelosi, stepping down from her role as the leader of the House of Representatives, to be angry. Instead, she finds her “singing in the rain.”
Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri writes about the ethical shortcomings of Supreme Court justices: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that an American billionaire, in possession of sufficient fortune, must be in want of a Supreme Court justice.”
Petri uses allusion, a figure of speech which calls to mind (in this case) the famous opening line of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Petri keeps the grammar and changes just six words. Anyone familiar with Austen’s famous line recognizes the sentence. The humor comes from Petri’s keeping the tongue-in-cheek tone of the original.
Matt Bai, a columnist for the Washington Post, argues that vice presidential candidates do affect elections: “I’d argue that Sarah Palin mattered in 2008, although she was less of a running mate than a running gag.”
One way to create humor is to lead readers down a path, so that readers think they know what to expect. Then at the last second, or the last word in this case, twist the meaning. The word “running” is repeated, leading readers to expect that the meaning of “running” will also be repeated. But it isn’t. “Running mate” is totally different from “running gag.” The humor comes from verbal irony.
Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post writer Robin Givhan writes about President Jimmy Carter’s decision to use Hospice care for his final days: “Hospice care is not a matter of giving up. It’s a decision to shift our efforts from shoring up a body on the verge of the end to providing solace to a soul that’s on the cusp of forever.”
Givhan uses anthesis when she contrasts a body dying to a soul heaven-bound. Jimmy Carter, a Christian, believes that life continues after death, so “on the cusp of forever” matches his expectations. Givhan’s use of the word “soul” intensifies this expectation.
Anthony Lane, film critic for The New Yorker, comments on all the pink coloring in the film Barbie: “Watching the first half-hour of this movie is like being waterboarded with Pepto-Bismol.”
Pepto-Bismol is a bubble-gum-pink colored liquid used for digestive issues, including diarrhea. Waterboarding is a form of torture. Torture is not funny, but the visual image of a person struggling to stay afloat in a pink liquid used for diarrhea shows what Lane thinks of all that pink in Barbie.
Figures of speech aren’t just for poems, as these noted newspaper columnists prove. One way to learn how to use more figures of speech is to copy these “best” sentences, substituting your own words and ideas. For example,
It is a truth universally acknowledged that woman in possession of unwanted Christmas gifts must be in want of Goodwill.”
Happy New Year.
English Writing Teacher 