A Straight-to-the-Point Definition of Periphrasis 

When people who speak French want to say “to beat around the bush,” they say “to turn around the pot.” In Spanish, it’s “to walk with detours.” In Germany, you’ll find the locals saying “to talk around the hot porridge.” In English figurative language, the act of speaking or writing about something indirectly or with more words than necessary is known as periphrasis. 

The word periphrasis comes from the Greek word periphrazein, which means to express something in a roundabout way. In literature, periphrasis is often used when talking about something seen as embarrassing, upsetting, or capable of hurting the reader or listener. The implied hesitation of periphrasis always suggests a delicate subject—whether to the reader, the speaker or the narrator. 

Each example of periphrasis requires its own unique analysis. Sometimes, the speaker might not even directly mention the topic they’re referring to, which means that you might have to do a little bit of digging to find the author’s reason for using periphrasis. 

Other times, the reason why a narrator is using periphrasis might not be clear until later on in the text. The next time you come across periphrasis, consider its position in the text, what you already know about the speaker or narrator as well as literary devices like juxtaposition. 

Like many literary devices, periphrasis was born from the Greeks. As the founding society of theater, the Greeks employed many creative ways to share their stories with their audience. What started out as a small theater in the shadows of the Acropolis has transformed into a diverse world of literature with hundreds of literary devices including periphrasis.

You won’t need to learn another literary device definition in order to know the difference between periphrasis and circumlocution because the two have the same meaning. As you now know, the word periphrasis comes from the Greek. The prefix “peri” means “around” or “about” and the suffix “phrazein” means “to express.” 

Circumlocution comes from Latin with “circum” meaning “around” or “round about” and “locution” meaning “speaking.” If you think the two words’ definitions are practically identical, you would be correct. 

Circumlocution is actually known as a loan translation, which means this word was adopted from the Greeks and then translated into Latin. So both literally and figuratively, the two literary devices have the same meaning. 

You can use the two terms as synonyms, but circumlocution is more commonly used than periphrasis. 

Another literary device that can often be used as a synonym for periphrasis is euphemism. For example, referring to death as “passing away” is both a euphemism and a periphrasis. It is a euphemism for describing a harsh idea in a milder way. It is a periphrasis for indirectly talking about a more delicate subject. 

While all euphemisms can be classified as periphrasis or circumlocution, not all examples of periphrasis are also examples of euphemisms. If you’re a shopaholic, referring to shopping as “retail therapy” isn’t a euphemism, but it is an indirect and wordy way of talking about a more sensitive subject. 

One of the longest examples of periphrasis is Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway. In the short story, a couple spends a moment at a train station discussing a sensitive subject without directly saying what the subject is. The fact that the couple doesn’t mention the subject specifically, emphasizes the seriousness and sensitivity of the subject. 

Many authors used periphrasis in order to either embellish or emphasize a subject or understate a subject. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby uses periphrasis after the death of  Myrtle Wilson. 

When Nick asks him if Daisy was driving, Gatsby responds with a very long-winded response: “You see, when we left New York she was very nervous and she thought it would steady her to drive — and this woman rushed out at us just as we were passing a car coming the other way. It all happened in a minute, but it seemed to me that she wanted to speak to us, thought we were somebody she knew. Well, first Daisy turned away from the woman toward the other car, and then she lost her nerve and turned back. The second my hand reached the wheel I felt the shock.” 

Instead of responding with a simple “Yes” to Nick’s question, Gatsby feels the need to over-explain why Daisy was driving because of the gravity of the situation. His periphrasis implies guilt and his desire to beat around the bush of the actual answer to the question. 

Periphrasis is also commonly used in poetry. With fewer words to work with, word choice becomes supremely important with poetry. Unlike longer pieces of literature like novels, each word has a lot more power and has to be chosen with care. 

For example, in the poem “The Cloud” by P.B. Shelley, Shelley refers to the moon as “That orbed maiden with white fire laden whom mortals call the Moon.” This roundabout way to refer to the moon emphasizes its beauty and its importance to the narrator. By giving the description of the moon more literary real estate, the reader is more likely to remark on its beauty and wonder why the narrator feels so strongly about the moon itself.

“Miss Bennet, there seemed to be a prettyish kind of a little wilderness on one side of your lawn. I should be glad to take a turn in it, if you will favour me with your company.” — Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

Here, the rather rude and uppity Lady Catherine stops by the Bennet household in order to have a talk with Elizabeth Bennet. She wants to do so while walking in their yard, but tries to understate its ugliness by referring to it as a “prettyish kind of a little wilderness on one side of your lawn.” Here periphrasis emphasizes Lady Catherine’s haughty attitude and attempt to be kind.  

Periphrasis can be a powerful writing tool that can help authors either emphasize or understate certain subjects or ideas in their work. Periphrasis is commonly used outside of literature so now that you know more about this literary device, try to spot it in your daily life. You might even consider keeping a journal of literary devices and writing down all of the examples you come across.

The better you get at pointing out literary devices like periphrasis, the better you’ll be able to use them in your own writing. With periphrasis in your literary tool belt, you’ll be on your way to an A+ on your next English essay or writing a riveting short story.