Chapter Fourteen
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make some aspect more visible or memorable. In poetry alliteration
establishes a rhythm of a poem and in prose or in popular science it is used
to draw the reader’s attention. The following are the examples of
consonantal alliteration: Sultans of Stream, Putin’s Party, Manatee Mania,
Kayapo Courage, Lowcountry Legacy, Monkey of Morocco, A Tale of Two
Atolls (here alliteration is both consonantal and vocalic), Prince of Prints,
Comeback Croc, Photo Power, Karma of the Crowd, Visual Village,
Prince of Precious, The Generous Gulf, Blessed. Cursed. Claimed, Legacy
in Lace, Digging for Dinosaurs, Love and Loss on the Seine, Viki Jensen:
Virus Catcher, Cross Currents, Just Press Print and Relations Go
Gourmet.
All the rhetorical devices discussed above are used to raise the readers’
interest and curiosity, to attract their attention and to encourage them to
read the article’s content. In terms of numbers in National Geographic
headlines in the time period specified one can identify: 37 novel metaphors
(4 involving a paradox), 22 instances of alliteration, 9 conventional
metaphors, 6 compounds, 5 phrasal verbs, 4 sayings or formulas, 4 word
plays, 2 rhetorical or stimulating questions, 2 intensifiers and 1 imperative
structure. The table below exemplifies the rhetorical devices used in
National Geographic:
novel metaphors 37
alliteration 22
conventional metaphors 9
compounds 6
phrasal verbs 5
sayings or formulas 4
word play 4
rhetorical questions 2
intensifiers 2
imperative structures 1Table 1. Stylistic devices used in National Geographic headlines in the
table of contents (January 2013 – December 2014).
As far as National Geographic Polska (January 2013 – December
2014) headlines are concerned one can identify: 2 instances of alliteration
(Wyspa Wrangla, Poczet przodków), 1 compound (Savoir-vivre), 2
conventional metaphors (Ból na Īyczenie, Oman na Īywca, ), 1 simile (Jak
Taj z Tajem), 4 intensifiers (Taaka ryba, Ostatni Ğpiew, Ostatnia pogoĔ,
ObáĊdnie dale) and 23 instances of novel metaphorical expressions
(Dylemat miĊsoĪercy, Wáadcy umysáów, Podziemia wojny, WyĞcig natury,