Paraprosdokia

● Derivative of Greek Words that Mean “Beyond Expectation”

● A part of the phrase in unexpected. It’s unexpected shift in meaning appears

at the end of stanza, sentence or paragraph

● It causes readers to reinterpret the opening phrase, often used to create

comic effect
Examples

“ The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t”
– ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ by ‘ Douglas Adams’
● Centers on adventures of the only man to survive destruction on earth
● Bricks don’t float, opposite of that is ships hanging in the sky
● This humorous use of paraprosdokian entertains the readers and sets up the ships’
impending lending, where the author describes alien ships preparing to destroy
Earth.
Examples

“ Contemporary man, of course has no such peace of mind. He finds himself in the midst of a crisis
of faith. He is what we fashionably call ‘alienated’. He has seen the ravages of war, he has known
natural catastrophes, he has been to singles bars”
– ‘My Speech to the Graduates’ by ‘Woody Allen’
● Allen discusses the crossroads that man faces which lead to total hopelessness
● Rhetorical question about whether it is possible to find meaning in this world
● The ‘singles bars’ topic is not as significant as the preceding topics, making it an
unexpected ending.
Examples

“ Religion makes beauty enchanting, And even where beauty is wanting, The
temper and mind, Religion-refined, Will shine through the veil with sweet lustre ”
– ‘The Cottage Maid’ by ‘Patrick Branwell Bronte’
● The writer is talking about religion throughout the first four lines.
● In the last line there is a sudden shift of sense, which gives a completely
different meaning from the rest of text.