Arlene Miller's Blog, page 7

14 Tips About Plurals and Possessives

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from PixabayThe Very Best of The Grammar Diva…

Apostrophes and s‘s cause lots of problems in writing: plural possessives, possessive pronouns, pluralizing last names etc. Here are some tips:

Plural nouns very rarely have apostrophes. Very, very rarely. The only ones I can think of offhand are the letters a, e, and u because without an apostrophe they make other words ( as, is, us )., and it would confuse the reader. Possessive nouns have apostrophes (these are singular possessives): Susie’s toy, the girl’s book, the dog’s bone Possessive pronouns do not have apostrophes: ours, hers theirs, its ( it’s is a contraction, and all contractions have apostrophes.)Plural possessives are usually the plural word followed by an apostrophe.  The girls’ books are on the bottom shelf; The dogs’ barking is driving me crazy If the plural doesn’t end with an s , the possessive is made by adding ‘s : The children’s toys are all over the house. For singular nouns ending in s and ss , you still add ‘s for the possessive: I looked under all the bus’s seats; My boss’s coffee cup is always full; The princess’s slipper fit her perfectly. The plurals in #6 are buses, bosses, and princesses .The plural possessive of the nouns in #6  are buses’, bosses’, princesses’ . We don’t add another s because of the way we pronounce them. We pronounce the  singular possessives, plurals, and the plural possessives the same way, but we spell them differently (compare #6 and #7): The princess’s slipper fits perfectly. The princesses are in the front float of the parade. The princesses’ dresses are hand made. When a person’s first name (or last name)  ends in s , we usually add ‘s to make it possessive, but generally we go by the pronunciation: Frederick Douglass’s biography is in the school library. James’s backpack is on the table. Myles’ backpack is on the table could also be Myles’s backpack is on the table. It depends if you want to pronounce it with one or two syllables. ( Myles’ has one syllable; Myles’s has two.)Last names are made plural the same way any other nouns are:  Jefferson = the Jeffersons; Garcia = the Garcias; Jones = the Joneses; Glass= the Glasses. What about last name possessives? That is Mrs. Jefferson’s car. That is the Jeffersons’ house; That is Mrs. Garcia’s car. That is the Garcias’ car. That is Mrs. Jones’s car. That is the Joneses’ house (pronounce with two syllables). That is Mrs. Glass’s car. That is the Glasses’ house.  If you get a house sign, it should probably say The O’Haras , NOT The O’Hara’s .An exception is Jesus , the possessive of which is Jesus’ .Another exception are words that end in es that sounds like ez . These words or names have only an apostrophe in the possessive: Xerses’, Socrates’

 

 

How AI is Transforming Writing, Plagiarism, and the Spread of Misinformation

Special Guest Postby Lowell RiceLowell was all about finances and business until the pandemic gave her the opportunity to explore the amazing world of writing. What started as a hobby became a full-time occupation, and now she dedicates her time to writing insightful tips on personal finance, work life, and navigating the business environment across various websites.

 

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In today’s digital era, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing various fields, and writing is no exception. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a student relying on a free plagiarism checker, the impact of AI on writing is profound and multifaceted. But how exactly is AI changing the landscape of writing, addressing plagiarism, and influencing the spread of misinformation? Let’s delve into these fascinating transformations.

The Rise of AI in WritingAI as a Writing Assistant

Imagine having a personal assistant who never sleeps, always ready to help you craft the perfect sentence. That’s what AI-powered writing tools offer. From grammar and style suggestions to content generation, these tools are reshaping how we write. Programs like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor analyze your text in real time, providing instant feedback on grammar, readability, and even tone.

Content Generation

AI doesn’t just assist in refining existing content; it can also create new material from scratch. Tools like OpenAI’s GPT-4 can generate articles, stories, and even poetry that are often indistinguishable from human-written content. This capability is particularly valuable for businesses that need to produce large volumes of content quickly, such as blogs, social media posts, and marketing materials.

Personalized Writing Experience

AI can tailor the writing experience to individual needs. AI tools can offer personalized suggestions by analyzing a user’s writing style and preferences, making writing more efficient and enjoyable. This personalized approach helps writers of all levels enhance their skills and produce better content.

Battling Plagiarism with AIAdvanced Detection Techniques

Plagiarism has always been a concern in the academic and professional world. However, AI is changing the game with advanced detection techniques. Traditional plagiarism checkers compare text against a database of existing content. In contrast, AI-powered tools can analyze the text’s context, structure, and semantics, making it much harder for plagiarists to slip through the cracks.

Free Plagiarism Checkers

The accessibility of AI-powered free plagiarism checkers has democratized the fight against plagiarism. These tools are now available to everyone, from students to professionals, ensuring that content is original and properly cited. By using these checkers, we can uphold the integrity of our work and maintain high standards in writing.

Preventing Unintentional Plagiarism

Unintentional plagiarism is a common issue, especially among students. AI tools can help by highlighting areas that might need proper citation or rephrasing. This educational aspect of AI not only prevents plagiarism but also teaches users about proper attribution and academic honesty.

The Double-Edged Sword: AI and MisinformationThe Spread of Misinformation

While AI offers incredible benefits, it also has a dark side. The same technology that can generate compelling content can also create and spread misinformation. AI can produce fake news articles, deep fake videos, and misleading social media posts that are alarmingly convincing.

Detecting Misinformation

Thankfully, AI is also part of the solution. Advanced algorithms can detect patterns and anomalies that suggest misinformation. For example, AI can analyze the metadata of images and videos to identify deepfakes or track the origin of a news story to assess its credibility. Social media platforms increasingly use these tools to flag and remove false information.

The Role of Human Oversight

Despite AI advancements, human oversight remains crucial. AI can assist in detecting and combating misinformation, but it cannot replace human judgment. Media organizations and tech companies need to work together, using AI to support human decision-making, not replace it.

Developing a Critical MindsetQuestion the Source

One of the most important skills in the digital age is the ability to question the source of information. When you come across a piece of news or an article, consider who wrote it, why they wrote it, and where it was published. Reliable sources are usually transparent about their authorship and purpose.

Check the Facts

Always verify the facts before accepting any information as truth. Use multiple sources to cross-check the information. If several reputable sources confirm the same facts, the information is likely accurate. AI tools can provide quick access to a wide range of sources for fact checking.

Be Aware of Bias

Bias exists in all forms of media, and it’s essential to recognize it. AI algorithms can sometimes perpetuate bias if they are trained on biased data. As a reader, be aware of the potential for bias and strive to consume information from diverse perspectives.

Use AI Wisely

AI tools can assist in identifying reliable information and detecting misinformation. Use these tools to your advantage, but don’t rely on them entirely. Combine AI assistance with your critical thinking skills to make informed decisions about the content you consume.

Ethical ConsiderationsResponsible AI Development

The development of AI for writing, plagiarism detection, and misinformation prevention must be guided by ethical principles. Developers and users alike need to consider the implications of AI technologies. Transparency, accountability, and fairness should be at the forefront of AI development.

Educating Users

Education is key to ensuring that AI is used responsibly. Users must understand how AI works, its benefits, and its limitations. By educating ourselves and others, we can make informed choices about how we use AI in writing and information consumption.

Balancing Innovation and Regulation

There is a delicate balance between fostering innovation and implementing necessary regulations. While we should encourage the development of AI technologies, we must also establish guidelines to prevent misuse. Collaboration among tech companies, governments, and civil society is essential to strike this balance.

 

Colons and Semicolons: Second Cousins, Not Siblings

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from PixabayA “Best of the Grammar” Diva Post

 

It’s a colon! It’s a semicolon! What’s the difference? It’s a dot. It’s a couple of dots. Oh, one dot is a comma. I don’t know. Use either one of them. 

No.

Colons and semicolons look a lot alike, but they are not siblings in the family of punctuation. They are probably not even first cousins. They are hardly ever interchangeable. They have entirely different purposes. Actually, the semicolon is more a sibling to the comma, and maybe a first cousin to the period. The colon might be an only child and perhaps a first cousin to the period also.

My sensitivity to this issue began when I was giving some information to someone who was putting a catalogue together, and my name was in it. She said, “So I put your name and then a semicolon, and then the information about you. .” NO. You need a colon. You can’t just throw in any old punctuation mark. The semicolon does not belong in such a place.

So, what is the different between colons (:) and semicolons (;) ?

Colon

A colon introduces something. It has a relationship to what follows it. Often it introduces a list, whether the list is vertical or horizontal. A colon can also introduce a quote in a sentence. And occasionally you can use a colon (as you might also use a semicolon, but in different circumstances) to separate two parts of a compound sentence instead of using a period, or a comma and a conjunction. However, if you use a colon in this way, it implies that the second part of the sentence (after the colon) is either a result of or follows from the first part of the sentence. Here are some examples of these ways to use colons:

1.The following colors are among my favorites: blue, purple, and pink.

2. These are the ingredients for the cake:

EggsFlourMilkButterCocoaBaking powder

3. The mayor made this promise in front of the city council: “We will do everything we can this year to extend the hours that the library is open.”

4. The meeting is crucial and you should attend: we will be discussing raises and promotions.

Semicolon

The semicolon connects things rather than introduces them. They are really “stronger” commas. They can separate two closely related sentences if you don’t want to use a conjunction with a comma. They can separate items in a series that already have commas within them. They can separate the two parts of a compound sentence that already has a series or two that could complicate its meaning. Here are examples of these ways to use a semicolon:

1. I am taking a trip to Asia; my husband doesn’t fly, so he is staying home.

2. The guests included Diane Timmons, a noted artist; the museum curator; Joe Wall, an art critic; and Professor Smith, an art history instructor at the local college.

3. Last year I traveled to Mexico, Canada, the southern part of the United States, and Argentina; and France, Italy, and Greece are in my plans for next year.

You could not substitute a colon for a semicolon in those examples – or vice versa.

If you are doing some type of catalogue or list or dictionary, entries should be followed by a colon, not a semicolon:

Apple: A round, red fruit

Coconut: A tropical fruit with white meat inside

Orange: A thick-skinned fruit containing Vitamin C

And obviously you cannot substitute a semicolon for the other places you would use colons:

Digital Time: 3:45Between title and subtitle of a book when writing the title in context: The Red Dog: The Story of AmosThe salutation of a business letter: Dear Mr. Plante:

There you have it . . . Cousins, maybe. But the semicolon and the colon are different animals.

Boom! A History of Fireworks

Image by Muto Masataka from Pixabay

Yeah, I know. I am a little late for July 4, but close! And the fireworks are over except for the trash that is left — and hopefully, that is cleaned up too! 

Except for the fact that they scare dogs (and children), fireworks are pretty to look at. I thought you might like to know their history:

When you think of fireworks, you might think of The Star Spangled Banner: “And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air…”

But fireworks have been around a whole lot longer than the United State of America has. Fireworks originally came from ancient Liuyang, China, in the second century BC. The first fireworks were bamboo stalks that exploded when thrown into fire because of their hollow air pockets. The Chinese believed that these “fireworks” would ward off evil spirits.

Legend has it that somewhere between 600 and 900 AD, a Chinese alchemist mixed potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal, which produced a black flaky powder; this mixture created the first gunpowder.  It was then poured into hollowed-out bamboo stalks (and later, into paper tubes) to produce the first man-made fireworks.

In the tenth century, The Chinese attached the fireworks to arrows, thus creating the first aerial displays. 

Fireworks made their way to Europe in the 13th century. In England at that time, fireworks experts were called “firemasters” and their assistants “green men” because they wore caps made of leaves to protect then against sparks.  By the 15th century, fireworks were being used for religious festivals and public entertainment. The Italians were the first Europeans to manufacture fireworks. Europeans rulers liked to illuminate their castles  with fireworks on important occasions.

The first recorded display of fireworks in Great Britain occurred at Henry VII’s wedding in 1486. 

Early settlers in the United States brought fireworks to the New World. Captain John Smith may have set off the first fireworks in 1608 in the Jamestown Colony. 

In the 1830s an important addition was made to fireworks: trace amounts of metal were added to create multicolor displays.

And of course, back in 1776, fireworks were part of the first American Independence Day. And the tradition continues on. Of course, the United States is far from the only country to use fireworks on holidays.The French set off fireworks for Bastille Day, ten days after our Independence Day. Hungary sets off fireworks on August 20.

Here are some fun facts about fireworks (as of a few years ago):

The Walt Disney Company is the largest consumer of fireworks in the United States.Blue is the most difficult color to produce in fireworks.New Castle, Pennsylvania, is known as the fireworks capital of the world, as it is home to both Zambelli Fireworks and Pyrotechnico.The biggest shell available to the consumer fireworks market is 3 inches.Professional aerial shells range from 3 inches to over 24 inches in diameter. Most are between 6 and 12 inches.The largest ever display of fireworks was in the Philippines for their 2016 New Year celebration, with 810,904 fireworks.404.5 million pounds of fireworks were set off in 2020 (which seems odd to me, since there was a worldwide pandemic).Massachusetts (my home state) is the only state that bans the sale of all consumer fireworks.Ten thousand people were injured badly enough by fireworks  to require emergency treatment in 2019. The Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show is the largest in the United States.

Hope you had a good holiday!

 

Reading Wrap-Up

Image by Hermann Traub from Pixabay

Been reading like a fiend again….Lots of personal transformation stuff this time. Here goes:

Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen – This is part of a series, and I was absolutely sure I read a previous one in the series a short while ago — which is why I thought I would read this one — but I cannot find it in my list of read books on Goodreads. But I am positive — even though I never remember what books are about. In any case, I am not too far along, but it seems like a series worth reading. Sort of historical fiction/romance.

Manifesting with Alignment by Ryuu Shinoihara – I think I read him before (I think it’s a him). Not loving it, but it isn’t too long. I probably don’t like it because it presents a little different view of manifesting than Neville Goddard, who is the founder of the Law of Assumption (not the Law of Attraction).  I am pretty enamoured of Goddard, although he does quote the Bible pretty frequently. Gotta admit I am into some pretty woo woo things right now!

The Breakthrough Experience by John Demartini — I think this guy is an actual doctor. It is another personal transformation book, but more scientific and rational. It has superlative reviews on Amazon and everywhere else.  I don’t even think I finished it, but many people were very inspired by it. 

*****Magpie by Elizabeth Day – I nearly didn’t read this one because Goodreads reviews were 3.63, and I like them to be at least 4. I gave it 5 stars. I loved it. I would highly recommend this book, probably to women. I thought it had a very interesting plot. Very innovative.

Good Material by Dolly Alderton — I liked it. I gave it four out of five stars. Pretty much a romance, but the main character is male. A light read.

Moving Through Parallel Worlds to Achieve Your Dreams by Kevin Michel – I am fascinated with the idea of parallel words and universes. This book contained quite a bit of physics, but it was well presented. I liked it. 

Existential Kink: Unmask Your Shadow and Embrace Your Power by Carolynn Elliott –  Another book I didn’t care for but many found inspiring. It talks about dealing with instead of rejecting our shadow sides. It seems mainly aimed at women, even by looking at the cover. Meh.

Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah – I love Kristen Hannah, but this was not one of my favorites. The plot included an ongoing fairy tale throughout, which I found tedious. Otherwise, it was fine, and I did give it four stars. So if you are a Kristen Hannah fan….

The Five-Second Rule by Mel Robbins – Robbins is yet another of the new-age-gurus-mixed-with- personal-transformation-and success people. I thought the book was obvious and repetitious.

I have been reading a lot of Neville Goddard, who was mentioned above. Interesting stuff, but repetitious and filled with quotes. I don’t believe he has professional credentials, but many of his works are free on Kindle Unlimited.

 

I am taking a break for July and will be running “The Best Of The Grammar Diva” posts. And since many of you seem to really like the more grammar-oriented posts, I will concentrate on those. Have a great July!! If anyone would like to write me a guest post, please let me know through the comments or the website email address. 

 

 

Homonym, Homograph, Homophone, Heterograph: YOU Figure It Out!

Image by Ivana Tomášková from Pixabay

Homonym, homograph, homophone, heterograph: Ah, the English language! I nearly went crazy looking them up and trying to distinguish among them. I believe that is because there is a great deal of overlap. 

Homonym – –Nym (name) implies that  homonyms will be two or more words having the same  pronunciation but different meanings and possibly different spellings: Two, to, and too are homonyms. So are there, they’re, and their. 

Homograph – – Graph (spelling/writing) implies that homographs will be two or more words that are spelled the same but not necessarily pronounced the same and have different meanings. Bass the fish and bass the instrument are homographs. Bat (the animal) and bat (in baseball) are also homographs. Lead (the verb) and lead (the pencil kind) are homographs that are pronounced differently, as are minute (sixty seconds) and minute (very small). 

Homophone  — Phone (sound) implies that homophones will be two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings and spellings. Here are some homophones: break/brake, cell/sell, here/hear, flower/flour, bare/bear.

Heterograph – Hetero (other) and graph (spelling)  implies that heterographs are words that sound the same as other words, but they have different spellings and different meanings: blue/blew, horse/hoarse, knead/need, paws/pause, son/sun.

So, now, what is the difference between a homonym and a homograph? And what is the difference between a homophone and a heterograph?  You figure it out because my brain is beginning to fry!!!

ENGLISH!!!!!! As long as you spell the word correctly as you are using it, who cares???

Sexangles and Other Randomness….

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Here are 25 random word facts for you:

1. Pupaphobia is the fear of dolls and puppets.

2. Cowards have been called chickens since the 14th century.

3. The distance between your thumb and the opposite side of your hand when it’s extended is called the shaftment.

4. In 16th century English, twirk (spelled with an E, not an I) meant “to twist the hairs of a moustache.”

5. Cluck-and-grunt was 1930s slang for ham and eggs.

6. An anepronym is a trade name that has come to be used generally in the language, like Kleenex, Jacuzzi or Coke.

7. On average, for every letter Q used in written English there will be 56 E‘s.

8. A compulsive desire to look at something that horrifies you — like a horror film or an injury — is called cacospectomania.

9. Counting on your fingers is called dactylonymy.

10. Hexagons were once called sexangles.

11. In 18th century English, a wobble-shop was a place where beer was sold without a license.

12. Toucans used to be called egg-suckers.

13. Velociraptor literally means “swift thief.”

14. The proper name for taking your shoes off is discalceation. 15. To metagrobolize someone is to utterly confuse them. 16. The words a, and, be, have, he, I, in, of, that, the and to make up 25% of all written English. 17. A group of dragonflies is called a dazzle. 18 A person’s headmark comprises all of the facial features and characteristics that make them recognizable as themselves. 19. The word comet comes from a Greek word meaning “long-haired star.” 20. An autohagiography is an autobiography that makes the subject appear better than they actually are.

21. The paddy-whack mentioned in the nursery rhyme “This Old Man” is a Victorian word for a severe beating.

22. Mediocre literally means “halfway up a mountain.”

23. In 18th century slang, “to play booty” meant “to play a game with the intention of losing.”

24. If you wrote out every number in the standard English counting system (one, two, three, four) in alphabetical order, no matter how high you counted the first number would always be eight. The second would always be eight billion. 25. The feeling of calmness or contentedness that follows a pleasant dream is called euneirophrenia. Thank you, Huffington Post!  I AM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR GUEST POSTS, SO IF YOU WANT TO WRITE SOMETHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!

Monday Monday

There must be eleventy billion songs (OK, maybe not, but there are hundreds and hundreds) with a day of the week in the title. You can probably guess which days are most common: those around the weekend — Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Here is just a small sampling of songs with a day of the week in the title. Mostly I chose songs (or artists) I have heard of.

Do you know the artist? In many cases, there is more than one song with the same title and/or more than one artist who recorded the song, so if you don’t get it right, you might still be right.  Answers below:

Monday Monday

Rainy Days and Mondays

Monday Morning

I Don’t Like Mondays

Blue Monday

New Moon on Monday

Manic Monday

Come Monday

Ruby Tuesday

Tuesday Afternoon

Tuesday’s Gone

Wednesday Morning 3 a.m.

Thursday

Thursday’s Child

Friday I’m in Love

Friday on My Mind

Black Friday

Last Friday Night (TGIF)

Another Saturday Night

Saturday in the Park

Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting

Sunday Morning

Pleasant Valley Sunday

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Sunday and Me

Sunday Morning

Church on Sunday

Sunday Kind of Love

Gloomy Sunday

I Met Him on a Sunday

Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon

Sunday Will Never Be the Same

Scroll Down for Answers

 

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Monday Monday – The Mamas and the Papas

Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters

Monday Morning – Fleetwood Mac

I Don’t Like Mondays – Boomtown Rats

Blue Monday – Fats Domino

New Moon on Monday – Duran Duran

Manic Monday – Bangles

Come Monday – Jimmy Buffett

Ruby Tuesday – Rolling Stones

Tuesday Afternoon – Moody Blues

Tuesday’s Gone – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Wednesday Morning 3 a.m. – Simon and Garfunkel

Thursday – Jim Croce

Thursday’s Child – David Bowie

Friday I’m in Love – The Cure

Friday on My Mind – The Easybeats

Black Friday – Steely Dan

Last Friday Night (TGIF) – Katy Perry

Another Saturday Night – Sam Cooke

Saturday in the Park – Chicago

Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting – Elton John

Sunday Morning – Velvet Underground

Pleasant Valley Sunday – The Monkees

Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2

Sunday and Me – Jay and the Americans

Sunday Morning – Maroon Five/ No Doubt

Church on Sunday – Green Day

Sunday Kind of Love – Etta James

Gloomy Sunday – Billie Holiday

I Met Him on a Sunday – The Shirelles

Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon- Queen

Sunday Will Never Be the Same – Spanky and Our Gang

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine Things You Might Not Know

Image by neo tam from Pixabay

Nine things about the English language you may not know….

1.The oldest, shortest, and most common word in the English language is I.

2. The word girl used to be gender neutral and refer to any child or young person.

3. After winning our independence from Britain, Noah Webster led the charge to be free from the “clamor of pedantry” of British spelling by removing unnecessary letters, such as the u from colour and flavour.

 4. Words like this and thing have distinct th sounds, which is called a “dental fricative.” There are two types, voiced (like this), and voiceless (like thing). Interestingly, most languages do not have a voiced dental fricative.

5. “I before e, except after c

Or when sounded as a as in neighbor and weigh”

Unless the c is part of a sh sound as in glacier

Or it appears in comparatives and superlatives like fancier

And also except when the vowels are sounded as  e as in seize

Or i as in height

Or also in -ing inflections ending in -e as in cueing

Or in compound words as in albeit

Or occasionally in technical words with strong etymological links to their parent languages as in cuneiform

Or in other numerous and random exceptions such as science, forfeit, and weird.

6. Did you know that enneacontakaienneagon is a word in the English language? (And you thought pronouncing supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was difficult?). In fact, the meaning of the word is just as bizarre as the word itself: it’s a shape with 99 sides.

7. Believe it or not, there are some words that appeared in the dictionary because of printing errors. They are known as ghost words. The nonexistent word dord appeared in the dictionary for eight years in the mid-20th century. 

8. A new word is added to the dictionary every two hours.

Between now and your next meal, a new word will be put into the dictionary. During the course of the year, almost 4,000 new words are added. 

9. Words we always use even though they add no meaning or value to a sentence are called “crutch words.” For example, in the sentence “Then I was like, OMG, then like, he went there, and like…” it is pretty obvious that like is the crutch word. Actually, honestly, and basically are also common crutch words.

 

 

 

Anastrophe Catastophe

Image by Mohamed Nuzrath from Pixabay

I am not a Swiftie. (Is that even how you spell it?) However, after taking two (going on three) songwriting classes in the style of Taylor Swift, I have to admit: She is a great songwriter if you like great lyrics and a  catchy melody. 

I don’t know if she is aware of the literary devices that she uses in her lyrics, but it is intentional, not random, even if she doesn’t know their names. And I didn’t know what these literary devices were called until I took the course. 

Polyptoton is a device in which words derived from the same root are repeated in close proximity to each other. 

We never had a shotgun shot in the dark (from “Getaway Car” by Taylor Swift)Who will watch the watchman?Takers take and that’s the truth (my lyric attempt)Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers

Anastrophe  is the inversion in the usual order of words in a clause or sentence.  Apparently it is the way Yoda speaks.

The greatest teacher, failure is (Yoda in Star Wars).Blue is the color of the shirt he wore.September was the month we met.

Asyndeton is the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence for effect.

Reduce, reuse, recycleHope, joy, tears, pain; can’t go through that again (my attempt at lyrics)You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought,
     Sold, stolen, arriving on the nightmare
     Praying for a dream. (from “On the Pulse of Morning”)

Epizeuxis  is a literary or rhetorical device  in which a word is repeated immediately for emphasis.

O horror, horror, horror! / Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee! (from Macbeth)Break, break, break, On thy cold gray stones, O Sea! (Tennyson)Never give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. (Winston Churchill)We are never, ever, ever, ever getting back together. (Taylor Swift)

Chiasmus is a device in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order.

“She has all my love; my heart belongs to her.”“Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.” (John F. Kennedy)“If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with” (Stephen Stills)“With my mind on my money and my money on my mind” (Snoop Dog)