Poetic Terms Dictionary
Figure of Speech

Hyperbaton

From Greek hyperbainein: to step over. A deliberate violation of syntax for emphasis; common in Latin verse and imitated in English epic.

Definition

A broad term for any significant departure from normal word order — the general category of which anastrophe is a specific type.

Example

Milton: 'Him the Almighty Power / Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky…' — direct object before subject.

Related Terms

Anastrophe Inversion Chiasmus Dislocation