Chapter 10 Ornamental Forms (Part Two): Augmentation

Section One: Augmentation

1. The Definition and Function of Augmentation

“To add new modifying and restrictive components to the original central term or central phrase, or to append supplementary explanatory components. …”1 “Augmentation means first stating a linguistic fragment, then taking this linguistic fragment or one of its terms as the central term and repeating it, while simultaneously adding new modifiers to it, thereby forming a specific sentence pattern used to describe an object from multiple angles and multiple levels, enabling thought to be expressed accurately and meticulously, emotions to be conveyed intensely and fully, and the momentum of language to flow smoothly and coherently.”2 “Judging from the definition of augmentation, it is in fact the addition of attributives, adverbials, and complements within the rhetorical device of correspondence — these three forms.”3 The rhetorical functions of augmentation are:4

(1) To make thought accurately, thoroughly, and meticulously expressed.

(2) To make emotional expression intense, full, and profound.

(3) To make linguistic momentum smooth, coherent, and forceful.

1. The Historical Origins and Development of Augmentation

Within classical poetry and lyrics, the use of “augmentation” often signifies a major turning point in emotional reflection. For example, in the Tang dynasty poet Cui Hu’s “Inscribed at the Southern Manor of the Capital”:

“On this day last year within this gate,

human face and peach blossoms reflected red together.

The human face now knows not where it has gone,

yet peach blossoms still smile within the spring wind.”

The subjects “human face” and “peach blossoms” in the first half serve as the “central terms,” leading into the latter half’s “the person has gone while the flowers remain,” expressing the poet’s melancholy at failing to find the beauty he sought.

Another example is the Southern Song dynasty poet Xin Qiji in “Ugly Slave Girl”:

“In youth I did not understand the flavor of sorrow,

yet loved climbing lofty towers,

loved climbing lofty towers,

and for the sake of composing new lyrics, forcibly spoke of sorrow.

Now I have fully understood the flavor of sorrow,

wishing to speak, yet stopping,

wishing to speak, yet stopping,

and only saying: what a fine autumn of cool weather.”

The first stanza expresses the poet’s youthful sentiments: he was “sentimentally sorrowful,” forcibly speaking of sorrow in order to compose new lyrics, yet in truth he “did not understand sorrow.” The second stanza then takes “sorrow” as the predicate serving as the “central term,” turning toward another realization: after reaching adulthood and experiencing the vicissitudes of worldly life, fully understanding the flavor of sorrow, he instead no longer knows how to describe his own grief.

Section Two: The Formal Aesthetics of Augmentation

“Multidimensionality” and “a sense of layering” constitute the formal aesthetic foundation of augmentation.

1. Multidimensionality

The “multidimensionality” of formal aesthetics expresses various observations and reflections concerning a certain object or concept from multiple angles, thereby presenting a diversified sense of value. “Things possess multidimensionality. To describe a certain object from multiple angles and multiple levels, one may adopt the method of laying out the characteristics of the object all at once, or may adopt the method of displaying them layer by layer. Augmentation employs precisely the latter mode of expression.”5

1. A Sense of Layering

“Layer” within formal aesthetics refers to the internal structure of a semantic system, presenting hierarchical states of differing levels. Layers belong to structure and depend upon structure for their existence. Various elements within a system that exist upon the same structural level interconnect to form a single layer, while differing layers represent differing structural grades. Layers depend upon structure; structure cannot exist apart from layers, nor can there exist structure without layers. Every layer possesses its own qualitative and quantitative determinations. Different layers possess different qualities. As an “anatomization” of structural totality, layers manifest the orderliness of structure together with the differences and diversity contained within structural totality; and these differences and diversities exist within unified and regulated interconnections.

“Human perception and understanding of things often undergo a process moving from little to much, and from shallow to deep. Perceptions and understandings formed in this manner are comparatively profound. The rhetorical device of augmentation skillfully utilizes this principle, enabling people, through repeated and renewed wording, to deepen their perception and understanding of the object being expressed, thereby leaving a profound impression.”6

Section Three: The Formal Structure of Augmentation

Augmentation is primarily composed of one central term together with one or more groups of modifiers. The “central term” often originates from a “linguistic fragment” in the preceding text; within the following text, the central term becomes the “subject,” generating one or more groups of “modifiers” functioning as “predicates,” thereby forming a specific sentence pattern. In other words, the use of “augmentation” takes the predicate of the preceding sentence and transforms it into the subject of the following sentence, subsequently developing modifiers from it, thus forming both a “continuation of context” and a “turning point in literary thought.”

Section Four: The Manifestational Forms of Augmentation

1. Single Augmentation

Repeating the central term only once and adding modifiers constitutes “single augmentation.” Augmentation may express a “turning point” in emotional reflection, and many examples exist within modern poetry, such as:

Luo Fu, “Echo”7 (excerpt)

No matter how hard I try, I cannot remember how you became thin

thin like a single note of flute music

I try to grasp you with both hands

yet you dodge and evade among the seven holes

The word “thin” at the end of the first line functions as the “central term.” The second line repeats “thin” as the subject and adds the metaphorical modifier “like a single note of flute music.” This constitutes “single augmentation.”

Xia Yu, “The Most Familiar and Most Rotten Summer”8 (excerpt)

The most familiar and most rotten summer

evil words spreading like grapevines

at the same time growing weary of style

does style actually exist

style is like snow

how very, very easily snow becomes dirty

although snow does not exist

The poet first casts out a clue: “at the same time growing weary of style,” taking “style” as the “central term.” The poem then develops this clue: “does style actually exist / style is like snow / how very, very easily snow becomes dirty / although snow does not exist.” It not only raises questions, but also uses metaphor (explicit simile) for contemplation, seeking possible answers. This is single-direction, single-threaded vertical thinking, rather than multidirectional, multiline horizontal thinking; therefore it belongs to “single augmentation.”

1. Multiple Augmentation

Repeating the central term two or more times while adding modifiers multiple times, thereby forming plural sentence patterns, constitutes “multiple augmentation.” Consider the following examples from modern poetry:

Zhuang Bolin, “Dragon Maiden — Written for My Married Daughter”9

I hope that the place the dragon maiden is going to

is still a vast sea

within the sea swim lobsters

and all kinds of fish

someone holding your hand

picking up that beautiful rainbow

The predicate “sea” at the end of the second line becomes the “central term” for the next segment of description. The third line takes “sea” as its subject and adds the three modifiers “swim lobsters,” “all kinds of fish,” and “someone holding your hand.”

Xi Murong, “Poem Within a Poem”10

What fullness of solitude, yet untouched by loneliness

this lotus pod tightly wrapped layer upon layer of petals

these lotus seeds deeply hidden within layered lotus pods, these dreams and stirrings

gradually taking shape within the heart of every lotus seed

are a kind of longing difficult to express

a kind of completion and repeated completion that cannot be otherwise

“These lotus seeds deeply hidden within layered lotus pods” takes the “lotus seeds” of this sentence as the “central term” of the next sentence, leading into the first layer of declarative modifiers: “dreams and stirrings,” and then further leading into the two differently oriented modifiers: “are a kind of longing difficult to express / a kind of completion and repeated completion that cannot be otherwise.”

Du Shisan, “Tree”11

A woman planted a tree with tears

the roots buried within last year’s earth

the branches pointing toward next year’s sky

The “tree” at the end of the first line is drawn out to become the “central term” for the next two augmentative sentences. Between the first and second lines, the end and beginning are connected head-to-tail. Formally, it appears somewhat like “anadiplosis,” but in reality it is “augmentation.”

Section Five: The Distinction Between Augmentation and Similar Rhetorical Devices

1. Augmentation and Repetition

Augmentation: What is repeated can only be the central term. Within a passage, the repeated portion in augmentation can only be the same expressive object.12

Repetition: What is repeated may be any linguistic component, and within a passage, the repeated elements may refer either to the same expressive object or to different objects.

1. Augmentation and Parallelism

Augmentation: What augmentation requires in terms of structure and word count is merely a general consistency of “modifier-central” or “adverbial-central” relationships. No restrictions are placed upon word count.

Parallelism: Parallelism requires three or more phrases or sentences possessing identical or similar structures and approximately equal word counts, arranged consecutively.13

Notes

1. Edited by Tang Songbo and Huang Jianlin, Comprehensive Dictionary of Chinese Rhetorical Devices, Taipei: Jianhong, 1996, p. 415.
2. Edited by Cheng Weijun and two others, General Mirror of Rhetoric, Taipei: Jianhong, 1998, p. 620.
3. Same as note 1, p. 415.
4. Same as note 2, p. 621.
5. Same as note 2, p. 620.
6. Same as note 2, p. 620.
7. Recorded from Luo Fu, The Wound of Time, Taipei: China Times Publishing, 1981, p. 111.
8. Recorded from Xia Yu, Salsa, downloaded online.
9. Recorded from Zhuang Bolin, If the Chinaberry Blossoms, Taipei: Taili Publishing, 1993, p. 187.
10. Recorded from Xi Murong, Book of Lost Poems, Taipei: Yuan Shen Publishing, 2002, pp. 36–37.
11. Recorded from Du Shisan, Notebook of Sighs, Taipei: China Times Publishing, 1990, p. 162.
12. Same as note 2, p. 621.
13. Same as note 2, p. 621.