Syntactical expressive means
Antithesis
Antithesis is a case of parallel construction in which the parts are semantically opposite to each other. As a semantic opposition is emphasized by its realization in similar structures, it is observed on different levels of language hierarchy. Most often antithesis is based on lexical antonyms (ex. If we don't know who gains by his death we don't know who loses by it). Antithesis may also be based on situational antonyms (ex. His fees were high but his lessons were light). Antithesis may be observed on lower levels of language structures, especially on morphemic level where two antonymous antitheses create a powerful effect of contrast (ex. The pre-money wives didn 't go together with their post-money daughters). Antithesis is usually based on an asyndetic juxtaposition, but sometimes the conjunction "and" is used (ex. Craftily men condemned study, simple men admire them, and wise men use them). If the conjunction "but" is used the effect of the antithesis is weakened as the opposition is present in the conjunction itself (ex. She had a large house but a small husband). Antithesis is used to perform the following functions:
1) two words opposite in meaning are used within one and the same syntactical whole to characterize one and the same phenomenon. Antithesis stresses the complex and contradictory nature of it. (ex. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the epoch of foolishness, it was the age of believe, it was the season of incredulity).
2) two objects are given antonymous characteristics to show their complete unlikeness (ex. The houses of the rich are luxurious and the houses of the poor are miserable).
3) two objects are given their own characteristics which are based on situationally opposed words (ex. Youth is full of pleasure, age is full of care, youth like summer morning, age like winter weather, youth like summer brave, age like winter bare, youth is full of sport, age's breath is short).
Parallelism
A corresponding arrangement of the initial parts of successive clauses, sentences or paragraphs is called parallelism. Parallel arrangement brings forth either the similarity or the difference between the objects in question. If the object is only one parallelism helps to emphasize different qualities of it. If two or more objects are present they are compared by means of their parallel presentation. Parallelism may be full, partial, and reversed:
a) if the initial parts of the successive sentences are similar in structure and the sentences themselves are correspond we have the so-called balanced construction or full parallelism (ex. To know Italian literature is not to know Italy, and to know English literature is not to know England)
b) if the initial parts of the sentences are correspond but the rest of the structure differs, parallelism is partial (ex. Carriages still roll along the streets, concerts are still crowded by fashionable people, the ships for the rich still make plenty of money)