Amphiboly, a Thought-Provoking Literary Technique

As men need to be clear and eloquent in order to communicate their intentions and mental concepts, they, when necessary, aim at hunting for hidden expressions and shrouded language. While some concepts may be clear and manifest in familiar contexts, they may conceal themselves in shells in other contexts.One shell-like kind of meaning is the technique of amphiboly, which will be studied accurately here. The present article deals with (1) the background of amphiboly, (2) the controversy over its definition, (3) its differences with other similar techniques, (4) its kinds and (5) its artistic values.