Periphrasis: The use of more words to say something that could be said with less words.
Example: “I seen that wreck laying there so mournful and lonesome in the middle of the river. I wanted to get aboard of her and slink around a little, and see what there was...” (66). Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Bantam Dell, 2003. Print.
Function: The reason that the author used periphrasis throughout the novel is because it gives more detail to the reader, which helps the reader better understand what is happening and what the characters are dealing with within the story. The author could have simply said that Huckleberry Finn saw a wrecked ship and was curious to get on, but he instead went