Ais a play on words that
sound alike but have different meanings. When the narrator describes the shocked reaction of Mr.
Hooper's congregation, one old man "seemed not fully to partake of the
prevailing wonder" until the minister stepped into the
pulpit. Vail sounds like veil, and the veil is what
causes the "prevailing wonder"; this is a pun.
A homograph is
spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning. When the narrator says that
"the sexton began to toll the bell" to announce Sabbath services, the word
"toll" is a homograph. It can mean to ring, as it does here, but it can also refer to
a payment required. In addition, the word "to" is a homophone. A homophone is a word
that sounds just like another word but has a different spelling and/or meaning. The word
"to" sounds like the words "too" and "two," but it has a different
meaning and spelling.
When Mr. Hooper is sighted by his congregation, they
"started," all surprised at once. A homonym has the same pronunciation and spelling as
another word but a different meaning. To start can mean to move suddenly, as it does here, or it
can mean to begin something.
Metonymy is the substitution of something
associated with a thing for the thing itself. Therefore, when Elizabeth comes to Mr. Hooper in
hopes of chasing "away the strange cloud that appeared to be settling round" him, the
cloud stands in for his emotional gloom. Clouds tend to cover the sun and make the day seem
gloomy, just as Mr. Hooper's gloominess has settled around him.
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