Praeteritio (also known as paralipsis) is a rhetorical strategy in which a speaker claims to omit or pass over a subject while actually drawing attention to it, often using phrases like “I won’t mention…” or “It’s not my place to say…,” thereby emphasizing the very point ostensibly being set aside; in poetry, this device creates dramatic irony or understated critique—such as a love poem that “skips over” the beloved’s betrayal—allowing the poet to imply sensitive or controversial content indirectly, leveraging the reader’s inference to heighten emotional impact or subvert censorship through strategic feigned reticence.

Introducing a topic by claiming not to mention it (e.g., "I won't discuss his scandals"). Creates ironic emphasis. Also called paralipsis. Related to rhetorical irony.