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FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Handout no. 1

A figure of speech is a word or phrase using figurative language—language that has other meaning than
its normal definition. In other words, figures of speeches rely on implied or suggested meaning, rather
than a dictionary definition. We express and develop them through hundreds of different rhetorical
techniques, from specific types like metaphors and similes, to more general forms like sarcasm and
slang.
Figures of speech make up a huge portion of the English language, making it more creative, more
expressive, and just more interesting! Many have been around for hundreds of years—some even
thousands—and more are added to our language essentially every day. This article will focus on a few
key forms of figures of speech, but remember, the types are nearly endless!

1. Simile (pronounced sim–uh-lee) is a literary term where you use “like” or “as” to
compare two different things and show a common quality between them. A simile is
different from a simple comparison in that it usually compares two unrelated things. For
example, “She looks like you” is a comparison but not a simile. On the other hand, “She
smiles like the sun” is a simile, as it compares a woman with something of a different
kind- the sun.
e.g. He’s as thin as a rail!
She moved like a deer.
2. Metaphor (pronounced meh-ta-for) is a common figure of speech that makes
a comparison by directly relating one thing to another unrelated thing. Unlike similes,
metaphors do not use words such as “like” or “as” to make comparisons. The writer or
speaker relates the two unrelated things that are not actually the same, and the
audience understands that it’s a comparison, not a literal equation. The word comes from
a Latin phrase meaning “to carry across,” and a metaphor does just that—it carries a
shared quality or characteristic across two distinct things.
e.g. Seek thee out the diamond in the rough.
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and
Juliet is
the sun!
3. Personification. When we talk about non-human things as if they were human, we personify
them. Personification is a kind of metaphor in which you describe an inanimate object,
abstract thing, or non-human animal in human terms. It is used to create more interesting and
engaging scenes or characters.
e.g. Science-fiction novels were his constant companions.
That piece of chocolate cake is calling my name.

4. Hyperbole (pronounced ‘high-purr-bo-lee’) is a figure of speech in which an author or


speaker purposely and obviously exaggerates to an extreme. It is used for emphasis or as a
way of making a description more creative and humorous. It is important to note that
hyperbole is not meant to be taken literally; the audience knows it’s an exaggeration.
e.g. That suitcase weighed a ton!
She’s going to die of embarrassment.
5. Alliteration. In alliteration, words that begin with the same sound are placed close together.
Although alliteration often involves repetition of letters, most importantly, it is a repetition of
sounds.
e.g. Sally sells seashells by the seashore.
Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers

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FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Handout no. 1

6. Assonance (pronounced as–uh-nuh ns) is the repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds
within words, phrases, or sentences. The word is derived from the Latin phrase assonare,
meaning to answer with the same sound.
e.g. She seems to beam rays of sunshine with her eyes of green.
They’re some creeps who I wouldn’t meet if you paid me a heap of cash!
7. Onomatopoeia (pronounced ˌ’AH-nuh-mah-tuh-PEE-uh’) refers to words whose
pronunciations imitate the sounds they describe. A dog’s bark sounds like “woof,” so “woof”
is an example of onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia can be used to describe the gears of machines
working, the horn of a car honking, animals croaking or barking, or any number of other
sounds.
e.g. How they clang, and clash, and roar!
What a horror they outpour
On the bosom of the palpitating air!
Yet the ear it fully knows,
By the twanging
And the clanging,
How the danger ebbs and flows;
Yet the ear distinctly tells,
In the jangling
And the wrangling,
How the danger sinks and swells,—
By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells,
Of the bells
- Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Bells”
8. Oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that puts together opposite elements. The
combination of these contradicting elements serves to reveal a paradox, confuse, or give the
reader a laugh. The word oxymoron is derived from the Greek phrases oxus and mōros,
meaning a mix of “sharp and keen” and “dull and dumb.”
e.g. That’s my adult child. Poor thing still can’t get himself into the real adult
world.
Act naturally.
The Sound of Silence
9. Anaphora (pronounced uh–naf-er-uh) is when a certain word or phrase is repeated at the
beginning of clauses or sentences that follow each other. This repetition emphasizes the
phrase while adding rhythm to the passage, making it more memorable and enjoyable to read.
e.g. I’m sick and tired of you letting me down. I’m sick and tired of you making
me mad. And I’m sick and tired of you doing such silly things!
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it
was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of
incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was
the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
-Charles Dicken’s “A Tale of Two Cities”

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FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Handout no. 1

10. Irony (pronounced ‘eye-run-ee’) is when there are two contradicting meanings of the same
situation, event, image, sentence, phrase, or story. In many cases, this refers to the difference
between expectations and reality.
e.g. Edgar Allen Poe’s The Cask of Amantillado is full of verbal and situational
irony, including the name of the main character. He’s called Fortunato
(Italian for “fortunate”), in spite of the fact that he’s extremely unlucky
throughout the story.

In O. Henry’s famous short story The Gift of the Magi, a husband sells his
prized watch so that he can buy combs as a gift for his wife. Meanwhile, the
wife sells her beautiful hair so she can buy a watch-chain for her husband.
The characters’ actions contradict each other’s expectations and their efforts
to give each other gifts make the gifts useless.
11. Metonymy (pronounced mi-ton–uh-mee), which is a figure of speech that replaces words with
related or associated words. A metonym is typically a part of a larger whole, for example,
when we say “wheels,” we are figuratively referring to a “car” and not literally only the
wheels. So, “wheels” are the associated part that represent the whole car.
e.g. The pen is mightier than the sword.

What would I do without your smart mouth?


Drawing me in, and you kicking me out
‘Cause all of me
Loves all of you
12. Synecdoche (pronounced si-nek-duh-kee) is a figure of speech which allows a part to stand
for a whole or for a whole to stand for a part. When using synecdoche, you refer to your car
as your “wheels” and a handful of quarters, dimes, and pennies as the “change” needed to pay
the meter. The word synecdoche is derived from the Greek phrases synekdochē and
ekdechesthai, meaning “to sense” and “to understand.”
e.g. A boy has been admitted to the hospital. The nurse says, “He’s in good
hands.”
The Department of Education announced new plans for the education reform.
13. Chiasmus comes from a Greek word meaning “crossed,” and it refers to a grammatical
structure that inverts a previous phrase. That is, you say one thing, and then you say
something very similar, but flipped around.
e.g. Live simply so that others might simply live. (Gandhi)

Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your
country.” (John F. Kennedy, 1961)
14. Paradox is a statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the same
time. Paradoxes are quirks in logic that demonstrate how our thinking sometimes goes
haywire, even when we use perfectly logical reasoning to get there.
e.g. This statement is a lie.

I must be cruel only to be kind (Hamlet III.IV.181)


15. Litotes is an understatement in which a positive statement is expressed by negating its
opposite. This sounds like a strange definition, but a few examples will make the meaning
clear. Litotes (pronounced LIE-tuh-teez or lie-TOE-teez) is a Greek word meaning “simple,
plain.”
e.g. After someone hires you, you might say, “Thank you, ma’am, you won’t
regret it.” The negation is an understatement, of course – what you really
mean is that your boss will be happy with your performance.

I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will make them honored,
and they shall not be small. (Jeremiah 30:19)

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