FIGURES OF SPEECH

Figurative and Literal Language

Literally: words function exactly as defined
The car is blue.
He caught the football.

Figuratively: figure out what it means

I’ve got your back.
You’re a doll.
Figurative language

- Figurative language utilizes figures of speech to

convey meaning to words other than their
literal interpretation. This is accomplished by comparing
one thing to something else.

- Figures of speech present ordinary things in new or

unusual ways.

- They communicate ideas that go beyond the words’

usual, literal meanings.
 Simile
Definition:
simile is a figure of speech which compares one thing to another
using the phrase "like" or "as.“

Example:
She ran like the wind.

Explanation:
Running and the wind are unlike things. When you compare
the speed of running to the speed of the wind, you are
using a simile.
As smooth as silk

as fast as the wind

Quick like a lightning bolt

“As hard as a rock" (the object is very hard),

“As gentle as a lamb" (very gentle)

"sleep like a log" (the person slept very soundly)

NOTE:
Using “like” or “as” doesn’t make a simile.

A comparison must be made.

Not a Simile: I like pizza.

Simile: The moon is like a pizza.

 Metaphor

- used to call one thing something else,

forcing the listener or reader to identify the
similarities between the two.

- Two things are compared without using

“like” or “as.”
 Metaphor vs. Simile
Use the following examples to figure out the definition
of metaphor.

Simile: Fido is like a teddy bear.

Simile: Fido is as soft as a teddy bear.
Metaphor: Fido is a teddy bear.

Simile: That boy is like a pig.

Simile: That boy is as messy as a pig.
Metaphor: That boy is a pig.
 For example, "Julie's house is a pigsty.“
- From reading that sentence, it is clear that Julie's
house is messy, untidy or dirty.

Men are dogs.

She has a heart of stone.

Apple of my eye
 Personification

- attributes human qualities (such as emotion)

to an object, idea or animal.

- Giving human traits or characteristics to

something that isn’t human, such as animals,
objects or non-living things.
Example:

The willow tree shook her long hair.

Explanation:

The example is referring to the way that the willow

tree’s long branches sway in the wind. By saying “shook
her long hair”, the tree is given characteristics of a
human.
More Examples:

The car danced across the icy road.

The angry clouds marched across the sky.
The stars in the clear night sky winked at me.
The tulips nodded their heads in the breeze.
The cherries smiled up from the bowl.
The sun smiled down on me.
The leaves danced in the wind.
 Hyperbole
- a type of figurative speech which utilizes
exaggeration and overstatements to emphasize the truth
or create a strong response in the reader.

- Some common examples include phrases such as

"tons of money" (a lot of money),
"I've said it a million times" (I've said it many times)
"Scott was so hungry he could eat a horse" (Scott was
very hungry).
More Examples:

I will love you forever.

My house is a million miles from here.

Your suitcase weighs a ton

I am trying to solve a million issues these days

 Oxymoron

- is a figure of speech which intentionally creates a paradoxical

phrase by
using ideas which contradict each other to create a new meaning or
concept.

- examples include phrases such as

"bitter sweet,"
"agree to disagree,"
"boneless ribs,"
"deafening silence"
"conspicuous absence.
Other Examples:

Paid volunteers were working for the company

The doctor was absolutely unsure of the

nature of his illness.

All the politicians agreed to disagree.

 Paradox
- A paradox may consist of a sentence, or even a
group of sentences that appears to be self-
contradictory or silly, but which may include a
latent truth.

- It is also used to illustrate an opinion or

statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas
Examples:

I must be cruel to be kind.

If I know one thing, it's that I know nothing.

This is the beginning of the end.

Deep down, you're really shallow.

 Onomatopoeia

- The formation or use of words that

imitate sounds.

- used often in comic books, and refers to

the sound something makes, such as in words
like "hum," "buzz" and "oink."
Examples:

The buzzing bee flew away.

The sack fell into the river with a splash.

He looked at the roaring lion

 Apostrophe
- A direct address to someone absent, dead, or
inanimate.

- In literature, apostrophe is a figure of speech

sometimes represented by an exclamation, such as “Oh.”
A writer or speaker, using apostrophe, speaks directly to
someone who is not present or is dead, or speaks to an
inanimate object.
Examples:

Oh, rose, how sweet you smell and how bright

you look!

Dear love, please don't shoot me with your

Cupid's bow.

Feet, don't fail me now.

 Irony
- a figure of speech characterized by a
statement meaning the opposite of its literal
definition.

- Sarcasm is an example of irony.

Examples:

I posted a video on YouTube about how boring

and useless YouTube is.

The name of Britain’s biggest dog was “Tiny.”

“Oh great! Now you have broken my new

camera.”
 Allusion
- Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person,
place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or
political significance.

- It does not describe in detail the person or thing to

which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the
writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge
to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text.
“Don’t act like a Romeo in front of her.”
– “Romeo” is a reference to Shakespeare’s
Romeo, a passionate lover of Juliet, in “Romeo and
Juliet”.

“Hey! Guess who the new Newton of our school is?”

– “Newton”, means a genius student, alludes to a
famous scientist Isaac Newton.
 Alliteration
- Alliteration is the use of a repeated sound or
letter in words in close proximity, such as,
“Limpid light illuminated the lustrous library”

“Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager

imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?”
If you must cross a course cross cow across a
crowded cow crossing, cross the cross coarse
cow across the crowded cow crossing
carefully.

Can you can a canned can into an un-canned

can like a canner can can a canned can into an
un-canned can?