Figure Of Speech

assalamualaikum.

hello i am sarah devi. here I will deliver material about figure of speech, happy reading 🐾

A. Definition

Figures of speech is a way to to compare two things that are dissimilar in general. We use it when we say something, but does't mean it in its literal terms. Let's say- Ram runs with a lightning speed. In this sentence, we are just using this word "lightning" to refer the speed of the ram but not in lietral terms. we have used it to show the maximum capacity of somebody to run.

Figure of speech are meant to clarify and describe in more detail or we can say in more exaggerating way. Speed can be describe in different ways as well like, slow, fast, brisk etc. but to give the maximum impact of what we are saying we use figure of speech. If you will take it in literal terms then it will be difficult to understand and will not make any sense.

A figure of speech is a word or phrase that possesses a separate meaning from its literal definition. It can be a metaphor or simile, designed to make a comparison. It can be the repetition of alliteration or the exaggeration of hyperbole to provide a dramatic effect.

In truth, there are a wealth of these literary tools in the English language. But, let's start out by exploring some of the most common figure of speech examples.

Advertisement Figures of Speech. Figures of speech lend themselves particularly well to literature and poetry. They also pack a punch in speeches and movie lines. Indeed, these tools abound in nearly every corner of life. Let's start with one of the more lyrical devices, alliteration.

B. FUNCTION

Figurative language serves to beautify English words that are usually used to write poetry, poetry, and even prose

Image type of speech in English :

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of neighboring words.

Examples include:

She sells seashells.

Walter wondered where Winnie was.

Blue baby bonnets bobbed through the bayou.

Nick needed new notebooks.

Fred fried frogs' legs on Friday.

Anaphora

Anaphora is a technique where several phrases or verses begin with the same word or words.

Examples include:

I came, I saw, I conquered. - Julius Caesar

Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition! - King John II, William Shakespeare

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. - A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right. - Abraham Lincoln

We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end... we shall never surrender. - Winston Churchill

Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds (not just letters) in words that are close together. The sounds don't have to be at the beginning of the word.

Examples include:

A - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore. (Poe)

E - Therefore, all seasons shall be sweet to thee. (Coleridge)

I - From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. (Frost)

O - Oh hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn. (Wordsworth)

U - Uncertain rustling of each purple curtain (Poe)

Euphemism

Euphemism is a mild, indirect, or vague term that often substitutes a harsh, blunt, or offensive term.

Examples include:

'A little thin on top' instead of 'going bald.'

'Fell of the back of a truck' instead of 'stolen.'

'Letting you go' instead of 'firing you.'

'Passed away' instead of 'died.'

'Economical with the truth' instead of 'liar.'

Hyperbole

Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Examples include:

I've told you to stop a thousand times.

That must have cost a billion dollars.

I could do this forever.

She's older than dirt.

Everybody knows that.

Irony

Irony occurs when there's a marked contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between appearance and reality.

Examples include:

"How nice!" she said, when I told her I had to work all weekend. (Verbal irony)

A traffic cop gets suspended for not paying his parking tickets. (Situational irony)

The Titanic was said to be unsinkable but sank on its first voyage. (Situational irony)

Naming a tiny Chihuahua Brutus. (Verbal irony)

When the audience knows the killer is hiding in a closet in a scary movie, but the actors do not. (Dramatic irony)

Metaphor

A metaphor makes a comparison between two unlike things or ideas.

Examples include:

Heart of stone

Time is money

The world is a stage

She's a night owl

He's an ogre

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is the term for a word that sounds like what it is describing.

Examples include:

Whoosh

Splat

Buzz

Click

Oink

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is two contradictory terms used together.

Examples include:

Peace force

Kosher ham

Jumbo shrimp

Sweet sorrow

Free market

Personification

Personification gives human qualities to non-living things or ideas.

Examples include:

The flowers nodded.

The snowflakes danced.

The thunder grumbled.

The fog crept in.

The wind howled.

Simile

A simile is a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as."

Examples include:

As slippery as an eel

Like peas in a pod

As blind as a bat

Eats like a pig

As wise as an owl

Synecdoche

Synecdoche occurs when a part is represented by the whole or, conversely, the whole is represented by the part.

Examples include:

Wheels - a car

The police - one policeman

Plastic - credit cards

Coke - any cola drink

Hired hands - workers

Understatement

An understatement occurs when something is said to make something appear less important or less serious.

Examples include:

It's just a scratch - referring to a large dent.

It's a litttle dry and sandy - referring to the driest desert in the world.

The weather is cooler today - referring to sub-zero temperatures.

It was interesting - referring to a bad or difficult experience.

It stings a bit - referring to a serious wound or injury.

C. Types Of Figures Of Speech

Simile- It is a figure of speech that uses comparison and we use words "like" and "as" to do the comparison between two things. Let's understand this with an example- She is as brave as tiger. We have use the "as" in this sentence to denote the similarity between the bravery of two things.

Metaphor- Metaphor is not different than simile. It is also used in a sentence to bring about the comparison between two entities that are in no way similary. For ex- Ram is a chicken which sound absurd but simply means that ram is coward.

Personification- It is used to personify the objects which are not human. We depict the non-human entity in such a way that it seems humanly. For example- Calling earth as mother, Sun gives the warmth of a mother lap etc. In both the example the entities name are non-human but represented in a humanly exhibiting tendencies.

Hyperbole- Hyperbole is a way to maximise the impact of a saying. We don't take the words use in their literal terms but they are used to exaggerate the saying. For example- She looks like a toothpick even after eating so much. In this statement, she can't be thin like toothpick but it just a way to exaggerate and show the maximum impact of what you are saying.

Onomatopeia- This is a figure of speech where words or phrase used in a sentence imitate sound in order to bring about more imagery and better describe a setting, authors use words to involve all five of our senses. Onomatopeia refers to those words that imitate the sounds of an object or person. For ex- There were no sound but little murmur in the class that irriatated the teacher.