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Figure of Speech

The document discusses different types of figures of speech. Figures of speech use words in a non-literal way to give language a more lyrical quality. The five main figures of speech covered are similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia. A simile explicitly compares two unlike things using "like" or "as". A metaphor implicitly compares two unlike things. Personification gives human traits to non-human objects. Hyperbole exaggerates to emphasize a point. Onomatopoeia uses words that imitate sounds.

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Srawan Sharma
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77 views4 pages

Figure of Speech

The document discusses different types of figures of speech. Figures of speech use words in a non-literal way to give language a more lyrical quality. The five main figures of speech covered are similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia. A simile explicitly compares two unlike things using "like" or "as". A metaphor implicitly compares two unlike things. Personification gives human traits to non-human objects. Hyperbole exaggerates to emphasize a point. Onomatopoeia uses words that imitate sounds.

Uploaded by

Srawan Sharma
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Figures of Speech

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely
players!”. One of the most memorable lines in the English
language, this sentence is a perfect example of figures of
speech. They help lend the prose a lyrical and fresh quality.
Let us learn more about figures of speech.

Language can be used in two ways – literally and figuratively.


Literal language is direct and uses the real definition and
meanings of words and phrases. But when we talk figuratively,
the meaning of any word/phrase will depend on the context in
which they are used. A figure of speech relies on such
figurative language and rhetoric.

When using figures of speech the words will diverge from


their literal meanings, to give a more stylized and specialized
meaning to these words. Let us take for example the phrase”
fast like lightning”. This phrase merely implies great speed, it
does not mean literally as fast as lightning. Example: “On
hearing the school bell the kids ran out of the class as fast as
lightning”.

Types of Figures of Speech

Now there are dozens of types of figures of speech. But here


we will be focussing on the five main ones we use in our daily
prose.

1] Simile

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A simile is a figure of speech that uses comparison. In a simile,
we use two specific words “like” and “as” to compare two
unlikely things, that actually have nothing in common. This is
done to bring out the dramatic nature of the prose and invoke
vivid images and comparisons. It is one of the most common
forms of a figure of speech and is used in everything from
day-to-day talk to poems.

Let us see some examples of simile. “She is as brave as a lion”.


Here you will notice a girl and her bravery are being compared
to a lion. this is an unusual and illogical comparison, but it
brings out the vivid imagery and lyrical quality in the sentence.
The literal sentence would have read “She is brave”, but using
the simile makes it sound much better. Other such examples
can be "quite like a mouse", "as tall as a mountain", "as strong
as an ox", "precious like an angel".

2] Metaphor

A metaphor and a simile are quite similar actually. A metaphor


also uses compares to things that are in no way similar. It does
so to bring out the symbolism. A metaphor is a word or phrase
used to show its similarity to another thing. It helps to explain
an idea, but if you take a metaphor at its literal meaning it will
sound absurd.

An example of a metaphor is “Alex is a chicken”. Literally, this


sounds so very absurd. But this is a metaphor which suggests
that Alex is a coward, or frightened. It compares or implies
that Alex is a chicken to bring out the symbolism. Some other
examples are ‘love is a battlefield”, “all the world’s a stage”,
“that technology is a dinosaur” etc.

2
While a simile and metaphor seem to be very similar, there is
one basic difference between the two. In a simile, the
comparison happens with the help of the words “as” and “like”.
A metaphor will not have either of those two words.

3] Personification

Another very interesting figure of speech is personification.


In this, we personify or represent a non-human entity as
human. We give an inanimate object or an intangible idea of
some human qualities such as emotions, or gestures or even
speech. this is done to portray the object as alive and help the
listener or reader paint a vivid picture. Again, if we take the
words at their literal meaning they will sound absurd.

“The wind howled as the storm grew stronger”. Here we have


taken an object, the wind, and personified it as a living thing by
claiming it howled. Other such examples could be, “time ran
away from him”, “the boat danced in the puddle”, “the car died
in the middle of the road”, "the stars danced playfully in the
moonlit sky", "while making my way to my car, it appeared to
smile at me mischievously", "the run-down house appeared
depressed", "the car, painted lime green, raced by screaming
for attention, "the first rays of morning tiptoed through the
meadow".

4] Hyperbole

Hyperbole in the Greek language translates to ‘excess’. And


that is what it does, it exaggerates. We use hyperboles to
emphasize the importance or overstate something. This
exaggerates claims and statements are never meant to be
taken at their literal meaning. They are used to create a

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strong and lasting impression

An example would be “Since he has been away from home he


has gotten as thin as a toothpick“. Obviously, he has not gotten
as thin as a toothpick, we only exaggerate to emphasize on how
thin he has become. Some other examples are, “Those shoes
cost a king’s ransom”, “For the millionth time, clean the
kitchen”, “his grandfather is older than the hills”, "a ton of
worry was lifted from the beggar’s back when he received the
alms, "he saw a man as tall a power poll, "he saw his childhood
friend after ages, "the weather was so hot that literally
everything was on fire", "the boy was dying to get a new school
bag".

5] Onomatopeia

This is a figure of speech where words or phrases indicate


sounds. Often 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 example “The bees buzzed around in the garden”. Here the
word ‘buzzed’ is indicating the sound coming from the bees.
Some other examples are “the leaves were rustling”, “the door
was squeaking”, “he closed the book with a thud”, "the buzzing
bee flew away", "the sack fell into the river with a splash, "the
books fell on the table with a loud thump", "he looked at the
roaring", "the rustling leaves kept me awake".

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