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Figure of Speech

This document defines and provides examples of various figures of speech that are commonly used in literature and speeches to enhance expression. It discusses alliteration, anaphora, assonance, euphemism, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, personification, simile, and synecdoche - explaining what each technique is and giving illustrative examples. These figures of speech employ devices like repetition of sounds, substitution of indirect terms, exaggeration, and comparisons to convey meaning beyond the literal definition.

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Janine May Fabales
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259 views

Figure of Speech

This document defines and provides examples of various figures of speech that are commonly used in literature and speeches to enhance expression. It discusses alliteration, anaphora, assonance, euphemism, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, personification, simile, and synecdoche - explaining what each technique is and giving illustrative examples. These figures of speech employ devices like repetition of sounds, substitution of indirect terms, exaggeration, and comparisons to convey meaning beyond the literal definition.

Uploaded by

Janine May Fabales
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Figure of

Speech
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.
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.
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of
neighboring words. Walter wondered where
Winnie was
Examples include:
Nick needed new notebooks.
I have heard how hedgehogs hog the
hedge.
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! - William
Shakespeare
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with
firmness in the right. - Abraham Lincoln
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.'
'Passed away' instead of 'died.'
'Economical with the truth' instead of
'liar.'
'Letting you go' instead of 'firing you.'

Hyperbole
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.
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.
A traffic cop gets suspended for not paying his parking
tickets.
The Titanic was said to be unsinkable but sank on its first
voyage.
Naming a tiny Chihuahua Brutus.
Metaphor
A metaphor makes a comparison between two unlike
things or ideas.
Examples include:

Heart of stone
Time is money
He's an ogre
He's a nigh t owl
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
Personifi
cation
Personification gives human qualities to non-living
things or ideas.
Examples include:

The flowers nodded.


The snowflakes danced.
The thunder grumbled.
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
SYNECDOCH
E
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

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