FIGURES OF SPEECH

 Simile - makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things. It draws
resemblance with the help of the words “like” or “as.” Therefore, it is a direct comparison.
o Our soldiers are as brave as lions.
o Her cheeks are red like a rose.
 Metaphor – that makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one
thing is another thing, even though this isn't literally true. Without the help of the words
“like” or “as”.
o Love is a battlefield.
o Bob is a couch potato.
 Personification - in which a thing – an idea or an animal – is given human attributes.
The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they have the
ability to act like human beings. For example, when we say, “The sky weeps,” we are
giving the sky the ability to cry, which is a human quality. Thus, we can say that the sky
has been personified in the given sentence. With the above definition of personification,
let us look at some personification examples.
o Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t she?
o The wind whispered through dry grass.
 Apostrophe - 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.
o Example #1: Macbeth (By William Shakespeare)
William Shakespeare makes use of apostrophe in his play Macbeth:
“Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand?
Come, let me clutch thee!
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.”
In his mental conflict before murdering King Duncan, Macbeth has a strange vision
of a dagger and talks to it as if it were a person.
o Example #2: The Star (By Jane Taylor)
Jane Taylor uses apostrophe in the well-known poem, The Star:
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.”
This poem became one of the most popular nursery rhymes told to little children –
often in the form of song. In this nursery rhyme, a child speaks to a star (an inanimate
object). Hence, this is a classic example of apostrophe.
 Hyperbole - derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting,” is a figure of speech that
involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.
o I am dying of shame.
o I am trying to solve a million issues these days.
 Oxymoron - in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. The common
oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting
meanings, such as “cruel kindness,” or “living death”.
o There was a love-hate relationship between the two neighboring states.
o The professor was giving a lecture on virtual reality.

Common example words

o Open secret
o Tragic comedy
o Seriously funny
o Awfully pretty
o Foolish wisdom
o Original copies
 o Liquid gas
 Synecdoche - in which a part of something represents the whole, or it may use a whole to
represent a part. Synecdoche may also use larger groups to refer to smaller groups, or vice
versa. It may also call a thing by the name of the material it is made of, or it may refer to a
thing in a container or packaging by the name of that container or packing.
o The word “bread” refers to food or money, as in “Writing is my bread and butter,”
or “He is the sole breadwinner.”
o The phrase “gray beard” refers to an old man.
o The word “sails” refers to a whole ship.
o The word “suit” refers to a businessman.
o The word “boots” usually refers to soldiers.
o The term “coke” is a common synecdoche for all carbonated drinks.
o “Pentagon” is a synecdoche when it refers to a few decision makers.
o The word “glasses” refers to spectacles.
 Metonymy - replaces the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is
closely associated. We can come across examples of metonymy both from literature and in
everyday life.
o “England decides to keep check on immigration.” (England refers to the
government.)
o “The pen is mightier than the sword.” (Pen refers to written words, and sword to
military force.)
o “The Oval Office was busy in work.” (The Oval Office is a metonymy, as it
stands for people who work in the office.)
o “Let me give you a hand.” (Hand means help.)
 Irony - words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual
meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that ends up in quite a different way than
what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between appearance and
reality.
o The doctor is as kind hearted as a wolf.
o He took a much-needed vacation, backpacking in the mountains. Unfortunately,
he came back dead tired.
o His friend’s hand was as soft as a rock.
o The desert was as cool as a bed of burning coals.
o The student was given ‘excellent’ on getting zero in the exam.
 Paradox - from the Greek word paradoxon, which means “contrary to expectations,
existing belief, or perceived opinion.” It is a statement 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. A paradox is often used to make a reader
think over an idea in innovative way.
o Your enemy’s friend is your enemy.
o I am nobody.
o “What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young.” – George Bernard Shaw
o Wise fool
o Truth is honey, which is bitter.
o “I can resist anything but temptation.” – Oscar Wilde

Prepared by: Miss Jennica Mae D. Paurillo 2019-2020

Creative Writing Specialist