Implied Metaphors: An Unmentioned Comparison

Examples of Implied Metaphors
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SchoolCollege
An implied metaphor is a type of metaphor that compares two unlike things without

mentioning one of them.
For example, "Elise finally lured Adam into her web." In this line, we know what Elise is being
compared to a spider, but it isn't expressly stated.
When looking at examples of implied metaphors, you'll see they're slightly different from regular
metaphors because they don't specifically state what they're comparing.
For example, "My Dad is my rock," expressly compares a father to a rock,
something solid and sturdy.
This is quite different from, "Harry crumbled under the pressure," where it's implied the man couldn't
cope with pressure, by comparing him to something that easily falls apart like a cake, a soft cheese,
or even a rock tumbling down the hill.
one is open to interpretation, leaving you to make

This
the connection.
Implied metaphors allow writers to create vivid imagery in their prose. Sometimes, the comparison
is an easy leap to make, painting a clear picture.
Other times, the implied comparison takes a moment's pause. Some implied
metaphors leave
themselves entirely open to debate since, in truth, they're never expressly
stated by the author.
Implied Metaphors: An Unmentioned Comparison

Let's dive right in to several examples of implied metaphor we hope will ignite the metaphoric fires
for all your future writings. You'll quickly begin to see how nature is a handy element in this form of
comparison.
Comparing People to Animals or Nature

 Samuel brayed his refusal to leave the party peacefully. (Compares Samuel to a donkey)
 Angrily Sonia barked commands at her child. (Compares Sonia to a dog)
 Andy's wife asked him to go fetch dinner. (Compares Andy to a dog)
 Tony tucked his tail and ran. (Compares Tony to a scared dog)
 Jennifer purred over the lavish present. (Compares Jennifer to a cat)
 When Todd's deception was found out, he left with his tail between his legs. (Compares
Todd to an ashamed dog)
 Alex was chomping at the bit to have his turn. (Compares Alex to a horse)
 Harry squawked when the teacher ordered him to detention. (Compares Harry to a bird)
 Zeus bellowed his commands to his subjects. (Compares Zeus to a bull)
 Eddie galloped to the store. (Compares Eddie to a horse)
 The paparazzi circled over the young singing sensation. (Compares paparazzi to vultures)
 The hostess spent the entire party buzzing from table to table. (Compares the hostess to a bee
or fly)
 The pregnant woman waddled into the delivery room. (Compares a pregnant woman to a
duck or goose)
 Danny slithered over to Donna and hissed, "Let's go." (Compares Danny to a snake)
 The couple shed their clothes and jumped into the hot springs. (Compares the couple to
snakes shedding their skin)
 The flowers nodded in the wind. (Compares flowers to people)
Comparing People to Inanimate Objects

 Wanda sailed through her exams in no time. (Compares Wanda to a sailboat)
 At the party, the men orbited the super model. (Compares men to planets)
 Justin's smile radiated throughout the room. (Compares Justin's smile to the sun)
 Philip's anger grew until it erupted. (Compares anger to a volcano)
 To keep the peace, Alice steered away from confrontation. (Compares Alice to a car or
driver)
 Andy wound his way through the crowd to get a better view. (Compares Andy to ivy or vine)
Comparing Two Inanimate Objects

 The loving words nourished his bruised ego. (Compares words to food)
 The colors of the sunset were leafy orange and yellow. (Compares the sunset to autumn
leaves)
 Love can have dangerous thorns. (Compares love to a rose)
 Bigotry infects the soul. (Compares bigotry to a disease)
 Her thoughtless remarks slashed his ego. (Compares remarks to a knife)
Comparing Inanimate Objects to Animals or Nature

 The leaves were fluttering in the breeze. (Compares leaves to butterflies)
 The Porsche crouched before the race, growling in anticipation. (Compares the Porsche to a
big cat)
 The snow swaddled the hillside. (Compares snow to a blanket and the hillside to a baby)

Not Everything's Black and White

Do you see how comparisons can be made between two items, and a vivid statement is created,
with implied metaphors?
It's not always necessary to be black and white in our writing. In fact, certain genres, such as poetry
and fiction, lend themselves rather well to this form of figurative language.
That's how things like, "Mandy's a witch," get turned into things like, "Mandy left in a mood and
flew off on her broomstick." We hope you'll enjoy your exploration of these literary tools with
some examples of metaphors in poems.
See similar articles
Examples of Personification
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Everyone knows what a person is, but do you know what personification is?
Personification is a type of metaphor and a common literary tool.

It is when you assign the qualities of a person to something that
isn't human or that isn't even alive, like nature or emotions.
There are many reasons for using personification.
It can be used as a method of describing something so that others can

more easily understand it.
It can be used to emphasize a point.
It can be used to help paint a picture in your mind.

You may in fact use personification without even knowing it.
There is often confusion between personification and

anthropomorphism.
While personification means giving an object or animal human characteristics to create
interesting imagery - as in nursery rhymes like "Hey Diddle Diddle," where "the little dog laughed
to see such fun" –
anthropomorphism means making an object or animal act and look like they are human, as
in Peter Rabbit.
Personification Examples in Literature

Personification is often found in literature and poetry. Some examples include:
"Two Sunflowers Move into the Yellow Room" by Nancy Willard
"Ah, William, we're weary of weather,"vcxf
said the sunflowers, shining with dew.
"Our traveling habits have tired us.
Can you give us a room with a view?"
They arranged themselves at the window
and counted the steps of the sun,
and they both took root in the carpet
where the topaz tortoises run.
In this poem, the sunflowers are talking to the poet William Blake. They are tired of being outside
and tell him that they want to be moved. We know that sunflowers cannot be tired or talk so Willard
uses personification to give them these attributes.
"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth
"I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
This poem brings the beauty and tranquility of nature to life.
The daffodils are personified as a crowd of people dancing, while Wordsworth floats like a cloud
enjoying the show.
Personification can also be found in literature. William Shakespeare uses it throughout Romeo and
Juliet. One example is in Act 2 when Friar Lawrence is picking flowers for his various potions. He
says:
"The grey-ey'd morn smiles on the frowning night, Check'ring the Eastern clouds with streaks of
light."
In describing the morning as smiling at the night he is personifying the morning and establishing a
romantic setting for Romeo and Juliet's love to unfold.
50 Ways to Use Personification

The following sentences use the personification technique. See if you can identify which part of the
word or phrase is the personification. The answers are below:
1. The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky. 26. While making my way to my car, it appeared to
smile at me mischievously.
2. The run-down house appeared depressed. 27. The car, painted lime green, raced by screaming
for attention.
3. The first rays of morning tiptoed through the 28. The butterflies in the meadow seemed to two-
meadow. step with one another.
4. She did not realize that opportunity was knocking at 29. The waffle jumped up out of the toaster.
her door.
5. He did not realize that his last chance was walking 30.The popcorn leapt out of the bowl.
out the door.
6. The bees played hide and seek with the flowers as 31. When the DVD went on sale, it flew off the
they buzzed from one to another. shelves.
7. The wind howled its mighty objection. 32. I tripped because the curb jumped out in front
of me.
8. The snow swaddled the earth like a mother would 33. Time creeps up on you.
her infant child.
9. The river swallowed the earth as the water continued 34. The news took me by surprise.
to rise higher and higher.
10. Time flew and before we knew it, it was time for me 35. The fire ran wild.
to go home.
11. The ocean waves lashed out at the boat and the 36. The thunder clapped angrily in the distance.
storm continued to brew.
12. My computer throws a fit every time I try to use it. 37. The tornado ran through town without a care.
13. The thunder grumbled like an old man. 38. The door protested as it opened slowly.
14. The flowers waltzed in the gentle breeze. 39. The evil tree was lurking in the shadows.
15. Her life passed her by. 40. The tree branch moaned as I swung from it.
16. The sun glared down at me from the sky. 41. Time marches to the beat of its own drum.
17. The moon winked at me through the clouds above. 42. The storm attacked the town with great rage.
18. The wind sang through the meadow. 43. My life came screeching to a halt.
19. The car was suffering and was in need of some TLC. 44. The baseball screamed all the way into the
outfield.
20. At precisely 6:30 am my alarm clock sprang to life. 45. The blizzard swallowed the town.
21. The window panes were talking as the wind blew 46. The tsunami raced towards the coastline.
through them.
22. The ocean danced in the moonlight. 47. The avalanche devoured everything in its path.
23. The words appeared to leap off of the paper as she 48. The pistol glared at me from its holster.
read the story.
24. The phone awakened with a mighty ring. 49. The car beckoned me from across the
showroom.
25. The funeral raced by me in a blur. 50. I could hear Hawaii calling my name.
Did you identify the personification in the examples above? The human trait assigned to the subject
is in bold here. The subject being personified is underlined.
1. The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky. 26. While making my way to my car, it smiled at

me mischievously.
2. The run-down house appeared depressed. 27. The car, painted lime green, raced

by screaming for attention.
3. The first rays of morning tiptoed through the 28. The butterflies in the meadow seemed to two-
meadow. step with one another.
4. She did not realize that opportunity was 29. The waffle jumped up out of the toaster.
knocking at her door.
5. He did not realize that his last chance was 30. The popcorn leapt out of the bowl.
walking out the door.
6. The bees played hide and seek with the 31. When the DVD went on sale, it flew off the
flowers as they buzzed from one to another. shelves.
7. The wind howled its mighty objection. 32. I tripped because the curb jumped out in front

of me.
8. The snow swaddled the earth like a mother 33. Time creeps up on you.

would her infant child.
9. The river swallowed the earth as the water 34. The news took me by surprise.

continued to rise higher and higher.
10. Time flew and before we knew it, it was time 35. The fire ran wild.

for me to go home.
11. The ocean waves lashed out at the boat and 36. The thunder clapped angrily in the distance.
the storm continued to brew.
12. My computer throws a fit every time I try to 37. The tornado ran through town without a care.
use it.
13. The thunder grumbled like an old man. 38. The door protested as it opened slowly.
14. The flowers waltzed in the gentle breeze. 39. The evil tree was lurking in the shadows.
15. Her life passed her by. 40. The tree branch moaned as I swung from it.
16. The sun glared down at me from the sky. 41. Time marches to the beat of its own drum.
17. The moon winked at me through the clouds 42. The storm attacked the town with great rage.
above.
18. The wind sang through the meadow. 43. My life came screeching to a halt.
19. The car was suffering and was in need of 44. The baseball screamed all the way into the
some TLC. outfield.
20. At precisely 6:30 am my alarm 45. The blizzard swallowed the town.

clock sprang to life.
21. The window panes were talking as the wind 46. The tsunami raced towards the coastline.
blew through them.
22. The ocean danced in the moonlight. 47. The avalanche devoured everything in its

path.
23. The words leapt off of the paper as she read 48. The pistol glared at me from its holster.
the story.
24. The phone awakened with a mighty ring. 49. The car beckoned me from across the

showroom.
25. The funeral raced by me in a blur. 50. I could hear Hawaii calling my name.
Examples of Hyperbole
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Hyperbole, from a Greek word meaning "excess," is a figure of speech that uses
extreme exaggeration to make a point or show emphasis. It is the opposite of understatement.
You can find examples of hyperbole in literature and everyday speech. You wouldn't want to use it
in nonfiction works, like reports or research papers, but it's perfect for creative writing and
communication, especially when you want to add color to a character or humor to a story.
Hyperboles are not comparisons, like similes and metaphors, but extravagant

and even ridiculous overstatements, not meant to be taken literally. In literature, hyperbole will often
be used to show contrast or catch the reader's attention. Let's take a closer look.
Hyperbole Adds Emphasis

A simple conversation, a speech or a song can be brought to life or become comical with the use of
hyperbole.
Hyperbole in Everyday Use

In these common, everyday examples of hyperbole, you'll see the sentiment isn't realistic, but it helps
to stress the point.
 I've told you to clean your room a million times!
 It was so cold, I saw polar bears wearing hats and jackets.
 She's so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company.
 I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
 I have a million things to do today.
 When I was young, I had to walk 15 miles to school, uphill, in the snow.
 I had a ton of homework.
 If I can't buy that perfect prom dress, I'll die!
 He's as skinny as a toothpick.
 The car went faster than the speed of light.
 His new car cost a bazillion dollars.
 We're so poor we don't have two cents to rub together.
 That joke is so old, the last time I heard it I was riding a dinosaur.
 They ran like greased lightning.
 He's got tons of money.
 You could have knocked me over with a feather.
 Her brain is the size of a pea.
 My geography teacher is older than the hills.
Hyperbole in Speeches
When hyperbole is carefully placed into a speech, it can help you really punch
your points. A tiny bit of exaggeration may be enough to perk up the ears of your
audience.
Sound Words: Examples of

Onomatopoeia
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The word onomatopoeia comes from the combination of two Greek words, onoma meaning "name"
and poiein meaning "to make," so onomatopoeia literally means "to make a name (or sound)." That is
to say that the word means nothing more than the sound it makes. The word boing, for example, is
simply a sound effect, but one that is very useful in making writing or storytelling more expressive
and vivid.
Many onomatopoeic words can be verbs as well as nouns. Slap, for instance, is not only the sound
that is made by skin hitting skin but also the action of hitting someone (usually on the face) with an
open hand. Rustle is the sound of something dry, like paper, brushing together, but it can also
indicate the action of someone moving papers around and causing them to brush together, thus
making this noise.
The concept of onomatopoeia can be difficult to understand without examples. Examples give you
the chance to see and sound out actual words. Below are five categories of onomatopoeic words with
several examples of each. The list includes words with letter combinations that are commonly used to
represent certain sounds.
Common Onomatopoeia Words & Letter

Combinations
Many times, you can tell what an onomatopoeic word is describing based on letter combinations
contained within the word. These combinations usually come at the beginning, but a few also come
at the end.
The following examples have been grouped according to how they are used.
1. Water sounds - Words related to water or other liquids often begin with sp- or dr-. Words that
indicate a small amount of liquid often end in -le (sprinkle/drizzle).
 bloop
 splash
 spray
 sprinkle
 squirt
 dribble
 drip
 drizzle
A poem by Australian poet Lee Emmett illustrates many onomatopoeia words related to water:
"water plops into pond
splish-splash downhill
warbling magpies in tree
trilling, melodic thrill
whoosh, passing breeze
flags flutter and flap
frog croaks, bird whistles
babbling bubbles from tap"
2. Vocal sounds - Sounds that come from the back of the throat tend to start with a gr- sound,
whereas sounds that come out of the mouth, through the lips, tongue and teeth, often begin with mu-.
 giggle
 growl
 grunt
 gurgle
 mumble
 murmur
 bawl
 belch
 chatter
 blurt
3. Collision sounds - Collisions can occur between two or more objects. Sounds that begin with cl-
usually indicate collisions between metal or glass objects, and words that end in -ng are sounds that
resonate. Words that begin with th- usually describe dull sounds like soft but heavy things hitting
wood or earth.
 bam
 bang
 clang
 clank
 clap
 clatter
 click
 clink
 ding
 jingle
 screech
 slap
 thud
 thump
4. Air sounds - Air doesn't really make a sound unless it blows through something, so these words
describe the sounds of air blowing through things or of things rushing through the air. Words related
to air often start with wh-, include a w, or end with -sh.
"Whisper" is on this list and not the voice list because we do not use our voices to whisper. We only
use the air from our lungs and the position of our teeth, lips and tongues to form audible words.
 flutter
 fisst
 fwoosh
 gasp
 swish
 swoosh
 waft
 whiff
 whoosh
 whizz
 whip
 whisper
5. Animal sounds - Words related to animal noises often have long vowel sounds, such as "oo" or
"ay." If you've spent time in other countries, you may know that animals speak different
languages too. Depending on where a chicken is from, for example, she might cluck-cluck, bok-bok,
tok-tok, kot-kot or cotcotcodet. We'll stick with English here:
 arf
 baa
 bark
 bray
 buzz
 cheep
 chirp
 chortle
 cluck
 cock-a-doodle-doo
 cuckoo
 hiss
 meow
 moo
 neigh
 oink
 purr
 quack
 ribbit
 tweet
 warble
Onomatopoeia in Action
Onomatopoeia is a fun, linguistic tool used in literature, songs and advertisements. Now that you've
seen examples of the individual words consider the following examples of onomatopoeia words in
use:
"Chug, chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. Ding-dong, ding-dong. The little train rumbled over the
tracks."
- "The Little Engine That Could," Watty Piper
"Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is." (slogan of Alka Seltzer, US)
"Onomatopoeia every time I see ya
My senses tell me hubba
And I just can't disagree.
I get a feeling in my heart that I can't describe. . .
It's sort of whack, whir, wheeze, whine
Sputter, splat, squirt, scrape
Clink, clank, clunk, clatter
Crash, bang, beep, buzz
Ring, rip, roar, retch
Twang, toot, tinkle, thud
Pop, plop, plunk, pow
Snort, snuck, sniff, smack
Screech, splash, squish, squeak
Jingle, rattle, squeal, boing
Honk, hoot, hack, belch."
- "Onomatopoeia," song by Todd Rundgren
Bringing Language to Life

So, remember that onomatopoeic words try to capture a sound and,
therefore, can bring language alive in the reader or listener's imagination. Reviewing examples
of onomatopoeia words and their various sound categories is an excellent way to learn to recognize
and understand the concept.
Related articles on YourDictionary

Examples of PersonificationCommon Personification Examples
 Lightning danced across the sky.

 The wind howled in the night.
 The car complained as the key was roughly turned in its ignition.
 Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name.
 My alarm clock yells at me
 to get out of bed every morning.
Personification is a form of figurative language that is used as a literary

technique. Personification means attributing human characteristics to something that is
not human. For more information on how to identify and use personification in writing,
please check out our Personification Worksheets for printable practice. Please read on
for 30 examples of personification, including many personification examples from
literature. Before you know it, your student(s) will master this very fun and creative way
to use words!
Personification Examples
1. The stars winked at each other in the dark.
2. Flames surrounded the house, licking and devouring it whole.
3. The books murmured their stories from her shelf.
4. Every photo in the album hides a secret.
5. The cat glared at the new kitten like a jealous girlfriend.
6. The sand stretched out its long limbs beside the water’s edge.
7. Crouching low, the old cottage looked bent to its knees.
8. The sky wept tears of joy.
9. Cookies and cakes called to him from the display case: “eat us up!”
10. Her silken dress whispered and sighed as she settled into the chair.
11. The skyscrapers punched the blue sky.
12. In the early morning light, time was patient with the new mother and her child.
13. His voice filled up the house like an army of soldiers sent to attack.
14. My dog studied the grass as if he was an architect preparing blueprints.
15. The car horn squealed to alert us that they’d finally arrived.
Personification Examples from Literature
The following examples are all quoted from various works of literature, including poems,
plays, stories, and novels.
1. “These are the lips of the lake, on which no beard grows. It licks its chops from
time to time.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. “The fog comes / on little cat feet.” – Carl Sandburg
3. “April is the cruelest month.” – T.S. Eliot
4. “When it comes, the landscape listens, / Shadows hold their breath,” – Emily
Dickinson
5. “‘Ah, William, we’re weary of weather, / said the sunflowers, shining with dew. /
Our traveling habits have tired us. / Can you give us a room with a view?” –
William Blake
6. “The woods are getting ready to sleep—they are not yet asleep but they are
disrobing and are having all sorts of little bed-time conferences and whisperings
and good-nights.” – L.M. Montgomery
7. “Five-fingered ferns hung over the water and dropped spray from their fingertips.”
– John Steinbeck
8. “Hadn’t she known that something good was going to happen to her that
morning–hadn’t she felt it in every touch of the sunshine, as its golden finger-tips
pressed her lids open and wound their way through her hair?” – Edith Wharton
9. “Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like
thorn.” William Shakespeare
10. “Pink is what red looks like when it kicks off its shoes and lets its hair down. Pink
is the boudoir color, the cherubic color, the color of Heaven’s gates. . . . Pink is
as laid back as beige, but while beige is dull and bland, pink is laid back with
attitude.” – Tom Robbins
11. “The teapot sang as the water boiled, / The ice cubes cackled in their glass, / The
teacups chattered to one another, / While the chairs were passing gas.” Sharon
Hendricks
12. “The glacier knocks in the cupboard, / The desert sighs in the bed, / And the
crack in the tea-cup opens / A lane to the land of the dead.” – W.H. Auden
13. “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. / Whatever I see, I swallow

immediately. / Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike / I am not cruel, only
truthful –” – Sylvia Plath
14. “Even the dirt kept breathing a small breath.” – Theodore Roethke
15. “The shattered water made a misty din. Great waves looked over others coming
in.” – Robert Frost

 I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.

 She's as old as the hills.
 I walked a million miles to get here.
 She can hear a pin drop a mile away.
 I died of embarrassment.
 He's as skinny as a toothpick.
 She's as tall as a beanpole.
 It's raining cats and dogs.
Hyperbole is when you use language to exaggerate what you mean or emphasize a point. It’s
often used to make something sound much bigger and better than it actually is or to make
something sound much more dramatic. Hyperbole is a figure of speech.
For example: “There’s enough food in the cupboard to feed an entire army!”
In this example, the speaker doesn’t literally mean that there’s enough food in the cupboard to
feed the hundreds of people in the army. Instead, the speaker is using hyperbole to exaggerate the
amount of food that they have.
Hyperbole can also be used to make something sound much worse than it actually is. For
example: “This is the worst book in the world!” – the speaker doesn’t literally mean that the
book is the worst one ever written, but is using hyperbole to be dramatic and emphasize their
opinion.
In American and British English, hyperbole is pronounced ‘HI-PUR-BOW-LEE’.
Examples of Hyperbole in Everyday Speech

Take a look at the following list of hyperbolic phrases. How many of them have you heard or
used before?
1. He’s running faster than the wind.

2. This bag weighs a ton.
3. That man is as tall as a house.
4. This is the worst day of my life.
5. The shopping cost me a million dollars.
6. My dad will kill me when he comes home.
7. Your skin is softer than silk.
8. She’s as skinny as a toothpick.
9. She was so happy; her smile was a mile wide.
10. The footballer is the best player of all time.
11. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
12. It’s impossible to complete this puzzle.
13. Next Friday is never going to arrive.
14. I’ve read this book a hundred times.
15. My hand hurts so much it’s going to drop off.
16. My brother is stronger than iron.
17. She’s my guardian angel.
18. Your brain is the size of a pea.
19. I’m so sad that I’m drowning in tears.
20. The leaves are dancing in the breeze.
Examples of Hyperbole in Poetry and Literature
Hyperbole is often used in poems and books because it helps to emphasize part of the story and
evoke a response from the reader. Hyperbole can help the writer to get their point across so that
you understand the emotion, seriousness or humor of the situation.
For example, in Shakespeare’s Macbeth he writes:
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No.”
In this example, Macbeth is using hyperbole to say that not even an entire ocean could wash his
hands clean. Macbeth is using hyperbole to exaggerate the situation.
In her book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, the author Harper Lee writes:
“A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was
nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries
of Maycomb County.”
In this example, the author is using hyperbole to emphasize how slow and boring the town is.
The hyperbolic phrases in this sentence help the reader to understand the situation as, without
them, the sentence `. Have a go at re-writing Harper Lee’s sentence above without the hyperbole
and see how it sounds!
The following poem by Shel Silverstein, titled ‘Rain’, shows some great examples of hyperbole.
Can you identify them?
I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head

And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.
I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can’t do a handstand–
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said–
I’m just not the same since there’s rain in my head.
Hyperbole Worksheets
This bundle contains 5 ready-to-use hyperbole worksheets that are perfect to test student
knowledge and understanding of what hyperbole is and how it can be used. You can use
these hyperbole worksheets in the classroom with students, or with home schooled children as
well.
Underline Hyperbole
Definition of Hyperbole
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.
It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend
after a long time, you say, “It’s been ages since I last saw you.” You may not have met him for
three or four hours, or a day, but the use of the word “ages” exaggerates this statement to add
emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real
situation. Some other common Hyperbole examples are given below.
Common Examples of Hyperbole

 My grandmother is as old as the hills.
 Your suitcase weighs a ton!
 She is as heavy as an elephant!
 I am dying of shame.
 I am trying to solve a million issues these days.
It is important not to confuse hyperbole with simile and metaphor. It does make a comparison,

like simile and metaphor. Rather, hyperbole has a humorous effect created by an overstatement.
Let us see some examples from Classical English literature in which hyperbole was used
successfully.
Short Examples of Hyperbole

1. A ton of worry was lifted from the beggar’s back when he received the alms.
2. He saw a man as tall a power poll.
3. He saw his childhood friend after ages.
4. The weather was so hot that literally everything was on fire.
5. The boy was dying to get a new school bag.
6. The teacher told his students not to repeat that mistake for the umpteenth time, but to no
avail.
7. He was in such a hurry that he drove his car at a bazillion miles per hour.
8. The minister told the guests that the couple’s friendship was deeper than the sea, and
sweeter than honey.
9. The blacksmith’s hand was harder than the rock.
10. Their headmaster was omnipresent, as he seemed to be all around the school all the time.
11. The businessman was so busy that he was attending to a million calls simultaneously.
12. The old man was older than the Himalayas.
13. The mule is able to lift tons of weight uphill.
14. His classmates laughed at him, saying he had a pea-sized brain.
15. John was called the elephant of the class for his clumsiness.
Hyperbole Examples in Literature
Example #1: Babe the Blue Ox (American Folklore)
In American folk lore, Paul Bunyan’s stories are full of hyperboles. In one instance, he
exaggerates winter by saying:
“Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish
moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all
spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to
find out what folks were talking about the night before.”
Freezing of the spoken words at night in winter, and then warming them up in the warmth of the
sun during the day are examples of hyperbole, which has been effectively used in this short
excerpt from an American folktale.
Example #2: Macbeth (By William Shakespeare)
From William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Act II, Scene II:
“Neptune’s ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? No. This my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
Making the green one red.”
Macbeth, the tragic hero, feels the unbearable prick of his conscience after killing the king. He
regrets his sin, and believes that even the oceans of the greatest magnitude cannot wash the blood
of the king off his hands. We can see the effective use of hyperboles in the given lines.
Example #3: As I Walked One Evening (By W. H. Auden)
“I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you

Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street,
I’ll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry.”
The use of hyperbole can be seen in the above lines in the meeting of China and Africa, the
jumping of the river over the mountain, the singing of salmon in the street, and the ocean being
folded and hung up to dry are exaggerations, not possible in real life.
Example #4: The Adventures of Pinocchio (By C. Colloid)

“He cried all night, and dawn found him still there, though his tears had dried and
only hard, dry sobs shook his wooden frame. But these were so loud that they could
be heard by the faraway hills …”
The crying of Pinocchio all night until his tears became dry is an example of Hyperbole.
Example #5: The Heart of Darkness (By Joseph Conrad)
“I had to wait in the station for ten days – an eternity.”
The act of waiting ten days seemed to last forever and never end.
Example #6: Two Sunflowers Move in the Yellow Room (By William Blake)
“Ah, William, we’re weary of weather,”

Said the sunflowers, shining with dew.
“Our traveling habits have tired us.
Can you give us a room with a view?”
They arranged themselves at the window
And counted the steps of the sun,
And they both took root in the carpet
Where the topaz tortoises run.
This is a poem by William Blake in which he uses exaggerated personification of sunflowers,

which is akin to hyperbole.
Example #7: A Red, Red Rose (By Robert Burns)
“As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
O I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.”
The poet Robert Burns gives many examples of hyperbole in this piece. The poet says that he
would love his beloved until the seas are dried up, and the rocks are melted.
Function of Hyperbole
The above arguments make clear the use of hyperbole. In our daily conversation, we use
hyperbole to create an amusing effect, or to emphasize our meaning. However, in literature it has
very serious implications. By using hyperbole, a writer or a poet makes common human feelings
remarkable and intense to such an extent that they do not remain ordinary. In literature, usage of
hyperbole develops contrasts. When one thing is described with an over-statement, and the other
thing is presented normally, a striking contrast is developed. This technique is employed to catch
the reader’s attention.

Examples of SimilesFollowing are some more examples of similes regularly used
in writing:
 You were as brave as a lion.
 They fought like cats and dogs.
 He is as funny as a barrel of monkeys.
 This house is as clean as a whistle.
 He is as strong as an ox.
 Your explanation is as clear as mud.
 Watching the show was like watching grass grow.
More items...
Examples of Similes
6th grade7th grade8th grade9th gradeMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolCollegeInfographics
A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things in an interesting way. The object of
a simile is to spark an interesting connection in a reader's or listener's mind. A simile is one of
the most common forms of figurative language. Examples of similes can be found just about
anywhere from poems to song lyrics and even in everyday conversations.
Similes and metaphors are often confused with one another. The main difference between a simile
and metaphor is that a simile uses the words "like" or "as" to draw a comparison and a metaphor
simply states the comparison without using "like" or "as".
An example of a simile is: She is as innocent as an angel. An example of a metaphor is: She is an
angel. Do you see the difference? The simile makes a direct comparison, the metaphor's comparison
is implied but not stated.
Similes in Everyday Language

Similes are used in literature to make writing more vivid and powerful. In everyday speech, they can
be used to convey meaning quickly and effectively, as many commonly used expressions
or idioms are similes.
For example, when someone says "He is as busy as a bee," it means he is working hard, as bees are
known to be extremely busy. If someone says "I am as snug as a bug in a rug," they mean that they
feel very comfortable and cozy or are tucked up tight in bed.
Some other well-known similes you will often hear are:
 As cute as a kitten
 As happy as a clam
 As light as a feather
 As blind as a bat
 As bold as brass
 As bright as a button
 As shiny as a new pin
 As cold as ice
 As common as dirt
 As cool as a cucumber
 As hard as nails
 As hot as hell
 As innocent as a lamb
 As tall as a giraffe
 As tough as nails
 As white as a ghost
 As sweet as sugar
 As black as coal
As with a lot of figurative language, when talking to someone from another region or someone not
speaking in their native language they might not get the meaning of many similes.
Similes Add Depth to Writing

Similes can make our language more descriptive and enjoyable. Writers, poets, and songwriters make
use of similes often to add depth and emphasize what they are trying to convey to the reader or
listener. Similes can be funny, serious, mean, or creative.
Following are some more examples of similes regularly used in writing:
 You were as brave as a lion.
 They fought like cats and dogs.
 He is as funny as a barrel of monkeys.
 This house is as clean as a whistle.
 He is as strong as an ox.
 Your explanation is as clear as mud.
 Watching the show was like watching grass grow.
 That is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
 This contract is as solid as the ground we stand on.
 That guy is as nutty as a fruitcake.
 Don't just sit there like a bump on a log.
 Well, that went over like a lead balloon.
 They are as different as night and day.
 She is as thin as a rake.
 Last night, I slept like a log.
 This dress is perfect because it fits like a glove.
 They wore jeans, which made me stand out like a sore thumb.
 My love for you is as deep as the ocean.
 I am so thirsty that my throat is as dry as a bone.
Similes in Classic Literature
Examples of similes can be seen in classic literature, such as in the poem "A Red, Red Rose" by
Robert Burns:
"O my Luve is like a red, red rose That's newly sprung in June; O my Luve is like the melodyThat's
sweetly played in tune."
Another example of a simile can be found in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo talks to
Mercutio before the Capulets' party, he makes the following comparison about love:
"Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn."
Similes in Song Lyrics

Similes can often be found in song lyrics, as they let you convey deeper meaning with fewer words.
For example:
 My heart is like an open highway. - "It's My Life," Bon Jovi
 It's been a hard days night, and I've been working like a dog. - "A Hard Day's Night," The
Beatles
 And it seems to me you lived your life, Like a candle in the wind. - "Candle in the Wind,"
Elton John
 You're as cold as ice. - "Cold As Ice," Foreigner
 Steady as a preacher, Free as a weed - "American Honey," Lady Antebellum
Similes in Slogans
You'll even find that similes have been used in popular ads and company slogans over the years, such
as:
 Chevrolet: Built Like A Rock
 Doritos: Tastes Like Awesome Feels
 State Farm: Like A Good Neighbor
 Almond Joy / Mounds: Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.
 Honda: The Honda's ride is as smooth as a gazelle in the Sahara. Its comfort is like a hug
from Nana.
Related articles on YourDictionary

Figurative Language
Simile Examples
Simile Examples
A simile is a comparison between two different things using the word “like”
or “as” to make the comparison. Similes are generally easier to identify than
metaphors, but not always. Sometimes a speaker or writer may use the
word “like” or “as” and not make any comparison. These are not similes. For
example if I said, “I like pizza.” I am expressing a preference for pizza not
making a comparison.
By the time you finish working through these 100 examples of simile, you
should have the hang of it. I have attempted to separate these similes into
an “easy” and “hard” list. Here is the list of fifty easy similes:
Simile Examples for Intermediate Readers

Slashes indicate line-breaks.
1. “Food?” Chris inquired, popping out of his seat like a toaster strudel.
2. Grandpa lounged on the raft in the middle of the pool like an old battleship.
3. If seen from above the factory, the workers would have looked like clock
parts.
4. The truth was like a bad taste on his tongue.
5. The people who still lived in the town were stuck in place like wax statues.
6. Cassie talked to her son about girls as though she were giving him tax
advice.
7. Alan’s jokes were like flat soda to the children, surprisingly unpleasant.
8. My mother’s kitchen was like a holy place: you couldn’t wear your shoes, you
had to sit there at a certain time, and occasionally we’d pray.
9. The bottle rolled off the table like a teardrop.
10. The handshake felt like warm laundry.
11. She hung her head like a dying flower.
12. Arguing with her was like dueling with hand grenades.
13. The classroom was as quiet as a tongue-tied librarian in a hybrid car.
14. Janie’s boyfriend appreciated her as an ape might appreciate an
algebra book.
15. The clouds were like ice-cream castles in the sky.
16. The shingles on the shack shook in the storm winds like scared
children.
17. When he reached the top of the hill, he felt as strong as a steel gate.
18. When the tree branch broke, Millie fell from the limb like a robin’s egg.
19. She swam through the waters like she was falling through a warm
dream.
20. They children ran like ripples through water.
21. Mikhail scattered his pocket change in front of the beggars like crumbs
of bread.
22. Her hair was as soft as a spider web.
23. Each dollar bill was a like a magic wand to cast away problems.
24. The man held the blanket like a memory.
25. The ice sculptor’s hands fluttered like hummingbird wings.
26. I’m about as awesome as a flying giraffe.
27. You are soft as the nesting dove.
28. Andre charged down the football field like it was the War of 1812.
29. The stars looked like stupid little fish.
30. Her laughter was like a warm blanket or a familiar song.
31. The river flows like a stream of glass
32. Blood seeped out of the wound like red teardrops.
33. Paul carried his science project to school like he was transporting
explosive glass.
34. She looked at me like I was speaking in some strange alien tongue.
35. The town square was buzzing like a beehive.
36. Kelsey followed her dreams like most kids would follow a big sister.
37. Kyle looked at the test with a stare as blank as his notebook.
38. The robins are as thick today as flakes of snow were yesterday,
Yes, please.
39. Her eyes are like the eyes of statues.

40. The gray moss drapes us like sages.
41. The music burst like a bent-up flood.
42. The curtains stir as with an ancient pain.
43. But now her hands like moonlight brush the keys with velvet grace.
44. I flitted like a dizzy moth.
45. The flowers were as soft as thoughts of budding love.
46. The gray of the sea, and the gray of the sky, / A glimpse of the moon
like a half-closed eye.
47. Yes, the doors are locked and the ashes are white as the frost.
48. A mist about your beauty clings like a thin cloud before a star.
49. She went like snow in the springtime on a sunny hill.
50. Then I knew those tiny voices, clear as drops of dew.

Simile Examples for Advanced Readers

Here are fifty examples of similes for advanced readers. Remember: a
simile is a comparison between two different things using like or as to make
the comparison.
1. I dream of silent verses where the rhyme glides noiseless as an oar.
2. Though they knew it not, their baby’s cries were lovely as jeweled butterflies.
3. He kissed her as though he were trying to win a sword fight.
4. The paparazzi circled like vultures above a tottering camel.
5. She was as distant as a remote tropical island, uncivilized, unspoiled.
6. Our hearts, though stout and brave, still, like muffled drums, are beating
funeral marches to the grave.
7. He had hidden his wealth, heaped and hoarded and piled on high like sacks
of wheat in a granary.
8. Pieces of silver and of gold / Into the tinkling strong-box fell / Like pebbles
dropped into a well;
9. The cabin windows have grown blank as eyeballs of the dead.
10. What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
11. Each face was like the setting sun, / As, broad and red.
12. Barefooted, ragged, with neglected hair, she was a thin slip of a girl,
like a new moon.
13. A fatal letter wings its way across the sea, like a bird of prey.
14. I will sing a slumberous refrain, and you shall murmur like a child
appeased.
15. For she knows me! My heart, clear as a crystal beam / To her alone,
ceases to be inscrutable.
16. Leaf-strewing gales utter low wails like violins,
17. He spit out his teeth like stones.
18. Talk of your cold: through the parka’s fold it stabbed like a driven nail.
19. Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh.
20. Like winged stars the fire-flies flash and glance, / Pale in the open
moonshine.
21. The breath of her false mouth was like faint flowers, / Her touch was
as electric poison.
22. Then, as a hunted deer that could not flee, I turned upon my thoughts
and stood at bay, wounded and weak and panting;
23. There are thick woods where many a fountain, rivulet, and pond are as
clear as elemental diamond.
24. Years heap their withered hours, like leaves, on our decay.
25. The ripples wimple on the rills, like sparkling little lasses.
26. She was like a modest flower blown in sunny June and warm as sun at
noon’s high hour.
27. And the face of the waters that spread away / Was as gray as the face
of the dead.
28. As in depths of many seas, my heart was drowned in memories.
29. Then like a cold wave on a shore, comes silence and she sings no
more.
30. And shout thy loud battle-cry, cleaving the silence like a sword.
31. My soul is lost and tossed like a ship unruddered in a shoreless sea.
32. The clouds like crowds of snowy-hued and white-robed maidens pass
33. Dreams, like ghosts, must hide away; / ‘Tis the day.
34. The evening stretches before me like a road.
35. I would have hours that move like a glitter of dancers.
36. Toby manipulated the people in his life as though they were chess
pieces.
37. And only to think that my soul could not react, but turned on itself like
a tortured snake.
38. There are strange birds like blots against a sky.
39. She goes all so softly like a shadow on the hill, a faint wind at twilight.
40. The horse-chestnuts dropped their buds like tears.
41. They walk in awful splendor, regal yet, wearing their crimes like rich
and kingly capes.
42. Death is like moonlight in a lofty wood that pours pale magic through
the shadowy leaves.
43. I was sick of all the sorrow and distress that flourished in the City like
foul weeds.
44. As I read it in the white, morning sunlight, the letters squirmed like
snakes.
45. Oh, praise me not the silent folk; / To me they only seem / Like
leafless, bird-abandoned oak.
46. The windflowers and the lilies were yellow striped as adder’s tongue.
47. I have seen old ships sail like swans asleep.
48. For the world’s events have rumbled on since those days like traffic.
49. And dance as dust before the sun, light of foot and unconfined.
50. The fishes skim like umber shades through the undulating weeds.
51. Gather up the undiscovered universe like jewels in a jasper cup.
Common Core State Standards Related to Simile
Anchor Standards

Examples of Personification

 More articles
Get Creative with Similes

Similes are a great tool to use in creative language and are fun to come up with. They not only make
what you are writing or saying more interesting, but they can often intrigue the reader as well. When
creating your own similes, watch out for cliches though and try to go beyond the obvious
comparisons.
For a long list of common similes, check out the easy-to-remember examples at Simile Examples for
Kids. We also have great examples of similes used to good effect in poems.
Alliteration is a term to describe a literary device in which a series of words begin with the
same consonant sound. A classic example is:“She sells seashells by the sea-
shore.”Another fan-favorite is:“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”Alliteration is
meant to be more than a tongue twister, though.
Alliteration Tongue Twisters. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A good cook could
cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies. Black bug bit a big black bear.
Sheep should sleep in a shed. I saw a saw that could out saw any other saw I ever saw.
Nature Metaphors
 The snow is a white blanket.
 He is a shining star.
 Her long hair was a flowing golden river.
 Tom's eyes were ice as he stared at her.
 The children were flowers grown in concrete gardens.
 Kisses are the flowers of affection.
 The falling snowflakes are dancers.
 The calm lake was a mirror.
 More articles
Look for the sound or rhythm patterns that almost always exist, especially in poetry, and if you ever
have a question about what an onomatopoeic word means, just ask yourself, 'What does it sound
like?'
This isn't an exhaustive list of onomatopoeic words, but it's a good start to understanding this literary
device.
For more examples, check out this onomatopoeia word list for kids. And find out more about other
types of figurative language
VDefinition of perk (up) one's ears. informal, chiefly US, of an animal. : to lift

the ears in a quick or alert way The dog heard its name and perked (up) its ears. —
often used figuratively of a person I perked up my ears when I heard his name
mentioned.
Synonyms & Antonyms of perk (up)

1to become glad or hopeful
 we perked up once the sun came out
Synonyms for perk (up)
 brighten,
 buck up,
 cheer (up),
 lighten,
 look up
Words Related to perk (up)
 rejoice
 liven (up),
 revive
 beam,
 glow,
 radiate,
 sparkle
 encourage,
 gladden,
 hearten
Near Antonyms for perk (up)

 despair,
 despond
 brood,
 fret,
 mope
Antonyms for perk (up)
 darken,
 sadden
2to move from a lower to a higher place or position
 the dog tilts her head and perks up her ears whenever someone
speaks to her
Synonyms for perk (up)
 boost,
 crane,
 elevate,
 heave,
 heft,
 heighten,
 hike,
 hoist,
 jack (up),
 lift,
 pick up,
 raise,
 take up,
 up,
 uphold,
 uplift,
 upraise
Words Related to perk (up)

 ascend,
 mount,
 rise
 rear,
 upend
Near Antonyms for perk (up)
 descend,
 dip,
 fall,
 pitch,
 plunge,
 slip
 bear,
 depress,
 press,
 push
 sink,
 submerge
Antonyms for perk (up)
 drop,
 lower
perk up (one's) ears **(jadi penasaran)

1. To become more or particularly alert, intrigued, or enthusiastic.
I perked up my ears when I heard that
my favorite author had a new book coming out.
2. To cause one to become more or particularly alert, intrigued, or enthusiastic.I bet I know
something
that will perk up your ears: Rob is single again!
"I think this is the most extraordinary collection of human talent, of human knowledge, that has ever
been gathered at the White House-with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined
alone."
-President John F. Kennedy, White House dinner honoring Nobel Prize winners
let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to

"So first of all,
fear is fear itself."
-Franklin Delano Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address
"That year, 1967, the Dallas Cowboys had 137 rookies in training camp. Gil Brandt was signing
everybody that could walk. Only five made the team that year, and I was one of the five."
-Larry Rayfield Wright, Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Address
"Please sit down because having produced nine million award shows, I know the producer's up
there saying, 'Hurry, say thanks fast'."
-Dick Clark, Daytime Emmy Award Acceptance Address
Hyperbole in Songs
hyperbole can help paint a vivid
Similar to a well-delivered speech,
picture or express a strong emotion in the lyrics of a

song.
California girls, We're unforgettable, Daisy Dukes, Bikinis on top, Sun-kissed skin so hot, We'll
melt your popsicle.
-Katy Perry, "California Gurls"
Now there's just no chance, for you and me, there'll never be, And don't it make you sad about
it, Cry me a river, Cry me a river.
-Justin Timberlake, "Cry Me a River"
cry someone a river. (idiomatic, often sarcastic) To weep profusely or excessively in

the presence of another person. (idiomatic, usually sarcastic, by extension) To try to
obtain the sympathy of another person by complaining or sniveling.
I would fly to the moon and back if you'll be... If you'll be my baby, Got a ticket for a world
where we belong, So would you be my baby?
-Savage Garden, "To the Moon and Back"
Tonight for the first time, Just about half past ten, For the first time in history, It's gonna start
raining men, It's raining men, Hallelujah, It's raining men, amen.
-The Weather Girls, "It's Raining Men"
I would walk 500 miles, And I would walk 500 more, Just to be the man who walked 1,000
miles to fall down at your door.
-The Proclaimers, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"
Hyperbole in Advertising
If used properly, hyperbole can encourage consumers to buy products.
There has been limited research into this area, but according to a 2007 study by Mark A. Callister
PhD & Lesa A. Stern PhD, "The Role of Visual Hyperbole in Advertising Effectiveness" found that
"hyperbolic ads produce more ad liking than nonhyperbolic ads."
Examples of hyperboles in advertising include:
 Adds amazing luster for infinite, mirror-like shine (Brilliant Brunette shampoo)
 It doesn't get better than this. (Oscar Meyer)
 The best a man can get (Gillette)
 Mints so strong they come in a metal box (Altoids)
Accentuate and Exaggerate

Remember, hyperbole is over the top and not meant to be taken literally. Keep your ears open for
examples of these exaggerations in every source, from poetry and plays to everyday conversations
and commercials.
Try using hyperbole yourself to show contrast or inject feeling and humor into your writing.
And, while you're at it, enjoy some Examples of Hyperbole in Literature. When used appropriately, a
hyperbole's effect is purposeful and emphatic, causing the reader to pay attention. Just be careful
not to overdo the overstatement!
po·ly·se·my
/päˈlisəmē/
Learn to pronounce
noun
LINGUISTICS
1. the coexistence of many possible meanings for a word or phrase
Polysemy
Description
Polysemy is the capacity for a word or phrase to have multiple meanings, usually related by
contiguity of meaning within a semantic field. Polysemy is thus distinct from homonymy—or
homophony—which is an accidental similarity between two words;
while homonymy is often a mere linguistic coincidence, polysemy is not. Wikipedia
con·ti·gu·i·ty
/ˌkän(t)əˈɡyo͞oədē/
Synonyms & Antonyms of contiguity
 adjacency,
 closeness,
 immediacy,
 nearness,
 propinquity,
 proximity,
 vicinity.
Learn to pronounce
noun
1. the state of bordering or being in direct contact with something.
"nations bound together by geographical contiguity"
o PSYCHOLOGY
the sequential occurrence or proximity of stimulus and response, causing their
association in the mind.
Menurut Hitipeuw (2009:20) assocition (asosiasi) dalam contiguity adalah suatu prinsip bahwa

ide-ide, memori, ataupun pengalaman-pengalaman akan terhubung satu dengan lainnya bila
kejadiannya sering bersama-sama dengan yang lain.Mar 17, 2016
English has many polysemous words. For example, the verb "to get" can mean "procure" (I'll
get the drinks), "become" (she got scared), "understand" (I get it) etc.
In linear or vertical polysemy, one sense of a word is a subset of the other.
Polysemy
About 40% of English words are polysemous.
This means that they have more than one meaning. Some words, such
as run or set have more than thirty different meanings.
Polysemous words can cause difficulty in contexts where the meaning is
other than the primary* meaning of the word.
*In this case, primary refers to the sense of the word that the student has learned first.
For example, ESL students generally first learn the word table as referring to an item of
furniture.
So they might be confused when the mathematics teacher tells them to put their data in
a table.
Indeed, mathematics is full of words that ESL students are likely to have learned first with
their everyday meaning: mean, power, even, volume, root, etc.
Examples of polysemous words
Here are a few examples of polysemous words. They are shown first in a
primary-meaning context and followed by secondary-meaning context.
o Arms bend at the elbow.

o Germany sells arms to Saudi Arabia.
o Boil the solution once with salt and once with sugar.

o Once Germany had surrendered, the Soviets were free to enter the
conflict against Japan.
o Is economics an arts subject or a science subject?

o All income is subject to tax.
o While the family was in the garden, an intruder entered the house.

o While your answer is correct, it is not complete.
o Work out the solution in your head.

o Heat the solution to 75° Celsius.
o The key broke in the lock.

o The key problem was not one of quality but of quantity.
o There are many non-native pupils in the class.

o Pupils' size changes according to the brightness of light.
Mason (1978) investigates the effects of polysemous words on sentence

comprehension in a research study of the same name. The study supports
the intuitive assumption of ESL teachers that texts with polysemous words
used in their non-primary sense are more difficult to process than texts with
primary-sense polysemous words. Here is the concluding sentence of the
abstract:
It is apparent that the presence of polysemous words in text materials is one

source of comprehension difficulty. (Source, .pdf)
Implications for mainstream teachers
It is important that teachers are aware of the polysemic nature of much

English vocabulary, and the problems that this can cause non-native
speakers.
It is helpful if teachers can alert ESL students to words with a different

meaning than the one that the students will likely have learned first. These
can be words that the teachers themselves use in speaking or writing, or
words that students encounter in their textbooks and other prescribed
reading texts.
Mr. Stiggins, with several most indubitable symptoms of having quite as much pine-apple rum-and-water
about him as he could comfortably accommodate, took his hat, and his leave.
Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, Chapter XXVII
He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men.
Tim O'Brien, The Things They Carried
You are free to execute your laws, and your citizens, as you see fit.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
The farmers in the valley grew potatoes, peanuts, and bored

Kevin Flynn
All the citations above are examples of a literary device called zeugma. Their effect lies in the fact that a
single verb is applied to two objects, one of which is appropriate, the other not. It can be defined as:
a figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses (e.g., John and
his license expired last week) or to two others of which it semantically suits only one
(e.g., with weeping eyes and hearts).
Google
There are four verbs above which operate like this in these examples (take, carry, execute and grow) and
they all exhibit polysemy: they have more than one meaning in English. If it weren't for polysemy, zeugma
creation would not be possible.
Zeugma is sometimes referred to as syllepsis but on this site the latter term is reserved for concord problems
in which one element can only agree with some of another element in a sentence as in, for example:
John and Mary will each bring his / her / their favourite dessert
in which it is unclear what possessive determiner should be applied.
Polysemy is defined as having several meanings, or being open to several

interpretations.
An example of a polysemy is a poem with many interpretations.

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms
The word Homonymy (from the Greek—homos: same, onoma: name) is the relation between
words with identical forms but different meanings
—that is, the condition of being homonyms. A stock example is the word bank as it appears in
"river bank" and "savings bank."
Lexical ambiguity: Polysemy and homonymy

Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 789.
In contrast to the notion of sense relations, polysemy and homonymy refer to similarities rather
than differences between meanings. A word is polysemous when it has more than one
meaning (e.g. plain).
Words that have the same written or spoken form but different meanings are
called homonyms (e.g. bank).
Homophones have the same pronunciation but different meanings (e.g. plain - plane),

whereas words that are spelled the same but have different meanings are referred to
as homographs (e.g. dove). Very often, the distinction between polysemy and homonymy
cannot be drawn precisely.
A criterion for distinguishing polysemous and homonymic expressions is a historical or

conceptual relationship between the words: Words that have the same historical origin or are
related conceptually are said to be polysemous.
Phonetics. a
word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning,
whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air; a homophone(def 1).
a word that is both a homophone and a homograph, that is, exactly the same
as another in sound and spelling but different in meaning, as chase “to
pursue” and chase “to ornament metal.”
(loosely) a word of the same written form as another but of different meaning
and usually origin, whether pronounced the same way or not, as bear “to
carry; support” and bear “animal” or lead “to conduct” and lead “metal;”
a homograph.
Obsolete. a namesake.
Biology. aname given to a species or genus that has already been assigned to
a different species or genus and that is therefore rejected.
QUIZZES
A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same (to varying extent) as another word but differs
in meaning. A homophone may also differ in spelling. The two words may be spelled the same,
such as rose (flower) and rose (past tense of "rise"), or differently, such as carat, and carrot, or to,
two, and too.
Examples of Metonymy in Everyday Life

“The pen is mightier than the sword.” (Pen refers to written words, and sword to military
force.) “The Oval Office was busy in work.” (The Oval Office is a metonymy, as it
stands for people who work in the office.) “Let me give you a hand.” (Hand means help.)
What is a Metonymy?
The pen is mightier than the sword.
Although literally a pen has no power over a sword, we understand this phrase
means that the written word and the sharing of ideas, are more powerful than
fighting, or physical force.
This phrase uses metonymy (pronounced mi-ton--uh-mee), which is a figure of

speech that replaces words with related or associated words. A metonym is
typically a part of a larger whole, for example, when we say “wheels,” we are
figuratively referring to a “car” and not literally only the wheels. So, “wheels”
are the associated part that represent the whole car. In the example above, we
replaced “written words” with “the pen.”
Figures of Speech - Metonymy
What is metonymy?
Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is not called by its
own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or
concept.
Examples:
Here are some examples of metonymy:
 Crown. (For the power of a king.)
 The White House. (Referring to the American administration.)
 Dish. (To refer an entire plate of food.)
 The Pentagon. (For the Department of Defense and the offices of the U.S. Armed
Forces.)
 Pen. (For the written word.)
 Sword - (For military force.)
 Hollywood. (For US Cinema.)
 Hand. (For help.)
Consider this quote which is a metonymic adage coined by English author

Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy:
"The pen is mightier than the sword."

More figures of speech
Metonymy Definition
What is metonymy? Here’s a quick and simple definition:
Metonymy is a type of figurative language in which an object or concept is referred to

not by its own name, but instead by the name of something closely associated with it.
For example, in "Wall Street prefers lower taxes," the New York City street that was
the original home of the New York Stock Exchange stands in for (or is a "metonym"
for) the entire American financial industry.
Some additional key details about metonymy:
 The use of metonymy dates back to ancient Greece.

 Metonymy is found in poetry, prose, and everyday speech.
 A common form of metonymy uses a place to stand in for an institution,
industry, or person. "Wall Street" is an example of this, as is "the White House"
to mean the President or Presidential administration of the United States, or
"Hollywood" to mean the American film industry.
 Metonymy in literature often substitutes a concrete image for an abstract
concept. "Heart" can be used to mean "love," or "grave" to mean "death."
Metonymy Pronunciation
Here's how to pronounce metonymy: meh-tahn-uh-mee

Metonymy, Synecdoche, Metaphor, and Metalepsis
Metonymy is commonly confused with three other types of figurative language:
 Synecdoche
 Metaphor
 Metalepsis
Metonymy is a type of figure of speech in which a thing/concept/idea is referred to by

the name of something similar to the thing/idea/concept.
Explanation:
It does not have to be an entire phrase. Often times, just a word can function as a
metonymy.
Here are some examples:
 "Plate" can mean an entire plate of food
 "Lend me your ears" is a popular metonymy phrase. It means to give someone their
attention.
 "Jeff is a real silver fox!"- This is a metonymy that means that Jeff is an attractive older
man.
 "Give me a hand" means to give someone help.
 "Cuba has passed a bill." Using the name of a country can be used as a metonymy to
use in place of that country's government or economy.
By
Richard Nordquist


trope
/trōp/
a word or expression used in a figurative sense : FIGURE OF SPEECH
e
noun
 a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.
"he used the two-Americas trope to explain how a nation free and democratic at home
could act wantonly abroad"
o
verb
 create a trope.

Updated July 19, 2018
Metonymy is a figure of speech (or trope) in which one word or phrase is
substituted for another with which it's closely associated (such as "crown" for
"royalty").
Metonymy is also the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by

referring to things around it, as in describing someone's clothing to characterize
the individual. Adjective: metonymic.
A variant of metonymy is synecdoche.
Etymology: From the Greek, "change of name"
Examples and Observations

 "In a corner, a cluster of lab coats made lunch plans."
(Karen Green, Bough Down. Siglio, 2013)
 "Many standard items of vocabulary are metonymic. A red-letter day is
important, like the feast days marked in red on church calendars. . . . On
the level of slang, a redneck is a stereotypical member of the white rural
working class in the Southern U.S., originally a reference to necks
sunburned from working in the fields."
(Connie Eble, "Metonymy." The Oxford Companion to the English Language, 1992)
 "In Stockholm, Sweden, where Obama was traveling on Wednesday, the
White House praised the vote and said that it would continue to seek
support for a 'military response'"
(David Espo, "Obama Wins Backing From Senate Panel on Syria Strike."
Associated Press, September 5, 2013)
 "Whitehall prepares for a hung parliament."
(The Guardian, January 1, 2009)
 "Fear gives wings."
(Romanian proverb)
 "He used the events to show the Silicon Valley crowd that he was just like
them--and that he understood their financial needs better than the suits on
Wall Street."
(Businessweek, 2003)
 "I stopped at a bar and had a couple of double Scotches. They didn't do me
any good. All they did was make me think of Silver Wig, and I never saw
her again."
(Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep)
Using Part of an Expression for the Whole

"One of the favorite American metonymic processes is the one in which a part
of a longer expression is used to stand for the whole expression.
Here are some examples of the 'part of an expression for the whole expression'
metonymy in American English:
Danish for Danish pastry
shocks for shock absorbers
wallets for wallet-sized photos
Ridgemont High for Ridgemont High School
the States for the United States
(Zoltán Kövecses, American English: An Introduction. Broadview, 2000)
The Real World and the Metonymic World

"[I]n the case of metonymy, . . . one object stands for another. For example,
understanding the sentence"
The ham sandwich left a big tip.
Involves identifying the ham sandwich with the thing he or she ate and setting up
a domain in which the ham sandwich refers to the person.
This domain is separate from the 'real' world, in which the phrase 'ham sandwich
refers to a ham sandwich. The distinction between the real world and the
metonymic world can be seen in the sentence:
The waitress spoke to the complaining ham sandwich and then she took it away.
This sentence does not make sense; it uses the phrase 'ham sandwich' to refer
both to the person (in the metonymic world) and a ham sandwich (in the real
world)."(Arthur B. Markman, Knowledge Representation. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1999)
Going to Bed
"The following trivial metonymic [utterance] may serve as an illustration of an
idealized cognitive model:
(1) Let's go to bed now.
Going to bed is typically understood metonymically in the sense of 'going to

sleep.'
This metonymic target forms part of an idealized script in our culture: when I
want to sleep, I first go to bed before I lie down and fall asleep.
Our knowledge of this sequence of acts is exploited in metonymy: in referring to

the initial act we evoke the whole sequence of acts, in particular the central act of
sleeping."(Günter Radden, "The Ubiquity of Metonymy." Cognitive and Discourse
Approaches to Metaphor and Metonymy, ed. by José Luis Otal Campo, Ignasi
NavarroiFerrando, and Begoña Bellés Fortuño. Universitat Jaume, 2005)
Metonymy in Cigarette Advertising

 "Metonymy is common in cigarette advertising in countries where
legislation prohibits depictions of the cigarettes themselves or of people
using them. "(Daniel Chandler, Semiotics. Routledge, 2007)

 "Metonymic ads often feature a specific product attribute: Benson &
Hedges the gold cigarette box, Silk Cut the use of purple, Marlboro the use
of red . . .."(Sean Brierley, The Advertising Handbook. Routledge, 1995)

 "As a form of association, metonymy is particularly powerful in
making arguments.
 It not only links two disparate signs but makes an implicit argument about
their similarities. . . . One of the most famous cigarette slogans was
developed by Sigmund Freud's nephew, Edward Bernays who, in creating
the phrase 'You've come a long way, baby!' hoped to 'expunge the hussy
label from women who smoked publicly' by referring to cigarettes as
'torches of freedom.'

 This was one of the early examples of an advertising slogan that relied on
social context to be imbued with meaning. As with most good metonyms,
this image was linked with a cultural referent that aided in
the persuasion."(Jonathan W. Rose, Making "Pictures in Our Heads": Government
Advertising in Canada. Greenwood, 2000)
The Difference Between Metaphor and Metonymy

 "Metaphor creates the relation between its objects,
while metonymy presupposes that relation."(Hugh Bredin,
"Metonymy." Poetics Today, 1984)
 "Metonymy and metaphor also have fundamentally different functions.
Metonymy is about referring: a method of naming or identifying
something by mentioning something else which is a component part or
symbolically linked.
 In contrast, a metaphor is about understanding and interpretation: it is a
means to understand or explain one phenomenon by describing it in
terms of another."(Murray Knowles and Rosamund Moon, Introducing
Metaphor. Routledge, 2006)

 "If metaphor works by transposing qualities from one plane of reality to
another, metonymy works by associating meanings within the same
plane. . .
 . The representation of reality inevitably involves a metonym: we choose a
part of 'reality' to stand for the whole. The urban settings of television
crime serials are metonyms—a photographed street is not meant to stand
for the street itself, but as a metonym of a particular type of city life--inner-
city squalor, suburban respectability, or city-centre sophistication."(John
Fiske, Introduction to Communication Studies, 2nd ed. Routledge, 1992)
The Difference Between Metonymy and Synecdoche

"Metonymy resembles and is sometimes confused with the trope of synecdoche.
While likewise based on a principle of contiguity, synecdoche occurs when a part
is used to represent a whole or a whole to represent a part, as when workers are
referred to as 'hands' or when a national football team is signified by reference to
the nation to which it belongs: 'England beat Sweden.'
As way of example, the saying that 'The hand that rocks the cradle rules the
world' illustrates the difference between metonymy and synecdoche.
Here, 'the hand' is a synecdochic representation of the mother of whom it is a

part, while 'the cradle' represents a child by close association."(Nina Norgaard,
Beatrix Busse, and Rocío Montoro, Key Terms in Stylistics. Continuum, 2010)
Synecdoche Definition
Synecdoche is a literary device 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.
Difference Between Synecdoche and Metonymy

Synecdoche examples are often misidentified as metonymy (another literary
device). While they resemble one another to some extent, they are not the
same. Synecdoche refers to the whole of a thing by the name of any one of its
parts. For example, calling a car “wheels” is a synecdoche because a part of
the car, its “wheels,” stands for the whole car. However, in metonymy, the
word used to describe a thing is closely linked to that particular thing, but is
not necessarily a part of it. For example, using the word “crown” to refer
to power or authority is a metonymy, used to replace the word “king” or
“queen.”
Synecdoche Examples from Everyday Life

It is very common to refer to a thing by the name of its parts. Let us look at
some of the examples of synecdoche that we often hear in casual
conversations:
 The word “bread” refers to food or money, as in “Writing is my bread

and butter,” or “He is the sole breadwinner.”
 The phrase “gray beard” refers to an old man.
 The word “sails” refers to a whole ship.
 The word “suit” refers to a businessman.
 The word “boots” usually refers to soldiers.
 The term “coke” is a common synecdoche for all carbonated drinks.
 “Pentagon” is a synecdoche when it refers to a few decision makers.
 The word “glasses” refers to spectacles.
Examples of Synecdoche in Literature

Example #1: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (By Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
“The western wave was all a-flame.

The day was well was nigh done!
Almost upon the western wave
Rested the broad bright Sun”
The “western wave” is a synecdoche, as it refers to the sea by the name of

one of its parts, a wave.
Example #2: Sonnet 116 (By William Shakespeare)
“O no! It is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken.”
The phrase “ever-fixed mark” refers to a lighthouse.
Example #3: Ozymandias (By Percy Bysshe Shelly)
“Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them.”
“The hand” in these lines refers to the sculptor, who carved the “lifeless
things” into a grand statue.
Example #4: The Secret Sharer (By Joseph Conrad)
“At midnight I went on deck, and to my mate’s great surprise put the ship
round on the other tack. His terrible whiskers flitted round me in silent
criticism.”
The word “whiskers” mentioned in the above lines refers to the whole face of
the narrator’s mate.
Example #5: The Description of the Morning (By Jonathan Swift)
“Prepar’d to scrub the entry and the stairs.

The youth with broomy stumps began to trace.”
In the above lines, the phrase “broomy stumps” refers to the whole broom.
Example #6: The Lady or the Tiger? (By Frank R. Stockton)
“His eye met hers as she sat there paler and whiter than anyone in the vast
ocean of anxious faces about her.”
“Faces” refers to people, not just their faces.
Function of Synecdoche
Literary symbolism is developed by the writers who employ synecdoche in
their literary works. By using synecdoche, writers give otherwise common
ideas and objects deeper meanings, and thus draw readers’ attention.
Furthermore, the use of synecdoche helps writers to achieve brevity. For

instance, saying “The soldiers were equipped with steel” is more concise than
saying “The soldiers were equipped with swords, knives, daggers, and
arrows.”
Like any other literary device, synecdoche when used appropriately adds a
distinct color to words, making them appear vivid. To insert this “life” factor to
literary works, writers describe simple ordinary things creatively with the aid of
this literary device.
I. What is Synecdoche?
When the captain of a ship calls, “All hands on deck!” certainly no hands can be
seen running across the ship. Rather, the speaker is using synecdoche: allowing
a part (hands) to represent the whole (a crew member in the ship)
A synecdoche (pronounced si-nek-duh-kee) is a figure of speech which allows a

part to stand for a whole or for a whole to stand for a part. When using
synecdoche, you refer to your car as your “wheels” and a handful of quarters,
dimes, and pennies as the “change” needed to pay the meter.
The word synecdoche is derived from the Greek
phrases synekdochē and ekdechesthai, meaning “to sense” and “to understand.”

II. Examples of Synecdoche

There are two key types of synecdoche: microcosm and macrocosm.
Microcosm is the phrase for synecdoche in which a smaller part signifies a larger
whole.
Macrocosm, on the other hand, is the phrase for synecdoche in which a larger
whole signifies a smaller collection of parts.
Example 1
A boy has been admitted to the hospital. The nurse says, “He’s in good hands.”
The boy is not literally being taken care of by two hands. Rather, he is being
taken care of by an entire hospital system, including nurses, assistants, doctors,
and many others. This is an example of microcosmic synecdoche, as a part
signifies a whole.
Example 2
The Department of Education announced new plans for the education reform.
In this example, the Department of Education as a whole cannot literally make
such an announcement. Rather, an individual or set of individuals puts together
the announcement. This is an example of macrocosmic synecdoche, as a whole
speaks for a part.
Although microcosms and macrocosms are reversed—parts for wholes versus
wholes for parts—both are considered uses of synecdoche, as one related
element is being substituted for another element.
III. The Importance of Synecdoche
Synecdoche is important in its wide variety of uses. Rather than listing the
members of the White House, a country, or sports team, it allows us brevity.
Rather than listing the various aspects of an idea, it captures the essence.
Synecdoches allow speakers to emphasize certain parts of a whole, highlighting
their importance by substituting them for the whole. They also draw attention to
the power of associative and referential thinking, as readers automatically
understand that a part can stand for the whole and vice versa.
IV. Examples of Synecdoche in Literature

Synecdoche is a common element in literature from the poet who speaks of his
lover in terms of her eyes and lips to the writer who provides an entire town
with the mood and personality of an individual.
Example 1
Consider these excerpts from S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
poem:
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;

There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands

That lift and drop a question on your plate;
I know the voices dying with a dying fall

Beneath the music from a farther room.
In this poem, Eliot frequently uses microcosmic synecdoche, speaking of
relationships with human beings as relationships with their parts, from faces
and hands to voices, eyes, and arms. This use of synecdoche serves to highlight
the narrator’s inability to form whole human relationships and his resulting
insecurities and loneliness. Although he knows their parts, he does not truly
know them.
Example 2
Consider these excerpts from Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily”:
When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral.
When the next generation, with its more modern ideas, became mayors and aldermen, this
arrangement created some little dissatisfaction.
Faulkner’s story is characterized by a town full of gossipers, and frequently
the narrator speaks in terms of “we.” This macrocosmic use of synecdoche
serves to highlight the unity and simplicity of a town or generation’s psyche.

V. Examples of Synecdoche in Pop Culture
Synecdoche is a common element in pop culture that speaks for generations in
macrocosmic synecdoche and significant parts of people or places in
microcosmic synecdoche.
Example 1
“Where are the Arms” by Gabriel Kahane
Studio 360: Gabriel Kahane performs "Where are the Arms"
Where are the arms

that armed your love?
And come on, heart
In this song, the speaker searches for “arms,” meaning lovers’ strength and
commitment to their love. He then directly speaks to the “heart,” or the most
significant element of the lover.
Example 2
“Our Song” by Taylor Swift
In this example, a love song and a romantic relationship are expressed in
instances:
Our song is a slamming screen door,

Sneaking out late tapping on your window,
When we’re on the phone and you talk real slow,
‘Cause it’s late and your mama don’t know,
 a slamming screen door
 sneaking out late
 talking real slow
These microcosmic synecdoches highlight the fun of always wanting to be with
one’s lover in a budding relationship.
VI. Related Terms
Synecdoche vs. Metonymy

not loud, bright, noticeable, or obvious in any way:
The room was painted a subtle shade of pink.
The play's message is perhaps too subtle to be understood by young children.

small but important:
There is a subtle difference between these two plans.

o Synesthesia
o Synonym
o Synopsis
o Tautology
o Theme
o Thesis
o Thriller
o Tone
o Tragedy
o Trope
o Truism
o Turning Point
o Understatement
o Urban Legend
o Utopia
o Verisimilitude
o Vernacular
Vignette n photography and optics, vignetting (/vɪnˈjɛtɪŋ, viːnˈ-/; French: vignette) is a reduction of
an image's brightness or saturation toward the periphery compared to the image center. The
word vignette, from the same root as vine, originally referred to a decorative border in a book. Later,
the word came to be used for a photographic portrait that is clear at the center and fades off toward
the edges. A similar effect is visible in photographs of projected images or videos off a projection
screen, resulting in a so-called "hotspot" effect.
Vignetting is often an unintended and undesired effect caused by camera settings or lens limitations.
However, it is sometimes deliberately introduced for creative effect, such as to draw attention to the
center of the frame. A photographer may deliberately choose a lens that is known to produce
vignetting to obtain the effect, or it may be introduced with the use of special filters or post-
processing procedures.
When using superzoom lenses, vignetting may occur all along the zoom range, depending on
the aperture and the focal length. However, it may not always be visible, except at the widest end
(the shortest focal length). In these cases, vignetting may cause an exposure value (EV) difference
of up to 0.75EV.
Contents

o
o Villain
o Voice
o Wit
o Wordplay
o Zeugma
Look at some common allusion examples in everyday life:

 “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”.
 The rise in poverty will unlock the Pandora's box of crimes.
Allusion Examples
Allusion is when an author references something external to his or
her work in a passing manner. For example, an author may reference a
musical artist or song, a great thinker or philosopher, the author or title of a
different text, or a major historical event. Allusions are a type of poetic
device. Another form of the word allusion is allude. To allude is to refer to
something without explaining it, to hint at it.
Allusions can be problematic. Since they are not explained, allusions depend
on the reader knowing whatever external thing to which the author is
alluding. For example, T. S. Eliot wrote a poem called “The Waste Land,”
which is widely considered by scholars and academics to be one of the most
important poems of the 20th century. Yet, “The Waste Land” is so densely
packed with allusions that most casual readers find it to be impenetrable.
That is to say, most readers don’t get it. This is the risk that writers take
when using allusions. Allusions are a type of poetic device that depend
on the reader possessing background knowledge on a thing that is
not further explained. You should use them with caution for this reason.
Still confused? Let’s go over an example before I launch into the list:
We heard a kind of war-whoop, such as David might have emitted
when he knocked out the champion Goliath.
In this line (taken from O. Henry’s short story, “The Ransom of Red Chief“)
the speaker alludes to the biblical figures of David and Goliath. In the
context of “The Ransom of Red Chief,” this line is written as a smaller
character delivers a punishing blow to a much larger character. This parallels
how David dispatched Goliath in the story from the Bible, which make it an
allusion to the Bible. But, if you are unfamiliar with this particular biblical
story, then the allusion will be lost on you.
50 Examples of Allusion
1. My Mom has a Spartan workout routine.
2. Keith was speeding down the empty road in his Mustang and listening
to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on the radio.
3. This was our Declaration of Independence and if Mom didn’t let us
go to that concert, she would be our King George III.
4. Some people are calling me the Tiger Woods of miniature golf.
5. Don’t go thinking you’re Robin Hood just cause you took an extra
peppermint from the candy jar.
6. You don’t have to be Albert Einstein to understand poetry.
7. She thinks that she loves me, and Christopher Columbus thought he
was in India.
8. Don’t wear an Abraham Lincoln hat on your first date.
9. We do serious work in my classroom. It isn’t the Mickey Mouse
Club over here.
10. Look, I’m no Mother Teresa. I’ve made my mistakes, but I’m
trying.
11. Come. Be the Cleopatra to my Mark Antony.
12. As I walked through the graveyard, Beethoven’s “Symphony
No. 9” played in my head.
13. Did you think that you were at Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
show when you met my parents?
14. When Donna got her income tax refund check in the mail, she
was so happy that she did the Moonwalk.
15. Plutarch was good, and so was Homer too.
if Shakespeare could write, than so can you.
16. Well, I’m no Hercules, but I could open that jelly jar for you.
17. Why does Cap’n Crunch always wear that Napoleon hat?
18. Why should I read “Hamlet” or study the Battle of Hamburger
Hill when the world is happening outside my window?
19. She reminded me of the mother Mary in her grace.
20. You don’t have to be William Shakespeare to write poetry.
21. If you keep pushing me, I’m going to turn into the Incredible
Hulk on you.
22. My sister’s house is not the Ritz-Carlton, but it is warm and
dry.
23. Just because someone has different political views than you
doesn’t make them Adolph Hitler.
24. We were listening to “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles,
right when it started raining.
25. He gets one three point shot in gym class and now he thinks that
he’s Steph Curry.
26. Just as I sat down to cry, a Bob Marley song came on the radio,
and I decided to dance instead.
27. What if George Washington really did tell lies? Who would
know?
28. Omar was walking down the block, whistling “The Farmer in
the Dell.”
29. Our city needs a real-life Batman.
30. You don’t have to be Michelangelo to copy and paste images of
Michelangelo’s artwork.
31. My mom tried to get me to watch a movie called Mona Lisa
Smile.
32. I want to grow those big fat Elvis sideburns.
33. When we saw my cousin in his army uniform, we all started
calling him G.I. Joe.
34. I’ll be your Romeo if you’ll be my Juliet.
35. Kelly couldn’t help but to notice that the new boy was
reading Lord of the Flies during study hall.
36. He’s a nice guy, Janie, if you can get past his Krusty the
Clown haircut.
37. He took command of his home like he was Caesar in Rome.
38. Janice was listening to “Single Ladies” by Beyonce and putting
on her makeup.
39. I might have to do my flying Bruce Lee kick if you keep playing
with me.
40. That’s the kind of beard that Teen Wolf would grow.
41. Don’t wear those big red Ironman boots to the party.
42. The boy on the horse whistled “Yankee Doodle” on his way to
town.
43. She’s going to do her Marilyn Monroe thing over the vent.
44. Chrissy has a Lion King poster in her room.
45. Instead of going to the party, Kara stayed home and read The
Hunger Games.
46. My uncle was watching The Godfather and smoking a cigar.
47. She was reading a book of poems by Emily Dickinson and
listening to the sounds of nature.
48. As Thomas chased after the bus, he felt like he was Frodo
Baggins in The Lord of the Rings.
49. I’ve got the speed and power of a young Mike Tyson.
50. Go ahead, ask me anything. I’m like Google over here.
In review, allusions are references to external things. These things can
be famous people, literary texts, songs, historical events, and
more. Allusions are a cool way to bring the spirit of another work
into one’s text. But, be careful when using allusions because if your
audience is unfamiliar with the thing to which you are alluding, your allusion
will bellyflop. When I created this list of allusion examples, I tried to
reference HUGE historical figures, texts, and events, yet I wouldn’t be
surprised if some of these allusions were lost on you. The more obscure your
allusion, the less likely your readers are to connect with it. I hope that this
page helped you to better understand literary allusions.
Metonymy and synecdoche are both figures of speech that allow one thing to

represent another. The difference between the two is very slight: synecdoche
allows a part to stand for a whole, whereas metonymy allows an associated idea
to stand for another idea.
Here is an example of metonymy versus synecdoche:
First, imagine a friend has bought a very nice motorcycle. Both metonymy and
synecdoche can be used to give a compliment:
Metonymy:
Nice ride, man.
This compliment is considered metonymy because one rides a motorcycle. The
idea of riding is associated with motorcycles, but it is not part of a motorcycle.
Synecdoche:
Nice rims, man.
Although this compliment is only one word away from the example of
metonymy, it is different. Rims are a part of motorcycle which stand for the
whole.
VII. In Closing
Synecdoche both simplifies collections of parts by using the whole and
emphasizes certain aspects of the whole by using its most important parts. It
can be used for simplification and brevity or poeticism and elaboration.
For example:
 The word "sails" is often used to refer to a whole ship.
 The phrase "hired hands" can be used to refer to workers.
 The word "head" can refer to counting cattle or people.
 The word "bread" can be used to represent food in general or money (e.g. he is
the breadwinner; music is my bread and butter).
Semantic Metonymy
"An oft-cited example of metonymy is the noun tongue, which designates not
only a human organ but also a human capacity in which the organ plays a
conspicuous part.
Another noted example is the change of orange from the name of a fruit to the
color of that fruit. Since orange refers to all instances of the color, this change
also includes generalization. A third example(Bolinger, 1971)is the verb want,
which once meant 'lack' and changed to the contiguous sense of 'desire.' In these
examples, both senses still survive.
"Such examples are established; where several meanings survive, we

have semantic metonymy: the meanings are related and also independent of each
other. Orange is a polysemic word, it's two distinct and nondependent meanings
metonymically related."(Charles Ruhl, On Monosemy: A Study in Linguistic Semantics.
SUNY Press, 1989)
Discourse-Pragmatic Functions of Metonymy

"One of the most important discourse-pragmatic functions of metonymy is to
enhance cohesion and coherence of the utterance. It is something that is already
at the very heart of metonymy as a conceptual operation where one content
stands for another but both are actively activated at least to some degree. In other
words, metonymy is an efficient way of saying two things for the price of one, i.e.
two concepts are activated while only one is explicitly mentioned(cf. Radden &
Kövecses 1999:19). This necessarily enhances the cohesion of an utterance
because two topical concepts are referred to by means of one label, and there is
consequently, at least nominally, less shifting or switching between these two
topics."(Mario Brdar and Rita Brdar-Szabó, "The (Non-)Metonymic Uses of Place
Names in English, German, Hungarian, and Croatian." Metonymy and Metaphor in
Grammar, ed. by Klaus-Uwe Panther, Linda L. Thornburg, and Antonio Barcelona.
John Benjamins, 2009)
Pronunciation: me-TON-uh-me
Also Known As: denominatio, misnamer, transmutation
Homonymy and Polysemy

This handout contains a brief explanation of homonymy and polysemy.
It is intended to supplement the discussion on pages 130-132 of the textbook, not replace it.
• A word is polysemous if it can be used to express different meanings. The difference between the
meanings can be obvious or subtle.
• Two or more words are homonyms if they either sound the same (homophones), have the same
spelling (homographs), or both, but do not have related meanings.
• In other words, if you hear (or read) two words that sound (or are written) the same but are not
identical in meaning, you need to decide if it’s really two words (homonyms), or if it is one word
used in two different ways (polysemy).
• The only real way we have of telling the two apart is by applying our judgement.
There are no tests that can tell them apart in a foolproof manner.
fool·proof
/
adjective
1. incapable of going wrong or being misused.
"a foolproof security system"
Similar:
infallible
never failing
,unfailing, unerring, dependable, reliable
Still, for many cases this is enough.

• There are, however, many other cases for which this decision is not clear. This doesn’t mean that
they are both or halfway between each; that makes no sense, because a word can’t be both one
word and two words.
Rather, it means that one of the following options holds: 1. Different speakers treat the word
differently.
It might be one word for me but two for you.
2. We are dealing with two homonyms, but there is enough overlap between them.
3. We are dealing with one word whose different uses are relatively far enough apart.
1. A clear case of homonymy 1: The word down in sentence (1-a) and the word down in sentence
(1-b).
These are two words that happen to share sound and spelling.
There is no relation between them:
(1) a. Sarah climbed down the ladder.
b. Sarah bought a down blanket.
2. A clear case of homonymy
2: The word bark in sentence (2-a) and the word Bark in sentence (2-b).
(2) a. My dog would always bark at mailmen.
b. The tree’s bark was a rusty brown.
3. A clear case of polysemy 1: The word Newpaper in the following sentences. The object that got
wet cannot fire people, and the company didn’t get wet. Still, it’s obvious that the same word is
used to refer to them both.
(3) a. The newspaper got wet in the rain.
b. The newspaper fired some of its editing staff.
4. A clear case of polysemy
2: The word Good in the following two examples. In one case it’s a moral judgement, in the other
case it’s a judgement of skill.
(4) a. John was a good man. He donated a lot of money to charity.
b. Bill was a good painter. His drawings always were exciting to look at.
5. Unclear case 1: Hammer in sentence
(5-a) is a noun referring to a physical object. Hammer in sentence
(5-b) is a verb describing an action normally (but not in this case) performed with that object. Is this
one word or two? Different people may disagree.
(5) a. I own a big heavy hammer.
b. I hammered the tent pole into the ground using a small rock.
6. Unclear case 2: The word bright in the following two sentences. The meanings are clearly not the
same, but is it one word that is used metaphorically in (6-a) and literally in (6-b), or are these two
different words?
(6) a. Laura was a very bright student and always got good grades.
b. The lights in this room are very bright.
/
OXYMORON
noun
1. a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction
(e.g. faith unfaithful kept him falsely true ).
An oxymoron is a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other. It's often
referred to as a contradiction in terms.
As with other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a variety of purposes.
Sometimes they're used to create a little bit of drama for the reader; sometimes
they're used to make a person stop and think, whether that's to laugh or to wonder.
A common oxymoron is the phrase "the same difference." This phrase qualifies as
an oxymoron because the words "same" and "difference" have opposite meanings. Bringing them
together into one phrase produces a verbally puzzling, yet engaging, effect.
Common Oxymorons
It's likely you've used, or at least heard, a couple oxymorons in your everyday life, even if you didn't
realize it at the time. Let's see if any of these examples of oxymorons hit home for you:
 Act naturally
 Alone together
 Amazingly awful
 Bittersweet
 Clearly confused
 Dark light
 Deafening silence
 Definitely maybe
 Farewell reception
 Growing smaller
 Jumbo shrimp
 Only choice
 Open secret
 Original copy
 Painfully beautiful
 Passive aggressive
 Random order
 Small crowd
 Sweet sorrow
 True myth
 Walking dead
 Weirdly normal
Oxymorons in Sayings and Quotes

There are some well-known phrases and quotations that make use of oxymorons. Seeing these
oxymorons used in context may provide a better idea of how and why they're used.
 "I like a smuggler. He is the only honest thief." - Charles Lamb
 "I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible." - Oscar Wilde
 "And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true." - Alfred Tennyson
 "Modern dancing is so old fashioned." - Samuel Goldwyn
 "A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." - Henry Ford
 "I am a deeply superficial person." - Andy Warhol
 "We're busy doing nothing." - Bing Crosby
 "No one goes to that restaurant anymore. It's always too crowded." - Yogi Berra
 "A joke is an extremely serious issue." - Winston Churchill
 "I like humanity, but I loathe persons." - Edna St. Vincent Millay
 "I generally advise persons never ever to present assistance." - P.G. Wodehouse
For more oxymoron quotes, take a look at Examples of Funny Oxymoron Quotes.
Purpose of Oxymorons
Why use phrases that don't seem to make logical sense? Well, there are a few good reasons why,
starting with dramatic effect.
Dramatic Effect
Saying that a picture or a scene is "painfully beautiful" calls attention to the speaker and the object of
inquiry. Such a phrase shows that an object can have two different qualities at once, making it a
subject for study and analysis.
Adding Flavor to Speech

When someone says a phrase such as "naturally weird" or "clearly confused," the speaker is finding a
new way to describe that individual or object. Adding the adverb "naturally" to the first phrase makes
it even more apparent that the subject of discussion is rather unusual, as opposed to the effect the
word "weird" would have on its own.
For Entertainment
Sometimes people aren't trying to make a profound statement when they use oxymorons. Instead,
they want to be witty and show they can use words to make people laugh. One example of this is
when Oscar Wilde comically reflected on the fact that he "can resist anything, except temptation."

Who Said "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors"?
Pointedly Foolish
So you can see that oxymorons add humor or drama to speech or writing, allowing you to make a
funny or pointed remark.
A pointed remark, question, or manner is intended as a criticism of the person it is
directed to: My aunt made a few pointed remarks about my taste in clothes.
As well as playing with oxymorons, Oscar Wilde was also a master of symbolism. He enjoyed
writing things that weren't meant to be taken literally, simply pondered upon.
When you're ready to graduate from oxymorons to symbolism, enjoy these examples of symbolism
in literature. May they inspire you through all your writing adventures.
Examples of Paradox
5th grade6th grade7th grade8th grade9th grade10th grade11th grade12th gradeMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolCollege
A paradox is a statement that may seem contradictory but can be true (or at least make sense). This
makes them stand out and play an important role in literature and everyday life. Beyond that, they
can simply be entertaining brain teasers.
Take the statement "Less is more." This statement uses two opposites to contradict one another. How
can less be more? The concept is that something less complicated is often more appreciated. Let's
talk a little bit more about this rhetorical device and enjoy a handful of examples of paradox.
General Paradoxes
Ready to flex your mental muscles? Some of these statements may make you pause and think. Here
are some thought-provoking paradox examples:
 Save money by spending it.
 If I know one thing, it's that I know nothing.
 This is the beginning of the end.
 Deep down, you're really shallow.
 I'm a compulsive liar.
 "Men work together whether they work together or apart." - Robert Frost
 "What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young." - George Bernard Shaw
 "I can resist anything but temptation." - Oscar Wilde
A paradox can be thought-provoking but they're also fun to consider. Here are some paradoxes with a
witty bent:
 Here are the rules: Ignore all rules.
 The second sentence is false. The first sentence is true.
 I only message those who do not message.
Paradoxes in Literature
Let's continue to some larger examples of paradox that appear in works of literature. Examining their
purpose will become an important part of the process.
Animal Farm by George Orwell

A fundamental rule, upon which other matters hinge.
In George Orwell's Animal Farm, "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others" is one
of the cardinal rules. Clearly this statement does not make logical sense. However, the point of a
paradox is to point out a truth, even if the statements contradict each other.
Orwell is making a political statement here, but what? Perhaps it's that the government claims
everyone is equal when, clearly, that's false. Or, perhaps it's that individuals have skewed perceptions
of what it means to be equal. The interpretation is up to the reader to decide.
"Holy Sonnet 11" by John Donne

Poet John Donne wrote, "Death, thou shalt die," in "Holy Sonnet 11." That's sort of contradictory,
isn't it? How can death die? Well, this is the beauty of the paradox.
On the surface, this seems like a grim line. Quite the contrary, though. What Donne is really saying is
that, upon death, heaven is imminent. And, in heaven, death shall die, because you are no longer at
the mercy of your inevitable demise. When you remove the morbid veneer, this is actually a
statement of hope.
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the title character states, "I must be cruel to be kind." On the
surface, once again, this statement doesn't seem to make much sense. How can an individual convey
kindness through cruelty?
In this case, Hamlet is speaking about how he plans to slay Claudius in order to avenge his father's
death. His mother is now married to Claudius, so, of course, this will be a tragedy for her. However,
he does not want his mother to be the lover of his father's murderer (unbeknownst to her) any longer.
He believes the murder will be for her own good.
Paradox vs. Oxymoron

It's common to confuse a paradox with an oxymoron. Both are found in literature and everyday
conversation. Here's the difference between the two:
 A paradox is a statement or group of sentences that contradict what we know while
delivering an inherent truth.
 An oxymoron is a combination of two words that contradict each other. It's a dramatic figure
of speech.
Oxymorons are often referred to as a "contradiction in terms." They're just that. A word or two that
bounce off each other. Paradoxes, however, are entire phrases, sentences or quotes. In truth, both
achieve the same result. Examples of oxymorons include bittersweet, jumbo shrimp, only choice, and
sweet sorrow.
Common Examples of Litotes
 He's not the friendliest person.
 It wasn't a terrible trip.
 She's not unkind.
 They aren't unhappy with the presentation.
 Not too shabby!
 The two concepts are not unlike each other.
 She's no spring chicken.
 It's not exactly a walk in the park.
Definition of Litotes
Litotes is a figure of speech and a form of understatement in which a sentiment is expressed
ironically by negating its contrary. For example, saying "It's not the best weather today" during a
hurricane would be an example of litotes, implying through ironic understatement that the
weather is, in fact, horrible
Litotes, derived from a Greek word meaning “simple,” is a figure of

speech that employs an understatement by using double negatives or, in
other words, a positive statement expressed by negating its opposite
expressions.
For example, using the expression “not too bad” for “very good” is an
understatement, as well as a double negative statement that confirms a
positive idea by negating the opposite (meaning it’s good, by saying
it’s not bad). Similarly, saying “She is not a beauty queen,” means she is ugly,
or saying “I am not as young as I used to be,” in order to avoid saying I am
old. Litotes, therefore, is an intentional use of understatement that renders an
ironic effect.
Common Litotes Examples
In everyday life, it is common to experience litotes in conversations, though
not many people are aware of this term and its usage. Below are a few
examples of litotes from daily conversations:
 They do not seem the happiest couple around.

 The ice cream was not too bad.
 New York is not an ordinary city.
 Your comments on politics are not useless.
 You are not as young as you used to be.
 I cannot disagree with your point of view.
 William Shakespeare was not a bad playwright at all.
 He is not the cleverest person I have ever met.
 She is not unlike her mother.
 Ken Adams is not an ordinary man
 A million dollars is no small amount.
 You are not doing badly at all.
 Your apartment is not unclean.
Interestingly, the use of understatement in the above litotes examples adds

emphasis to the ideas, rather than decreasing their importance. This is due to
the ironic effect produced by the understatement.
Examples of Litotes in Literature

In literature, writers and poets use this type of figure of speech in their texts in
order to vividly communicate novel ideas to readers.
Example #1: A Tale of a Tub (By Jonathan Swift)
“I am not unaware how the productions of the Grub Street brotherhood have

of late years fallen under many prejudices.”
Now just see how Swift has used double negatives to emphasize the point
that he is totally aware of it. The irony is that he is aware, but he is saying it as
if he is unaware that he is not.
Example #2: Fire and Ice (By Robert Frost)

“Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if I had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.”
If you read this short piece by Robert Frost very carefully, you’ll see that
calling the destruction caused by ice “great” is balanced by an opposing
statement “would suffice,” is an understatement.
Example #3: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave

(By Frederick Douglass)
“Indeed, it is not uncommon for slaves even to fall out and quarrel among
themselves about the relative goodness of their masters, each contending for
the superior goodness of his own over that of the others.”
Mr. Douglass was an African-American social reformer and a writer. He has

effectively used litotes to stress his point that even slaves used to seek
dominance over other slaves by holding out that their respective masters were
much better than those of the other slaves.
Function of Litotes
Litotes uses ironic understatement in order to emphasize an idea or situation,
rather than minimizing its importance. It rather discovers a unique way to
attract people’s attention to an idea, and that is by ignoring it.
J.R. Bergmann, in his book Talk at Work: Interaction in Institutional Settings,

talks about litotes in the following words:
“I want to claim that the rhetorical figure litotes is one of those methods which
are used to talk about an object in a discreet way. It clearly locates an object
for the recipient, but it avoids naming it directly.”
This is the best that has ever been said about litotes – that to ignore an object
and still talk about it in a negative way is the best way to make it appear
important and prominent.

A Purposeful Paradox
Paradoxes have important implications in the world of literature. They take aim at the overall theme.
Take George Orwell, for example. Animal Farm was all about class distinctions and inequalities.
With one paradoxical line, he highlighted what was true for him. To make sure your next paradox
aligns with the theme of your story, take a look at these Examples of Theme in Literature. Senafas
dengan
Examples of Oxymorons
5th grade6th grade7th grade8th grade9th grade10th grade11th grade12th gradeElementary School Middle SchoolHigh
SchoolCollege
An oxymoron is a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other. It's often
referred to as a contradiction in terms. As with other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a
variety of purposes. Sometimes they're used to create a little bit of drama for the reader; sometimes
they're used to make a person stop and think, whether that's to laugh or to wonder.
A common oxymoron is the phrase "the same difference." This phrase qualifies as
an oxymoron because the words "same" and "difference" have opposite meanings. Bringing them
together into one phrase produces a verbally puzzling, yet engaging, effect.
Common Oxymorons
It's likely you've used, or at least heard, a couple oxymorons in your everyday life, even if you didn't
realize it at the time. Let's see if any of these examples of oxymorons hit home for you:
 Act naturally
 Alone together
 Amazingly awful
 Bittersweet
 Clearly confused
 Dark light
 Deafening silence
 Definitely maybe
 Farewell reception
 Growing smaller
 Jumbo shrimp
 Only choice
 Open secret
 Original copy
 Painfully beautiful
 Passive aggressive
 Random order
 Small crowd
 Sweet sorrow
 True myth
 Walking dead
 Weirdly normal
Oxymorons in Sayings and Quotes

There are some well-known phrases and quotations that make use of oxymorons. Seeing these
oxymorons used in context may provide a better idea of how and why they're used.
 "I like a smuggler. He is the only honest thief." - Charles Lamb
 "I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible." - Oscar Wilde
 "And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true." - Alfred Tennyson
 "Modern dancing is so old fashioned." - Samuel Goldwyn
 "A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." - Henry Ford
 "I am a deeply superficial person." - Andy Warhol
 "We're busy doing nothing." - Bing Crosby
 "No one goes to that restaurant anymore. It's always too crowded." - Yogi Berra
 "A joke is an extremely serious issue." - Winston Churchill
 "I like humanity, but I loathe persons." - Edna St. Vincent Millay
 "I generally advise persons never ever to present assistance." - P.G. Wodehouse
For more oxymoron quotes, take a look at Examples of Funny Oxymoron Quotes.
Purpose of Oxymorons
Why use phrases that don't seem to make logical sense? Well, there are a few good reasons why,
starting with dramatic effect.
Dramatic Effect
Saying that a picture or a scene is "painfully beautiful" calls attention to the speaker and the object of
inquiry. Such a phrase shows that an object can have two different qualities at once, making it a
subject for study and analysis.
Adding Flavor to Speech

When someone says a phrase such as "naturally weird" or "clearly confused," the speaker is finding a
new way to describe that individual or object. Adding the adverb "naturally" to the first phrase makes
it even more apparent that the subject of discussion is rather unusual, as opposed to the effect the
word "weird" would have on its own.
For Entertainment
Sometimes people aren't trying to make a profound statement when they use oxymorons. Instead,
they want to be witty and show they can use words to make people laugh. One example of this is
when Oscar Wilde comically reflected on the fact that he "can resist anything, except temptation."
Who Said "Good Fences Make

Good Neighbors"?
Good fences make good neighbors is a proverb that exists in many different cultures and languages
and due to its longstanding history and prevalence, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where this insight
originated.
In English its common usage seems to have sprung from Robert Frost's use of the phrase in his poem,
"Mending Wall," published in 1914. He writes, "Good fences make good neighbors... Why do they
make good neighbors?" and ends the poem with "He will not go behind his father's saying, And he
likes having thought of it so well, He says again, 'Good fences make good neighbors'."
"Mending Wall" is a favorite among literary lovers who enjoy discussing the poem's true meaning.
Some believe the narrator of the poem dislikes the wall that divides him from his neighbor. Others
think the poem tells the story of a well-established relationship and ritual between two friends and
neighbors.
Just as the meaning of "Mending Wall"remains debatable, the origin of this proverb is also shrouded
in mystery. Wolfgang Mieder, a proverbs scholar and author of Proverbs: A Handbook finds it
difficult to attribute this ambiguous saying to one person in particular. His research traces the history
of different versions of the proverb to a number of different cultures and languages, including
German, Norwegian, Russian, Japanese, and Hindi, as well as English, dating back to the 17th
century.
In his article, "Good Fences Make Good Neighbours: History and Significance of an Ambiguous
Proverb," Mieder also delves deeper into the interesting complexity this simple line possesses and
quotes from Caroline Westerhoff's book Good Fences: The Boundaries of Hospitality, "[The
proverb] contains the irresolvable tension between boundary and hospitality."
Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors?
How can neighbors come together if they are divided by fences? The introduction to Mieder's article
reads, "A glance into any proverb collection reveals their contradictory nature: 'Absence makes the
heart grow fonder,' but, 'Out of sight, out of mind.'"
He goes on to point out that, "[Proverbs] contain the general observations and experiences of
humankind, including life's multifaceted contradiction." And as Caroline Westerhoff stated, there is
value in balancing the fine line between welcoming people in and keeping them at an arm's length.
Even Benjamin Franklin is known to have said, "Love thy neighbor, yet don't pull down your hedge."
Since many cultures have adopted this proverb into their lexicon, it seems to represent a sentiment
among neighbors everywhere. Perhaps it gets repeated because it repeatedly applies.
A Good Question
We may never know who first uttered this phrase but Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall," started
up a whole new conversation regarding this proverb in the early 20th century. In the poem, two
neighbors walk the length of their dividing wall each spring to mend whatever has fallen off. The
speaker does not understand the purpose of the fence; however, his neighbor says, "Good fences
make good neighbors," twice. The speaker has no alternative but to continue this ritual with his
neighbor each year, despite his own belief that mending the wall is a waste of time.
So, what do you say? Do fences communicate the same nonverbal signal as a pair of crossed arms?
Or, do fences provide a healthy boundary between friends and neighbors, defining a well-balanced
relationship? Let's thank Robert Frost for continually pushing our intellects to higher levels and think
twice the next time we observe a fence.
Binge eating. Binge eating is a pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of

uncontrollable eating. It is a common symptom of eating disorders such as binge eating
disorder and bulimia nervosa. During such binges, a person rapidly consumes an excessive
quantity of food.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, to be diagnosed as binge
eating disorder, binge eating episodes must occur is at least once per week for three months.
Episodes of overeating that are classified as binge eating can significantly and negatively
impact your health and well-being.
How do you know if you binge eat?

Behavioral and emotional signs and symptoms of binge-eating disorder include:
1. Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time, such as over
a two-hour period.
2. Feeling that your eating behavior is out of control.
3. Eating even when you're full or not hungry.
4. Eating rapidly during binge episodes.
Why Am I Binge Eating?

IN THIS ARTICLE
 Overeating vs. Binge Eating
 6 Reasons You Binge
 Tips to Help Control Binges
Everyone overeats from time to time. Binge eating
disorder is different, though. You might have it if you
regularly eat a lot of food in just a few hours -- even when
you're not hungry -- to drown out emotions. Then you
quickly feel shame or guilt about it.
The disorder is treatable. Your doctor can help you stop
and, later on, get to and maintain a healthy weight. The
first step is to understand why you're bingeing.
Overeating vs. Binge Eating

Both may involve mindless behavior. You eat too much
without thinking about why. But there are real differences.
General examples of overeating are:
 Having more than one dessert after dinner

 Finishing a whole bag of popcorn while watching a
movie
When you eat too much because of a stressful event such
as a romantic breakup, it's sometimes called "emotional
eating."
Examples of binge eating are:
hand·y
/ˈhandē/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
1. 1.
convenient to handle or use; useful.
"a handy desktop encyclopedia"
Similar:
useful
convenient
practical
easy-to-use
well designed
user-friendly
user-oriented
helpful
functional
serviceable
utilitarian
neat
nifty
Opposite:
inconvenient
2. 2.
close at hand.
"keep credit cards handy"
Similar:
readily available
available
at hand
to hand
near at hand
5 reasons why we need to pause
and reflect
Life’s a marathon, not a sprint. Pausing to reflect is
not a privilege — it’s a must.
Dominic Soh
Follow
Oct 22, 2013 · 3 min read
Life can be crazy. There’s always work coming in and piling up,
chores and errands to be run, people and relationships to take care
of, and deadlines to be met.
And if we are not careful enough, it’s easy to go into a frenzy, get
extremely busy, but end up achieving very little. Think about the
moments where you’ve seemed to be very busy, but surprisingly
unproductive at the end of the day. Therefore, it’s important to not
only slow down, but to take a pit stop to pause and reflect before
continuing with the journey ahead.
Here’s 5 reasons why we need to pause and reflect:
1. To take a break
Our lives and the pursuits of our dreams are a marathon, not a
sprint, and this means that it’s crucial that we pace ourselves
instead of charging ahead because this can lead to burnout very
easily.
I’ll always remember the story of two lumberjacks who went into
the woods. The first one went chopping down the trees for the
whole day straight while the second one did some sawing and
stopped during regular intervals. So the first guy instinctively
knew that his day’s yield will be greater since he actually spent
more time bringing down the trees.
Unfortunately, he was wrong. The second lumberjack came back

with more timber pieces because when he stopped his cutting, he
was taking the time to sharpen his tools.
So take the time to slow down, unwind and relax, and you will feel
more refreshed and recharged to take on the world later on!
2. To evaluate what we have accomplished
You’re in the middle of pursuing your dreams and hitting the

pause button will give you time to evaluate whatever you have
accomplished thus far. Are you on track with your goals and
milestones? Do you have sufficient resources to progress to the
next step?Do you need to speed things up? Or can you afford to
take things slower?
3. To celebrate our victories
Sometimes in the busyness of things we can get so overwhelmed

that taking the next step is too laborous and arduous — sort of like
a runner struggling to put one foot ahead of the other when he’s at
the point of extreme fatigue.
In such a case, pausing and reflecting will give us the chance to

look back and celebrate the victories, however big or small they
may be, which we have achieved along the way.
4. To learn from our mistakes
Certain mistakes which we make during our dream journeys may

not be apparent until we look back in hindsight. With this in mind,
we should see our failures not as reasons for disappointment but
as valuable learning opportunities. Moreover, the more we learn
from our previous mistakes, the less likely we’ll repeat them down
the road.
5. To check our future direction
I feel that this might be the most important reason for pausing and
reflecting.
When things get busy and crazy, it is easy for us to lose track of
where we are heading and even forget the reason why we are doing
what we are doing. For instance, if you’re rigorously learning a
new instrument and you begin to feel burdened by your music
lessons or the practice sessions, it helps to pause for a moment to
remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place.
Additionally, taking a breather will give you the chance of ensuring

that you’re still on the right track and not deviating off course.
Therefore, as much as we need to be zealous and enthusiastic

about pursuing our dreams, it doesn’t hurt to take a breather
regularly!
Have you been taking the time to pause and reflect lately?
No one says “I’m glad I played it safe!” when on their

deathbeds. It’s time to step up and play a bigger game
in your life and career. I’ll see you at Industry
Bootcamp.

Implied Metaphors: An Unmentioned Comparison

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Examples of Implied Metaphors

An implied metaphor is a type of metaphor that compares two unlike things without

one is open to interpretation, leaving you to make

Implied Metaphors: An Unmentioned Comparison

Comparing People to Animals or Nature

Comparing People to Inanimate Objects

Comparing Two Inanimate Objects

Comparing Inanimate Objects to Animals or Nature

Not Everything's Black and White

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Everyone knows what a person is, but do you know what personification is?

Personification is a type of metaphor and a common literary tool.

It can be used as a method of describing something so that others can

It can be used to help paint a picture in your mind.

There is often confusion between personification and

Personification Examples in Literature

50 Ways to Use Personification

1. The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky. 26. While making my way to my car, it smiled at

2. The run-down house appeared depressed. 27. The car, painted lime green, raced

7. The wind howled its mighty objection. 32. I tripped because the curb jumped out in front

8. The snow swaddled the earth like a mother 33. Time creeps up on you.

9. The river swallowed the earth as the water 34. The news took me by surprise.

10. Time flew and before we knew it, it was time 35. The fire ran wild.

13. The thunder grumbled like an old man. 38. The door protested as it opened slowly.

18. The wind sang through the meadow. 43. My life came screeching to a halt.

20. At precisely 6:30 am my alarm 45. The blizzard swallowed the town.

22. The ocean danced in the moonlight. 47. The avalanche devoured everything in its

24. The phone awakened with a mighty ring. 49. The car beckoned me from across the

25. The funeral raced by me in a blur. 50. I could hear Hawaii calling my name.

Hyperboles are not comparisons, like similes and metaphors, but extravagant

Hyperbole Adds Emphasis

Hyperbole in Everyday Use

Sound Words: Examples of

Common Onomatopoeia Words & Letter

Bringing Language to Life

 Lightning danced across the sky.

Personification is a form of figurative language that is used as a literary

1. The stars winked at each other in the dark.

2. Flames surrounded the house, licking and devouring it whole.

3. The books murmured their stories from her shelf.

5. The cat glared at the new kitten like a jealous girlfriend.

7. Crouching low, the old cottage looked bent to its knees.

8. The sky wept tears of joy.

11. The skyscrapers punched the blue sky.

14. My dog studied the grass as if he was an architect preparing blueprints.

2. “The fog comes / on little cat feet.” – Carl Sandburg

3. “April is the cruelest month.” – T.S. Eliot

13. “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. / Whatever I see, I swallow

 I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.

For example: “There’s enough food in the cupboard to feed an entire army!”

In American and British English, hyperbole is pronounced ‘HI-PUR-BOW-LEE’.

Examples of Hyperbole in Everyday Speech

1. He’s running faster than the wind.

Examples of Hyperbole in Poetry and Literature

For example, in Shakespeare’s Macbeth he writes:

“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? No.”

And looked up at the rain,

And it dripped in my head

And all that I hear as I lie in my bed

Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,