FIGURES OF

SPEECH
 What is a figure of speech?
■ A figure of speech is a phrase that has an
implied meaning and should not be taken at
face value.
■ This means that the real meaning of such a
phrase differs from its literal meaning.
 USES OF FIGURES OF
SPEECH
1. Many figures of speech contain metaphors,
idioms, similes, ironies, antithesis,
alliterations, personifications, and paradoxes.
So as you learn about these figures of speech,
you also start to understand other aspects of
the English language.
 USES OF FIGURES OF
SPEECH
2. Since figures of speech are used not only in spoken
English but also in the written word, using them can
greatly enhance the overall quality of your English.
3. In most cases, you can use these phrases in the form
of a witty comeback or simply as a way to
demonstrate your eloquence in the language.
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
1. Personification
This type of figure of speech is constructed by attributing certain human
characteristics to otherwise inanimate objects.
For example, you may have often heard people saying that the “wind is
howling.”
Look at these two popular examples to get a better idea.
1. Opportunity knocked at his/her door.
2. Time flies when you’re having fun.
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
2. Metaphor
This type of figure of speech is generally used by talking about
two very different kinds of things that have a common link.
Hence, the action, feature, or effect of the unrelated thing can be
applied to that of the related thing, and imply a new meaning.
For example:
She is the apple of my eye.
The Sun is a creature of habit.
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
3. Simile
These phrases are somewhat similar to metaphors but are more direct than implied
in their meaning.
In similes, the indirectly implied meaning is replaced with the words “as” or “like.”
These words are used to make the connection between the two different words
being used.
For example:

His response was as cold as ice.

After taking his medication, he became fit as a fiddle.
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
4. Alliteration
These types of phrases are figures of speech that have a similar
sounding consonant (non-vowel letters) at the beginning of each
word. You can identify them by checking for these similarities in
two to three consecutive words. Some alliteration figure of speech
examples are-

Claire, close your cluttered closet.

Go and gather the green leaves on the grass.
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
5. Onomatopoeia
These are rather simple yet unique figures of speech.
Onomatopoeia are words or phrases that are similar to the sounds they produce.
While they may be an informal and childish way of speaking, these figures of speech
can often come in handy when one is trying to be illustrious.
Two popular examples are-

“Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments will hum about mine ears, and
sometimes voices” (From Shakespeare’s “Tempest”)
“Tis some visitor and tapping at my chamber door Only this and nothing more.” (From
Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”)
■ Many languages are rife with onomatopoeic
words—every animal sound from “bow-wow” to
“moo” to “ribbit” is a form of onomatopoeia, as
is the “tick-tock” of a clock, the “ding-dong” of a
doorbell, a beep, a zap, a hiccup, a hiss, and a
cackle. Such words seem to have sound effects
built in to them.
■ To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells,
bells— From the jingling and the tinkling of the
bells.
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
6. Hyperbole
These are one of the most common figures of speech in English, and you
must have used them at least once, even if you are not a native English
language speaker.
These phrases are meant to emphasize the importance of something by using
overexaggerated phrases.
Two examples of hyperbole figures of speech are-

I have told you a million times not to touch my stuff!

He has a pea-sized brain.
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
7. Euphemism
Euphemisms are figures of speech that are used to replace stronger and
harsher phrases.
These are generally milder or more acceptable terms that you can use in
your conversations to sound more polite and sometimes, politically correct.
For example-

She has “passed away”, instead of “died.”

The company has “let him go,” instead of “fired him.”
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
8. Irony
Figures of speech sometimes also express sarcasm.
You can use these phrases to convey a certain meaning by stating the opposite of it.
In common English parlance, such ironic statements or phrases are easily
understood.
However, here are two examples that will make it clearer-

During a thunderstorm, Thomas exclaimed ironically, “What beautiful weather we

are having!”
Gerald proposed a useless idea, to which Thomas responded saying, “That’s genius!”
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
9. Anaphora
This type of figure of speech is characterized by words, phrases, or clauses that repeat in
consecutive sentences.
They are generally used contrastingly in either children’s rhymes or powerful and dramatic
speeches.
For example-

“So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from
the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania…” (From Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech).
“In every cry of every Man, In every infant’s cry of fear, In every voice, in every ban, The
mind-forg’d manacles I hear” (in William Blake’s poem “London”).
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
10. Apostrophe
Apostrophe figures of speech are situations (usually in literary worlds), when
a character, author, or speaker addresses an inanimate object or even a person
that does not really exist in the given scenario.
While you may not find it in common usage, it is definitely an interesting
figure of speech to learn about.
Here are two examples-

Oh, rose, how sweet you smell and how bright you look!
Oh, trees, how majestic you are as you throw down your golden leaves.
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
11. Paradox
Similar to ironies, these figures of speech highlight something by talking about
exactly the opposite of it.
However, a paradox is different because it does not point out the dissimilarity as
obviously as an irony. Let’s look at two paradox figures of speech examples-

“Some of the biggest failures I ever had were successes.” (As said by American
actress Pearl Bailey).
“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” (As said by English
novelist George Orwell).
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
12. Metonymy
Much like synonyms, these figures of speech refer to words that are used in
place of other words (nouns, to be specific).
These replacement words are different from the word replaced but share a
common connection.
Here are two metonymy figure of speech examples-

“The pen is mightier than the sword.” (here, ‘pen’ has replaced ‘the written
word’).
“If you want I can give you a hand.” (here, ‘hand’ has replaced ‘help’).
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
15. Oxymoron
Not to be confused with ironies and paradoxes, this figure of
speech is used to connect two opposite ideas simultaneously. This
means that, in an oxymoron figure of speech, two contrasting ideas
are used within a single sentence to have a jocular effect. For
example-

This is another fine mess you have got us into.

Suddenly the room filled with a deafening silence.
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
16. Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which, most
often, a part of something is used to refer to its
whole.
For example, "The captain commands one
hundred sails" is a synecdoche that uses "sails"
to refer to ships—ships being the thing of which a
sail is a part.
 TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH
EXAMPLES OF SYNECDOCHE
1. "Can I buy you a glass?" refers not to
the glass itself; it is a synecdoche in
which "glass" refers to the drink inside it.
2. "Nice wheels!" A synecdoche in which "wheels" stand in for
the car that they are a part of.
3. "Hurry up, gray beard!" A not very polite synecdoche, in which
an old man's "gray beard" stands in for his whole being.
4. "Denver won 4-2" A whole-to-part synecdoche in which the
name of the entire city of Denver is used to mean one of its sports
teams.
5. "The brains helped me with my homework." A part-to-whole
synecdoche in which smart students are referred to as "brains"—
the brain being, of course, only one part of them.
SUMMATIVE

■Read “Auto Wreck” on pages 15-17

of your CW book.
■Answer DEEPER LOOK numbers
1-7 on page 22.