Figure of SpeechFigure of Speech

HangYuan ZouHangYuan Zou

IntroductionIntroduction

A A figure of speechfigure of speech is a use of a word that diverges from is a use of a word that diverges from its normal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning its normal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it such as not based on the literal meaning of the words in it such as a metaphor, simile, or personification. Figures of speech a metaphor, simile, or personification. Figures of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. However, clarity may also suffer from their use, as any However, clarity may also suffer from their use, as any figure of speech introduces an ambiguity between literal figure of speech introduces an ambiguity between literal and figurative interpretation. A figure of speech is and figurative interpretation. A figure of speech is sometimes called sometimes called a rhetoric or a locution.a rhetoric or a locution.

CClassical rhetoric detected four fundamental operations lassical rhetoric detected four fundamental operations that can be used to transform a sentence or a larger that can be used to transform a sentence or a larger portion of a text. They are: expansion, abridgement, portion of a text. They are: expansion, abridgement, switching, transferring.switching, transferring.

ExamplesExamples

"It's raining cats and dogs" means it's "It's raining cats and dogs" means it's

raining intensely. raining intensely. "Break a leg" is a saying from theatre "Break a leg" is a saying from theatre

meaning "Good luck." meaning "Good luck."

"Butterflies in your stomach" "Butterflies in your stomach"

figuratively describes nervousness.figuratively describes nervousness.

Categories of figures of Categories of figures of speechspeech

SchemesSchemes are figures of speech that are figures of speech that

change the ordinary or expected change the ordinary or expected

pattern of words. pattern of words. TropesTropes change the general meaning change the general meaning

of words. of words.

SchemesSchemes - - Climax Climax

In rhetoric, a In rhetoric, a climaxclimax is a figure of speech in which is a figure of speech in which words, phrases, or clauses are arranged in order of words, phrases, or clauses are arranged in order of increasing importance. It is sometimes used with increasing importance. It is sometimes used with anadiplosis, which uses the repetition of a word or anadiplosis, which uses the repetition of a word or phrase in successive clauses.phrase in successive clauses.

Examples:Examples: "There are three things that will endure: faith, hope, and "There are three things that will endure: faith, hope, and

love. But the greatest of these is love." love. But the greatest of these is love." "...Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour." "...Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour." William William

ShakespeareShakespeare "...the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit "...the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit

of happiness." of happiness." Martin Luther KingMartin Luther King

SchemesSchemes - - Parallelism Parallelism

ParallelismParallelism means giving two or more parts of the means giving two or more parts of the sentences a similar form so as to give the whole a sentences a similar form so as to give the whole a definite pattern.definite pattern.

ExamplesExamples “ “Veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered).” a Veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered).” a

comment reportedly written by comment reportedly written by Julius CaesarJulius Caesar "The inherent vice of capitalism is the "The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal unequal

sharingsharing of blessing; the inherent virtue of socialism is of blessing; the inherent virtue of socialism is the the equal sharingequal sharing of miseries." of miseries." ChurchillChurchill

"But let judgment run down as waters, and "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." righteousness as a mighty stream." AmosAmos

SchemesSchemes - - Polyptoton Polyptoton

PolyptotonPolyptoton is the stylistic scheme in which is the stylistic scheme in which words derived from the same root are repeatedwords derived from the same root are repeated..

ExamplesExamples "The Greeks are "The Greeks are strongstrong, and , and skillfulskillful to their to their

strengthstrength, , FierceFierce to their to their skillskill, and to their , and to their fiercenessfierceness valiant;" valiant;" William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare

"With eager "With eager feedingfeeding foodfood doth choke the doth choke the feederfeeder." ." William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare

"Thou art of "Thou art of bloodblood, joy not to make things , joy not to make things bleedbleed." ." Sir Philip SidneySir Philip Sidney

SchemesSchemes - - Anadiplosis Anadiplosis

AnadiplosisAnadiplosis is the repetition of the last word of a is the repetition of the last word of a preceding clause. The word is used at the end of a preceding clause. The word is used at the end of a sentence and then used again at the beginning of the sentence and then used again at the beginning of the next sentence.next sentence.

ExamplesExamples "For Lycidas is "For Lycidas is deaddead, , deaddead ere his prime, Young ere his prime, Young

Lycidas and hath not left his peer." Lycidas and hath not left his peer." John MiltonJohn Milton "Fear leads to "Fear leads to anger. Angeranger. Anger leads to leads to hate. Hatehate. Hate

leads to suffering." leads to suffering." YodaYoda "The frog was a "The frog was a prince / The princeprince / The prince was a was a brick / brick /

The brickThe brick was an was an egg / The eggegg / The egg was a bird" was a bird" GenesisGenesis

SchemesSchemes - - Antimetabole Antimetabole

In rhetoric, In rhetoric, antimetaboleantimetabole is the repetition of words in is the repetition of words in

successive clauses, but in transposed grammatical successive clauses, but in transposed grammatical

order. It is similar to chiasmus although chiasmus order. It is similar to chiasmus although chiasmus

does not use repetition of the same words or phrases.does not use repetition of the same words or phrases.

ExamplesExamples

"Eat to live, not live to eat" "Eat to live, not live to eat" Attributed to SocratesAttributed to Socrates

"Live to fly, fly to live" "Live to fly, fly to live" Iron MaidenIron Maiden

"Ask not what "Ask not what your countryyour country can do for can do for youyou; ask what ; ask what

youyou can do for can do for your countryyour country." ." John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy

SchemesSchemes - - IsocolonIsocolon

IsocolonIsocolon is a figure of speech in which is a figure of speech in which

parallelism is reinforced by members that are of parallelism is reinforced by members that are of

the same length.the same length.

ExamplesExamples

"Let each man search his conscience and search "Let each man search his conscience and search

his speeches." his speeches." Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill

"I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French "I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French

to men, and German to my horse." to men, and German to my horse." Charles VCharles V

"Many will enter. Few will win" "Many will enter. Few will win" NabiscoNabisco

TropesTropes - - AntanaclasisAntanaclasis

In rhetoric, In rhetoric, antanaclasisantanaclasis is the stylistic trope of is the stylistic trope of repeating a single word, but with a different meaning repeating a single word, but with a different meaning each time. Antanaclasis is a common type of pun, and each time. Antanaclasis is a common type of pun, and like other kinds of pun, it is often found in slogans.like other kinds of pun, it is often found in slogans.

ExamplesExamples "We must all "We must all hanghang together, or assuredly we shall all together, or assuredly we shall all

hanghang separately." separately." Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin "If you aren't "If you aren't firedfired (up) with enthusiasm, you will be (up) with enthusiasm, you will be

firedfired, with enthusiasm." , with enthusiasm." Vince LombardiVince Lombardi "The "The longlong cigarette that's cigarette that's longlong on flavor." on flavor." from an from an

advertisement for Pall Mall cigarettesadvertisement for Pall Mall cigarettes

TropesTropes - - SimileSimile

A A similesimile is a figure of speech that indirectly compares is a figure of speech that indirectly compares two different things by employing the words "like", two different things by employing the words "like", "as", or "than". Even though similes and metaphors are "as", or "than". Even though similes and metaphors are both forms of comparison, similes indirectly compare both forms of comparison, similes indirectly compare the two ideas and allow them to remain distinct in spite the two ideas and allow them to remain distinct in spite of their similarities, whereas metaphors compare two of their similarities, whereas metaphors compare two things directly. A mnemonic for a simile is that "a simile things directly. A mnemonic for a simile is that "a simile is similar or alike.is similar or alike.” ” Similes have been widely used in Similes have been widely used in literature for their expressiveness as a figure of speech:literature for their expressiveness as a figure of speech:

Curley was flopping like a fish on a line.Curley was flopping like a fish on a line. He was as brave as a lion in the fight.He was as brave as a lion in the fight.

She swims like a dolphin.She swims like a dolphin.

ConclusionConclusion

Figures of speech are ways of using Figures of speech are ways of using

words and phrases to add words and phrases to add interest and interest and

''colorcolor'' to what you are saying or to what you are saying or

writing. They writing. They varyvary in different in different

countries and regions. countries and regions. Sometimes a Sometimes a

figure of speech doesn’t translate figure of speech doesn’t translate

literal, so we need to pay attention in literal, so we need to pay attention in

our translation.our translation.

Reference Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_of_speechFigure_of_speech

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