FIGURES OF SPEECH

FIGURES OF SPEECHIT IS A DEPARTURE FROM AN ORDINARY EXPRESSION OR AN ORDINARY FLOW OF IDEAS TO CREATE AN EFFECT

SIMILEA COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO DIFFERING OBJECTS OR ENTITIES , WHICH HAVE A COMMON POINT.

ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE WORDS AS, SUCH AS, LIKE

EXAMPLESTHE RIGHTEOUS SHALL FLOURISH AS THE PALM TREE

AS MAD AS A MARCH HARE

AS BOLD AS BRASS

AS CLEAR AS CRYSTAL

O MY LOVE IS LIKE A RED, RED ROSE THATS NEWLY SPRUNG IN JUNE; O MY LOVES LIKE THE MELODIE THATS SWEETLY PLAYED IN TUNE- Robert Burns

METAPHOR

DIRECT COMPARISON

IMPLIED SIMILE

TAKES THE SIMILARITY FOR GRANTED

LESS USE OF WORDS, MORE EFFECTIVE

SIMILES AND METAPHORS CAN BE INTER-CONVERTED

AVOID MIXING METAPHORS

EXAMPLESLIFE IS A DREAM

THE NEWS WAS A DAGGER TO HIS HEART

REVENGE IS A KIND OF WILD JUSTICE

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

THE WAVES BROKE ON THE SHORE WITH A NOISE LIKE THUNDER/ THE WAVES THUNDERED ON THE SHORE

THE FACE THAT LAUNCHED A THOUSAND SHIPS

PERSONIFICATIONINANIMATE OBJECTS OR ABSTRACT IDEAS ARE SPOKEN OF AS HAVING LIFE AND INTELLIGENCE

APPEARS TO GIVE LIFE OR STRANGE ACTION TO LIFELESS IDEAS OR OBJECTS

EXAMPLES LAUGHTER HOLDING BOTH HIS SIDES

DEATH LAYS HIS ICY HAND ON KINGS

PRIDE GOES FORTH ON HORSEBACK, GRAND AND GAY; BUT COMES BACK ON FOOT AND BEGS ITS WAY.

APOSTROPHE

A DIRECT ADDRESS TO THE DEAD, TO THE ABSENT OR TO A PERSONIFIED IDEA OR OBJECT

SPECIAL FORM OF PERSONIFICATION

EXAMPLES O LIBERTY! WHAT CRIMES HAVE BEEN COMMITTED IN YOUR NAME

O JUDGEMENT ! THOU ART FLED TO BRUTISH BEASTS

MILTON! THOU SHOULDST BE LIVING AT THIS HOUR

O WILDWEST WIND, THOU BREATH OF AUTUMNS BEING

HYPERBOLEEMPHASISING A STATEMENT BY BLOWING IT OUT OF PROPORTION

OFTEN UNBELIEVABLE AND UNREALISTIC BUT VERY DRAMATIC

TEN THOUSAND SAW I AT A GLANCE

EXAMPLES

HERES THE SMELL OF BLOOD STILL; ALL THE PERFUMES OF ARABIA WILL NOT SWEETEN THIS LITTLE HAND

IF THE RIVER WERE DRY, I AM ABLE TO FILL IT WITH TEARS

I LOVED OPHELIA; FORTY THOUSAND BROTHERS COULD NOT WITH ALL THEIR QUANTITY OF LOVE MAKE UP THE SUM

FRIENDS, ROMANS, COUNTRYMEN

ANTITHESISA STRIKING OPPOSITION OR A CONTRAST OF WORDS OR SENTIMENTS

PURPOSE OF EMPHASIS AND DRAMATIC EFFECT

USUALLY USED IN STATEMENT OR A BROAD IDEA

EXAMPLESMAN PROPOSES, GOD DISPOSES

NOT THAT I LOVED CAESAR LESS. BUT THAT I LOVED ROME MORE

TO ERR IS HUMAN, TO FORGIVE DIVINE

GIVE EVERY MAN THY EAR, BUT FEW THY VOICE

SPEECH IS SILVER, SILENCE IS GOLDEN

OXYMORONSPECIAL FORM OF ANTITHESIS

TWO CONTRADICTORY QUALITIES/QUANTITIES PLACED TOGETHER

DIRECT OPPOSITION

EXAMPLES CUNNINGLY SIMPLE

KIND CRUELTY OF THE SURGEONS KNIFE

HIS HONOUR ROOTED IN DISHONOUR STOOD. AND FAITH UNFAITHFUL KEPT HIM FALSELY TRUE

IRONYA SPECIAL USE OF WORDS WHERE THE REAL MEANING IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF THAT WHICH IS WRITTEN OR SAID

USED TO EMPHASISE DRAMA OR HUMOUR

CAN BE CHARACTER, VERBAL, SITUATIONAL IRONY

EXAMPLES

HERE UNDER LEAVE OF BRUTUS AND THE REST (FOR BRUTUS IS AN HONOURABLE MAN: SO ARE THEY ALL, ALL HONOURABLE MEN) COME I TO SPEAK IN CAESARS FUNERAL. HE WAS MY FRIEND, FAITHFUL AND JUST TO ME; BUT BRUTUS SAYS HE WAS AMBITIOUS AND BRUTUS IS AN HONOURABLE MAN.

PUNUSE OF A WORD IN WAY SO THAT IT HAS MORE THAN ONE MEANING

USUALLY USED FOR HUMOROUS EFFECT

EXAMPLESTOMORROW YOU SHALL FIND ME A GRAVE MAN

UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCHREFERS TO PETER

METONYMYGIVING A DIFFERENT NAME TO AN OBJECT.SOMETHING GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH IT

FREQUENTLY USED IN CAPTION, POSTERS, ADVERTISING, LOGO

EXAMPLESTO ADDRESS THE CHAIRFROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE ROOTS TO WINGSTHE KETTLE BOILSTHE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORDWE ARE READING/STUDYING SHAKESPEARE

SYNECHDOCHEEXTENSION OF METONYMYWHEN THE WHOLE INDICATES A PART OR THE PART INDICATES THE WHOLE

EXAMPLESMUDDY TOESBRAIN DRAINGIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREADHE HAS MANY MOUTHS TO FEEDINDIA WON THE MATCH AGAINST PAKISTANUNEASY LIES THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN

TRANSFERRED EPITHETAN EPITHET/ADJECTIVE/ QUALITY IS TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER WORD CLOSELY ASOCIATED WITH IT IN THE SENTENCEI HAD A TERRIBLE DAYA STEAMING CUP OF TEA

EXAMPLESSHE STARED IN WIDE-EYED AMAZEMENTWE KEPT A DISCREET SILENCE AT THE FUNERALSHE RUBBED HER HONEST FOREHEAD AFTER WORKING HARD ALL DAYFIRES ARE OFTEN CAUSED BY A CARELESS CIGARETTE/ CARELESS MATCHREST BESIDE THE WEARY ROAD

RHETORICAL QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS TO WHICH ONE DOES NOT EXPECT ANSWERS OR THE ANSWERS ARE UNIVERSALLY KNOWN.

USED FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT

EXAMPLESAM I MY BROTHERS KEEPER?WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?ROMEO, O ROMEO, WHEREFORE ART THOU ROMEO?IS YOUR SERVANT A DOG THAT HE SHOULD DO SUCH A THING?ARE WE NOT BETTER ARMED THAN OUR FOES?

CLIMAX AND ANTICLIMAXCLIMAX IS THE ARRANGEMENT OF IDEAS (IN DRAMA, THE ARRANGEMENT OF EVENTS AND ACTIONS) IN ORDER OF INCREASING IMPORTANCE

HEIGHTENS THE THRILL

ANITCLIMAX IS TO DESCEND FROM THE HIGHER/LARGER TO THE LOWER

USED OFTEN TO SATIRE/RIDICULE

EXAMPLESWHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS MAN! HOW NOBLE IN REASON, HOW INFINITE IN FACULTIES! IN ACTION, HOW LIKE AN ANGEL! IN APPREHENSION, HOW LIKE A GOD!

TO SEE THE UNIVERSE IN A GRAIN OF SAND

WHO SEES WITH EQUAL EYES, AS GOD OF ALL, A HERO PERISH, OR A SPARROW FALL

ALLITERATIONREPETITION OF A PARTICULAR SOUND TO CREATE THE REQUIRED (OFTEN MUSICAL) EFFECT

VOWELS AND SOFT CONSONANT SOUNDS- F,L,M,N,V,W,Z- PRODUCE A SOOTHING SOUND EFFECT

HARSH CONSONANT SOUNDS-R,T,D,G,B,P,K- PRODUCE WARLIKE/MACHINE LIKE EFFECTS

EXAMPLESTHE FAIR BREEZE BELOW, THE WHITE FOAM FLEW, THE FURROW FOLLOWED FREE..F-SOUND CREATES THE IMPRESSION OF BLOWING WIND

A REELING ROAD, A ROLLING ROAD, THAT RAMBLES ROUND THE SHIRETHE IMPRESSION OF ROLLING CART WHEELS Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said, this butter's bitter; if I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter, but a bit of better butter will make my batter better..."

ONOMATOPOEIATHE SOUND OF A WORD ECHOES THE SENSE OR THE MEANING

ROAR, BANG, CLANG, CRASH, CLAP, BUMP, BUBBLE, FIZZ, HUM, COO, MURMUR, MOAN, SLOSH, PLOP, ZOOM, FIZZLE, SIZZLE, SCREECH, CROAK, PITTER-PATTER, SWISH, TWANG, CLIP-CLOP, RATTLE, RUSTLE, NEIGH, WHINNY (HORSE), TRUMPET (ELEPHANT), CRACKLE, CLUCK (HEN)

REPETITION AND REFRAINFOR MEN MAY COME AND MEN MAY GO BUT I GO ON FOREVER

TWO ROADS DIVERGED IN A YELLOW WOOD

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE BUT NOT A DROP TO DRINK

THE WOODS ARE LOVELY DARK AND DEEP, BUT I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP, AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

IMAGERYTO CREATE A MENTAL IMAGE USING DESCRIPTIVE WORDS

ALL IN A HOT AND COPPER SKY, THE BLOODY SUN AT NOONLike a painted ship on a painted ocean.

EXAMPLESA HOST OF GOLDEN DAFFODILLS BESIDE THE LAKE BENEATH THE TREES FLUTTERING AND DANCING IN THE BREEZE