Figure Of Speech

Definition of Figure of Speech

A figure of speech is a word or phrase that is used in a non-literal way to create an effect. This effect may be rhetorical as in the deliberate arrangement of words to achieve something poetic, or imagery as in the use of language to suggest a visual picture or make an idea more vivid. Overall, figures of speech function as literary devices because of their expressive use of language. Words are used in other ways than their literal meanings or typical manner of application.

The simile in the first two lines sets forth a comparison between the way “you” fits into the poet like a hook and eye closure for perhaps a garment. This is an example of rhetorical effect in that the wording carefully achieves the idea of two things meant to connect to each other. In the second two lines, the wording is clarified by adding “fish” to “hook” and “open” to “eye,” which calls forth an unpleasant and even violent image. The poet’s descriptions of hooks and eyes are not meant literally in the poem. Yet the use of figurative language allows the poet to express two very different meanings and images that enhance the interpretation of the poem through contrast.

●Types of Figures of Speech

The term figure of speech covers a wide range of literary devices, techniques, and other forms of figurative language, a few of which include: 

》Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of neighboring words. Examples include:

▪︎ She sells seashells.

▪︎ Walter wondered where Winnie was

▪︎ Blue baby bonnets bobbed through the bayou.

》Anaphora

Anaphora is a technique where several phrases or verses begin with the same word or words. Examples include:

▪︎ I came, I saw, I conquered. - Julius Caesar

▪︎ Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition! - King John II, William Shakespeare

▪︎ It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. - A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

》Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds (not just letters) in words that are close together. The sounds don't have to be at the beginning of the word. Examples include:

▪︎ A - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore. (Poe)

▪︎ E - Therefore, all seasons shall be sweet to thee. (Coleridge)

▪︎ I - From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. (Frost)

》 Euphemism

Euphemism is a mild, indirect, or vague term that often substitutes a harsh, blunt, or offensive term. Examples include:

■  'A little thin on top' instead of 'going bald.'

■ 'Fell of the back of a truck' instead of 'stolen.'

■ 'Letting you go' instead of 'firing you.'

》Hyperbole

Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Examples include:

▪︎ I've told you to stop a thousand times.

▪︎ That must have cost a billion dollars.

▪︎ I could do this forever.

》Irony

Irony occurs when there's a marked contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between appearance and reality. Examples include:

■ "How nice!" she said, when I told her I had to work all weekend. (Verbal irony)

■ A traffic cop gets suspended for not paying his parking tickets. (Situational irony)

■ The Titanic was said to be unsinkable but sank on its first voyage. (Situational irony)

》Metaphor

A metaphor makes a comparison between two unlike things or ideas. Examples include:

■ Heart of stone

■ Time is money

■ The world is a stage

》Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is the term for a word that sounds like what it is describing. Examples include:

■ Whoosh

■ Splat

■ Buzz

》 Oxymoron

An oxymoron is two contradictory terms used together. Examples include:

■ Peace force

■ Kosher ham

■ Jumbo shrimp

 》Personification

Personification gives human qualities to non-living things or ideas. Examples include:

■The flowers nodded.

■The snowflakes danced.

■The thunder grumbled.

》Simile

A simile is a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as." Examples include:

■As slippery as an eel

■Like peas in a pod

■As blind as a bat

》 Synecdoche

Synecdoche occurs when a part is represented by the whole or, conversely, the whole is represented by the part. Examples include:

■Wheels - a car

■The police - one policeman

■Plastic - credit cards

》 Understatement

An understatement occurs when something is said to make something appear less important or less serious. Examples include:

■ It's just a scratch - referring to a large dent.

■ It's a litttle dry and sandy - referring to the driest desert in the world.

■ The weather is cooler today - referring to sub-zero temperatures.