Introduction
I. What are Figures of Speech?
A figure of speech is a word or phrase using figurative language—language that has other meaning than its normal definition. In other words, figures of speeches rely on implied or suggested meaning, rather than a dictionary definition. We express and develop them through hundreds of different rhetorical techniques, from specific types like metaphors and similes, to more general forms like sarcasm and slang.
III. Types of Figure of Speech
There are countless figures of speech in every language, and they fall into hundreds of categories. Here, though, is a short list of some of the most common types of figure of speech:
A. Metaphor
Many common figures of speech are metaphors. That is, they use words in a manner other than their literal meaning. However, metaphors use figurative language to make comparisons between unrelated things or ideas. The “peak of her career,” for example, is a metaphor, since a career is not a literal mountain with a peak, but the metaphor represents the idea of arriving at the highest point of one’s career.
B. Idiom
An idiom is a common phrase with a figurative meaning. Idioms are different from other figures of speech in that their figurative meanings are mostly known within a particular language, culture, or group of people. In fact, the English language alone has about 25,000 idioms. Some examples include “it’s raining cats and dogs” when it is raining hard, or “break a leg” when wishing someone good luck.
Example
This sentence uses an idiom to make it more interesting:
There’s a supermarket and a pharmacy in the mall, so if we go there, we can kill two birds with one stone.
The idiom is a common way of saying that two tasks can be completed in the same amount of time or same place.
C. Proverb
A proverb is a short, commonplace saying that is universally understood in today’s language and used to express general truths. “Don’t cry over spilt milk” is a popular example. Most proverbs employ metaphors (e.g. the proverb about milk isn’t literally about milk).
Example
This example uses a proverb to emphasize the situation:
I know you think you’re going to sell all of those cookies, but don’t count your chickens before they hatch!
Here, “don’t count your chickens before they hatch” means that you shouldn’t act like something has happened before it actually does.
D. Simile
A simile is a very common figure of speech that uses the words “like” and “as” to compare two things that are not related by definition. For example, “he is as tall as a mountain,” doesn’t mean he was actually 1,000 feet tall, it just means he was really tall.
Example
This example uses a simile for comparison:
The internet is like a window to the world—you can learn about everything online!
The common phrase “window to the world” refers to a hypothetical window that lets you see the whole world from it. So, saying the internet is like a window to the world implies that it lets you see anything and everything.
E. Oxymoron
An oxymoron is when you use two words together that have contradictory meanings. Some common examples include small crowd, definitely possible, old news, little giant, and so on.
F. Metonym
A metonym is a word or phrase that is used to represent something related to bigger meaning. For example, fleets are sometimes described as being “thirty sails strong,” meaning thirty (curiously, this metonym survives in some places, even when the ships in question are not sail-powered!) Similarly, the crew on board those ships may be described as “hands” rather than people.
G. Irony
Irony is when a word or phrase’s literal meaning is the opposite of its figurative meaning. Many times (but not always), irony is expressed with sarcasm (see Related Terms). For example, maybe you eat a really bad cookie, and then say “Wow, that was the best cookie I ever had”—of course, what you really mean is that it’s the worst cookie you ever had, but being ironic actually emphasizes just how bad it was!
H. Personification
Personification is a figure of speech that attributes human characteristics to something that is not human.
I. Paradox
A paradox is a figure of speech that appears to be self-contradictory but actually reveals something truthful.
J. Understatement
Understatement is a figure of speech that invokes less emotion than would be expected in reaction to something. This downplaying of reaction is a surprise for the reader and generally has the effect of showing irony.
K. Hyperbole
Hyperbole is a figure of speech that utilizes extreme exaggeration to emphasize a certain quality or feature.
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that refers to a part of something is substituted to stand in for the whole, or vice versa. For example, the phrase “all hands on deck” is a demand for all of the crew to help, yet the word “hands”—just a part of the crew—stands in for the whole crew.
L. Eponym
An eponym refers to a person or thing after which something else is named.
For example:
- Napoleon is the eponym of the Napoleonic Code.
A person or thing’s name can come to be associated with the name of another character, person, product, object, activity, or even a discovery.
Task
Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt
When you want to practice identifying all the types of figures of speech you have taught your students, set up a scavenger hunt. For this activity, provide resources containing various forms of literature. If you have focused mainly on poetry, use a poetry anthology. On the other hand, most literature textbooks will have a variety of poetry and short stories for this activity.
The next step is to provide a handout with the required types of figurative language students must find. Here is an example.
- Three similes involving animals.
- Two metaphors for happiness.
- Three examples of onomatopoeia
- A hyperbole with a negative connotation.
Create a list with a difficulty level appropriate for your class. Finally, give a time limit, and the hunt is on! You can make this a team activity or an individual one, but whoever finds the most examples wins!
Process
How to Use Figurative Language Effectively
There is no one right way to use figurative language. That said, there are many ways to use figurative language poorly. Bear a few rules in mind when use metaphors, similes, and other literary devices:
- Always know why you are using figurative language. Why say "our love is dead" rather than "I don't love you anymore?" Does the expression sound right in your character's mouth? Does it fit your tone and style? If not, don't use it.
- Choose your figures of speech carefully. Yes, you can write, "her beauty hit me in the eye like a squirt of juice from a grapefruit," but how would such a simile enhance your fiction or expand upon the meaning of your work? Perhaps you have a character with serious communication issues for whom it would be appropriate; otherwise, skip it.
- Use figurative language sparingly. A paragraph that is loaded with similes and metaphors can be dense and difficult to understand. Select the figures of speech that serve your purpose (enhancing mood, meaning, or theme), but don't use figurative language simply because you can.
- If you are using figurative language as dialogue, be sure it is appropriate for that character. Avoid putting flowery phrases into the mouths of characters who speak plainly.
One very good way to explore figurative language is to read it as written by some of the great literary figures. As you pick up a book by Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, or Thomas Wolfe, for instance, use a highlighter to mark how these writers used different forms of figurative language and note how it fits with their writing style as a whole. This technique will help you to understand how and why it is used and learn how to better integrate it into your writing.
Evaluation
Instruction: Identity what type of figures of Speeh. Choose the letter of the correct answer.
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1. She is the apple of my eye.
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A. Simile
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B. Metaphor
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C. Hyperbole
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2. Father Anthony cried a river of tears.
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A. Simile
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B.Personification
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C. Hyperbole
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3. My mother is like a star in the sky.
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A. Simile
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B. Metaphor
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C.Personification
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4. The trees are dancing together with the wind.
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A.Personification
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B. Simile
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C. Metaphor
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5. You are the sunshine of my life.
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A. Metaphor
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B.Personification
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C. Hyperbole
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6. Necessity is the mother of invention.
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A. Eponymy
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B.Personification
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C. Oxymoron
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7. The Titanic was said to be unsinkable but sunk on its very first voyage.
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A. Paradox
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B. Irony
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C.Understatement
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8. He said it was just a small scratch referring to a large dent.
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A.Understatement
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B. Synecdoche
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C. Irony
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Conclusion
Therefore I conclude, the purpose of a figure of speech is to lend texture and color to your writing. (This is itself a figure of speech, since figures of speech don’t actually change the colors or textures on the page!) For instance, metaphors allow you to add key details that make the writing more lively and relatable. Slang and verbal irony, on the other hand, make the writing seem much more informal and youthful (although they can have the opposite effect when misused!) Finally, other figures of speech, like idioms and proverbs, allows a writer to draw on a rich cultural tradition and express complex ideas in a short space.
Credits
Teacher Page
Joh Peter P. Monredondo
BEED-2