Figures of Speech Part 1
1. Alliteration
Two or more words begin with the same letter or syllable
It is the repetition of the same sound or syllable at the beginning of two or more words in a sentence
Examples
1. How high his honour holds his haughty head!
2. This miss is Sister Kissler.
3. Potatoes, peas and pumpkin are green grocer’s goods.
4. The boy buzzed around as busy as a bee.
5. Go and gather the green leaves on the grass.
2. Antithesis
Two contrasting words or sentiments put together in the same sentence.
Sometimes parallel structure of grammar is used.
The ideas are emphasized here and contrasting ideas brought together.
Examples
1. Speech is silver, but silence is gold.
2. Man proposes, God disposes.
3. Love is an ideal thing, marriage is a real thing.
4. That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
5. To err is human, to forgive is divine.
6. Patience is bitter, but it has a sweet fruit.
7. Many are called, but few are chosen.
8. You are easy on the eyes, but hard on the heart.
9. Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.” (A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens)
3. Irony
Real meaning is different from the message which is literally conveyed.
Meaning opposite to the clear meaning.
What is written is different from what is expected
Examples
1. Telling a quiet group, “don’t everybody speak all at once”
2. Coming home to a big mess and saying, “it’s great to be back”
3. Telling a rude customer to “have a nice day”
4. Walking into an empty theater and asking, “it’s too crowded”
5. Stating during a thunderstorm, “beautiful weather we’re having”
6. Winner of a spelling bee failing a spelling test.
7. Marriage counselor divorcing third wife.
8. A dentist needing a root canal.
9. A T-Shirt with a “Buy Indian” logo that is made in China.
It is reported that Lady Nancy Astor once said to Winston Churchill that if he were her husband, she would poison his tea. In response, Churchill allegedly said, “Madam, if I were your husband, I’d drink it.”
4. Hyperbole
Exaggeration in meaning.
In this, we describe a thing or person beyond the proper limit.
Examples
1. Your skin is softer than silk.
2. I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
3. My brother is stronger than iron.
4. That man is as tall as a house.
5. Your brain is the size of a pea.
6. She is heavy as an elephant.
7. My grandmother is as old as the hills.
8. I am dying of shame.
9. I had to wait in the station for ten days – an eternity.
10. Rivers of blood flowed on the battlefield.
11. He can devour mountains of food, and drink rivers of whisky.
12. Belinda smiled and all the world was gay.
13. O Hamlet! Thou has cleft my heart in twain.
5. Metonymy
A word is used for concept. Signifying the name of some person or thing for another man or thing.
Metaphor and Metonymy :- Metaphor is related to similarity by substituting a concept with another. Whereas Metonymy selects a related term and makes an association between two concepts.
Examples
1. The pen is mightier than the sword.
2. The dish is delicious.
3. My dear, you have all of my heart.
4. The White House will be making an announcement around noon today.
5. Scepter and crown must tumble down.
6. Lend me your ear.
6. Simile
Comparing two dissimilar objects with one another through the use of ‘like’ or ‘as’
Examples
1. Her hair, like golden threads, played with her breath.
2. You, just like heaven.
3. Life is like writing with a pen. You can cross out your past but you cannot erase it.
4. His nature is sweet as sugar.
7. Metaphor
In Simile, words ‘like’ or ‘as’ are used, while in Metaphor, a direct comparison is made without using such words.
Examples
1. She is a shining star.
2. The snow is a white blanket.
3. The calm lake was a mirror.
4. Tom’s eyes were ice as he stared at her.
5. All the world’s a stage.
6. She was a wildfire of rage.
8. Onomatopoeia
A word which is used to imitate natural sounds of a thing.
Animals’ sounds are also included in it.
Water sounds, Vocal sounds (murmur, chatter, grunt), Collision sounds (clap, click, ding, jingle), Air sounds (flutter, swoosh, whisper)
Examples
1. The buzzing bee flew away.
2. He looked at the roaring.
3. Guns thundered.
4. I chatter-chatter as I flow.
9. Pun
Words with same pronunciation but with different meanings. (like homophones)
It is also called as playing with words that sound similar. It is aimed at making the readers laugh by creating a jokey tone.
Examples
1. Is life worth living? That depends upon the liver.
2. An ambassador is a man who lies abroad for the good of his country.
3. If you stand by the window, I’ll help you out.
4. Her cat is near the computer to keep an eye on the mouse.
10. Personification
Lifeless objects or abstract things as written or said as they are living.
Life in nonhuman things, motion within inanimate objects, animals and abstract ideas.
Examples
1. Opportunity knocks at the door but once.
2. Death lays his icy hands on Kings.
3. A lie has no legs.
4. Lightning danced across the sky.
5. Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name.
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