Figures of speech

What are Figures of speech?

Figures of speech is a figurative language that is a language which is used to draw picture mentally to convey a message or idea much quicker Effective and Vividly

In English there are many figure of speech Out of each we are going to learn When most commonly used figure of speech 

1)   Simile

2)   Metaphor

3)   Personification

4)   Hyperbola

5)   Apostrophe

6)   Oxymoron

7)   Onomatopoeia

What Is a Simile?

A simile is a figure of speech that is mainly used to compare two or more things that possess a similar quality. It uses words such as ‘like’, ‘as’ or ‘so’ to make the comparison.

Examples of Similes for Everyday Use

Similes using ‘as’

As busy as a bee

As innocent as a lamb

As proud as a peacock

As fast as a cheetah

As blind as a bat

As cold as ice

As tall as a giraffe

As sweet as sugar

As cool as a cucumber

As clear as a crystal

Similes using ‘like’

Jumps like a frog

Sings like a cuckoo

Runs like the wind

Runs like a horse

Swim like a fish

Climbs like a monkey

Sleeps like a baby

Slept like a log

Move like a snail

Fit like a glove

Check Your Understanding of Similes

My love is like a red rose.

My brother and I fight like cats and dogs all the time.

My cousin chatters like a monkey.

Kitty is as proud as a peacock.

My father has eyes like a hawk. He finds out even the minutest of things.

Bob is as cunning as a fox.

What Is a Metaphor?

A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison, but in a way different from a simile. It makes the comparison as if it was literally true. In other words, it can be said that a metaphor is an implied comparison.

Metaphor	Simile
It is an implied comparison.	It is a direct comparison.
Does not use any specific words to make a comparison.	Uses words such a ‘like’ or ‘as’ to make a comparison.
For example: Susan was a cheetah in the race today.	For example: Susan ran as fast as a cheetah in the race today.

Examples of Metaphors

Given below are a few examples of metaphors for your reference.

My mom has a heart of gold.

My friend’s sister, Sharon, is a night owl.

My hands were icicles because of the cold weather.

You just have to consider the world a stage and act accordingly.

Dileep has a stone heart.

You have ideas flowing one after the other. Your mind is an ocean.

She was an autumn leaf.

He is a lion when he comes to the field.

Phoebe is a nightingale. Everyone waited eagerly for her to come up on stage.

She is such a firecracker. 

What Is Personification?

Personification is a figure of speech that is used to attribute human characteristics to something that is not human. It can also be used to personify an abstract quality.

Personification Examples

The sun smiled down on us.

” 'The story jumped off the page.” 

“The light danced on the surface of the water.”

That pizza is calling my name,” says the pizza, who cannot speak.The past haunted him like a ghost.

The thunder grumbled in the distance.

The ocean waves whispered secrets to the shore.

 The sun lazily climbed the sky.

The raindrops danced on the windowpane.

The phone buzzed with excitement, delivering good news.

The email sat patiently in the inbox, awaiting attention. 

Hyperbole

It allows writers to exaggerate and amplify writing for greater emphasis. It turns a tasty meal into “the greatest thing you've ever eaten” and a loud clang into “a deafening racket that shook the whole house.”

Here are some examples of hyperbole

There’s enough food on the table to feed an entire army!

I’m so hungry, I could eat an elephant.

It took forever to climb the hill.

My legs felt like jelly after riding the rollercoaster.

These shoes are killing me!

Examples of Hyperbole in Everyday Speech

Take a look at the following list of hyperbolic phrases. How many of them have you heard or used before?

He’s running faster than the wind.

The teacher asked us to be quiet a million times.

It was so cold, even the polar bears were shivering.

This bag weighs a ton.

There were a million questions in the math test today.

That man is as tall as a house.

That trend is as old as the dinosaurs.

This is the worst day of my life.

I’d never do that. Not in a million years!

My dad will kill me when he comes home.

Apostrophe

Apostrophe is a figure of speech that is used to address someone who is absent or already dead. It can also be used to address an abstract quality or idea, and even a non-living object.

Examples of Apostrophe from Literature

Let us take a close look at a few examples of apostrophe from literature to understand how the rhetorical device can be employed.

Example 1:

“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

The above sentence is a line from the soliloquy delivered by Juliet. In the scene, she is found standing on the balcony and thinking about Romeo, who is not there with her at that moment.

Example 2:

“Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;”

The above lines are from the sonnet, ‘Death, be not proud’ by John Donne. He addresses death, an abstract idea, in the sonnet.

Example 3:

“O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,”

The poet, Walt Whitman’s poem, ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ is an elegy written to remember and honour the death of U. S. President Abraham Lincoln. It is also a perfect example of the use of apostrophe.

Examples of Apostrophe from Movies, TV Shows and Nursery Rhymes

Now, have a look at the following examples of the use of apostrophe in nursery rhymes, dialogues from movies and TV shows. .

Example 1:

“I’m sorry, Wilson. Wilson, I’m sorry!”

“Don’t worry Wilson, I’ll do all the padding. You just hold on.”

The above lines are from the movie, ‘Cast Away’. These lines are spoken by the actor Tom Hanks to his volleyball, which, according to him, is an imaginary friend whom he has named Wilson. Since he is speaking to the volleyball, an inanimate object, these lines can be considered an example of apostrophe.

Example 2:

The famous nursery rhyme, ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’, probably the first one all of us have learnt, is a perfect example of apostrophe.

“Twinkle, twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are”

What Is Oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a rhetorical device that uses two opposite or contradictory terms one after the other in order to project an effect. According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, oxymoron is defined as “a phrase that combines two words that seem to be the opposite of each other.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines an oxymoron as “two words or phrases used together that have, or seem to have, opposite meanings.”

Examples of Oxymoron from Literature

Here are a few examples of oxymoron as used in different forms of literature.

“His honour rooted in dishonour stood, And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.” Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King

We can see multiple instances where William Shakespeare uses oxymorons in his famous play, Romeo and Juliet.

“Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

“Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!

O anything, of nothing first create!

O heavy lightness! Serious vanity!

Mis-shalien chaos of well-seeming forms!

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!”

In the poem, Don Juan by Lord Byron, he uses oxymoron to connect the emotions between sadness and happiness.

“With good, and bad, and worse, alike prolific

Of melancholy merriment, to quote

Too much of one sort would be soporific;”

William Butler Yeats uses an oxymoron in his poem, Lapis Lazuli

“One asks for mournful melodies;

Accomplished fingers begin to play.”

John Donne makes use of an oxymoron in his poem, The Ecstasy.

“Our eye-beams twisted, and did thread

Our eyes upon one double string;

So to’intergraft our hands, as yet

Was all the means to make us one,

Some Other Common Examples of Oxymoron for Everyday Use

Here are a few commonly used oxymorons that have been in the English language frequently.

Oxymoron	Sentence Examples
Pretty ugly	I feel these patterns are pretty ugly and not up to the mark.
True fiction	Sam likes reading works of true fiction.
Original copy	They asked us to submit the original copy.
Whole piece	Chester demanded that he wanted the whole piece of cake.
Virtual reality	Technological advancement in the educational department is completely based on virtual reality.
Cruel kindness	Euthanizing their pet dog was considered as an act of cruel kindness.
Small crowd	There was only a small crowd in front of the grocery store.
Sweet sorrow	There is always such sweet sorrow in witnessing each and every farewell function.
Awfully good	The movie seemed to be awfully good.
Open secret	Dharini, moving to France, is an open secret.
Clearly confused	I could see that he was clearly confused because he did not answer my questions satisfactorily.
Organised mess	My work desk is an organised mess.
False truth	This is just the false truth.
Friendly fight	My sister and I had a friendly fight.
Completely unfinished	Santana left the painting completely unfinished.
Painfully beautiful	The process of giving birth is painfully beautiful.
Awfully pretty	Lalu looked awfully pretty at the party today.
Alone together	They seemed to be enjoying each other’s company alone together.
Growing smaller	My brother feels that I am growing smaller every time he comes back after a trip.
Only choice	Taking up this job offer was my only choice.
Working holiday	Tomorrow is a working holiday.
Unbiased opinion	The teacher asked the students for an unbiased opinion.
Walking dead	After an entire day of continuous practice, the participants looked as if they were walking dead.
Foolish wisdom	Everyone was amazed at her foolish wisdom.
Seriously funny	The final dance was seriously funny.

What Is Onomatopoeia?

Onomatopoeia is when a word’s pronunciation imitates its sound.  When you say an onomatopoeic word, the utterance itself is reminiscent of the sound to which the word refers.  Poets use onomatopoeia to access the reader’s auditory sense and create rich sounds capes.  It is one of many poetic devices dealing with the sounds of poetry.  Many people confuse onomatopoeia with interjections; however, they are two different and distinct concepts.  Interjections are one of the eight parts of speech. An interjection is a sudden outburst of emotion or excitement, such as “ouch” or “wow.”  

While some onomatopoeic words may be used as interjections, most interjections do not imitate sounds. Contrarily, onomatopoeic words, such as “buzz” or “boom,” always mimic the noises to which they refer.  

The sheep went, “Baa.”

It is not unusual for a dog to bark when visitors arrive.

Silence your cell phone so that it does not beep during the movie.

The bridge collapsed creating a tremendous boom.

The large dog said, “Bow-wow!”

Both bees and buzzers buzz.

The dishes fell to the floor with a clatter.

If you’re going to cough, please cover your mouth.

The teacher heard the distinct crunch of ruffled potato chips.

Did you forget to flush the toilet?

Deepa gargled the mouthwash.

The snake slithered and hissed.

Someone is knocking on the door.

The race car zoomed past the finish line.