FIGURES OF SPEECH

KAAARINA ESTHER MWENENI MUULE

 SIMILE
❖ Compares two essentially ➢ Slept like a log.
dissimilar things using the ➢ Fits like a glove:
words “like” or “as.” ➢ Cool as a cucumber
➢ Light as a feather
➢ Works like a charm
➢ Old as the hills
➢ “Love is like war: easy to begin
but very hard to stop.” – H.L.
Mencken
 METAPHOR
❖ Directly compares two ➢ “My mom has a heart of gold.
unrelated things, suggesting ➢ “My friend’s sister, Sharon, is
that they are alike in some a night owl
way.
➢ “My hands were icicles
because of the cold weather
➢ “You just have to consider the
world a stage and act
accordingly.”
 METAPHOR

➢ “Julia has a stone heart.”

➢ “There is a weight on my
shoulder
➢ “Time is money.”
➢ “No man is an island.”
 PERSONIFICATION
❖ A figurative language ➢ “She sat down at the tired, overworked
desk.”
technique where non-human
➢ “Coming home from the lake empty-handed,
things are given human I figured the fish colluded to avoid me.”
qualities or attributes.
➢ “The perfectly sun-kissed strawberries were
calling my name, so I bought them to go with
dessert.”
➢ “More birds joined the chorus, turning the
sparrow’s solo into an ensemble performance.”
 HYPERBOLE
❖ Involves deliberate ➢ “I’m so hungry that I could eat
exaggeration to create a a horse.”
heightened effect. ➢ “That purse looks like it cost a
million dollars.”
➢ “I Love You to the moon and
back.”
➢ “He feels buried under a
mountain of work.”
 HYPERBOLE

➢ “I’m dying of thirst.”

➢ “That dog is the cutest thing alive.”
➢ “He heard an ear-splitting shriek.”
➢ “This room is so cold that I’m getting
hypothermia.”
 ONOMATOPOEIA
❖ words that imitate or ➢ Buzz: The buzzing bee flew away.
resemble the sounds ➢ Splash: The sack fell into the river
they represent. with a splash.
➢ Thump: The books fell on the
table with a loud thump.
➢ Roaring: He looked at the roaring
lion.
➢ Rustling: The rustling leaves kept
me awake.
 ONOMATOPOEIA

Additionally, sounds made by animals are also

considered
examples of onomatopoeia:
➢ Meow (cat)
➢ Moo (cow)
➢ Neigh (horse)
➢ Tweet (bird)
➢ Oink (pig)
 ALLITERATION
❖ Repetition of initial ➢ “Peter Piper picked a peck of
consonant sounds in a group pickled peppers.”
of words. ➢ “She sells seashells by the
seashore.”
➢ “The lazy lion licked his lips.”
➢ “Crazy cats create chaos.”
➢ “Whisper words of wisdom,
let it be.”
 ALLITERATION

• ➢ Wonder Woman
• ➢ Peter Pan
• ➢ Donald Duck
• ➢ Mickey Mouse
 ASSONANCE
❖ Repetition of similar vowel ➢ “Who gave Newt and Scooter the blue tuna?
It was too soon!”
sounds.
○ In this playful example, the repeated “oo”
❖ Assonance appears not only sound creates an assonant effect. The words
in poetry but also in prose, song don’t necessarily rhyme, but their vowel sounds
echo
lyrics, and everyday speech.
each other.
❖ It adds a melodic quality, ➢ Where the chalk wall falls to the foam and its
emphasizes certain words, and tall ledges.” The repetition of the “o” sound in
contributes to the overall “small,” “chalk,” “falls,” and “foam” adds a
musical quality and emphasizes the imagery of
artistic effect of language. the landscape.
 ASSONANCE

Famous Examples of Assonance:

○ “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I
pondered, weak and weary.” (From Edgar Allan
Poe's “The Raven'')
○ “I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like
them Sam I Am.” (Dr. Seuss, “Green Eggs and
Ham'')
○ “Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.”
(English language tongue-twister)
 OXYMORON
❖ Pairs two words together, ➢ Original Copy
even though they are ➢ Friendly Fight
opposing or contradictory.
➢ Silent Scream
➢ Terribly Good.
➢ Wise Fool
➢ Bitter Sweet
 IRONY
❖ Reveals a disparity ➢ Verbal Irony:

between what appears to be ○ In verbal irony, the literal meaning of

words is different from their intended
true and what actually is. meaning. Here are some examples:
❖ irony creates tension ■ Someone has a painful dental visit
and says, “Well, that was pleasant.”
between appearance and
■ Coming home to a messy room and
reality, making literature exclaiming, “It’s great to be back!”
richer and more thought- ■ During a thunderstorm, saying,
provoking! “Beautiful weather we’re having.”
 IRONY

➢ Dramatic Irony:
○ Dramatic irony occurs when the
audience
knows something that a character
doesn’t.
Examples include:
■ Watching a movie where the
audience
knows what’s behind a door, but the
character remains clueless.
■ In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus searches
 IRONY
➢ Situational Irony:
○ Situational irony involves unexpected or
paradoxical turns of events. Examples include:
■ In “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, a
couple sacrifices their prized
possessions to buy gifts for each other,
only to receive gifts meant for what they
sold.
■ A fire station burning down or a spelling
bee champion failing a spelling test.
 IRONY

➢ Irony in Well-Known Plots:

○ The Wizard of Oz: Characters already possess what they
seek from the wizard.
○ Time Enough at Last (from “The Twilight Zone”): A man
survives an apocalypse but breaks his reading glasses.
○ Harry Potter: Professor Snape dislikes Harry due to his
fame, not realizing he contributed to that fame.
 ALLUSION
❖ Allows writers to reference ➢ Everyday Speech Allusions:
other people, places, events, or ○ People often make allusions in
works of literature within their everyday conversation, sometimes
own writing. By doing so, they without realizing it. These references
compress layers of meaning often come from popular culture,
movies, books, music, and more. Here
and significance into a single are some common examples:
word or phrase
■ “His smile is like kryptonite to me.”
(Superman’s weakness)
 ALLUSION

■ “She felt like she had a golden ticket.” (From Charlie

and the Chocolate
Factory)
■ “That guy is young, scrappy, and hungry.” (A nod to
Hamilton)
■ “I wish I could just click my heels.” (A reference to
The Wizard of Oz)
■ “If I’m not home by midnight, my car might turn into
a pumpkin.” (A touch of Cinderella)
 ALLUSION

■ “She smiles like a Cheshire cat.” (Straight out of Alice in

Wonderland)
■ “His job is like pulling a sword out of a stone.” (A nod to
the King Arthur Legend)
■ “Is there an Einstein in your physics class?” (Referring
to Albert Einstein)
■ “My math teacher is he who must not be named.” (A
playful allusion to Voldemort from the Harry Potter series)
■ “I want to sound like Queen B.” (Channeling Beyoncé)
■ “Today might be the Ides of March.” (A Shakespearean
reference from Julius Caesar)
 ALLUSION
■ “Now might be a good time to sit in my thinking chair.”
(Remember Blue’s Clues?)
■ “I have a caped crusader costume.” (Batman, anyone?)
■ “Does it count if we were on a break?” (Friends fans, unite!)
■ “I’m listening to the king.” (Elvis Presley’s royal status)
➢ Classical Mythology Allusions:
○ Writers often draw from Greek and Roman mythology to create
context. Readers are familiar with these myths, making them
effective allusion sources. Here are some examples:
■ Achilles’ heel: Referring to the one
weakness of Achilles.
■ Arrow of love: An allusion to Cupid, the
god of love.
 ALLUSION
➢ Biblical Allusions:
○ The Bible is another rich source for allusions. Here
are some famous examples:
■ Garden: Alluding to the Garden of Eden and
creation.
■ Snake: A reference to the serpent (often
associated with Satan).
■ Flood: Evoking Noah’s Ark and the great flood.
■ Apple/Fruit: Tied to the tree of knowledge and
temptation.
■ Cross: Symbolizing Christ and the crucifixion.
■ Great patience: A nod to the story of Job.