The figures of speech which come under this category are - Metonymy Synecdoche 3. This can sometimes be used to invoke an emotional response to something by making it more personable, friendly and relatable. In the figures of speech based on association, the association between two things is pointed out. 'The tree quaked with fear as the wind approached' is an example 'The sun smiled down on her' is another. Literal language is direct, uses the true definition and meaning of idioms along with words. These are the literal and figurative use of the word. This is a way of giving an inanimate object the qualities of a living thing. 100 figures of speech with examples Language can be used in two ways. It can be used as a method of describing something so that others can understand. Personification: Personification is when you assign the qualities of a person to something that isn't human or, in some cases, to something that isn't even alive.as brave as a lion).The difference between simile and metaphor is that you can obviously see words 'like' in the sentence.įor example, As slippery as an eel, Like peas in a pod, Eats like a pig, As wise as an owl, As blind as a bat. Simile: In this figure of speech, two things are compared that are not really the same, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g.My heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill' from a book by William Sharp is a good example of metaphor. It compares two things that are not alike and finds something about them to make them alike.įor example, in the metaphor, 'Freddie is a pig when he eats,' both Freddie and a pig are sloppy eaters.

Metaphor: A metaphor is a way of describing something by equating it with something else.

If you do not recognize them as figures of speech and think that they are literal, you will find it difficult to understand the language.FREE Live Master Classes by our Star Faculty with 20+ years of experience.Register Now At other times, writers and speakers may invent their own figures of speech. figure of speech, any intentional deviation from literal statement or common usage that emphasizes, clarifies, or embellishes both written and spoken. There are many figures of speech that are commonly used and which you can learn by heart. It is important to recognize the difference between literal and figurative language. In the above example 'like the wind' is a figure of speech (in this case, a simile). Figure of speech definition, any expressive use of language, as a metaphor, simile, personification, or antithesis, in which words are used in other than their literal sense, or in other than their ordinary locutions, in order to suggest a picture or image or for other special effect. Figures of speech list, Hypallage,Metonymy, Hyperbole, Figure of speech Personification, Pathetic Fallacy, vision, Imagination, Association, construction. Figurative language means something different to (and usually more than) what it says on the surface: Is life worth living That depends upon the liver. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard its spots Yes the leopard changes its spots, whenever it goes from one spot to another. Literal language means exactly what it says. The pun consists in a play on the various meanings of a word and is seldom used except for jest:. It makes the reader or listener use their imagination and understand much more than the plain words.įigurative language is the opposite of literal language.

Figurative language is everywhere, from classical works like Shakespeare or the Bible, to everyday speech, pop music and television commercials. We use figures of speech in 'figurative language' to add colour and interest, and to awaken the imagination. A figure of speech is a set arrangement of words that either has a literal meaning, or a meaning that is not literal. Figures have been commonly divided into two great classes Figures. They generally imply some departure from simplicity of expression and exhibit ideas in a manner more vivid and impressive, than could be done by plain language. These pictures help convey the meaning faster and more vividly than words alone. Figures of Speech may be described as that language which is prompted either by the imagination, or by the passions. Figurative language creates pictures in the mind of the reader or listener. Figurative language: One meaning of 'figure' is 'drawing' or 'picture'.