Figures of Speech II

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In today’s class, we will be talking more about figures of speech. Enjoy the class!

Types

Metaphor:

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes a subject by asserting that it is, on some point of comparison, the same as another otherwise unrelated object. Metaphor is a type of analogy and is closely related to other rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via association, comparison or resemblance including allegory, hyperbole and simile. An example of this is “The world is a stage”. Here, the world is compared to the stage where things are acted on.
Simile:

It is a figure of speech that expresses comparison or likeness that directly compares two objects through some connective word such as like, as, so, than, or a verb such as resembles. Although similes and metaphors are generally seen as interchangeable, similes acknowledge the imperfections and limitations of the comparative relationship to a greater extent than metaphors. Similes also hedge/protect the author against outrageous, incomplete, or unfair comparison. Generally, metaphor is the stronger and more encompassing of the two forms of rhetorical analogies. An example is “John is as meek as a sheep”. In this example, John is said to have the quality of a sheep, which is meek.
Assonance:

This is the repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming within phrases or sentences, and together with alliteration and consonance serve as one of the building blocks of verse. Assonance is a rhyme, the identity of which depends merely on the vowel sounds. Thus, assonance is merely a syllabic resemblance. Assonance is found more often in verse than in prose. It is used in mainly modern English language poetry and is particularly important in Old French, Spanish and the Celtic languages. An example of assonance is: “Men sell the wedding bells”. In this example, observe that the vowel sound “e” is seen to be repeated in each word that makes up this line in the poem.
Consonance:

This is the repetition of a consonant sound and is typically used to refer to the repetition of sounds at the end of the word, but also refers to repeated sounds in the middle of a word. Example of this is seen in: “Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter”. The repetitions of the “t” and “r” consonant sounds are what is called consonance.
Pun:

This is also called paronomasia. It is a form of wordplay or play on word that suggests two or more meanings, by exploring multiple meaning of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophonic, homographic, metonymic, or metaphorical language. A pun differs from a malapropism in that a malapropism uses an incorrect expression that alludes to another (usually correct) expression, but a pun uses a correct expression that alludes to another (sometimes correct but more often absurdly humorous) expression. Henri Bergson defined a pun as a sentence or utterance in which “the same sentence appears to offer two independent meanings, but it is only an appearance, in reality, there are two different sentences made up of different words, but claiming to be the same because both have the same sound”. Puns may be regarded as in-jokes or idiomatic constructions, given that their usage and meaning are entirely local to a particular language and its culture. An example is seen in Oscar Wilde’s play titled The Importance of Being Earnest, where a character, Jack says: “I always told you, Gwendolen, my name was Ernest, didn’t I? Well, it is Ernest after all. I mean it naturally is Ernest”.
Rhetorical Question:

This is a figure of speech in the form of a question that is asked to make a point. The question, a rhetorical device, is posed not to elicit a specific answer, but rather to encourage the listener to consider a message or viewpoint. Though classically stated as a proper question, such a device may be posed declaratively by implying a question, and therefore may not always require a direct answer. In many cases, it may be intended to start a discussion or at least draw an acknowledgement that the listener understands the intended message. An example of this is: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet!”
Antithesis:

This is used when two opposites are introduced in the same sentence, for contrasting effect. Examples of this include: “Man proposes, God disposes”; “Speech is silver, but silence is golden”; “Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing”; “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice”.
Metonymy:

This is a figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated (such as “crown” for “royalty”). Metonymy is also the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by referring to things around it, as in describing someone’s clothing to characterize the individual. An example is: “The pen is mightier than the sword”. Here, pen refers to written words, and sword refers to military force.
Epigram:

An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. It is a short witty saying of proverbial wisdom. An example is: “I can resist everything but temptation”. Oscar Wilde uses this remarkably witty epigram in one of his works. The temptation is by definition, something we attempt to resist. By saying he can resist everything but temptation, the speaker is also saying he can resist nothing.
Malapropism:

It is also known as dogberryism or malaprop. This is the use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical, sometimes humorous utterance. An example is: “Texas has a lot of electrical votes”, rather than “electoral votes”. Another example is: “The doctor administered the anecdote”, rather than “antidote”.
Anaphora:

This is the deliberate repetition of a certain word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines of writing or speech. It can be used in novels and short stories, but it is commonly seen in poetry, essays and formal speeches. It appeals to the feelings, or pathos of your audience. It makes the reader or listener start to anticipate the next line, and therefore draw them into the words through a sense of participation. Thus, they are more receptive to the emotional resonance you are trying to get across. Also, feelings such as anger, fear, solidarity, or even nostalgia are evoked when anaphora is used. Martin Luther King Junior’s speech titled “I Have a Dream” is seen to employ this figure of speech:

“Now is the time to make real promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”

Observe that at each successive sentence beginning of Martin Luther King Junior’s speech which is underlined as seen above, he repeats certain phrases in his speech. This, in view, is an anaphora.

In our next class, we will be talking about the Old Man and the Sea Port (Plot Overview). We hope you enjoyed the class.

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Figures of Speech II