©Carla Gonourie-Thomas

Literary Uses of Language / Figures of Speech / Figurative Language

1. A simile is a comparison between two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

The appropriateness or effectiveness of the simile:

 Is it striking, vivid, original or interesting?

 Does it make the meaning clearer?
 Does it provide enjoyment?
 Does it appeal to feeling as well as thought?
 Does it add to the meaning of the poem or passage?
 Does it stimulate the reader’s imagination?
 Does it appeal to the senses – sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell?

Examples:

(a) The young moon shining low in the West, was like a slender shaving thrown up from a bar of
gold.

The moon is compared to a slender shaving thrown up from a bar of gold. The comparison is
appropriate and effective because the moon is not intensely bright because it is still young. The
color of the moon is similar to that of gold. Also the shape of the moon is similar to that of a
shaving from a bar of gold. The simile is both original and interesting.

(b) Words are like towering waves.

(c) Words are like lightning strokes.

(d) Far off like floating seeds,

The ships diverge on urgent voluntary errands

The ships are compared to floating seeds. The comparison is appropriate because it appeals to
the visual imagination and it suggests the smallness of the ships as they are seen from afar on a
vast ocean. The simile is striking and vivid.

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2. Metaphor compares two different things without the use of ‘like’ or ‘as’. It is a direct
comparison where one thing is said to be another.

The appropriateness or effectiveness of the metaphor:

 Is it striking, vivid, original or interesting?

 Does it make the meaning clearer?
 Does it provide enjoyment?
 Does it appeal to feeling as well as thought?
 Does it add to the meaning of the poem or passage?
 Does it stimulate the reader’s imagination?
 Does it appeal to the senses – sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell?

Examples:

(a) The sun, a barefoot boy, strides briskly up

The curved beach of the sky.

The sun is compared to a barefoot boy walking swiftly across the sky and spreading its glow and
its warmth in all directions. The metaphor is both striking and vivid.

(b) Darkness covered her soul when she heard the news.

Darkness refers to her sadness on hearing some bad news. The metaphor is both original

and striking.

(c) I fall upon the thorns of life; I bleed.

(d) The children wriggled through the thick undergrowth in the forest.

(e) His temper flared when he heard that his house was attacked by bandits.

(f) He wormed his way through the thick vast crowd of people who were gathered for the
celebration.

3. Personification – when inanimate objects (non-human things) are given distinct human

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 qualities such as emotions or actions that humans alone can perform.

The appropriateness or effectiveness of the personification:

 Personification improves the description and gives a much clearer picture of what is
happening.

Examples:

(a) Thunder interrupted her thoughts.

(b) The howling winds answered her cries.

(c) The moon peeped from behind the clouds.

(d) The strong winds shook the flag angrily.

4. Onomatopoeia is the use of words which directly imitate sounds. The sound is an echo to the
sense or meaning of the word.

The appropriateness or effectiveness of the onomatopoeia:

 It is used to create atmosphere as well as dramatic effect.

Examples:

(a) I heard the water trickling down the stream.

(b) The storm roared on its destructive path.

(c) The waves crashed against the rocks all day.

5. Alliteration - a succession of similar consonant sounds at short intervals.

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The appropriateness or effectiveness of the alliteration:

 It is used to gain emphasis and as an aid to memory.

 In poetry, it is a technique used to create musical sounds and to enact meaning.

Examples:

(a) She sells seashells by the seashore.

(b) Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

6. Assonance – the repetition of similar vowel sounds.

Appropriateness or effectiveness of the assonance:

 It is used for stylistic effect.

Example

(a) Our echoes roll from soul to soul.

7. Rhythm refers to the movement of lines in a poem. It is achieved by the regular or recurrent
pattern of emphasized sounds. It contributes to variety of movement and the enactment of
meaning.

8. Repetition – reinforces or strengthens or intensifies the action, mood or feeling. It shows

continuity of action. It sometimes expresses urgency.

Example:

‘Put it out,’ shouted Graham. ‘Put it out’.

9. Climax – when the ideas in sentences are so arranged that there is a gradual buildup to a
mounting emphasis, with the highest point coming at the end.

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Examples:

(a) The leaves brushed him down almost delicately. The small branches encaged him. And then
the tree and the whole hill crushed him together.

Note the gradual buildup to the final moment. This is achieved by the movement from the
image of leaves to branches and then to the tree and the whole hill. The verbs increase in
intensity from brushed to encaged and finally crushed.

10. Irony is when something is stated but the opposite is meant.

Examples:

(a) Why do they need education? It would only make unfit for living?

(b) Deforestation has led to the destruction of the habitat of many birds. Isn’t it a humane act?

11. Sarcasm is when one states something but implies the opposite with the intention of hurting
the person’s feelings.

Examples:

(a) Sharon said to Sheila, “You are so pretty I can’t understand how you can never get a date.”

(b) You didn’t post the letter yesterday. Your memory is getting sharper every day.

12. Exaggeration is a device the writer uses from time to time to stress a point. It is done by
overstating the idea.

Examples:

(a) The bazaar itself was a hive of activity. It was the busiest time of the day.

(b) I paid a fortune for the book!

13. Understatement / Litotes is deliberately understating a point to make something out to be

less important than it really is.

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Examples:

(a) We have spent a few dollars in building the airport for everyone’s use.

(b) Hitler was a bad man. (He was abominable).

(c) This week’s lotto is a small matter of 15 million.

14. Hyperbole is when the exaggeration is overdone to achieve emphasis.

Example:

(a) As I looked through the window I saw ten thousand stars peeping at me.

15. Rhetorical Question question for which the answer is understood.

Example:

(a) Should we buy a new car even though we can’t afford to put gas.

16. Paradox is a statement which seems to contradict (in conflict with) itself but one which
makes sense.

Examples:

(a) The more we learn, the less we know.

(b) The chain is as strong as its weakest link.

(c) A favorite has no friend.

17. Pun – a play on words that are either identical in sound or similar in sound but diverse in
meaning. They are used for serious as well as comic purposes.

Example:

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While walking through a cemetery, a boy turned to his friend and said, “We must take a grave
decision to turn back or to press on.

18. Euphemism – a polite or soft way of expressing a painful truth.

Examples:

(a) The man passed away. (He died).

(b) He is no more. (He died).

(c) He is an environmental engineer. (garbage collector).

19. Innuendo is an indirect statement aimed at alerting people to some important point.

Example:

There is a certain politician who seems to be putting his own pocket before taxpayers.

20. Oxymoron is two contradictory terms brought together.

(a) bitter-sweet (b) deafening silence (c) wise-fool (d) sweet-sorrow.

(e) Parting is such sweet sorrow.

(f) Marriage is joyful trouble.

21. Antithesis – when two contrasting words, phrases, sentences or ideas are balanced.

Examples:

(a) It was the spring of hope; it was the winter of despair.

(b) The evil men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.

22. Mood is the atmosphere created by a writer. The following words are used to describe
mood.

Reflective (given to mediate) violent

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Sentimental (affected by emotion) apprehensive (uneasy)

Nostalgic (homesick) tranquil

Tragic vibrant

Buoyant (cheerful, lighthearted) blissful

Comic ecstatic (joyful)

Melancholic (sad) hostile

Grave (serious) pensive (deep in thought)

23. Tone is the writer’s attitude towards his subject. The writer’s tone is created by the use of
language – style of address, word choice, point of view. Tone can be described with these
words:

Formal – informal

Neutral – biased

Authoritarian – persuasive

Indignant (angry) – benign (kind)

Agreeable – disagreeable

Sarcastic – gentle

Humorous – serious

Enthusiastic – dispassionate

Hostile – encouraging

Impatience, anxiety, anger, surprise, reassurance, irritation, apologetic, disappointment,

pleasure, fear, cynical (one who has little faith in human sincerity or goodness)