Figure of Speech II

 A figure of speech is a creative use of language to generate an effect. Some figures of speech, like metaphor, simile, and metonymy, are found in everyday language. Below are some common figures of speech with examples, so you can recognize them and use them in your writing.

Metaphor

A metaphor is the direct comparison of dissimilar things to create more vivid imagery or understanding.

Example: He was a lion.

Simile

A simile compares two dissimilar things using “like” or “as.” The goal of simile is to give the reader a more vivid understanding of something.

Example: It was the first real day of summer, and by the time she came back indoors, she was as red as a tomato.

Personification

Personification is assigning human attributes to nonhuman things.

Example: The floorboards groaned under the weight of each step.

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a phrase that uses two contradictory words to create a new meaning.

Example: That strawberry cake was awfully good.

Irony

Irony is a situation that subverts a reader’s expectations.

Example: One of the characters in your story is a hypochondriac, always convinced that they have an exotic and uncurable disease. An ironic ending for that character would be if they died of a common cold.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a deliberate exaggeration that adds emphasis, urgency, or excitement to a statement.

Example: If I don’t eat soon, I’m going to die of hunger.

Epigram

An epigram is a clever and memorable statement. You will find epigrams in speeches, poetry, and at the front of a book.

Example: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

A Tale of Two Cities

3 Apostrophe

Apostrophe as a figure of speech is when a character addresses someone or something that isn’t present or cannot respond. The character might speak to someone deceased, an inanimate object, or a concept.

Example: “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” —William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repeating of consonant sounds right next to each other, which creates a memorable or melodic effect.

Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

Irony

Irony is a situation that subverts a reader’s expectations.

Example: One of the characters in your story is a hypochondriac, always convinced that they have an exotic and uncurable disease. An ironic ending for that character would be if they died of a common cold.