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Figures of Speech
Figure of Speech:
A manner of expressing something that intentionally deviates from the ordinary mode of
speech for the sake of more powerful pleasing or distinctive effect; it is pictorial or poetic
language.
Some important figures of speech are given below:
1-Alliteration:
A figure of speech in which consonants, especially at the beginning of the words, or stressed
syllables, are repeated, for example Five miles meandering (mean distance) with a mazy
motion. Or Betty butter brought some butter. It is an old device which was occasionally used
in prose. It is commonly used in verse. However, alliterative verse becomes increasingly rare at
the end of 15th century.
2-Anthithesis:
A rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are brought together, for example, Crafty
men condemn studies; simple men admire; and wise men use them or Sad happiness or
Gentle thief or honest whore or darkness visible. Pope was an expert in using antithetical
ideas in his work, for example Let wit than mimic, more a wit than wise.
3-Apostrophe:
A figure of speech in which an idea or a dead person is addressed as if present and capable of
understanding, for example, O my goodness, or O judgment, those are fled to brutish
beats.
4-Homeric Simile:
Homeric simile is a long simile that runs long and throughout in a work. It was first time used
by Homer. Thats why, it is called Homeric simile, for example, No pleasant image of trees, of
sea or sky, no colors or green field, but huge and mighty forms that do not live, like a living
men. Or As when a wandering fix------------so glittered the dire snake.
5-Epigram:
A rhetorical device which may be defined as, A short witty statement is called epigram it is
statement that is very pleasing, for example, child is the father of man or Art lies in
concealing art or Ambassador is a person who lives abroad for the his own country.

6-Kenning:
A figure of speech in which a compound word refers to another word, for example, water- red
refers to see and burning-wheel refers to sun. It was an old device which was used to write
poetry before Chaucer.
7-Metphor:
A figurative expression in which one notion is described in terms usually associative with
another or Metaphor is word, a notion, or a thing that is used in place of some other words due
to some similarity or A figure of speech in which two things or ideas are directly compared
due to some similarity for example, Sana is Moon. It is like simile but in metaphor comparison
is usually implicit, where in simile it is explicit.
8-Metonymy:
Metonymy may be defined as, When a part refers to a whole or a whole refers to a part that is
called metonymy. In other words part whole relation is called metonymy. It is a figure of
speech in which, the name of an attribute or a thing is substitutive for the thing itself. This
figure of speech is like synecdoche but in synecdoche a non-living thing refers to living thing but
in metonymy an abstract idea refers to living thing, for example, The crown for monarchy, or
The stage for the theatrical profession or The bench for the judiciary.
8-Synecdoche:
A word or phrase in which a part of something is used to present a whole for example,
Pakistan win by 50 runs in this example the word Pakistan is used to represent the whole
Pakistan team.
9-Oxymoron:
A figure of speech in which tow apparently contradictory ideas are brought together to create a
special effect for example, I like a smuggler. He is the only honest thief, or No light but
rather darkness visible, or Speech is silvery, silence is golden.
10-Pathetic Fallacy:
A figure of speech in which human qualities, feelings and emotion is given to non-living or
inanimate things, for example, All the nature is wept on his death or Flowers are filled with
tears.
11-Personification:
A figure of speech in which human qualities, feelings and emotion is given to non-living or
inanimate things, for example, Death has its icy hands of kings or The pencil is flown out of

my hands. Personification is very similar to the figure of speech pathetic fallacy. The key
difference is that personification is direct and explicit where pathetic fallacy is much broader and
more allusive. Another related figure of speech with personification is apostrophe. The
difference between apostrophe and personification is that in personification you are speaking
about something like Death has its icy hands on kings, where in apostrophe you are speaking
about like O my goodness.
12-Onomatopoeia:
When we use such words which have similarity to its sounds or When the sounds of words
is producing the actual sounds, for example, Door is crackling or Dog is dinging or
Cuckoo is cooing or Cook is cooking.
13-Hyperbole:
A figure of speech in which a writher uses such words which make an emphatic exaggeration
for example, There were millions of people in the theatre or Thousand and thousand brother
cannot love as I live Ophelia.
14-Simile:
A figure of speech in which two things are compared due to some similarity by using the
words like and as is called simile, for example, I wondered as a cloud or She is beautiful
like a Moon or She is innocent like a child or Her eyes is as white as a child. It is equally
common in verse and prose and is a figurative device of great antiquity.
15-Parallelism:
Repetition of a same formal linguistics structure is called parallelism for example, It was the
best of time, it was the worst of time or His honor is rooted in dishonor stood or Heaven of
hell, hell of Heaven.
16-Pun:
A figure of speech in which humors words is used having several meanings like Play upon
the words or Ask for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man or Are you going with
the wise virgin and wake up with the foolish one.