by A figure of speech is an expression that is usually used in literary work. And generally do not use it in everyday, ordinary language. Usually, the writers use the figures of speech for producing greater effects and providing aesthetic pleasure. The following are the major figures of speech that we use commonly used in literary work.
- simile
- metaphor
- synecdoche
- metonymy.
- personification
SIMILE
A simile is an expression that we use to make a comparison between two things. In other words, it is a figure of speech that we use to compare one thing with another. and use such words as like and as. Simile helps us to make our description more clear and more vivid. It is a direct comparison of two objects which are unlike each other by using ‘like’ and ‘as’
For example
When the white feet of the baby beat across the grass, The little white feet nod like white flowers in the wind.
METAPHOR
Metaphors are a form of figurative language, which refers to words or expressions that mean something different from their literal definition. It is a form of expression in which a quality or characteristic is given to a person or thing by using a name, image, adjective, etc normally used for something else which has similar qualities, etc
Example:- The river snakes its way through the mountains
I could eat a horse: I am very hungry.
She is an open book: she has nothing to hide.
Metaphors can be divided into different types:
Extended Metaphor.
An extended metaphor is a metaphor in which the writer uses different interrelated metaphors within a sentence paragraph, passage, or an entire literary work.
For Example:- “Life is a highway that takes us through green pastures, vast deserts, and rocky mountains. Sometimes your car breaks down or you run out of gas, and sometimes you get lost. Friends are the roadmaps that help you get where you’re going.” Here he uses different metaphors to describe human life.
Extended metaphors are often easier to recognize because they continue over a longer stretch of writing.
Mixed Metaphor
Occasionally a writer combines two metaphors that do not normally go together. A mixed metaphor is a figure of speech in which the speaker or writer combines two different metaphors that are incompatible. This is called a mixed metaphor.
Example:- We were flying through a sea of success.
“When 1 graduate, I hope to become a well-oiled cog in the beehive of industry”
Here a “well-oiled cog”, which is associated with machinery, does not go with ‘beehive’.
SYNECDOCHE
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part of an object refers to the whole, or the whole to a part.
Has Mike got wheels? (meaning a car, a motorcycle, or a bicycle)
Look at that skirt! (meaning a woman)
METONYMY
Metonymy is a figure of speech in which the name of an attribute or adjunct is substituted for that of the thing meant. In other words, it is a literary device in which the name of an object or concept is replaced with a word closely related to or suggested by the original, such as “crown” to mean “king” The following are examples of Metonymy.
They enjoy reading Shakespeare. (his plays)
A minister of the Crown. (the King)
Please clean the brass. (things made of brass)
My friend plays Beethoven beautifully. (his music)
PERSONIFICATION
Personification is a literary device that gives human characteristics, powers, or feelings to inanimate (non-living) objects or abstract qualities. Nonhuman things can be animals, objects, or even a concept.
For example: “The sun smiled down on us.”
“My phone is not cooperating with me today”
These are some of the important figures of speech that are commonly used in literary works. Writers use this literary device to beautify their works. Apart from this it also has to perform an aesthetic function as well
