Simile
Simile is a figure of speech in which an explicit comparison is made between
two essentially unlike things.
A simile contains:
a. Tenor,
b. Vehicle
c. Word of simile: like, as
For example, "His teeth are like pearls".
This is an example of simile in which teeth [tenor] are compared with
"pearls"[vehicle] by supplying 'like' as word of simile.
Simile adds beauty in the sentence as well as the object presented.
If the comparison is made with a thing which is not good or lower than normal
level, then it impact is otherwise. It will bring about humour or satire.
Figure of Speech
Figure of speech means an example of saying something and meaning
something else in order to bring about impressive effect. Similes, metaphors, symbols,
metonymy, synecdoche, , apostrophe, oxymoron, and hyperbole are different figures
of speech
Metaphor
Metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is taken for granted as
another thing on the basis of analogy between them.
For example, mothers call their sons as 'moon'. Here they take moon for the
son on the basis of brilliance, coolness, shine, beauty, general appeal and acceptance
of the all..
Symbol
Symbol is a figure of speech in which some thing [object, person, situation or
action] means more than what it is.
There are many kinds of symbols – cultural symbols, social symbols, political
symbols but here we mean literary symbols.
Tower, road, swans are symbols in English literature. The play Rising of the
Moon is symbolic
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Metonymy
Metonymy is figure of speech that compares unlike things in such a way that
one is closely related to the other what is actually meant for.
Example:
Malt does more than Milton can
To justify God's ways to man
Malt means bear or ale of which malt is an ingredient.
Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a figure of speech that compares unlike things in such a way
that part is considered as a whole thing.
For example Shakespeare uses synecdoche when he says that the cuckoo's
song is unpleasing to a "married ear" i.e. married man.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is simply an exaggeration on the basis of some truthful analogy.
For example the flight of eagle 'close to the sun in lonely lands' in Tennyson's
poem "The Eagle" is hyperbolic. It doesn’t look out of place. When we watch the
eagle flying high, it seems close to the sun. Practically it is impossible. Anyhow, this
exaggeration doesn’t look out of place and can rightly be called hyperbole.
Personification
Personification is a figure of speech in which human attributes are given to an
animal, an object or a concept.
For example:
1. Silvia Plath make a mirror speak and think in "Mirror"
2. Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the big shoulders:
Cities don’t have shoulders. Chicago is a considered as human being
having shoulders.
3. Justice is blind.
In this example, a concept of justice is made as human or living thing
e.g. blind.
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Alliteration
Alliteration is a sequence of repeated initial sounds usually before stressed
syllables.
Examples:
Full fathom five thy father lies
[The Tempest by Shakespeare]
When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;
[Spring by G.M.Hopkin]
He claps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands.
[The Eagle by Alfred Tennyson]
Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in words very close to each other.
For example there are underlined long e vowel sounds in Lotos-Easters by
Tennyson
Music that brings sweet sleep down from the blissful skies.
Here are cool mosses deep,
And through the moss the ivies creep,
And in the stream the long-leaved flowers weep,
And from the craggy ledge the poppy hands in sleep.
Consonance
Consonance means the repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds.
I thought of some who worked dark pits
Of war, and died
Digging the rock where Death reputes
Peace lies indeed
Consonance is found in chaired and cheered, amber and ember, loads and lids,
groaned and ground
Oxymoron
Oxymoron is combination of contradictory terms.
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For example:
Romeo in Act 1, scene 1 of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet:"
Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
O heavy lightness, serious vanity;
Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!
Allegory
Allegory is a small story in which characters, objects, actions and situations
are likely to be interpreted on different levels of symbols and metaphors in which
sometimes different objects of nature behave like human beings.
For example: King Lear which is a famous play of Shakespeare and can be
interpreted on different levels of metaphors and symbols and the king says, “Butchers
not daughters” We find here snakes, scorpions, crocodile, loggerheads, lions, foxes
etc etc in the person of different characters.
Similarly, Old Man and the Sea can also be interpreted at different allegorical
patterns.
Euphemism
The art of using a mild word or phrase as a substitute for another word or
phrase which is undesirable, direct, unpleasant, or offensive.
For example:
The word joint is euphemism for prison.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a literary device in which the words echo the sound they
represent.
The words "splash." "knock," and "roar" are examples.
Paradox
Paradox is a statement that looks illogical but is quite logical and befitting if
understood closely.
John Donne in Holy Sonnet No 14 says:
“That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me.”
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The poet paradoxically asks God to knock him down so that he may stand.
What he means by this is for God to destroy his present self and remake him.
Pun
Pun is an art of using one word having two or more different meanings and
each of them befits the situation and creates poetic beauty in the expression
For example, when Mercutio is stabbed and knows that he is dying in Romeo
and Juliet, he says:
“Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man.”
Grave means serious and it also reminds of grave for dead.
Irony
Irony is an art of indirect expression or speech which means what is unsaid.
It has various kinds but irony of situation, dramatic irony, sarcasm, Socratic irony is
few of them.
For example, if we call a weak and extremely thin person as Bruce Lee. It
aims at bringing about humour as well as criticism.
Satire
Art of unleashing follies, weaknesses, whims to amuse or ridicule is called as
satire. It is of many kinds e.g. mild satire, pungent satire, acidic satire, rapier like
satire etc. etc.
Gulliver Travels, Joseph Andrews are the works in prose with profuse satire of
many kinds on every next line.
Farce
Farce is a type of comedy based on stupidity and simplicity.
For example, some robbers mistakenly enter into police station to hide.
Rhythm
Rhythm means cumulative effect of recurrences of stressed and unstressed
syllables at equal intervals as well as selection of words of suitable sounds within the
lines of a verse.
Sometimes there are lines exactly same in meter but different in rhythm. It is
because of selection of words that make rhythm rhythmic or unrhythmic.
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Rhyme
Rhymes are the words usually placed in the end of the line of the verse that
repeat its final sound under some systematic arrangement. This arrangement of
rhymes is called rhyme scheme.
Sometimes rhymes are built within the lines and sometimes the rhymes within
carry repeated sounds not on the final parts of words but in the beginning of them. All
kinds of these rhymes give rise to rhythm and melody within the lines.
Sometimes the rhymes are not complete and perfect. They can be said as
imperfect rhyme, incomplete rhyme, one eyed rhyme or half rhyme
Refrain
A repeated word, phrase, line, or group of lines, normally at some fixed
position in a poem written in stanzaic form.
Caesura
Caesura is a natural pause or break in a line.
Yes, I remember Adlestrop –
The name, because one afternoon
Of heat the express-train drew up there
Unwontedly. It was late June.
There is caesura after yes, the name, of heat, unwontedly.
Tone
The attitude of the writer towards his subject, the reader, the audience or
himself or herself in colouring the emtions appropriate for the meaning to be
communicated in the given work is called as tone.
It can be harsh, genial, kind, friendly, persuasive, obtrusive, anger, approval,
proud, piteous, etc etc.
For example, the tone of the poem is suggestive in “Metro: Paris”
Theme
Theme is the central idea or point of view of a work. It is usually an answer to
the question: “What is that work for?”
Some great works do bear more than one theme. For example, King Lear bears
many theme including madness and blindness.
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Apostrophe
Apostrophe is a figure of speech in which speaker speaks directly to something which
is nonhuman or nonexistent.
For example, John Donne in “The Sun Rising” addresses the sun:
“Busy old foole, unruly sunne,
Why dost thou thus,
Through windows, and through curtains call on us?”
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