What do you mean by “figure of speech”?
What do you mean by
(Part: 3)
So how is your painting coming out? I am pretty sure it is all bright and beautiful with artistic strokes of all figures of speech we discussed in the last two blogs. So, your painting with words is almost ready but how to make it a masterpiece? What difference can you add?
Till now we have discussed the most common figures of speech which are mostly used while writing your thoughts. The five listed below are uncommon and difficult to use but once you master this, there is no stopping you.
Without much ado, let’s dive deeper into the ocean and see what the depths have stored for us!
It is a literary device wherein words with similar phonetic sounds are written in continuity to make an effect. As per Cambridge Dictionary, it is defined as, “the use, especially in poetry, of the same sound or sounds, especially consonants, at the beginning of several words that are close together.” While writing alliteration one must make sure to use the words with the same starting consonant or vowel should be written consecutively.
Example:
- He held her hands.
- The teacher taught trigonometry in school.
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
- She sells seashells by the seashore.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines onomatopoeia as “the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it.” In other words, it is the figure of speech that uses words to define the sounds made by living, non-living, natural, or manmade things. However, in some cases, the sound itself is used as written words.
Example:
- She could hear cats meow in the garden.
- Bang! He shut the door behind his back.
- The beverage fizzed as he opened the can.
- She giggled as her mother tickled her.
This figure of speech is used when the writer wants to express affirmation but by denying its opposite. In simple words of Merriam Webster’s dictionary, the use of a negative statement in order to emphasize a positive meaning is known as litotes. It is used as a double negation to bring out a deliberate and positive intention.
Example:
- I don’t hate the black colour.
- The play was not totally intolerable.
- Her dance isn’t that terrible.
- His statements are not without truth.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary opines that antithesis is “the rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences”. In simpler words, it is the figure of speech that has two strong contrasting ideas placed in comparison. Two independent clauses with distinct ideas, separated with a comma or semicolon, are brought together in a compound sentence. It is used to show the stark difference between two ideas or thoughts.
Examples:
- Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.
- “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” — Alexander Pope
- Out of sight, out of mind.
- Close your eyes, but open your mind.
It is a figure of speech that is used when the writer wants to present something in more words than what is required. It is helpful in creating vivid imagery or creating an atmosphere instead of directly introducing it into the narrative. In other words, it is a rhetorical device that can be defined as an ambiguous way of expressing an idea, character, or situation in your narrative.
Examples:
- He-who-must-not-be-named — to refer to Lord Voldemort.
- Our Father in heaven above — to refer to God.
- Departed to the heavens above — to refer to death.
- At this point in time — to refer to time.
Wasn’t it interesting to know all this? And it will be more fun to add this to your writing. But don’t forget to revise the previous figures of speech we share with you in previous blogs. And do let us know in the comments section, how you feel while writing these rhetorical devices in your work! 