Figures of Speech: Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Hyperbole, and Understatement
Introduction to figures of speech.
Figures of speech are literary devices that use language in a non-literal way to add depth, creativity, and emotion to writing. They help writers convey ideas more vividly and engage readers by creating mental images and associations. In this study guide, we will explore five common figures of speech: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and understatement.
A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words "like" or "as" to highlight a shared characteristic. Similes help create vivid imagery and make descriptions more relatable to readers.
- Her voice was as sweet as honey.
- The baby's skin was soft like silk.
- He ran like the wind to catch the bus.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using "like" or "as." Metaphors suggest that one thing is another, highlighting their similarities and creating a more profound connection in the reader's mind.
- Life is a rollercoaster, full of ups and downs.
- The world is a stage, and we are all actors.
- Her eyes were diamonds, sparkling in the sunlight.
Personification
Personification is a figure of speech that attributes human qualities, emotions, or actions to non-human objects, animals, or abstract ideas. Personification helps create a more engaging and relatable narrative by bringing inanimate objects to life.
- The wind whispered through the trees.
- The sun smiled down on the bustling city.
- Time waits for no one.
Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. It is not meant to be taken literally but rather to create a strong impression or convey intense emotions.
- I've told you a million times to clean your room.
- She was so hungry she could eat a horse.
- His backpack weighed a ton after adding all his textbooks.
Understatement
Understatement is a figure of speech that deliberately expresses an idea as less important or powerful than it actually is. It is often used for ironic or humorous effect, or to downplay a situation.
- "It's just a scratch," he said, looking at the deep gash on his leg.
- The Great Wall of China is a pretty long wall.
- Winning the lottery would be nice, I suppose.
Using Figures of Speech Effectively
To use figures of speech effectively in your writing, consider the following tips:
- Choose figures of speech that are appropriate for your audience and purpose.
- Use them sparingly to avoid overwhelming your readers or diluting their impact.
- Ensure that your figures of speech are consistent with the tone and style of your writing.
- Avoid clichés and overused expressions; strive for originality and creativity.
- Use figures of speech to enhance your writing, not to replace clear and concise language.
Common Questions and Answers
What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?
A simile compares two unlike things using "like" or "as," while a metaphor makes a direct comparison without using these words.
Can a figure of speech be used in non-fiction writing?
Yes, figures of speech can be used in non-fiction writing to make ideas more engaging, memorable, and relatable to readers. However, they should be used judiciously to maintain the clarity and credibility of the content.
How can I create original figures of speech?
To create original figures of speech, observe the world around you and look for unique connections between seemingly unrelated things. Draw inspiration from your own experiences, emotions, and imagination. Don't be afraid to experiment with unconventional comparisons and descriptions.
Figures of speech are powerful tools that can elevate your writing and engage your readers on a deeper level. By understanding and effectively using similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and understatement, you can create vivid imagery, convey complex ideas, and evoke strong emotions in your writing. Remember to use them judiciously and creatively to make your writing more compelling and memorable.
Reviewing and Editing for Grammar Errors
Negation and double negatives, misplaced and dangling modifiers, reported speech and indirect quotations, conditionals and if-clauses, relative clauses and relative pronouns.
Figure of Speech
Figure of Speech Definition
What is a figure of speech? Here’s a quick and simple definition:
A figure of speech is a literary device in which language is used in an unusual—or "figured"—way in order to produce a stylistic effect. Figures of speech can be broken into two main groups: figures of speech that play with the ordinary meaning of words (such as metaphor , simile , and hyperbole ), and figures of speech that play with the ordinary arrangement or pattern in which words are written (such as alliteration , ellipsis , and antithesis ).
Some additional key details about figures of speech:
- The ancient Greeks and Romans exhaustively listed, defined, and categorized figures of speech in order to better understand how to effectively use language. The names of most figures of speech derive from the original Greek or Latin.
- Figures of speech that play with the literal meaning of words are called tropes , while figures of speech that play with the order or pattern of words are called schemes .
- Figures of speech can take many forms. A figure of speech can involve a single word, a phrase, an omission of a word or phrase, a repetition of words or sounds, or specific sentence structures.
Figure of Speech Pronunciation
Here's how to pronounce figure of speech: fig -yer of speech
Figures of Speech vs. Figurative Language
There's a lot of confusion about the difference between the terms "figures of speech" and " figurative language ." Most of the confusion stems from the fact that different people often use "figurative language" to mean slightly different things. The two most common (and most acceptable) definitions of figurative language are:
- Figurative language refers to any language that contains figures of speech. According to this definition, figurative language and figures of speech are not quite the same thing, but it's pretty darn close. The only difference is that figures of speech refer to each specific type of a figure of speech, while figurative language refers more generally to any language that contains any kind of figures of speech.
- Figurative language refers to words or expressions that have non-literal meanings : This definition associates figurative language only with the category of figures of speech called tropes (which are figures of speech that play with the literal meaning of words). So according to this definition, figurative language would be any language that contains tropes, but not language that contains the figures of speech called schemes.
You might encounter people using figurative speech to mean either of the above, and it's not really possible to say which is correct. But if you know about these two different ways of relating figurative language and figures of speech, you'll be in pretty good shape.
Figures of Speech, Tropes, and Schemes
The oldest and still most common way to organize figures of speech is to split them into two main groups: tropes and schemes.
- Tropes are figures of speech that involve a deviation from the expected and literal meaning of words.
- Schemes are figures of speech that involve a deviation from the typical mechanics of a sentence, such as the order, pattern, or arrangement of words.
The scheme/trope classification system is by no means the only way to organize figures of speech (if you're interested, you can find all sorts of different categorization methods for figures of speech here ). But it is the most common method, and is both simple and structured enough to help you understand figures of speech.
Generally, a trope uses comparison, association, or wordplay to play with the literal meaning of words or to layer another meaning on top of a word's literal meaning. Some of the most commonly used tropes are explained briefly below, though you can get even more detail on each from its specific LitCharts entry.
- Metaphor : A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another thing, even though this isn't literally true. For example, if someone says "it's raining cats and dogs," this obviously doesn't literally mean what it says—it's a metaphor that makes a comparison between the weight of "cats and dogs" and heavy rain. Metaphors are tropes because their effect relies not on the mechanics of the sentence, but rather on the association created by the use of the phrase "cats and dogs" in a non-literal manner.
- Simile : A simile, like a metaphor, makes a comparison between two unrelated things. However, instead of stating that one thing is another thing (as in metaphor), a simile states that one thing is like another thing. To stick with cats and dogs, an example of a simile would be to say "they fought like cats and dogs."
- Oxymoron : An oxymoron pairs contradictory words in order to express new or complex meanings. In the phrase "parting is such sweet sorrow" from Romeo and Juliet , "sweet sorrow" is an oxymoron that captures the complex and simultaneous feelings of pain and pleasure associated with passionate love. Oxymorons are tropes because their effect comes from a combination of the two words that goes beyond the literal meanings of those words.
- Hyperbole : A hyperbole is an intentional exaggeration of the truth, used to emphasize the importance of something or to create a comic effect. An example of a hyperbole is to say that a backpack "weighs a ton." No backpack literally weighs a ton, but to say "my backpack weighs ten pounds" doesn't effectively communicate how burdensome a heavy backpack feels. Once again, this is a trope because its effect comes from understanding that the words mean something different from what they literally say.
Other Common Tropes
- Antanaclasis
- Onomatopoeia
- Personification
- Periphrasis
- Rhetorical Question
Schemes are mechanical—they're figures of speech that tinker with words, sounds, and structures (as opposed to meanings) in order to achieve an effect. Schemes can themselves be broken down in helpful ways that define the sort of tinkering they employ.
- Repetition: Repeating words, phrases, or even sounds in a particular way.
- Omission: Leaving out certain words or punctuation that would normally be expected.
- Changes of word order: Shifting around words or phrases in atypical ways.
- Balance: Creating sentences or phrases with equal parts, often through the use of identical grammatical structures.
Some of the most commonly used schemes are explained briefly below, though you can get even more detail on each from its specific LitCharts entry.
- Alliteration : In alliteration, the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “ B ob b rought the b ox of b ricks to the b asement.” Alliteration uses repetition to create a musical effect that helps phrases to stand out from the language around them.
- Assonance : A scheme in which vowel sounds repeat in nearby words, such as the "ee" sound in the proverb: "the squ ea ky wh ee l gets the gr ea se." Like alliteration, assonance uses repeated sounds to create a musical effect in which words echo one another—it's a scheme because this effect is achieved through repetition of words with certain sounds, not by playing with the meaning of words.
- Ellipsis : The deliberate omission of one or more words from a sentence because their meaning is already implied. In the example, "Should I call you, or you me?" the second clause uses ellipsis. While its implication is "or should you call me," the context of the sentence allows for the omission of "should" and "call." Ellipsis is a scheme because it involves an uncommon usage of language.
- Parallelism : The repetition of sentence structure for emphasis and balance. This can occur in a single sentence, such as "a penny saved is a penny earned," and it can also occur over the course of a speech, poem, or other text. Parallelism is a scheme because it creates emphasis through the mechanics of sentence structure, rather than by playing with the actual meanings of words.
Other Common Schemes
- Anadiplosis
- Antimetabole
- Brachylogia
- Epanalepsis
- Parenthesis
- Polysyndeton
Figure of Speech Examples
Figures of speech can make language more inventive, more beautiful, more rhythmic, more memorable, and more meaningful. It shouldn't be a surprise, then, that figures of speech are plentiful in all sorts of written language. The examples below show a variety of different types of figures of speech. You can see many more examples of each type at their own specific LitChart entries.
Figures of Speech Examples in Literature
Literature is riddled with figures of speech because figures of speech make language colorful and complex.
Metaphor in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca
On and on, now east now west, wound the poor thread that once had been our drive. Sometimes I thought it lost, but it appeared again, beneath a fallen tree perhaps, or struggling on the other side of a muddied ditch created by the winter rains.
In this quote from Rebecca , Daphne du Maurier refers to a washed-out road as "the poor thread." This is a metaphor —and a trope—because the writer indirectly compares the thread to the road and expects that readers will understand that "thread" is not used literally.
Parallelism in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.
In the famous opening line of A Tale of Two Cities , Dickens uses parallelism —a scheme in which parts of a sentence repeat—in order to emphasize the contradictions of the time in which the book is set. Dickens has manipulated his sentence structure so that the parallel clauses emphasize the oppositional nature of his words ("it was the best of times, it was the worst of times"). The figure of speech doesn't play with the meaning of words, it emphasizes them through structure and repetition, which is why it is a scheme.
Alliteration in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark"
In this manner, s electing it as the s ymbol of his wife's liability to s in, s orrow, d ecay, and d eath, Aylmer's s ombre imagination was not long in rendering the birthmark a frightful object, causing him more trouble and horror than ever Georgiana's beauty, whether of s oul or s ense, had given him delight.
This passage from " The Birthmark " uses alliteration to tie together all of the things that Georgiana's birthmark is supposed to symbolize. By using words that alliterate—"sin and sorrow" and "decay and death," for example—Hawthorne is making the reader feel that these ideas are connected, rather than simply stating that they are connected. Alliteration is a figure of speech—a scheme—because it uses the mechanics of language to emphasize meaning.
Verbal Irony in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
For Brutus is an honorable man; So are they all, all honorable men,
This quote from Julius Caesar comes from Marc Antony's speech at Caesar's funeral. Antony needs to hold Brutus and his conspirators accountable for Caesar's death without contradicting the crowd's positive impression of Brutus, so Antony uses verbal irony to simultaneously please and trouble the crowd. On the surface, Antony says what the audience wants to hear (that Brutus is honorable), but it becomes clear over the course of his speech that he means the opposite of what he says (and over time he convinces the audience to believe this opposite meaning as well). This is a figure of speech (a trope) because it's based on a play on the meaning of Antony's words.
Figures of Speech Examples in Music
Figures of speech are also common in music. Schemes fit naturally with songs because both schemes and songs manipulate sound and rhythm to enhance the meanings of words. Music also uses many tropes, because using words that have meanings beyond their literal ones makes language more interesting, and it allows songwriters to create music that uses just a few words to imply a complex meaning.
Assonance and Metaphor in Rihanna's "Diamonds"
So sh ine br igh t ton igh t, you and I We're beautiful l i ke d i amonds in the sk y Eye to eye , so al i ve We're beautiful l i ke d i amonds in the sk y
Rihanna uses assonance when she repeats the " eye " sound throughout the chorus of "Diamonds." This make the words echo one another, which emphasizes the similarity between the singer, the person she's talking about, and the "diamonds in the sky" to which she's comparing them both. Assonance is a scheme because it's using the sound of words—not their meaning—to draw a parallel between different things.
Rihanna also uses the phrase "Diamonds in the sky" as a metaphor for stars. This is a trope—a phrase that means something other than what it literally says—as Rihanna obviously doesn't think that there are actually diamonds in the sky. This verse is a good example of how figures of speech can often work together and overlap. In this case, the metaphor that allows her to use "diamonds" instead of "stars" also fits into her use of assonance (because "stars" lacks the "eye" sound).
Personification in Green Day's "Good Riddance"
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
While the first line of this song uses "a fork stuck in the road" as a metaphor for a choice, the more arresting figure of speech at work here is the personification of time in the second line. By giving "time" human characteristics—the ability to grab a person and tell them where to go—Green Day is helping listeners to make sense of the power that time has over people. This is a trope because the line doesn't mean what it literally says; instead, it's asking listeners to make a comparison between the characteristics of time and the characteristics of a person.
Anastrophe in Public Enemy's "Fight the Power"
Straight up racist that sucker was Simple and plain
In the line "Straight up racist that sucker was," Public Enemy uses anastrophe (which is the inversion of typical word order) to preserve the rhythm of the verse. Instead of saying "That sucker was straight up racist," Public Enemy chooses an odd phrasing that has one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables— " ra cist that su cker was/ Sim ple and plain ." This way, the beat falls more regularly across those two lines, which allows the rapper to make his point (that Elvis was racist) without the flow sounding awkward. Since anastrophe manipulates the order of words in order to achieve a rhythmic effect, it's a scheme.
Why Do Writers Use Figures of Speech?
Figures of speech is a category that encompasses a broad variety of literary terms, so it's difficult to give one answer to this question. Writers use different figures of speech to achieve different effects.
Schemes (figures of speech that manipulate sound, syntax, and word order) can make language more beautiful, persuasive, or memorable. Writers can use schemes to draw attention to an important passage, to create a sound that mirrors (or contrasts with) the meaning of words, or to give language a rhythm that draws the reader in. As schemes tend to work through sound and rhythm, they generally produce a visceral effect, or an effect felt in the body—broadly speaking, schemes are more sensory than intellectual.
In contrast, writers use tropes to grab the reader intellectually by adding complexity or ambiguity to an otherwise simple word or phrase. Tropes can ask the reader to make a comparison between two unlike things, they can impose human qualities on nonhumans, and they can mean the opposite of what they say. Tropes engage the intellect because the reader has to be alert to the fact that tropes do not use language at face value—a trope never means what it literally says.
All figures of speech help a writer to communicate ideas that are difficult to say in words or that are more effectively communicated non-verbally. This could be by repeating harsh consonants to create a scary atmosphere, or by using a metaphor to impose the qualities of something concrete (say, a rose) onto something more difficult to define (say, love). In general, figures of speech attempt to bring out a reader's emotion and to capture their attention by making language more colorful, surprising, and complex.
Other Helpful Figure of Speech Resources
- Silva Rhetoricae on Figures of Speech : An excellent reference from BYU that explains the various ways that figures of speech have been categorized over history, including into schemes and tropes.
- Silva Rhetoricae on schemes and tropes :
- The Oxford Reference Page for Figure of Speech : A helpful definition of figures of speech in the context of the ancient study of rhetoric (did you know that the Roman rhetorician Quintillian defined "figure of speech" in 95 AD?)
- What Are Tropes in Language? Skip to the "Distinction Between Figures and Tropes" section and read to the end—full of informative and thought-provoking discussion about tropes.
- A YouTube video about tropes and schemes with pop culture examples.
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- Alliteration
- Climax (Figure of Speech)
- Figurative Language
- Parallelism
- Verbal Irony
- Flat Character
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- Connotation
- Foreshadowing
- Rising Action
What is Figure of Speech? Definition, Examples of Figures of Speech
Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What is Figure of Speech? Definition, Examples of Figures of Speech
Figure of speech definition: Figure of speech is the use of language to add richness to the literal meaning of words.
Common Figures of Speech
Here are some common figures of speech:
Metaphor : A metaphor is the comparison of two unlike things without the use of like or as.
- In this sentence, we have the metaphor “boy was a wild animal”. The boy is being compared to a wild animal because of his behavior in the store.
Simile : A simile is the comparison between two unlike things using such words as like, as, or so.
- In this sentence, we have the simile “boy was like a ninja”. The young boy’s stealthy behavior is being compared to that of a ninja. It is a simile rather than a metaphor because the word “like” was included.
Hyperbole : A hyperbole is an over exaggeration.
- In this example, the hyperbole is the over exaggeration of hunger that Ashley has after her day of swimming, for she is not literally as hungry as a hippo.
Personification : Personification is when human traits are given to anything nonhuman.
- Here, the sun is being given the human trait of smiling.
The Function of Figures of Speech
The purpose of using figures of speech is to add richness to writing that will have an effect on the reader. By using these comparisons, it allows the reader to have a greater understanding and ability to imagine the situations being described in the writing.
How Figures of Speech are Used in Literature
Here are some examples of figures of speech in literature:
In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , he uses a metaphor in the famous balcony scene. Romeo exclaims, “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east and Juliet is the sun”.
- “Juliet is the sun” = metaphor
- This metaphor is used to emphasis the overwhelming brightness of Juliet’s beauty.
In James Hurst’s short story The Scarlet Ibis , he uses a simile to set the somber mood at the beginning of the story, “the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle”.
- “Oriole nest…rocked back and forth like an empty cradle” = simile
- This simile is used to create a somber mood by comparing the movement of the nest to that of an empty cradle, which has a negative connotation associated with it.
The Scarlet Ibis also includes examples of hyperbole . Hurst writes, “We danced together quite well until she came down on my big toe with her brogans, hurting me so badly I thought I was crippled for life”.
- “hurting me so badly I thought I was crippled for life” = hyperbole
- This hyperbole is used to exaggerate the pain felt by the young child when his aunt stepped on his toe while dancing.
In Eric Litwin’s Pete the Cat series, personification is used with the starring character, Pete. In the book I Love My White Shoes, he writes, “Did Pete cry? Goodness, no! He kept walking along and singing his song”.
- In this example, a cat is given human traits such as singing. Many children’s book employ personification due to the inclusion of nonhuman characters.
Summary: What Does Figure of Speech Mean?
Define figure of speech mean? In summation, figures of speech are used to add richness and imagery to a work of literature in order to achieve an effect for the reader.
Final example,
In Pat Mora’s poem “Old Snake”, it states “Leave / those doubts and hurts / buzzing like flies in your ears”.
- “doubts and hurts / buzzing like flies in your ears” = simile
This simile is used to compare the left behind worries to just a buzz in the ear like a fly. A comparison to a fly is used because flies are often seen as an annoyance just like having constant doubt or worry.
- Literary Terms
- Figures of Speech
- Definition & Examples
- When & How to Use Figures of Speech
I. What are Figures of Speech?
A figure of speech is a word or phrase using figurative language—language that has other meaning than its normal definition. In other words, figures of speeches rely on implied or suggested meaning, rather than a dictionary definition. We express and develop them through hundreds of different rhetorical techniques, from specific types like metaphors and similes , to more general forms like sarcasm and slang.
Figures of speech make up a huge portion of the English language, making it more creative, more expressive, and just more interesting! Many have been around for hundreds of years—some even thousands—and more are added to our language essentially every day. This article will focus on a few key forms of figures of speech, but remember, the types are nearly endless!
III. Types of Figure of Speech
There are countless figures of speech in every language, and they fall into hundreds of categories. Here, though, is a short list of some of the most common types of figure of speech:
A. Metaphor
Many common figures of speech are metaphors. That is, they use words in a manner other than their literal meaning. However, metaphors use figurative language to make comparisons between unrelated things or ideas. The “peak of her career,” for example, is a metaphor, since a career is not a literal mountain with a peak , but the metaphor represents the idea of arriving at the highest point of one’s career.
An idiom is a common phrase with a figurative meaning. Idioms are different from other figures of speech in that their figurative meanings are mostly known within a particular language, culture, or group of people. In fact, the English language alone has about 25,000 idioms. Some examples include “it’s raining cats and dogs” when it is raining hard, or “break a leg” when wishing someone good luck.
This sentence uses an idiom to make it more interesting:
There’s a supermarket and a pharmacy in the mall, so if we go there, we can kill two birds with one stone.
The idiom is a common way of saying that two tasks can be completed in the same amount of time or same place.
A proverb is a short, commonplace saying that is universally understood in today’s language and used to express general truths. “Don’t cry over spilt milk” is a popular example. Most proverbs employ metaphors (e.g. the proverb about milk isn’t literally about milk).
This example uses a proverb to emphasize the situation:
I know you think you’re going to sell all of those cookies, but don’t count your chickens before they hatch!
Here, “don’t count your chickens before they hatch” means that you shouldn’t act like something has happened before it actually does.
A simile is a very common figure of speech that uses the words “like” and “as” to compare two things that are not related by definition. For example, “he is as tall as a mountain,” doesn’t mean he was actually 1,000 feet tall, it just means he was really tall.
This example uses a simile for comparison:
The internet is like a window to the world —you can learn about everything online!
The common phrase “window to the world” refers to a hypothetical window that lets you see the whole world from it. So, saying the internet is like a window to the world implies that it lets you see anything and everything.
E. Oxymoron
An oxymoron is when you use two words together that have contradictory meanings. Some common examples include s mall crowd, definitely possible, old news, little giant , and so on.
A metonym is a word or phrase that is used to represent something related to bigger meaning. For example, fleets are sometimes described as being “thirty sails strong,” meaning thirty (curiously, this metonym survives in some places, even when the ships in question are not sail-powered!) Similarly, the crew on board those ships may be described as “hands” rather than people.
Irony is when a word or phrase’s literal meaning is the opposite of its figurative meaning. Many times (but not always), irony is expressed with sarcasm (see Related Terms). For example, maybe you eat a really bad cookie, and then say “Wow, that was the best cookie I ever had”—of course, what you really mean is that it’s the worst cookie you ever had, but being ironic actually emphasizes just how bad it was!
IV. The Importance of Figures of Speech
In general, the purpose of a figure of speech is to lend texture and color to your writing. (This is itself a figure of speech, since figures of speech don’t actually change the colors or textures on the page!) For instance, metaphors allow you to add key details that make the writing more lively and relatable. Slang and verbal irony, on the other hand, make the writing seem much more informal and youthful (although they can have the opposite effect when misused!) Finally, other figures of speech, like idioms and proverbs, allows a writer to draw on a rich cultural tradition and express complex ideas in a short space.
V. Examples of Figures of Speech in Literature
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” (William Shakespeare, As You Like It)
This is one of the most famous metaphors ever crafted in the English language. Shakespeare uses his extended metaphor to persuade the audience of the similarities between the stage and real life. But rather than making his play seem more like life, he suggests that life is more like a play. His metaphor calls attention to the performative, creative, and fictional aspects of human life.
“Our words are b ut crumbs that fall down from the feast o f the mind.” (Khalil Gibran, Sand & Foam )
Gibran’s timeless metaphor succeeds for a number of reasons. For one thing, it is not a cliché – had Gibran said “words are just the tip of the iceberg ,” he would have been making roughly the same point, but in a much more clichéd way. But the feast of the mind is a highly original metaphor. In addition, it’s a successful double metaphor. The crumbs and the feast are two parts of the same image, but they work together rather than being “mixed” (see How to Use Figures of Speech ).
“If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both.” (Russian Proverb)
Like many proverbs, this one draws on a simple metaphor of chasing rabbits. The rabbits can stand in for all sorts of objectives, from jobs to relationships, but the coded message is quite clear – focus your energy on a single objective, or you will likely fail. This literal statement, though, is quite dry and not terribly memorable, which shows the power of figures of speech.
VI. Examples of Figures of Speech in Pop Culture
The chorus to Sean Kingston’s Fire Burning contains a couple of figures of speech. First of all, there’s the word “shorty” used as a slang term (see Related Terms ) for a young woman. She may or may not be literally short, but the figure of speech applies either way (though it could easily be taken as belittling and derogatory). Second, Kingston sings the metaphor: “she’s fire, burning on the dance floor.” Hopefully this is a figure of speech and not a literal statement; otherwise, Kingston and everyone else in the club are in mortal danger!
“Oh, thanks! This is much better!” (Townspeople, South Park )
This is an example of irony. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, South Park satirized the government’s response to the disaster by writing about a similar disaster in South Park. In a bumbling effort to rescue people from the floods, the authorities accidentally spill oil on the flood waters and set it on fire, making the situation far more dangerous. In response, they ironically “thank” the people responsible—their meaning is obviously the opposite of their words!
Years of talks between Washington and Havana resulted in Obama’s historic visit to Cuba on March 21st. (Patreon 2016)
This is a common form of metonym in foreign policy and news media. The capital city of a country is used as a metonym for the national government. The talks, of course, are not literally between these two cities, but between the leaders and government officials of the two countries (US and Cuba).
VII. Related Terms
Literal and figurative language.
Language is generally divided into two categories: literal, and figurative. Literal language relies on the real definition of words and phrases, or their literal meanings. Figurative language, on the other hand, relies on implied meanings, which can be understood differently depending on the location or who is using it. For example, “the sky is blue” relies on the literal definition of the word “blue,” while “I am feeling blue” relies on the figurative definition. All figures of speech rely on the use of figurative language for their meaning.
Sarcasm is mocking or bitter language that we use to express different meaning than what we say; often the exact opposite. When your intended meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning, that’s irony (another type of figure of speech), which includes common phrases like “Oh, great…” when you really mean something is bad.
Slang is language that uses atypical words and phrases to express specific meanings. It varies greatly by region, demographic, and language—for example, you would find different slang in the U.S. and in the U.K. even though they are both English speaking countries. Likewise, teenagers and the elderly will use different slang terms, as would Spanish and English. Many slang terms are figures of speech. For example, “bro” could be used to describe a friend rather than an actual brother; this would be using the word as a figure of speech.
List of Terms
- Alliteration
- Amplification
- Anachronism
- Anthropomorphism
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Figures of Speech: How to Write Beautifully (with 8 of Shakespeare’s Best Examples)
16 Remarkable Comments
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Have you ever wondered why many compelling novels are written in such a simple, flat and straight out dull language?
Their storylines may be exciting, their plots might have a drive, but the words and sentences themselves sound very uninspired. Every word a wasted opportunity. Too bad!
How can you avoid that?
This post will take you by the hand and lead you, step-by-step, to a more colorful, more inspired writing voice, in order for you to not just mesmerize your reader with your story, but also with your words .
We will look at the answers to these questions:
- How is the best imagery created?
- Which mental processes should you apply to craft poetic, beautiful language?
- Is it all talent or can you learn it?
- How do you hold apart the good verbal images from the bad ones?
Before we answer these questions, let’s equip you with a highly useful tool:
Your Checklist for Easy Self-Editing
If you want a checklist to examine your entire story for plot/character/dialogue/etc. problems, you can download that list here for free. Answer these 44 questions, and you will know exactly which issues, if any, your story has:
And now, on to creating amazing images with the sheer power of your words.
How to Use Figures of Speech in Your Writing
Bestsellers are often written like this – because a significant part of the population does have the vocabulary of a toddler. Nevertheless, simple language doesn’t mean bad literature.
Take Orwell’s 1984, for example. It’s a book a 7-year-old could read – however, that kid will not comprehend its deeper layers. Some literature just focuses on subtext, some on plot, some on language, and some on other story elements – it all has the potential to be excellent!
So take your pick what you want to focus on. Maybe you don’t need beautiful language. But if language is important to you, then this article is for you.
The author who has kindly agreed to demonstrate enticing language for us is William Shakespeare, and the play of the day is, once again, Macbeth .
Take a look at this description of a lord sentenced to death, facing his execution in icy calm:
“… he died
As one that had been studied in his death
To throw away the dearest thing he owned
As ‘twere a careless trifle. “
(Act 1, Scene 4, Malcolm)
In case you are wondering, “As ‘twere a careless trifle” means approximately “As if it was useless junk.”
Do you see the beauty of this image? Giving one’s life is compared here to tidying out one’s attic. How much more extreme, but at the same time how much simpler can it get?
And could it be any more relatable to the reader? Throwing away useless junk is a mundane activity each and every one of us has performed a million times before.
Where does an image like that come from?
This question almost sounds like the age-old question that is jollily continuing to annoy every author: “Where do you take your ideas from?” To this question, some popular authors respond unnerved with the obvious answers: “From my grandmother’s kitchen cupboard.” Or: “I shake them out of the funny trees.”
However, a more down-to-earth answer would be: “Talent really helps.”
On the one hand, creating striking imagery is a skill that is hard to practice because it relies so much on association and intuition. These images come out of the subconscious.
Make no mistake though: It is possible to get better at creating imagery like that (more on this below).
But in order to improve, you have to be aware of what makes this figurative language so compelling . What ultimately draws readers towards it?
The elements that draw us in are their rhythm, their surprising elements, their beauty, their power – their capability to:
- Resemble the Known ; and
- Touch on the Unimaginable
These pics are moving something inside of us – we just sometimes hardly know what it is. They work in a similar way as your fear of spiders: It’s a strong feeling, rooted in ancient parts of your brain, even though you are not aware of why you are feeling it.
Want a simple, boiled-down recipe of how to create great figures of speech?
Here it is:
1. Focus on what you want to express ! Imagine yourself in the situation you are describing, or in front of the object you are describing. Feel it in your body. Grab the essence, the feeling of what it is all about – and make sure to turn off your brain and logical thinking.
2. Now take that emotion you are feeling and look where else you can find that very same emotion in totally different people, objects, situations, etc. Embrace that feeling, hone it, dwell on it, nurture it and endorse it… surf on it! Then start associating freely!
3. Feel big in your sentiments, feel not only what’s possible but also what’s hardly imaginable – feel the jungle, the sky…
4. Also listen to your inner voice : Which situations, people, objects make you feel that same feeling? Which completely unrelated topic gives you the same emotion? Remember any situation from your own life, whether it’s an everyday activity or a major event?
5. Then write it all down in a way that feels poetic to you. Just go ahead and pull that imagery out of your subconscious! For sure you are writing fiction because a part of your personality is very creative – and you can train putting that creative part of you to work.
6. Finally, you have to clean up : With your brainstorming approach, for sure bad images will come up too; it happens to every writer. The important thing is to weed them out. Scratch them, if they fall into one of the following categories, so you make sure to avoid these pitfalls:
- Incongruous Images (E.g. “His anger put up above him like a thick umbrella”)
- Cheesy Images (E.g. “Her kisses wrapped around him gently like velvet pillows and 1000 rose petals”)
- Obvious Images (E.g. “As dirty as a puddle of mud”)
- Overloaded Images (E.g. “The heavy chains of fear pulled him down into the deepest dungeons of his mind”)
- Plain boring Images (E.g. “Green as a frog”)
That’s it. You will be left with smooth and original images only.
But what if you need a more detailed instruction manual for the sequence above?
Let’s look at the specific process of how to do this:
How to Dig Deep Inside of You for the Right Imagery
The process you can use for coming up with great figures of speech is the good old brainstorming .
That means… you storm your brain like a SWAT team would storm a supermarket occupied by kidnappers…? (whoa, where did that come from?)
Or maybe it means a storm of ideas is blowing through your mind.
Brainstorming means everything is allowed to come out. There are no limits and no censorship to your imagination.
First, write down as many ideas as possible, you can sort the good ones out later. I really want to encourage you to fail, to go over the top, to be crazy – allow yourself to pull out all of the conditioned filters society spent decades establishing in your mind.
Be free, be wild, let loose – that’s what art is all about. And be ashamed of absolutely nothing: That’s creativity!
In the end, weed out all of the images that seem incongruous, cheesy, obvious, overloaded or boring to you. You will now hopefully be left with that shiny gem of an image.
A Useful Exercise to Create Figures of Speech
Here is an exercise for learning to associate without filters, and, if you will, to condition yourself to think free of conditioning: Take a random word and then say the first thing that pops up in your mind, your first association.
Now, even if it feels odd or not appropriate – don’t censor it! Really just put the first thing out there. Then continue with your first association to that new word, and so on and on… (Example: “Apple tree” —> my aunt has an apple tree in her garden; aunt, I love my aunt; love, I also love basketball; basketball, how will the Lakers do this year; Lakers, sex in a lake was great… get the system?).
You can ask somebody to give you a random word to start with and do the exercise in front of them. This will put more social pressure on you and therefore make the exercise more difficult and more effective.
If you are able to do this exercise in front of an audience, then you are becoming really good at freely associating.
If you apply the guidelines above, creating imagery will become easier and easier the more often you try it, until finally it will almost be an automated process for you. Like with writing in general and also with everything else in life, it’s extremely important you just stick to the process and practice, practice, practice!
A Couple of Damn Good Examples for Metaphors, Similes and Other Imagery
In the following scene, Macbeth is feeling a little uneasy because the witches just predicted that he will be the future king of Scotland. Look how Banquo comments on it:
“Nothing in love: now does he feel his title
Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe
Upon a dwarfish thief”
(Act 1, Scene 3, Banquo)
Good stuff, isn’t it?
How do you describe the inhibiting feeling of high status and responsibility imposed on the character by the outside world? How the awe and uneasiness of hearing the prediction that you will rule the kingdom one day, coupled with a certain flavor of you not deserving the honor?
Everybody knows the feeling of wearing a (heavy) piece of clothing that’s much too big for them. What an amazing and very poetic figure of speech!
These lines translate a purely psychological feeling into a physical sensation and therefore make it more palpable and relatable. Well done, Will!
Maybe Shakespeare got to this metaphor subconsciously, and the entire process just took him seconds, or maybe he had to think about it and it took minutes… who knows.
In any case, his mind seems to get back to the subject of clothing a lot, because he uses imagery about clothing several times in Macbeth .
The next figure of speech is from the final act. Here, Macbeth tries to put his finger on the pulse of his country, whose people in his view have conspired against him and are betraying him (whereas in fact, they just want to get rid of the tyrant that he is):
“Come, Sir, dispatch. If thou couldst, doctor, cast
The water of my land, find her disease,
And purge it to a sound and pristine health”
(Act 5, Scene 3, Macbeth)
Not only does water nourish the soil like blood here, but also do rivers and streams flow through the land like veins, so this is a beautiful metaphor. It also paints the feeling of helplessness about a disease, and the try to cure it by a useless and dangerously misguided measure like blood-letting.
In the end, the condition isn’t even a disease, but all to the contrary the cure to the people. The true and dangerous antibody is Macbeth himself.
Water and blood both stand for life, and the biggest part of blood even is made up of water. This entire thought, this entire feeling is wrapped up beautifully within two lines.
Now, a metaphor like this one might be laying it on too thick for your purposes, but of course feel free to tone it down, so it fits the language and the spirit of your novel, and also your genre.
In the next one, Macbeth is about to murder the king, who is established as a wise and kind man. Macbeth is only committing this murder to become the new king – but he is haunted by remorse already:
“Now o’er the one halfworld
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain’d sleep: witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate’s offerings, and wither’d murder,
Alarum’d by his sentinel, the wolf”
(Act 2, Scene 1, Macbeth)
Shakespeare is creating a haunted atmosphere, apparently for no logical reason – it’s just a feeling creeping in…
Let me direct your attention to my favorite figure of speech in the entire play, the “withered murder”: What makes this “illogical” term so eerily fitting here?
Macbeth is about to commit an atrocious crime, to kill his noble lord, solely out of greed for power. So maybe “withered” means he is stretching his branches out widely, but with no healthy emotional or moral roots behind them to back them up.
Maybe it means bloodless, lifeless, devoid of health and sanity. Maybe it means deprived of joy and reason. Starving for water/liquid and blood. What effect does this language have on you?
By the way, again, there is another “withered feeling” in Act 5, Scene 3; this time it appears in the form of a “yellow leaf,” mentioned by a desperate Macbeth ( “I have lived long enough: my way of life/ Is fall’n into the sear, the yellow leaf” ). The word “withered” apparently triggered rich associations in Shakespeare, and rightfully so.
“Clothes” and “withered” – you can see that an author’s subconscious oftentimes circles around the same feelings and associations, and gets back to them time and time again like the tongue returns to a sick tooth. You can see this with many authors.
I also love the metaphor of the “curtained sleep.” What more is our sleep than a thick curtain drawn in front of our eyes?
Everybody sleeps; every single person in the world can relate to that image. Some canopy beds even literally have curtains to them, and I would imagine they were more common in Shakespeare’s times.
“O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”
(Act 3, Scene 2, Macbeth)
To feel the unpredictable, swift, silent, stinging and overwhelmingly toxic being of not one scorpion, but of an entire basket full of them sounds like a very powerful emotion. Do you feel the venom in this?
An image like this will not fit into the language of every novel. However, it’s often possible to use a milder form of it.
But Shakespeare used such a wealth of imagery in his play that some of it completely misses the mark (at least to me; if you have a different opinion, let me know in the comments).
Remember, Shakespeare is dead already, so I can say it out loud:
Not So Good Imagery in Macbeth (Sorry, Will!)
Let’s look at some examples that have overshot the mark by many feet.
“Nay, had I power, I should
Pour the sweet milk of concord into hell”
(Act 4, Scene 3, Malcolm)
Ask yourself this: Do you feel any subconscious connection between milk and concord? Does this image move you in any way? Does it work on several levels?
For me, the answers are no, no and no. This image sounds like it belongs into the above categories “incongruous” and “overloaded.”
You can see that the master had his bad moments too. Take this as encouragement. Luckily, he has equipped us with a couple of poor images for the purpose of motivation…
“Whole as the marble, founded as the rock”
(Act 3, Scene 4, Macbeth)
“Founded as the rock:” This one has been used thousands of times before in literature, and one would assume even before Shakespeare’s times.
It’s even part of a proverb (“hard as a rock”). This one is very generic and belongs into the “boring,” or maybe the “obvious” bucket. It’s not imaginative and has no emotional depth. Don’t try this at home.
As some of these images are such car wrecks made of letters, it’s easy to see why creating great figurative language is one of the hardest things to do in all of creative writing: Even the best ones throw in a missed punch sometimes.
For you, that also means: Don’t be afraid to throw the bad images out of your draft.
“That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbeck only”
(Act 1, Scene 7, Lady Macbeth)
What was that? Did I hear somebody call out my name?
Oh, “limbeck,” I get it.
I’m actually on the fence about this one, but come to think of it, I do like it. Thinking about how memory and what we believe to be reason play us, the image seems enticing.
On the other hand, it’s too complicated, and that’s probably the reason why it took me a while to appreciate it. See, some writing can be smart, but nevertheless ineffective (like building pages and pages of multi-clause sentences). You don’t have to show off. You just need a good image.
Your Figure of Speech Writing Prompt
For this purpose, any other criteria is meaningless: Forget about characterization, plot or dialogue – just show us a couple of lines with a nice image and make sure we get its context. You should feel free to neglect any other writer’s duty, so you can completely focus on the power of imagery.
Post your paragraph (or even just a single figure of speech) in the comments below. Look at the checklist above! Get in touch with your subconscious! Feel the image!
And if you are looking for fun writing prompts with a twist, look at my writing prompts page here . You will find quality prompts for almost every genre.
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16 Remarkable Comments. Join in!
Milk is “soothing” and that mates quite well with “concord.” We also associate milk with babies. Pouring that milk into hell seems a sacrilege.
Somewhere Shakespeare is nodding delightedly.
I could also relate to this image, of someone being so cynical from power that he could pour the sweetest into the most evil. We feel he isn’t there yet, thus his quandary?
Trying to understand Shakespeare is like peeling onions. The layers draw out the emotions until all that’s left is tears.
This could be the motto above this post, Arvilla.
Speaking of correct imagery — why are you using the image of Hamlet addressing a skull with his “To be, or nor to be” soliloquy? The only time Hamlet addresses a skull is in his graveyard speech, “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him Horatio …”
Because it’s the iconic image you see everywhere and which stock image sites actually offer (obviously).
Hannibal knelt before his daughter; her aqua eyes were like chips of glacial ice. Could she forgive his sins against her? Or, should her tongue render him lifeless?
It’s getting cold in here.
Founded as a rock, whole as marble… as occasional editor of archaeological publications (and anthropologist myself),, I ‘feel’ this imagery quite well–the rocks, large stones or boulders are composed and re-composed (founded?) through ages of water, erosion, compacting soil, while marble was created more suddenly, not age upon age…I felt he emphasized that difference, yet comprehensiveness of how solidity is made…without going back to the Act and original lines, however, am making a statement that may have nothing to do with the context! Also I didn’t know ‘founded as a rock’ had been used before–I find it a very original one!
love this post Alex! i teach creative writing and am always looking for different ideas and aspects so will be sharing this post with them all today! anne
That’s good to hear, Anne. Hope your students had fun with it!
Isabella Pushed her dark blonde, hair back, showing her round tan, face. As she let go, her hair cascaded, down onto her athletic, shoulders. Her aqua blue eyes, squinted, looking for the proper section. She picked up two, tubes of toothpaste and one dropped, to the floor. Little creases formed, above her nose as she bent over, to pick it up. She dropped it, in her handbag, then continued down the aisle. Her thigh muscles flexed, on her long tan, legs, as she walked down the aisle, in those shorts. Walking at the end, past the aisles, she pressed her supple red, lips together. As Isabella pushed groceries around, in her cart, bicep muscles flexed, on her tan, arms. With a grin, she picked up, a can of soup, curling it, as her bicep, bulged. She looked up, spotting herself, in an overhead, mirror. Her lips curled, in a grin, dropping it into her cart, with a playful, headshake. She walked to the register, unloading her cart. A short blonde, girl, smiled, as she rung up, her groceries. Isabella’s cheeks, scrunched, lowering her head. Her light, blue eyes glanced up, as the cashier, asked if she needed anything. Isabella looked off, for a second, then with a small, grin, said, no thanks. The cashier loaded her bags, in the cart, with a polite, smile. Isabella, walked, toward the door, slowly. A man with wavy dark, hair tucked under his hat, approached her. He seemed to hurry, as she approached the door. Her thumb, tapped on her handbag, as he approached. Isabella’s forehead, creased, as he walked up. With a big, grin, the guy just, commented, on how nice it was, to see an attractive, woman. Her rosy, cheeks, dimpled, as she answered. While approaching the car, her face, scrunched, remembering, the toothpaste, again. With a subtle, headshake, she put her bags, in the car. As she pulled up, her boyfriend Paul, walked out, in his dark blue, uniform. His shirt was partially, open, so his well-formed, pecs, were showing. He ran his fingers, across his tan, face, commenting, on the timing. His big tan, arms flexed, carrying the bags in. As they unpacked, Isabella kept glancing, toward her handbag. Her rosy, cheeks, creased, as they finished. She pushed on her handbag, letting him know. His tan, forehead, corduroyed, with a wince. His bicep flexed, flinging his arm, as he explained how this could affect, his security, job. Her face, reddened, slapping her handbag, asking, what she should have done. Her face, reddened, saying, she just forgot. His leather, boot, clicked, on the floor, leaning, on the counter. His tan, cheeks, creased, asking if she thought, anyone saw her. Her eyes, widened, with a wince, saying, she didn’t think so. Then, her blue, eyes, almost closed, asking if, she should return to, the store. He looked at the floor, with a gesture, telling her it’s the only way, to remedy it. With a supportive, smile, he Put his muscular, arms, around her, letting her know, he’d go with her. It was a very, quiet ride back, to the store. Isabelle tapped a finger, on her handbag, the whole way. He glanced over, a couple times, with a comforting, smile. As he parked, her eyes closed, tightly, wincing. He brushed her knee, saying it wouldn’t be, that bad. She got out, slowly, her forehead, delicately, creasing. He placed an arm, around her, as they walked in. She pushed her badge over, retrieving the receipt. She waited in line, again, twirling a loose thread, on her handbag. Her face, reddened, a little, as the cashier finished, with the customer. With a sigh, she held the receipt out, placing the toothpaste, on the belt. Delicate lines, bookended, her eyes, telling her about the incident. A small, smile grew, as the cashier, listened. Isabelle pushed the toothpaste, forward, about to speak. Then, she touched Isabelle’s arm, her cheeks, creased, in a smile. She told her, the toothpaste was on a ‘2 for 1’sale, so she’d already paid, for it. Isabelle’s head lowered, with a small, sigh. With a slight, wince, she told her it wasn’t on purpose. While she said it, the cashier’s face, softened. Then, she brightened, telling her it happened, to everyone. With a supportive, smile, Paul bumped her, saying, all that worry, for nothing. As they walked out, she mumbled, it wouldn’t look good, seeing we’re both, security officers.
Isabella is a teacher, who wasn’t feeling well this morning, so she called in. She feels better by the afternoon, so she goes shopping. She picks up two tubes of toothpaste, dropping one. She picks it up, like a paperclip, that had fallen out of her purse. She just throws it, back in. She remembers at the checkout but, stays quiet. She’s headed for the door, when this man, approaches. He just hits, on her. She walks to her car, relieved. After a few blocks, she sees the red and blue lights, of a squad car, so she pulled over. She keeps checking the rearview mirror, nervously. The cocky looking officer walks up, tapping on her window. She tilts her purse, then, rolls down the window. The policeman notices, asking her to step out of the vehicle. She steps out nervously, thinking it’s gotta be the toothpaste. He quickly, searches the car, then makes her empty out her purse. She’s fidgety and nervous, so her suspects, something is afoot. He does notice the toothpaste, picking it up. She was about to confess when, he asks. If she always carried toothpaste, in her purse. She nervously, answers, not always. With a grin, he asks if she knows, why he stopped her. She swallows hard, answering no. He points to the rear of the vehicle, saying, one of her lights is not working. She winces, in relief. He asks, why did you think, I stopped you? She stares into space, for a moment, answering, I didn’t know. On the way home, she gets a call, from a friend. The first thing she says, is did you here about the robbery, at the store. She looks shocked, speechless. Her friend continues, how she thought it was suspicious, seeing how she called in. Isabella’s eyes tear up, starting to confess. But her friend laughs, I was just kidding. By this time, Isabella is a mess. She drives home, as her boyfriend Paul pulls up. He helps with the groceries, but he can tell, something is wrong. He looks off, saying, did ya’ hear, about the robbery, today? She turns white, as a ghost. With tears starting down her face, she asks, Man, does everyone know? She goes into a whole thing, not being specific, about what had happened. His eyes widen, asking, “At what point, did ya’ pull out a gun?” Her jaw drops, saying she didn’t. He goes on about how they said the thief, had a gun. She spills her purse, asking, show me a gun. His face, scrunches, saying no one would put it there. Finally, she picks up the toothpaste. She holds it up, saying, why would I pull a gun, to steal this? Just then, there’s a knock at the door. She opens the door, and there’s the policeman, standing there. She looks like, she’s going to faint. He has her sit down. Then, he asks, it seemed like something, was wrong and we’re looking for a suspect. But he added, I don’t necessarily think it’s you. Paul sits next to her, saying, confess. Now, the policeman looks like he’s going to act. She picks up the toothpaste, saying, It was an accident, but I took this, without paying. He looks dumbfounded, for a moment, then breaks out laughing. She starts to cry, asking why he thinks it’s funny. He explains that the criminal made them go to the safe, and got away with, over $25,000 dollars in cash. She looks at Paul, then the officer, with wide eyes, saying I swear, I only took this. He calmed her, telling her he believed her. She explained, and he said, she should go back to pay, and explain. She goes back, nervously, to the clerk. As she explains, she stopped her. Really, with all that’s gone on today, this is nothing. Then, she explains about the 2 for 1 sale. She looked about to faint, saying, You wouldn’t believe what I’ve gone through, because I called in to work. Her face, scrunched, do you know what it’s like, to stand in front of a bunch of kids, who don’t want to be there? With a headshake, she says, it’s horrible. With a slight, grin, the clerk asks, if she’s going to call in tomorrow. Her jaw drops, saying, are you kiddin’, look what happened, today. She pointed, saying, if they wanna be there or not, I’m gonna teach ‘em. With a grin, the clerk asks, you’re not an English teacher, are you? She chuckles, realizing how’d she’d been talking. No, I teach forensics, with an emphasis on how to use psychology, to catch a suspect. The cashier’s jaw drops, asking, you’re kiddin’ right? She looks off, saying, right about now, I wish I was. As they’re leaving, Paul asks, did you learn something, out of all of this? She nods, emphatically, Yeah, not to call in, unless I’m really, sick. He busts out, laughing, saying, Yeah right, why don’t ya’ teach that, to your students. She doesn’t find it funny. She admits, I know, honesty is the best policy.
Isabella picks up two tubes of toothpaste, dropping one. She picked it up, like an item from her purse, then puts it into her purse. She continued shopping, then went up to pay. As she steps to the cashier, she smiles, asking, “Did ya’ find everything, ok?” With a nod, Isabella, says, “Yeah, thanks.” As she scans her items, with a grin, the cashier, says, “Beautiful day, out there, huh?” Isabella was scanning a gossip, magazine, turning, quickly, “Yeah, beautiful.” Then, she glanced at her purse, smile dissipating, as she thought, ‘Oh shoot, too late now.’ The clerk tallied the total, ending the transaction, with a smile. She put her groceries in the cart, with a smile, saying, “Thanks, have a nice, day.” With a half-smile, she said, “Ok thanks, you, too.” As Isabella approached the door, a man walked toward her. Her face scrunched, slightly, as she began walking a little faster, toward the exit. Just a few feet away, his lips curled, in a grin, “Fancy meeting a beautiful, woman like you, in a place, like this.” With a relaxed, grin, she asked, “Is that the best, ya’ got?” She kept walking, with a dismissive, headshake. She got in the car, after unloading groceries, sighing, “That was close.” As she started down the road, she saw blue and red lights, behind her. The cop walks up, tapping her window. She opens it, with creases between her brows, “Yes, officer?” His brows, sank, “Ya’ know why I pulled ya’ over, right?” With a slight, wince, she reached out, touching her purse, “Not really, Officer, why?” Wrinkles formed, bookending his eyes, noticing her reaction, saying, “Why don’t ya’, step out a’ the car.” Her eyes widened, getting out. He took her to the back of the car, saying, “Ya’ mind if I search, your car?” She glanced inside the car, mouth lowering at the corners, saying, “No, I guess not.” With a slight, nod, his eyes, crinkled, “OK, wait here.” She fidgeted, waiting, while he did a quick, search. He came back, with her purse, in hand. He held it up, with a smirk, “Mind if I, search this?” She looked down, then rolled her eyes, “No, do what ya’ gotta do.” He dumped the contents, noticing the unopened package, of toothpaste. He held it up, asking, “Ya’ always keep toothpaste, in your purse?” Her face scrunched, “No, not always.” A small, grin, grew on his face, saying, “Ok, you can take your stuff, and be on your way.” With a small, scowl, she asked, “Wait, why’d ya’ stop me?” His face scrunched, with a nod, “Oh yeah, ya’ got a brake light out, better get it fixed.” Her eyes closed, slouching, a little, “Ok, thanks.” His smile intensified, with a nod, “No problem, ma’am.” She turned, to get into, her car, with a wince, “No problem, my behind.” As she started to drive away, her phone rang. She answered, with her no hands, holder, “Hello?” Her friend’s (Kathy) eyes, widened, “Did ya’ hear about, the robbery, at the grocery, store?!” Isabella’s jaw dropped, pulling over. She put her hand, on her chest, trying to compose herself. Kathy’s face, scrunched, asking, “Are ya’, still there?” Isabella, put the phone back to, her ear. Her forehead, creased, “W-when did, this happen?” With a nod, her lips curled, in a grin, “I know, I’m shocked, too.” Isabella, closed her eyes, with her head, lowered, muttering, “You’re not, the only one.” Her face, scrunched, “Huh?” Isabelle’s eyes, widened, “I mean, when did that, happen?” She gestured, with lines, bookending her eyes, “Just a few minutes, ago! Isn’t that somethin’?” Isabella turned her head, peering, out her windows. Then, she turned, swallowing hard, “Yeah, that’s somethin’, alright?” Then, creases formed, between Kathy’s brows, “By the way, where were you?” Isabella’s face, scrunched, throwing a hand, over her mouth. Then, she removed it, slowly, blank-faced, “Um, I was just out, shopping.” Her eyes, flared, “Don’t tell me, you were at, the grocery, store!” Her eyes, almost closed, sighing, “Well yeah, a while, ago.” Kathy bounced, longfaced, “Shut up!” There was an awkward, silence, then she winced, “Well, it’s been a while, I was… pulled over.” Her friend bounced, again, “Did he, search ya?!” Now, Isabella’s scowled, “Yeah! I don’t know what…” Her face, scrunched, rocking forward, “Holy! He thought, I… was the thief.” Kathy’s face, pruned, “You weren’t though, right?” Her face, bent, “What do ya’ mean, were ya’?!” There was another, awkward, silence. Then Kathy, sheepishly, said, “Sorry, I just meant, of course, ya’ weren’t.” Isabella’s slouched, asking, “What did they take, anyway?” She rocked, forward, with squinty, eyes, “I guess, about $10,000.” She hit the steering, wheel, “No way!” She gestured, with creases, on her forehead, “Yeah, I know someone, who works there… she’s a cashier.” Isabella’s face, elongated, “What does she, look like?” She put her hand, at the height, “Well, she’s a short blonde, girl.” She winced, with a hand, on her chest, “Holy… that was probably, the cashier, that checked me out.” Kathy’s brows, rocked, slowly, “Did she find you, attractive?” With her face, scrunched, she rocked, forward, “Are you serious, right now?!” She put her hand, out, eyes, flaring, “Wo, wo, wo, I was just kiddin’.” She slouched in her seat, sighing, then said, “Sorry, it’s just been, one a’ those days, ya’ know?” Her lip, slouch, on one side, “Ya’ know, you must’ve, gotten out of there just, in time.” Her head rocked forward, leaning on the steering, wheel, sighing. Then, in a small, voice, said, “Yeah, I guess so.” She pulled back, with her mouth, falling open, “Did she stick up, that cashier?” She put a finger, to her cheek, squinting, “No, the office is to the left.” She swung, her arm, “I guess, the door was open, so he just, walked in.” Then, she, pointed, wincing, “He had a gun and everything.” Her eyes, closed, motioning, “Well, that explains, a lot.” Her eyes, opened, glancing over, “I mean, I see why, he search my car and… purse.” She whispered, with a scrunched, face, “Oh my… he must’ve been looking, for the perp.” Isabella’s face, scrunched, “The what? Are you on a cop show, now?” They both, chuckled. Isabella checked, her watch, with a wince, “I’d better get goin’, Paul’s gonna be, waitin’ for me.” Kathy turned, with a grin, “OK, glad you’re not a perp.” They chuckled, as Kathy, hung up. Isabella started, for home. She pulled in, right after, Paul. He knew she was shopping, so he carried most, of the bags. They got into the house, setting the bags, on the counter. She slowly, started emptying the bags, as he leaned, on the counter. She turned, with a wince, “You’ll never believe, how my day went.” He motioned, with a small, grin, “Go ahead and tell me, I know it helps.” Her eyes crinkled, for a moment. Then, she said, “Right, well anyway… first of all, the grocery store got robbed, at gun point.” His jaw dropped, motioning, “Were you, there?” Her face, rippled, with a headshake, “No, I had left, a couple, minutes earlier.” He touched her arm, with a soft, look, “Wow, that’s good.” With a slow, headshake, she mumbled, “Yeah, right.” Then, she unloaded, a couple, more items, Wincing, “There was something, else.” His brows, sunk, “Ok, what?” She bowed her head, reaching, for her purse. She reached in, pulling the toothpaste, out. She set it, on the counter, closing her eyes, “Gonna ask me, why I have toothpaste, in my purse?” He scratched his head, face, scrunching, “Ok, I give up, why?” With creases between, her brows, she motioned, “Well, I picked up two, and one dropped to the floor.” She bent over, slightly, “So, I picked it up, like something from my purse, and put it back. He held his hands, up, eyes, squinty, “Wait, so it dropped and you naturally, put it back… in your purse?” She nodded, slowly. Lines appeared, on his brow, “Let me get this, straight, “You dropped a toothpaste, trying to put it, in your cart.” He motioned, “Then, you picked it up, jamming it your purse.” Her face, wilted, “I didn’t jam, anything… I put it, in my purse.” His eyes, flared, “Did anyone, notice?” Her face, bent, “What do ya’ mean?!” Her face, bent, floating her hands, in the air, “Did anyone see me, JAM it, in my purse?” He readjusted his foot, clicking his heel, loudly, “What the h***, is with all the theatrics?!” She grabbed the toothpaste, face, bent. She thrust it, in and out of her purse, exaggerating it. She said, “Ya mean, did I jam it, in my purse?!” He started walking, away, with a dismissive, hand gesture, “I can’t talk to you, when you’re like this!” She threw the toothpaste, his direction, “Ya’ mean, when I’m jammin’ toothpaste, in my purse!” He stepped back, toward her, with a scowl. His voice, echoed, “Did ya’ stop and think, that people know, we’re together!” Did it enter your mind, that a security officer’s girlfriend… shouldn’t be stealing?!” She threw her hands, to her scrunching, face, “I didn’t mean to…” She motioned, “It just, happened.” She pulled her hands, away, with her wet eyes, showing, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean, to do it.” He stepped over, face, softening, “I’m sorry, too, I shouldn’t get upset.” She sniffled, pointing, “What should, I do?” His voice, lowered, with a nod, “You need to go back, with the slip and explain.” Her eyes, closed, “Jeez, I’ll be so, embarrassed.” With a hand on her shoulder, he said, “I’ll go with ya, it’ll be, ok.” Her face, pruned, “Ya sure?” His lip curled, in a small, grin, “Yeah, I’d say, they have bigger fish, to fry.” She looked downward, sighing, “Yeah.” Then, her mouth, dropped open, saying, “Oh! I forgot the part, about me getting, pulled over.” Lines bookended, his eyes, “Really? What happened?” She put the frozen food, away, saying, “Well, he made me get out, and searched my purse.” His head, rocked back, pointing, “Yeah, I guess they would be looking, for a suspect.” Right after, he said it, his brows, sank, “Wait! Did he say, why he, pulled you over?” With a slight, headshake, her face, crumpled, “I almost forgot ta’ ask him… but her said, I have a brake light, out.” His face, scrunched, “Ya’ sure, I just replaced ‘em, for ya’.” She had the perishables, put away. He motioned, “Grab your slip and we’ll, go back.” After a step, he raised, his hand, “Right after, we check, those lights.” They went to, the car. She turned the key, pumping, the brakes. He stood back, watching. With a headshake, he said, “Try the turn, signals. She tried one and he gave, a thumbs up. She tried, the other one, then he shook his head. He walked back, getting in. Her face, scrunched, “Well?” His face, wrinkled, with a headshake, “Well, if you had been, the robber, you would’ve, gotten away, with it.” Her head, snapped over, “What do, ya’ mean?” He motioned, with a scowl, “All your lights, are working.” He motioned, “Anything they found, in your car, would’ve been, inadmissible… in court.” Her face, elongated, with wide, eyes, “Ya’ mean, I would’ve gotten away, with it?!” He chuckled, “Yeah, ya’ would’ve gotten away with, the toothpaste caper.” She chuckled, backing out. They got to, the store and they could tell, all wasn’t back to normal, yet. When she got to, the cash, register, (Sandy)the blonde girl’s mouth, dropped open, “Oh my… you missed the robbery, by a couple, minutes!” Isabella’s looked, shaken, asking, “Are you ok, I mean, is everyone, ok?” She closed, her eyes, pointing, “Our assistant, manager, was the one, in the office.” Her face, scrunched, pointing, “She went home, for the day.” Isabella’s eyes, arched, “Well, I don’t blame her,” Then, her face, calmed, a little, “What can I do, for ya?” Her face, reddened, a little, pulling the slip, from her purse. Paul stood beside her, quietly, putting his hand on, her back. With a nervous, grin, she said, “Um, well I dropped a toothpaste, on the floor.” Sandy nodded, listening. She continued, fidgeting, “Anyway, I picked it up, like it dropped from my purse, and put it in there.” Sandy’s brows, sagged, trying to understand. Isabella reached forward, her voice, shaky, “I didn’t pay for it, cause it was in, my purse.” Then, her eye’s widened, leaning forward, “Oh, now I get it.” She looked at the slip, then the add, flyer. With a toothy, smile, she said, “It was on a 2 for 1 sale, you paid for one, so you’re good.” Isabella slouched, with a big, sigh, “Oh, I’m so glad, cause I didn’t…” Sandy stopped her, touching her arm, “I know, I see ya’ all the time, in here.” Another girl had opened a register, to take care, of the customers. Throwing her hand, to her face, her eye’s widened, with a tear, escaping, “I’m sorry, I didn’t get ya’, in trouble, did I?” With a soft, smile, she leaned forward, “That’s what we’re, supposed to do, help our customers.” Her voice became, unsteady, “Thank you, so much.” Her smile, brightened, “No problem.” She leaned forward, “Ya know, it’s my break, I’m gonna go out, for a smoke.” She motioned, “If ya want, we can talk, ok?” She glanced, toward, Paul. His lip curled in a small, grin, “Sure, whatever.” So they went out, to the side of the building. There was a picnic table, for breaks. Isabella sat across from her, with Paul, beside her. Sandy lit her cigarette, taking a drag, then blew it out, the side of her mouth. With a friendly, grin, she asked, “So, how was the rest, of your day?” She leaned, forward, with creases between, her brows, “You wouldn’t, believe it.” Sandy nodded, with a smile. Isabella continued, touching her arm, “After I left here, I got pulled over.” Sandy’s eyes, flared, swiping the table, “Oh my… they didn’t search your car, did they?!” She leaned, forward, talking in a loud, whisper, “Yeah, and my purse!” Sandy slapped, the table, “Shut up!” She motioned, with an exaggerated, nod, “They, sure did.” With squinty eyes, she leaned over, whispering, “What did they, stop ya’ for?” Now, Paul’s face, bent, joining in, “Well, a supposed, burnt out, bulb.” Her eyes, widened, leaning, forward, with a loud, sigh, “Ya’ mean, they were fine?!” Paul wasn’t quite so, quiet, “Yeah, so nothing they found, would’ve counted.” With a sly, grin, Sandy, touched, her arm, “Good thing, ya’ didn’t do it then, huh.” Both girls, chuckled. Paul didn’t find it, so amusing. Isabella bumped him, with a grin, “It’s just a joke.” Then, Sandy bounced, awe-faced, “Holy man! And you were sweatin’, the toothpaste.” They both, chuckled. Isabella’s eyes, flared, “He dumped out my purse, then asked me if…” She chuckled, continuing, “He asked me. If I always carried toothpaste, in my purse.” The two girls, lost it, laughing. Paul, just smiled, with a headshake. Sandy spotted the time, wincing, “I gotta get back, to work.” She took a piece, of paper and wrote down, her number. With a big, smile, she said, “Why don’t ya’ call me, and we can hang out, ok?” Isabella’s face, brightened, “That would be great, somethin’ good, came out of this, anyway, huh?” She chuckled, “Yeah, then her smile, softened, “See ya.” With a casual, wave, Isabella’s smile, warmed, “Ok, bye.” Sandy hurried over, giving her, a hug. she whispered, “You looked like, ya’ needed, that.” Isabella whispered, in her ear, “I always figured, you were nice.” She whispered, “Aww, thanks, I thought, the same thing.” Isabella withdrew, face, scrunched, “Really?” With a nod, her smile, brightened, “Yeah.” Sandy walked in, with a last, wave, “Bye Izzy.” She laughed, waving, “Bye, Sandy.” As they walked to the car, a smile grew, on Paul’s face, “While you’re havin’ a day like that… ya’ never think about, the good, that could come from it, huh.” With a big, grin, she said, “Yeah, I’ll have ta’ remember that, while I’m stealin’ toothpaste.” They both, chuckled, getting into the car.
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Home » Blog » General » Understanding Figures of Speech: Activities and Discussions for Educators
Understanding Figures of Speech: Activities and Discussions for Educators
Introduction
Figures of speech are common sayings that people use to convey meaning beyond the literal interpretation of the words. They are an essential part of communication, and understanding them can improve social interactions and prevent misunderstandings. This blog post will explore a no-prep activity designed to help educators teach students about figures of speech, followed by discussion questions, related skills, and next steps for further learning.
No-Prep Activity: Figure of Speech Charades
One engaging and effective way to teach students about figures of speech is through a game of charades. This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator and can be easily adapted for different age groups and skill levels.
Here’s how to play:
- Divide the class into two teams.
- Write down several common figures of speech on small pieces of paper, fold them, and place them in a container.
- One student from each team comes up to the front of the class and chooses a figure of speech from the container.
- Without speaking, the student must act out the figure of speech they selected, while their team members try to guess what it is.
- Each team takes turns, and the team with the most correct guesses wins.
This activity not only helps students learn about figures of speech but also encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Discussion Questions
After the activity, use these questions to stimulate further discussion:
- Why is it important to understand figures of speech in everyday communication?
- Can you think of a time when you misunderstood a figure of speech? How did you handle the situation?
- Why do you think people use figures of speech instead of just saying what they mean?
- How can understanding figures of speech improve our relationships with others?
- What strategies can you use to determine if someone is using a figure of speech or speaking literally?
Related Skills
Understanding figures of speech is just one aspect of effective communication. Here are some other relevant skills that students can benefit from:
- Active listening: Paying close attention to what others are saying and responding thoughtfully.
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
- Nonverbal communication: Interpreting body language, facial expressions, and gestures to understand the speaker’s intended message.
- Asking questions: Seeking clarification when unsure about the meaning of a statement or phrase.
- Critical thinking: Evaluating the context and tone of a conversation to better understand the speaker’s intent.
By incorporating activities like Figure of Speech Charades and engaging in discussions about communication, educators can help students develop a deeper understanding of figures of speech and improve their social-emotional skills. To access more resources and sample materials for teaching these skills and others, visit Everyday Speech’s sample materials and sign up for free.
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5 Tips on How to Write a Speech Essay
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When figuring out how to write a speech, the essay form can offer a good foundation for the process. Just like essays, all speeches have three main sections: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.
However, unlike essays, speeches must be written to be heard as opposed to being read. You need to write a speech in a way that keeps the attention of an audience and helps paint a mental image at the same time. This means that your speech should contain some color, drama, or humor . It should have “flair.” Make your speech memorable by using attention-grabbing anecdotes and examples.
Determine the Type of Speech You're Writing
Since there are different types of speeches, your attention-grabbing techniques should fit the speech type.
Informative and instructional speeches inform your audience about a topic, event, or area of knowledge. This can be a how-to on podcasting for teens or a historical report on the Underground Railroad. It also can relate to health and beauty, such as "How to Shape Perfect Eyebrows," or hobby-related, such as "Make a Great Bag Out of Old Clothing."
Persuasive speeches attempt to convince or persuade the audience to join one side of an argument. You might write a speech about a life choice, such as, "Abstinence Can Save Your Life," or getting involved in the community, such as "The Benefits of Volunteering."
Entertaining speeches entertain your audience, and topics may not practical. Your speech topic could be something like, "Life Is Like a Dirty Dorm," or "Can Potato Peels Predict the Future?"
Special occasion speeches entertain or inform your audience, like graduation speeches and toasts at celebrations.
Explore the different types of speeches and decide what speech type fits your assignment.
Craft a Creative Speech Introduction
Thoughtco.com / Grace Fleming
The introduction of the informative speech should contain an attention-grabber, followed by a statement about your topic. It should end with a strong transition into your body section.
As an example, consider a template for an informative speech called "African-American Heroines." The length of your speech will depend on the amount of time you have been allotted to speak.
The red section of the speech in the graphic provides the attention-grabber. It makes audience members think about what life would be like without civil rights. The last sentence states directly the purpose of the speech and leads into the speech body, which provides more details.
Determine the Flow of the Body of the Speech
Thoughtco.com / Grace Fleming
The body of your speech can be organized in a number of ways, depending on your topic. Suggested organization patterns include:
- Chronological: Provides the order of events in time;
- Spatial: Gives an overview of physical arrangement or design;
- Topical: Presents information one subject at a time;
- Causal: Shows cause-and-effect pattern.
The speech pattern illustrated in the image in this slide is topical. The body is divided into sections that address different people (different topics). Speeches typically include three sections (topics) in the body. This speech would continue with a third section about Susie King Taylor.
Writing a Memorable Speech Conclusion
The conclusion of your speech should restate the main points you covered in your speech and end with a memorable statement. In the sample in this graphic, the red section restates the overall message you wanted to convey: that the three women you've mentioned had strength and courage, despite the odds they faced.
The quote is an attention-grabber since it is written in colorful language. The blue section ties the entire speech together with a small twist.
Address These Key Objectives
Whatever type of speech you decide to write, find ways to make your words memorable. Those elements include:
- Clever quotes
- Amusing stories with a purpose
- Meaningful transitions
- A good ending
The structure of how to write your speech is just the start. You'll also need to finesse the speech a bit. Start by paying attention to your audience and their interests. Write the words you'll speak with passion and enthusiasm, but you also want your listeners to share that enthusiasm. When writing your attention-grabbing statements, make sure you are writing what will get their attention, not just yours.
Study Famous Speeches
Gain inspiration from others' speeches. Read famous speeches and look at the way they are constructed. Find things that stand out and figure out what makes it interesting. Oftentimes, speechwriters use rhetorical devices to make certain points easy to remember and to emphasize them.
Get to the Point Quickly
Remember to begin and end your speech with something that will gain and hold the attention of your audience. If you spend too much time getting into your speech, people will zone out or start checking their phones. If you get them interested immediately, they will be more likely to stick with you until the end.
Keep It Conversational
How you deliver the speech is also important. When you give the speech , think about the tone you should use, and be sure to write the speech in the same flow that you'd use in conversations. A great way to check this flow is to practice reading it out loud. If you stumble while reading or it feels monotone, look for ways to jazz up the words and improve the flow.
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Essay on Importance of Communication for Students and Children
500+ words essay on importance of communication:.
Communication is one of the important tools that aid us to connect with people. Either you are a student or a working professional, good communication is something that will connect you far ahead. Proper communication can help you to solve a number of issues and resolve problems. This is the reason that one must know how to communicate well. The skills of communication essential to be developed so that you are able to interact with people. And able to share your thoughts and reach out to them. All this needs the correct guidance and self-analysis as well.
Meaning of Communication
The word communication is basically a process of interaction with the people and their environment . Through such type of interactions, two or more individuals influence the ideas, beliefs, and attitudes of each other.
Such interactions happen through the exchange of information through words, gestures, signs, symbols, and expressions. In organizations, communication is an endless process of giving and receiving information and to build social relationships.
Importance of Communication
Communication is not merely essential but the need of the hour. It allows you to get the trust of the people and at the same time carry better opportunities before you. Some important points are as follows –
Help to Build Relationships
No matter either you are studying or working, communication can aid you to build a relationship with the people. If you are studying you communicate with classmates and teachers to build a relationship with them. Likewise in offices and organizations too, you make relationships with the staff, your boss and other people around.
Improve the Working Environment
There are a number of issues which can be handled through the right and effective communication. Even planning needs communication both written as well as verbal. Hence it is essential to be good in them so as to fill in the communication gap.
Foster strong team
Communication helps to build a strong team environment in the office and other places. Any work which requires to be done in a team. It is only possible if the head communicates everything well and in the right direction.
Find the right solutions
Through communication, anyone can find solutions to even serious problems. When we talk, we get ideas from people that aid us to solve the issues. This is where communication comes into play. Powerful communication is the strength of any organization and can help it in many ways.
Earns more respect
If your communication skills are admirable, people will love and give you respect. If there is any problem, you will be the first person to be contacted. Thus it will increase your importance. Hence you can say that communications skills can make a big change to your reputation in society.
Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas
Don’t Go Overboard With Your Point
The conversation is about to express your thoughts. And to let the other person know what you feel. It is not mean to prove that your point is correct and the other person is wrong. Don’t Overboard other With Your Point.
Watch Your Words
Before you say something to Watch Your Words. At times, out of anger or anxiousness, we say somethings that we must not say. Whenever you are in a professional meeting or in some formal place, where there is a necessity of communicating about your product or work then it is advised to practice the same beforehand
Communication is the greatest importance. It is important to sharing out one’s thoughts and feelings to live a fuller and happier life. The more we communicate the less we suffer and the better we feel about everything around. However, it is all the more necessary to learn the art of effective communication to put across ones point well.
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4.20: Writing Assignment: Figure of Speech Poem
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Write a poem that incorporates a figure of speech: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, or understatement. You may write it in first-person point of view (I, me, my, we, us, etc.) or third-person point of view (he, she, it, they, etc.) Here is a list of poem suggestions:
- Write a nature poem using a simile like Carl Sandburg did in “Fog.” Be sure to use the word like or as .
- Choose an abstract noun (peace, hate, joy, etc.) and write a poem using an extended metaphor like Emily Dickinson did in “Hope is the Thing with Feathers.” Be sure the abstract noun is compared to a concrete noun (something the reader can visualize) by using the word is.
- Choose an inanimate object and personify it like Robert Frost did in “Storm Fear.”
- Create an original hyperbole and use the line in a poem like Robert Frost did in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”
- Write a narrative poem that shows understatement like Mary Howitt’s poem “The Spider and the Fly.”
You get the idea, right? Brainstorm a list of your own ideas, avariation of one of the above, or use one of the above ideas.
Show Don’t Tell
Remember to use specific nouns and strong action verbs. Remember to use your senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, smell. Of course, poets use less words than fictional writers, too.
Line Breaks
Follow the traditional line breaks and format that most free-verse poets use. Make the line breaks where there is punctuation, an end of a phrase, or the end of a sentence.
Final Draft Instructions
Follow these instructions for typing the final draft:
- The poem must be typed in a Microsoft Word file (.docx).
- It must have one-inch margins, be single-spaced, and typed in a 12 pt. readable font like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial.
- Don’t allow the auto-correct in Microsoft Word to capitalize the first line of each poem. Use conventional English rules to write your lines.
- In the upper left-hand corner of page 1, type your first and last name, the name of the class, the date the assignment is due, and the assignment name. Example:
Jane Doe ENGL 1465–Creative Writing Due Date: Writing Assignment: Figure of Speech Poem
- Be sure to give your poem a title. Do not bold, enlarge, or punctuate the title. Capitalize the first word and each important word in the title.
- Writing Assignment: Figure of Speech Poem. Authored by : Linda Frances Lein, M.F.A. License : CC BY: Attribution
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Explore the world of figurative language and its impact on writing. HyperWrite's Figures of Speech Study Guide is your comprehensive resource for understanding and utilizing similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and understatement in your writing. This guide covers the definitions, examples, and effective use of these literary devices to enhance your writing style and engage your ...
A figure of speech is a literary device in which language is used in an unusual—or "figured"—way in order to produce a stylistic effect. Figures of speech can be broken into two main groups: figures of speech that play with the ordinary meaning of words (such as metaphor, simile, and hyperbole ), and figures of speech that play with the ...
In literature, figures of speech are vital in enhancing the author's work, bringing life, beauty, emphasis, and clarity to ordinary words and sentences. They allow readers to experience the author ...
In summation, figures of speech are used to add richness and imagery to a work of literature in order to achieve an effect for the reader. Final example, In Pat Mora's poem "Old Snake", it states "Leave / those doubts and hurts / buzzing like flies in your ears". "doubts and hurts / buzzing like flies in your ears" = simile.
irony. palindrome. conceit. euphemism. figure of speech, any intentional deviation from literal statement or common usage that emphasizes, clarifies, or embellishes both written and spoken language. Forming an integral part of language, figures of speech are found in oral literatures as well as in polished poetry and prose and in everyday ...
IV. The Importance of Figures of Speech. In general, the purpose of a figure of speech is to lend texture and color to your writing. (This is itself a figure of speech, since figures of speech don't actually change the colors or textures on the page!) For instance, metaphors allow you to add key details that make the writing more lively and ...
Balance. This is especially important when trying to make a sentence smoother. A good example of balance is parallelism, which is when you use the same grammatical form in at least two parts of a sentence. Not parallelism: "She likes reading, writing, and to paint on the weekends.". Parallelism: "She likes reading, writing, and painting ...
The different figures of speech with meanings: Simile: A simile compares two entities using "like" or "as.". It helps to create vivid imagery and establish a connection between two concepts. Example: Her smile was as bright as the sun. Metaphor: A metaphor directly compares two entities without using "like" or "as.".
A figure of speech, also known as a rhetorical figure or figurative language, is a form of expression that deviates from the expected, normal use of words or phrases to demonstrate an idea or add weight to an opinion. When used to create deeper meaning in a work of prose or poetry, figures of speech are considered literary devices.
oConsideration of counterarguments (what Sandel might say in response to this section of your argument) Each argument you will make in an essay will be different, but this strategy will often be a useful first step in figuring out the path of your argument. Strategy #2: Use subheadings, even if you remove themlater.
When you are writing, you can use figures of speech in a way that gives your readers a wonderful picture of some kind. When I read or hear these figures of speech, they always give me an image in ...
The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body. This article provides useful templates and tips to help you outline your essay, make decisions about your structure, and ...
6. Finally, you have to clean up: With your brainstorming approach, for sure bad images will come up too; it happens to every writer. The important thing is to weed them out. Scratch them, if they fall into one of the following categories, so you make sure to avoid these pitfalls: Incongruous Images (E.g.
Poets use figures of speech in their poems. Several types of figures of speech exist for them to choose from. Five common ones are simile, metaphor, personification, hypberbole, and understatement. Simile. A simile compares one thing to another by using the words like or as. Read Shakespeare's poem "Sonnet 130.".
Active listening: Paying close attention to what others are saying and responding thoughtfully. Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others. Nonverbal communication: Interpreting body language, facial expressions, and gestures to understand the speaker's intended message. Asking questions: Seeking clarification when unsure about ...
You need to write a speech in a way that keeps the attention of an audience and helps paint a mental image at the same time. This means that your speech should contain some color, drama, or humor. It should have "flair.". Make your speech memorable by using attention-grabbing anecdotes and examples.
Communication is the greatest importance. It is important to sharing out one's thoughts and feelings to live a fuller and happier life. The more we communicate the less we suffer and the better we feel about everything around. However, it is all the more necessary to learn the art of effective communication to put across ones point well.
Question:. Write your realization on the topic on figures of speech? Answer:. A figure of speech is a use of a word that diverges from its normal meaning or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on a literal meaning of the words in it's such as metaphor, simile or personification. figure of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of expression or clarity may also suffer from their use ...
Download. Essay, Pages 6 (1356 words) Views. 8617. Within the realm of poetry, where words transcend their mundane meanings, poets wield the power of figures of speech to craft intricate messages that resonate with readers on profound levels. In this exploration, we delve into two distinct poems—William Blake's "To See a World in a Grain of ...
In the upper left-hand corner of page 1, type your first and last name, the name of the class, the date the assignment is due, and the assignment name. Example: Jane Doe. ENGL 1465-Creative Writing. Due Date: Writing Assignment: Figure of Speech Poem. Be sure to give your poem a title. Do not bold, enlarge, or punctuate the title.
Loved by our community. a figure of speech is a use of a word that diverges from its normal meaning or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on a literal meaning of the words in it's such as metaphor, simile or personification. figure of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of expression or clarity may also suffer from their use, as ...
Find an answer to your question on an essay form, write your realization on the topic on sound with the connotative figure of speech techniques of poetry siegiesamz siegiesamz 09.11.2020