Figures of speech

1. TOPIC: Figures of Speech Instructor: Alvin B. Punongbayan
Figures of Speech
Figures of Speech are words or group of words that express different meanings than
their literal meaning. They also give more flavours to literary texts, thus making them
more impressive and artistic.
1. Simile- is the comparison using the words “as”, “like” or “than”
Example: Your love is like the sun that lights up my whole world
From the song “Your Love” by Alamid
2. Metaphor- is an implied comparison of two things; it doesn’t use the words “as”,
“like”, or “than” in comparison.
Example: ‘Shot me out of the sky, you’re my kryptonite; you keep making me
weak, yeah, frozen and can’t breathe”
From the song “One Thing” by One Direction
*”YOU” is being compared to KRYPTONITE
3. Personification- is giving human traits to inanimate objects.
Examples: The red light shouted “Stop!”
The flowers smiled at me.
*take note that “red lights” and “flowers” are not humans but they were given
human characteristics in those statements.
4. Hyperbole- it is an exaggerated statement
Example: And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while”
From the song “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars.
5. Alliteration- it is the repetition of initial consonants.
Example: Mary marries Manny.
6. Assonance- it is the repetition of vowel sounds within words.
Example: “Gaily bedight, a gallant night
In sunshine and in shadow, had journeyed long

2. TOPIC: Figures of Speech Instructor: Alvin B. Punongbayan
Singing a song, in search of El Dorado.
From “El Dorado” by Edgar Allan Poe
7. Consonance- it is the repetition of consonant sounds within and at the end of the
words.
Example: I’ll swing by my ankles,
She’ll cling to your knees,
As you hang by your nose,
From a high-up trapeze.
But just one thing, please,
As we float through the breeze,
Don’t Sneeze.
-The Acrobat by Shel Silverstein
8. Onomatopoeia- it is the use of words that conveys sound of the words.
Example: The bird that chirps- tweet…tweet…tweet
The dog that barks- aww…aww…aww
9. Allusion- it is the use of facts or things about history, religion and literature.
Examples:
 Beelzebub, the people with this manner
 I spent my time dreaming of being an angel.
10. Anaphora- it is the repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve
an artistic effect.
Example: I dreamed, I prayed, I worked and I succeeded.
11. Antithesis- it is the use to two opposite ideas in a sentence to achieve a
contrasting effect.
Examples:
 Man proposes, God disposes
 I like you but I don’t love you

3. TOPIC: Figures of Speech Instructor: Alvin B. Punongbayan
12. Apostrophe- it is addressing to an absent or imaginary person or thing.
Example:
“Twinkle, twinkle little star, How I wonder what you are”
13. Climax – it is showing of an increase in emotion or thoughts.
Example:
Today I am a student, tomorrow I’ll be an entrepreneur, and
someday I’ll be a millionaire.
14. Anticlimax – it is the opposite of climax; it shows thoughts and emotions in
decreasing order.
Example:
Dr. Kennedy shared his wealth to their province, to their municipality
and to his relatives.
15. Euphemism – it is the replacement of mild or indirect words to something
which may be too offensive or harsh.
Examples:
“On the streets” instead of “homeless”
“Passed away” instead of “died”
“Adult entertainment” instead of “pornography”
16. Epistrophe - it is the repetition of words or phrases at the end of sentences or
clauses.
Example:
I find myself loving you, enjoying loving you, and will never stop
loving you.
17. Irony – it is the use of words to convey a meaning opposite of its literal
meaning.
Example:

4. TOPIC: Figures of Speech Instructor: Alvin B. Punongbayan
A poor child threw his toys, the mother says “Oh! You are so rich!”
A man spent the whole day serving food to his visitors but forgot to
eat lunch.
18. Oxymoron- it is the use of two contrasting ideas or words to create a creative
effect.
Examples:
“Honest lies”
“Kind witch”
“Wet desert”
19. Puns – it is a joke or entertaining play on words. It creates humorous effect to
the readers.
Examples:
You and I are photographs, we are not yet developed.
Santa’s helpers are known as subordinate Clauses
20. Metonymy – it is the substitution of name to a thing or concept using words
associated with it.
Examples:
“The Palace” which refers to Malacaṅang
“Green Archers” which refers to the varsity team of De La Salle
University
“Land” sometimes refers to one’s country.
21. Synecdoche – it is when a whole is represented by a part of it
Examples:
“Digits” referring to phone number
“Wheels” referring to cars
22. Understatement – it is the deliberate description of something in a way that
makes it seem less important than it actually is.

5. TOPIC: Figures of Speech Instructor: Alvin B. Punongbayan
Example:
After a magnitude 8 earthquake, “I almost didn’t feel it”.
23. Tautology – it is a statement wherein words are repeated even it’s not
necessary.
Example:
“I can’t hear it, please repeat it again”
*note that REPEAT and AGAIN have the same meaning.