Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Figure of Speech Part of The Special Effects of Writing
Figure of Speech Part of The Special Effects of Writing
Figure of Speech Part of The Special Effects of Writing
CONTENTS
Alliteration
Allusion
Apostrophe
Irony
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Parallelism
Simile
A figure of speech is a change from the ordinary manner of expression, using words in other than
their literal sense to enhance the way a thought is expressed.
The following are the more common figures of Speech you can use to achieve some interesting "effects"
in your writing:
Alliteration: the same sound is repeated noticeably at the beginning of words placed close
together
Examples--
Recommendation: Use alliteration sparingly. Too much can wear on the reader.
Back to Top
Examples--
Back to Top
Examples--
Examples--
e.g. "That was some sprinkle." (in reference to the four inches of rain which fell
an hour before)
Back to Top
Metaphor: an implied comparison between things, events, or actions which are fundamentally
unlike.
Examples--
Synecdoche: using a part for the whole or the whole for a part
Examples--
Recommendations:
o The comparison should be more evocative and appealing than the literal, plain statement
of the thought.
o Use sparingly. Too much of this and you call attention to yourself as the author instead of
leaving your reader immersed in your story
Back to Top
Examples--
Back to Top
Examples--
Recommendation: Don't use too much of this; it can easily wear on the reader.
Paradox: a statement that seems self-contradictory. The effect of this is to jolt the reader into
paying attention.
Examples--
"He who loses his life for My sake will save it."
Oxymoron: a paradoxical statement in which two contradictory terms or words are brought
together.
Examples--
Anaphora: repetition of the same word or words at the beginning or successive clauses, verses,
or sentences,
Anticlimax: the use of climax up to the end of a series of thoughts and then the insertion of some
unimportant idea in the last, most important position. Useful in humorous writing.
Back to Top
Simile: an explicit comparison between things, events, or actions which are fundamentally unlike. .
Typically involves the words "like" or "as"
Examples:
"Casual dress, like casual speech, tends to be loose, relaxed and colorful"
Recommendations:
The comparison should be more evocative and appealing than the literal, plain statement of the
though
Use sparingly. Too much of this and you call attention to yourself as the author instead of leaving
your reader immersed in your story
If a simile seems too awkward, convert it into a metaphor to see if it works better; but note that
not every simile can be turned into a metaphor.