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.

Purpose
1. Add dramatic effect.
3. Create a playful tone.
4. Reveal a deeper meaning.

Onomatopoeia
The use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer
to.

Example:
I was walking down the lane when- bam!- a gigantic cat leaped over my shoulder from
nowhere.
The clap of thunder went bang and scared my poor dog.
The pitter-patter of rain falling on the pavement like tiny footsteps.

Oxymoron
A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side.

Example: 1. Almost exactly

2. Awfully good
3. Deafening silence
4. Freezer Burn
5. Living dead
6. Loyal opposition
7. Old news
8. Only choice
9. Open secret
10. Pretty ugly
11. Same difference
12. Small crowd

6 Examples of Oxymorons in Literature

From poetry to prose, writers have used oxymorons to add color and wit to literature for
centuries. Consider the following examples:
 1. Romeo and Juliet (1597): William Shakespeare’s play features several oxymorons,
including the line “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Another example is when Romeo
processes the pain of unrequited love with the words: “Why, then, O brawling love! O
loving hate! O anything, of nothing first create!”
2. Persuasion (1818): An example of an oxymoron in Jane Austen’s romance novel
includes “angry pleasure,” describing Lady Russell’s contradictory feelings toward
Frederick Wentworth’s courtship with the young Louisa Musgrove.
3. Don Juan (1819): Lord Byron’s epic poem about the Spanish legend of Don Juan
chronicles the Battle of Ismail and includes the oxymoron “melancholy merriment,”
perhaps describing the irony of war’s victory and death.
4. Charlotte Brontë (1847): Jane Eyre’s classic story revolves around themes of love,
independence, family, and obligation. Torn between love and duty, St. John, cousin of
Jane, describes his deep feelings for Rosamond Oliver as “delicious poison.” He feels an
overwhelming temptation to be with the woman he loves, even knowing it will
ultimately steer him off course.
5. The Call of the Wild (1903): Jack London’s novel contains figurative language to
describe the harsh beauty of the Canadian Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. When
the Aurora Borealis lights the sky, London describes it as “flaming coldly.” When Buck,
the main dog in the story, is beaten into submission, London describes his pain as
“exquisite agony.” The oxymorons mirror the contrast between the serene yet brutal
landscape of the Yukon and Buck’s resistance to his new environment and his primal
desire to embrace it.
6. The Catcher in the Rye (1961): In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the
protagonist Holden Caulfield describes himself as a “terrific liar,” an oxymoron that pairs
words with opposite connotations. This superlative reveals something deeper about the
character.
3 Examples of Oxymorons in Popular Culture
In popular culture, oxymorons can be part of song lyrics and film titles, such as:
1. True Lies (1994): James Cameron’s True Lies, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Jamie Lee Curtis, follows an American spy juggling his work and home life. The film title
is an oxymoron that helps to set the film’s tone.
2. “Alone Together” (2013): Rock band Fall Out Boy’s song title “Alone Together” is an
oxymoron.
3. “All of Me” (2020): John Legend’s ballad “All of Me” includes the oxymoron “perfect
imperfections.”

B. Idiom
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.
Example
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.

Paradox
A statement that appears to contradict itself.
Example: "This is the beginning of the end," said Eeyore, always the pessimist.

Personification
Example: That kitchen knife will take a bite out of your hand if you don't handle it safely.

Metaphor
• Her heart is gold
• The snow is a white blanket.
“Exhaustion is a thin blanket tattered with bullet holes.” ― If Then, Matthew De Abaitua

Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole.

Example: Tina is learning her ABC's in preschool.