FIGURES OF SPEECH

1. Simile: Compares one thing to another (of a different kind, and yet alike in some significant
way)
For e.g.
•This world is like a rattrap.
•He fought like a king.

2. Metaphor: A word or phrase for one thing that is used in place of another thing in order to
show or suggest that they are similar. ‘Like’ or ‘As’ is not used in metaphor.
For e.g.
•Life is a big roller-coaster ride.
•Garbage to them is gold (Lost Spring).

3. Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of the words.
For e.g.
•Don’t drink and drive.

4. Pun: The pun can use multiple meanings of the same word (homonyms) or different
meanings of similar sounding words.
For e.g.
•I am a mender of bad soles.
•People should stop moving their arms.

5. Antithesis: The juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance.

For e.g.
•There was both Peace and War.
•Good and Evil are the part of life.
•Spicy food is heaven on the tongue but hell in the tummy.

6. Assonance: The use of words that have the same or very similar vowel sounds near one
another.
For e.g.
•The fat cat had a smack. Alas! It was a tough nut to crack.
•Well, it raises high into the bright blue sky.

7. Metonymy: Substitution of one term for another.

For e.g.
•I am reading Chetan Bhagat nowadays. (Here books of Chetan Bhagat have been substituted
with Chetan Bhagat)
•They were listening to Lata Mangeshkar.

8. Hyperbole/Overstatement: Exaggeration of the fact by poet/author

For e.g.
•He scored a goal and the entire world rose to greet him.
•She winked and everyone, around her, fell down.
9. Consonance: Repetition of consonant sound at the end of words.
For e.g.
•Slip slop and creek crock.
•Tip top of shop.

10. Paradox: A statement that seems absurd but has a deeper meaning.
For e.g.
•Child is the father of a man.
•Coward dies many times before their death but valiant dies only once.

11. Allusion: A passing reference to historical even or a play.

For e.g.
•He picked the bow like Lord Rama and broke it into two pieces.

12. Refrain: It is a phrase or a line repeated at intervals in a poem, especially at the end of a
every stanza.
For e.g.
•Men may go, men may come but I go on forever. (The Brook)
•Miles to go before I sleep. (Stopping by woods on a snowy evening)

13. Anaphora: It is the repetition of words at the beginning of successive sentences.

For e.g.
 Don’t break the shutters of the window
 Don’t scatter the paper
 Don’t throw down the books on the shelf

14. Irony:It is a literary device which helps up figure out the difference between reality and
appearance.
For e.g.
•His name suggests that he is lord of the universe but he is a rag picker. (Lost Spring)
•The operation is successful and he is dead. (The Tiger King)

15. Enjambment: It is a literary device wherein thoughts and ideas are carried over to the next
line without any pause.
For e.g.