FIGURE OF SPEECH

Dr. Balram Uprety

Assistant Professor in English
Department of English
St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling
 Simile

Features Examples

• A comparison is made. • My love is like a red, red

rose.
• The comparison is made
• Like a diamond in the sky.
between two unlike objects.
• The burglar moves like a
• The point of comparison is
cat.
distinctly expressed by
using words such as ‘as’
‘like’ ‘so’ etc.
 Metaphor
Definition and Features
• A comparison is made.
• The comparison is between
two things different in kind.
• The point of comparison is
implied (not directly
stated).
Examples
• How is life? “It is rolling.”
• No tear could melt his stony
heart.
• “Ghising was a tiger in 1986.
But the Ghising of 2007 is a
tiger that eats grass.
• DGHC is a cub that will, in
time, grow into a tiger
(Gorkhaland).
 Figures Based on Association
Metonymy
The symbol or sign for the thing The effect for the cause.
symbolized Gray hair should be respected.
The crown, the scepter and the
Swiftly, flies the feathered death.
throne (the symbols of royalty).
Cradle stands for infant.
The instrument or organ for the The cause for the effect.
agent. Move him into the sun.
The pen is mightier than the The trees are white with May.
sword.
A smooth tongue wins favour.

The container for the thing The name of a passion for the
contained. name of the object.
Who steals my purse steals thrash. Our love is not lost in despair.
Socrates drank the fatal cup. A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.
 The maker for his work.
I am reading Shakespeare.
It is good for students to read
books.

The place for its production.

The book is bound in Morocco.
The cup contains Darjeeling.

The act for the object inspiring

it.
The young men’s vision, the old
men’s dream.
Figures Based on Contrast on Difference
Antithesis

Features Examples

 Two contrasted words or ideas  It is better to rule in hell than

are placed together.
 These words or ideas are
placed in a balanced form.
 The purpose is to emphasise
some thought, idea, or
concept.
serve in heaven.
 Marriage has many pains but
celibacy no pleasure.
 To err is human, to forgive
divine.
 Synecdoche
• One thing is said, but
another thing is meant. Types of Synecdoche
• There exists a relation a) A part for the whole.
between the thing
I saw a sail. (ship)
named and thing meant.
I have twenty hands
• The relationship is
for this work. (men)
rather loose and
separable. I had no roof over my
head. (house)
 TYPES OF SYNECDOCHE
 The whole for the part. • Genus--bird
India could not win the World • Species--nightingale
cup.
• Species—part/type
 The species for the genus.
Man does not live by bread • Genus—whole
alone. (food)
 The genus for the species • Hi man! How are you?
The lazy creature always • Dear lady! What is
sleeps. (lazy—genus, which
means the lazy person). your name?
 TYPES OF SYNECDOCHE
 The concrete for the  The abstract for the
abstract. concrete.
Man is a combination of Villainy is no longer
a lamb and a fox. acceptable. (villainy
(lamb and fox are which is abstract
concrete that denote the denotes the concrete
abstract qualities such villains.)
as innocence and Tyranny is dead.
cunningness) (tyranny which is abstract
The father within me is denotes the concrete
alive always. (paternal tyrants).
feeling)
 TYPES OF SYNECDOCHE
 Material for the thing  An exemplary individual
made. (The material is for the class.
mentioned but the thing
that is made from the There are too many Mir
material is meant). Jafars in Darjeeling.
The prisoner was bound
in iron. (iron fetters: He is the Solomon (wise
iron is the material of
which the fetter is person) of Siliguri.
made)
She was dressed in silk.
 Transferred Epithet/Hypallage

Features Examples
• An epithet is transferred. • I spent my night on a
sleepless pillow.
• The epithet is transferred from
its proper place to another
• The prisoner was
accompanying thing.
transferred to the
• The proper thing and the condemned cell.
accompanying things are
associated in the mind of the
speaker.
 Epigram
Features
 There is a brief, terse
statement.
 There is a contradiction in the
apparent meaning of the
statement.
 There is a shocking sensation.
 There is an inner meaning.
Examples
 The child is the father of the man.
 Peace in Darjeeling can come only
through war.
 Speech was given to man to
conceal his thought.
 He makes no friend who has never
made a foe.
 An intelligent woman knows the
depth of her foolishness.
 Oxymoron
Features
 Two contradictory words are
placed side by side.
 There is apparent
contradiction in the words that
are juxtaposed.
 Such juxtaposition creates
artistic impression.
Examples
 She is regularly irregular in
my class.
 Darjeeling suffers from
lawless law.
 How much do you charge for
this pure impure milk?
 Climax
Features Examples
 A series of words or ideas are
presented.
• Exams are my dread; exams
 The least impressive words or ideas
are my horror; exams are my
come first.
death.
 The most impressive words or
ideas come last. • I give you my word, my soul,
 There is a regular gradation from my life.
the least to the most impressive • She is beautiful; she is
words or ideas. sublime; she is divine.
 Anticlimax

Features
 A series of words or ideas is
presented.
 The most impressive words or
ideas come first.
 The least impressive words or ideas
come last.
 There is a sudden fall from the
most to the least impressive words
or ideas
Examples
 She lost her husband, her children
and her handkerchief.
 For you—I will bring the sun, the
moon and a plate of momo.
 Darjeeling has everything—the
majestic Kanjchenjunga, the
sublime sunrise, the divine
Mahakalbaba, and the chor
politicians.
 The Condensed Sentence
Features Examples
 Different words or ideas are • Ritesh lost his shoes and his
brought together udder the girlfriend.
operation of one verb.
 These words or ideas are
incompatible and should not  I want serve my motherland
be ordinarily conjoined. and my coffer/purse.
 They should properly be
expressed in different  Smelling of musk and of
statements. arrogance.
 The purpose is mainly
comical or contemptuous.
 Figures Based on Imagination
Personification

Features Examples
 Nature, an inanimate object, • Love is blind.
or an abstract idea is given
the quality/ attribute of a
living being.  Democracy is dead in India.
 Then nature, an inanimate
object or abstract idea  Death—lay not your cold hand
acquires the feature of a on my mother.
living being.
 This is done in the  Thought moves faster than
action.
imagination of the author.
 Pathetic Fallacy
Features Examples
 The attribute of a living • The gloomy monsoon day
being is given to an object of Darjeeling mourns the
of nature. death of martyrs. (shaheed)

 This object is represented as • The sun rose to bless the

showing interest in human victory of the hero.
action either by sympathy or
antipathy. • The balmy soothing breeze
welcomed us to Shimla.
 Apostrophe
Features Examples
 A short passionate address is • O Gandhi! Rise form your
made which is occasionally grave to see what has
sudden. happened to your country.
 The address is made to a
natural element, an inanimate
object, an abstract idea or to a • O solitude! Where is the
dead or absent person. charm that sages have seen
 The thing, idea or person, thus in thy face.
address is taken as
living/present/ listening to the
speaker.
 Hyperbole(Exaggeration)
Features Examples
 He is the veritable ocean of
 Hyperbole results when we wisdom.
magnify/exaggerate a thing
or idea beyond its natural  The world has not created
bound. anyone more beautiful than
my daughter.

 The universe is yet to see a

man as corrupt as our leader.
 Figures Based on Indirectness:
Innuendo
Features: Innuendo Examples
• A thing is insinuated or hinted
instead of being plainly stated. • I am alive though I was
• The purpose of the speaker is treated by five doctors.
to hurt or damage someone's • My father is a lawyer but he
character or reputation. says claims to be honest.
• I shall not speak anything of
the painting. What a splendid
frame!
 Euphemism
Features
• A harsh or disagreeable
expression is made agreeable
and pleasant in an indirect
way.
• The purpose is to spare one’s
feeling.
Examples
• My mother left for the
heavenly abode.
• The fool came somewhat
saucily into the world.
• His father passed away.
 Figures Based on Sound
Pun

Features Examples

• There is one sound . • When a women loses her husband,

she pines for a second.
• There is the duplicity of sense. • Mamata’s mamata for Darjeeling
• The effect is comical. can be dangerous. (Translingual )
• I told Pasang and Pasang tolled the
Bell.
• You cannot change the spot on your
character by changing your spot.
 Onomatopoeia
Features Examples
• The sound of a word • It cracked and growled,
echoes its sense and roared and howled.
• With heavy thump, a
listless lump, they
dropped down one by one.
• Only the stuttering rifle’s
rapid rattle.
 Alliteration
Features Examples
• The same letter, syllable,
or sound is repeated. • Alone, alone, all, all, alone
• It is repeated at the Alone on a wide, wide sea.
beginning of some words. • The field of freedom , faction,
fame and blood.
• The words are successive
• Gurung’s Gorkhaland
or nearly successive.
gambling has gone to gutters?
 Figures based on Construction
Interrogatio
n
Features Examples

• A question is put. • Who would like to leave

• The answer is implied in medicine and study
humanities?
the question.
• You talk about caste. Isn’t the
blood of a dalit red too?
 Who doesn’t want to holiday
in Goa?
 Exclamation
Features Examples
• An expression of emotion or • O, what a fall is there my
desire is made. countrymen!
• There is usually some • O how fallen! How changed,
interjection or word like how, from him!
oh, or what ,in the beginning. • What a piece of work is
• There is a mark of meant!
exclamation at the end.
 Chiasmus
Features Examples
• There is an order of words or • We live to learn and learn to
phrases. live.
• This order is repeated in the • So, these were wed and
same sentence. merrily rang the bells,
• The order becomes inverse Merrily rang the bells, and
when repeated in the sentence. these were wed.
• The purpose is to make a • I can make a Heaven of Hell,
statement impressive. a Hell of Heaven.
 Zeugma
Features Examples

• There are two nouns. • The moment and the

• One verb is connected vessel passed.
with these two nouns. • The feast and noon grew
• Each of this noun requires high.
a separate verb.
 Litotes
Features Examples

• A strong affirmative idea • No common man could

is expressed. defeat Arjun in archery.
• There is a denial or • Didi knows her politics.
negation of the contrary of She is no fool.
the idea. • No narrow road we had to
cross.