Figures of Speech by Pim Bailon

Figures of Speech

Module for Grade 10

Jebbie Dolores Flurence Hermosa

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DELERA-BESONIA PUBLISHING, INC.

Figures of Speech FIGURES OF SPEECH Module for Grade Ten Copyright © 2014 by DELERA-BESONIA PUBLISHING, INC. This edition was published by DELERA-BESONIA PUBLISHING, INC. and Jebbie Dolores and Flurence Hermosa as part of their study which serves as their Final Examination in the subject Preparation and Evaluation of Instructional Materials at Cataingan Municipal College. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording or by any information or storage or retrieval system, except as maybe expressly permitted by the copy right owners and publisher. Request for permission should be addressed in writing to the publisher and authors. Published and Printed by DELERA-BESONIA PUBLISHING, INC.  Cataingan, Masbate City  +639-0940-8315 ISBN 946-65-8671-7

Figures of Speech

Todearest

Almighty, ourinspiration,we

humbly offer this module.

Figures of Speech

Foreword We acknowledge our instructor, Mr. Norman Breech Z. Legaspi, for giving us the opportunity to make this project which will be of great help implement our teaching when we are already in the field.

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Figures of Speech

Preface All writers in a sense are careful in their choice of words and employ economy in their use. But the poet, more than any other writer, moves in a narrow compass and therefore exercise stricter economy and is more precise in is use of words. One device used by the poets to achieve compression and to convey intensity of thought and feeling is the use of figures of speech. Figurative language gives extra dimension to language by stimulating the imagination and evoking visual and sensual imagery, while painting pictures in words. Figures of speech are expressions using words in a non-literal sense or unusual manner. It is sometimes termed as rhetorical device or elocution departing from straightforward language. This module is designed to do a particular task on figures of speech. This is one way of assessing the critical thinking ability, creativity, knowledge, comprehension, and mastery of the s6udents.the main aim of this module is to provide wholesome learning, information, develop critical thinking, and allows mastery on every category of figures of speech. MODULE ON FIGURES OF SPEECH is divided into five categories and is distributed into 20 module tasks. Modules 1 to 6 are for the Resemblance; Modules 7 to 11 are for the Emphasis; Modules 12 to 14 are for the Parallelism; Modules 15 to 16 are for the Substitution; and Modules 17 to 20 are for the Sound effects. As we go along with the Module tasks, let us find out their similarities and differences, provide examples and explore ideas on figurative language.

Figures of Speech

Table of Contents Foreword

iii

Preface

Pre Test

First Category (Resemblance)

MODULE I MODULE II MODULE III MODULE IV MODULE V MODULE VI Summary

– Simile – Metaphor – Personification – Apostrophe – Allusion – Antonomasia

3 6 10 14 18 22 25

Second Category (Emphasis)

MODULE VII – Hyperbole MODULE VIII – Meiosis MODULE IX – Litotes MODULE X – Repetition MODULE XI – Rhetorical Question Summary

27 31 35 39 43 47

Third Category (Parallelism) MODULE XII – Oxymoron MODULE XIII – Irony MODULE XIV – Paradox Summary

Fourth Category (Substitution) MODULE XV – Metonymy MODULE XVI – Synecdoche Summary

Fifth Category (Sound Effects) MODULE XVII – Alliteration MODULE XVIII – Assonance MODULE XIX – Pun MODULE XX – Euphemism Summary

48 49 53 57 61 62 63 67 71 72 73 77 81 85 90

Post Test

Song on Figures

92 v

Figures of Speech

PRE TEST Identify what figure of speech are the sentences below. 1. "And the executioner went off like an arrow." 2. Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t it so? 3. The rise in poverty will unlock the Pandora’s Box of crimes. 4. A million dollars is not a little amount. 5. Ken Adams is not an ordinary man 6. He was a horse in the running competition 7. I’m nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody too? Then there’s a pair of us-don’t tell! They’d banish us you know. 8. “I am a very foolish fond old man, Fourscore and upward, not an hour more or less; And, to deal plainly, I fear I am not in my perfect mind….” 9. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky.” 10. I looked upon the rotting sea, And drew my eyes away; I looked upon the rotting deck, And there the dead men lay.

Figures of Speech

FirstCategory

Resemblance

Figures of Speech

MODULE I – Simile At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what a simile is 2. Provide examples of simile 3. Make use of simile in rhetorical piece Uses

In Literature "Curley was flopping like a fish on a line.” "The very mist on the Essex marshes was like a gauzy and radiant fabric." "Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus."] "But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile." Charles Dickens, in the opening to A Christmas Carol Using “like” A simile can explicitly provide the basis of a comparison or leave this basis implicit. In the implicit case the simile leaves the audience to determine for themselves which features of the target are being predicated. It may be a type of sentence that uses "as" or "like" to connect the words being compared. She is like a candy so sweet. He is like a refiner's fire. Her eyes twinkled like stars. He fights like a lion. He runs like a cheetah. She is fragrant like a rose. Gareth is like a lion when he gets angry. "For hope grew round me, like the twining vine" (Coleridge - Dejection) "And the executioner went off like an arrow." -Alice in Wonderland Using “as” The use of "as" makes the simile more explicit. She walks as gracefully as a cat. He was as hungry as a lion. He was as mean as a bull. That spider was as fat as an elephant. Cute as a kitten. As busy as a bee. As snug as a bug in a rug. Eyes as big as dinner plates.

Figures of Speech Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of simile as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, simile. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE II – Metaphor At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what a metaphor is 2. Provide examples of metaphor 3. Make use of metaphor in rhetorical piece Definition of Metaphor

Metaphor is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things or objects that are poles apart from each other but have some characteristics common between them. In other words, a resemblance of two contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or some common characteristics.

In simple English, when you portray a person, place, thing, or an action as being something else, even though it is not actually that “something else,” you are speaking metaphorically. “He is the black sheep of the family” is a metaphor because he is not a sheep and is not even black. However, we can use this comparison to describe an association of a black sheep with that person. A black sheep is an unusual animal and typically stays away from the herd, and the person you are describing shares similar characteristics. Furthermore, a metaphor develops a comparison which is different from a simile i.e. we do not use “like” or “as” to develop a comparison in a metaphor. It actually makes an implicit or hidden comparison and not an explicit one.

Common Speech Examples of Metaphors

Most of us think of a metaphor as a device used in songs or poems only, and that it has nothing to do with our everyday life. In fact, all of us in our routine life speak, write and think in metaphors. We cannot avoid them. Metaphors are sometimes constructed through our common language. They are called conventional metaphors. Calling a person a “night owl” or an “early bird” or saying “life is a journey” are common conventional metaphor examples commonly heard and understood by most of us. Below are some more conventional metaphors we often hear in our daily life: 1. My brother was boiling mad. (This implies he was too angry.) 2. The assignment was a breeze. (This implies that the assignment was not difficult.) 3. It is going to be clear skies from now on. (This implies that clear skies are not a threat and life is going to be without hardships) 4. The skies of his future began to darken. (Darkness is a threat; therefore, this implies that the coming times are going to be hard for him.) 5. Her voice is music to his ears. (This implies that her voice makes him feel happy)

Figures of Speech Literary Examples of Metaphors

Metaphors are used in all type of literature but not often to the degree they are used in poetry because poems are meant to communicate complex images and feelings to the readers and metaphors often state the comparisons most emotively. Here are some examples of metaphor from famous poems. Example 1 “She is all states, and all princes, I.” John Donne, a metaphysical poet, was well-known for his abundant use of metaphors throughout his poetical works. In his well-known work “The Sun Rising,” the speaker scolds the sun for waking him and his beloved. Among the most evocative metaphors in literature, he explains “she is all states, and all princes, I.” This line demonstrates the speaker’s belief that he and his beloved are richer than all states, kingdoms, and rulers in the entire world because of the love that they share.

Example 2

“Shall I Compare Thee to a summer’s Day”, William Shakespeare was the best exponent of the use of metaphors. His poetical works and dramas all make wide-ranging use of metaphors. “Sonnet 18,”also known as “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day,” is an extended metaphor between the love of the speaker and the fairness of the summer season. He writes that “thy eternal summer,” here taken to mean the love of the subject, “shall not fade.”

Example 3

“Before high-pil’d books, in charact’ry / Hold like rich garners the full-ripened grain,” The great Romantic poet John Keats suffered great losses in his life – the death of his father in an accident, and of his mother and brother through tuberculosis. When he began displaying signs of tuberculosis himself at the age of 22, he wrote “When I Have Fears,” a poem rich with metaphors concerning life and death. In the line “before high-pil’d books, in charact’ry / Hold like rich garners the full-ripened grain”, he employs a double-metaphor. Writing poetry is implicitly compared with reaping and sowing, and both these acts represent the emptiness of a life unfulfilled creatively.

Functions

From the above arguments, explanations and examples, we can easily infer the function of metaphors; both in our daily lives and in a piece of literature. Using appropriate metaphors appeals directly to the senses of listeners or readers, sharpening their imaginations to comprehend what is being communicated to them. Moreover, it gives a life-like quality to our conversations and to the characters of the fiction or poetry. Metaphors are also ways of thinking, offering the listeners and the readers fresh ways of examining ideas and viewing the world.

Figures of Speech Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of metaphor as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, metaphor. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE III – Personification At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what a personification is 2. Provide examples of personification 3. Make use of personification in rhetorical piece Definition of Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an animal is given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings. For example, when we say, “The sky weeps” we are giving the sky the ability to cry, which is a human quality. Thus, we can say that the sky has been personified in the given sentence.

Common Speech Examples of Personification

Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t it so? The wind whispered through dry grass. The flowers danced in the gentle breeze. Time and tide waits for none. The fire swallowed the entire forest.

We see from the above examples of personification that this literary device helps us relate actions of inanimate objects to our own emotions.

Literary Examples of Personification Example 1 Taken from L. M. Montgomery’s “The Green Gables Letters”, “I hide me away to the woods—away back into the sun-washed alleys carpeted with fallen gold and glades where the moss is green and vivid yet. The woods are getting ready to sleep—they are not yet asleep but they are disrobing and are having all sorts of little bed-time conferences and whisperings and good-nights.” The lack of activity in the forest has been beautifully personified as the forest getting ready to sleep, busy in bed-time chatting and wishing good-nights, all of which are human customs. Example 2 Taken from Act I, Scene II of “Romeo and Juliet”, “When well-appareled April on the heel Of limping winter treads.” There are two personification examples here. April cannot put on a dress, and winter does not limp and it does not have a heel on which a month can walk. Shakespeare personifies the month of April and the winter season by giving them two distinct human qualities.

Figures of Speech Example 3 A.H. Houseman in his poem “Loveliest of Trees the Cherry Now” personifies the cherry tree, “Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide.” He sees a cherry tree covered with beautiful white flowers in the forest and says that the cherry tree wears white clothes to celebrate Easter. He gives human attributes to a tree in order to describe it in human terms. Example 4 Emily Elizabeth Dickinson employs personification in her poem “Have You Got A Brook In Your Little Heart”. “Have you got a brook in your little heart, Where bashful flowers blow, And blushing birds go down to drink, And shadows tremble so?” The bashful flowers, blushing birds and trembling shadows are examples of personification. Example 5 Katherine Mansfield wrote in her short story “How Pearl Button Was Kidnapped”, “Pearl Button swung on the little gate in front of the House of Boxes. It was the early afternoon of a sunshiny day with little winds playing hide-and-seek in it.” It personifies wind by saying that it is as playful as little children playing hide-andseek on a shiny day. Example 6 William Blake personifies Sunflowers in his poem “Two Sunflowers Move in a Yellow Room”. “Two Sunflowers Move in the Yellow Room. ‘Ah, William, we’re weary of weather, said the sunflowers, shining with dew. Our traveling habits have tired us. Can you give us a room with a view?” The flowers are depicting a human characteristic of weariness caused by the weather. In a human way, they make a request to the poet to put them in a room with a window with plenty of sunshine. Function of Personification Personification is not merely a decorative device but it serves the purpose of giving deeper meanings to literary texts. It adds vividness to expressions as we always look at the world from a human perspective. Writers and poets rely on personification to bring inanimate things to life, so that their nature and actions are understood in a better way. Because it is easier for us to relate to something that is human or that possesses human traits. Its use encourages us to develop a perspective that is new as well as creative. 11

Figures of Speech Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of personification as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, personification. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE IV – Apostrophe At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what an apostrophe is 2. Provide examples of apostrophe 3. Make use of apostrophe in rhetorical piece Definition of Apostrophe

In literature, apostrophe is a figure of speech sometimes represented by exclamation “O”. A writer or a speaker, using an apostrophe, detaches him from the reality and addresses an imaginary character in his speech. It is important not to confuse the apostrophe which is a figure of speech and the apostrophe which is a punctuation mark (‘). It shows possession or a mark to indicate omission of one or more letters (contractions) while apostrophe used in literature is an arrangement of words addressing a non-existent person or an abstract idea in such a way as if it were present and capable of understanding feelings.

Literary Examples of Apostrophe

English literature is replete with instances of apostrophe. Let us have a look at a few examples. Example 1 William Shakespeare makes use of an apostrophe in his play “Macbeth”: “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee! I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.” In his mental conflict before murdering King Duncan, Macbeth has a strange vision of a dagger and talks to it as if it were another person. Example 2 Jane Taylor uses apostrophe in the well-known nursery rhyme “The Star”: “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky.” In the above nursery rhyme, a child addresses a star (an imaginary idea). Hence, this is a classic example of apostrophe. Example 3 Look at how Mary Shelly uses apostrophe in her novel “Frankenstein”: “Oh! Stars and clouds and winds, ye are all about to mock me; if ye really pity me, crush sensation and memory; let me become as nought; but if not, depart, depart, and leave me in darkness.” Talking to stars, clouds and winds is an apostrophe. 14

Figures of Speech Example 4 John Donne comes up with the use of an apostrophe in his poem “Death Be Not Proud”: “Death be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so, For, those, whom thou think’st, thou dost overthrow, Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.” The poet talks to death, an abstract idea, as if it were a person capable of comprehending his feelings. Similarly, John Donne once more uses apostrophe in his poem “The Sun Rising”: “Busy old fool, unruly Sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows, and through curtains, call on us? Must to thy motions lovers’ seasons run? Saucy pedantic wretch,” The poet addresses the sun in an informal and colloquial way as if it were a real human being. He asks the Sun in a rude way why the Sun appeared and spoiled the good time he was having with his beloved. Example 5 James Joyce uses apostrophe in his novel “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”: “Welcome, O life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race.” Being able to talk to something abstract like life is possible only in literature. Example 6 Billy Collins, in his poem “To a Stranger Born in Some Distant Country Hundreds of Years from Now”, uses a conventional apostrophe starting with “O”: “O stranger of the future! O inconceivable being! Whatever the shape of your house, However you scoot from place to place, No matter how strange and colorless the clothes you may wear, I bet nobody likes a wet dog either. I bet everyone in your pub, Even the children, pushes her away.” The speaker is talking to an imaginary character, the “stranger born in some distant country hundreds of years from now”. Example 7 Another example is from the poem “Sire” written by W.S Merwin: “Forerunner, I would like to say, silent pilot, Little dry death, future, your indirections are as strange to me As my own. I know so little that anything You might tell me would be a revelation.” 15

Figures of Speech Function of Apostrophe By employing apostrophe in their literary works, writers try to bring abstract ideas or non-existent persons to life so that the nature of emotions they want to communicate gets across in a better way â&#x20AC;&#x201C; because it is more convenient for the readers to relate themselves to the abstract emotions when they observe them in their natural surroundings. In addition, the use of apostrophe motivates the readers to develop a perspective that is fresh as well as creative.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of apostrophe as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, apostrophe. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE V – Allusion At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what an allusion is 2. Provide examples of allusion 3. Make use of allusion in rhetorical piece Definition of Allusion

Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text. For instance, you make a literary allusion the moment you say, “I do not approve of this quixotic idea,” Quixotic means stupid and impractical derived from Cervantes’s “Don Quixote”, a story of a foolish knight and his misadventures.

Examples of Allusion in Everyday Speech The use allusions are not confined to literature alone. Their occurrence is fairly common in our daily speech. Look at some common examples of allusions in everyday life: “Don’t act like a Romeo in front of her.” – “Romeo” is a reference to Shakespeare’s Romeo, a passionate lover of Juliet, in “Romeo and Juliet”. The rise in poverty will unlock the Pandora’s Box of crimes. – This is an allusion to one of Greek Mythology’s origin myth, “Pandora’s box”. “This place is like a Garden of Eden.” – This is a biblical allusion to the “garden of God” in the Book of Genesis. “Hey! Guess who the new Newton of our school is?” – “Newton”, means a genius student, alludes to a famous scientist Isaac Newton. “Stop acting like my ex-husband please.” – Apart from scholarly allusions we refer to common people and places in our speech.

Literary Examples of Allusion

Let us analyze a few examples of the use of allusions in literature: Example 1 Milton’s “Paradise Lost” gives allusions a fair share. Look at the example from Book 6 below: “All night the dread less Angel unpursu’d Through Heav’ns wide Champain held his way, till Morn, Wak’t by the circling Hours, with rosie hand Unbarr’d the gates of Light. There is a Cave Within the Mount of God, fast by his Throne” In the above lines “dread less Angel” is a reference to “Abdiel”, a fearless angel. “Circling Hours” alludes to a Greek Myth “The Horae”, the daughters of “Zeus” 18

Figures of Speech and “Themis” namely “Thallo (Spring), Auxo (Summer) and Carpo (Fall). “ With rosie hand” Milton refers to Homer’s illustration of the “rosy fingered dawn” (Odyssey Book 2). Example 2 Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus” is replete with instances of allusions. Read the example from Act III below: “Learnèd Faustus, to find the secrets of astronomy Graven in the book of Jove’s high firmament, Did mount him up to scale Olympus’ top, Where, sitting in a chariot burning bright, Drawn by the strength of yokèd dragons’ necks, He views the clouds, the planets, and the stars.” Jove’s high firmament refers to the outer stretches of the universe. “Olympus’ top” is an allusion to Greek Mythology where Mount Olympus is home of gods. Similarly, “a chariot burning bright” refers to a Greek Myth of “god Apollo” who is said to drive the sun in his chariot. Example 3 In Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”, “the two knitting women” whom Marlow sees alludes to “Moirae” or Fates as visualized in Greek Mythology: “The two knitting women increase his anxiety by gazing at him and all the other sailors with knowing unconcern. Their eerie looks suggest that they know what will happen (the men dying), yet don’t care” The thread they knit represents human life. The two women knitting black wool foreshadows Marlow’s horrific journey in the “Dark Continent”. Example 4 We find a number of allusions in Keats’s “Ode to the Grecian Urn”. For example: “Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both, In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?” “Sylvan” is a goat-like-man deity of Greek mythology. “Tempe” alludes to the “Vale of Tempe” in Greece, a place (from Greek mythology) frequently visited by Apollo and other gods. Likewise, “the dales of Arcady” refers to the home of “Pan”, the god of rustic music. Function of Allusion By and large, the use of allusions enables writers or poets to simplify complex ideas and emotions. The readers comprehend the complex ideas by comparing the emotions of the writer or poet to the references given by them. Furthermore, the references to Greek Mythology give a dreamlike and magical touch to the works of art. Similarly, biblical allusions appeal to the readers with religious backgrounds.

Figures of Speech Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of allusion as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, allusion. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE VI â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Antonomasia At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what an antonomasia is 2. Provide examples of antonomasia 3. Make use of antonomasia in rhetorical piece Definition of Apostrophe

From our ancestors come our names, but from our virtues come 'antonomasia'! Antonomasia is that figure of speech that employs a suitable epithet or appellative to cite a person or thing rather than the original name. Confused? Don't be! To put it in simple terms, antonomasia is a rhetoric way of giving an appropriate name or title to someone or something. The epithet or appellative is usually inspired by a specific character, a particular physical trait, or some outstanding feats or deeds of that person or thing and are not just any random names. For instance, when we hear the name of 'Mahatma Gandhi', the first thing that strikes our mind is 'Father of The Nation'. This is exactly what antonomasia means. This figure of speech is usually employed to give a general idea about that person or thing. In India, normally when a child wins a cup in some competition, the proud parents usually say, "Here is my Sher (Lion) with the cup." In reality, epithets like this make the person feel proud and add certain amount of grandeur to their personal appeal.

Examples of Antonomasia in Everyday Speech Explore more about this figure of speech by glancing through these rattling examples of antonomasia. You must pray to heaven's guardian for relief. Excuse me Tarzan, could you please come down from that tree. "When I eventually met Mr. Right I had no idea that his first name was Always." - by Rita Rudner The answer for this question can be given only by Mr. Know-it-all. "Jerry: The guy who runs the place is a little temperamental, especially about the ordering procedure. He's secretly referred to as the Soup Nazi. Elaine: Why? What happens if you don't order right? Jerry: He yells and you don't get your soup." - by Seinfeld He proved a Judas to the cause. Easy, you coward! Nice drive, tiger! "...Have you come in peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?" - (2 Kings 9:31b) "The land will be blessed and 'showers of blessing' will fall." - a line from the Bible

Figures of Speech "If the waiter has a mortal enemy, it is the Primper. I hate the Primper. HATE THE PRIMPER! If there's a horrifying sound a waiter never wants to hear, it's the THUMP of a purse on the counter. Then the digging sound of the Primper's claws trying to find makeup, hairbrushes, and perfume." - (Laurie Notaro, The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club, 2002) Harry is the Casanova of my life He was a horse in the running competition "I told you we could count on Mr. Old-Time Rock and Roll!" - Murray referring to Arthur in Velvet Goldmine Do not act like Mr. Bean.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of antonomasia as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, antonomasia. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

Summary:

Try to differentiate the six figures of speech. How do they fall on the same category?

Figures of Speech

SecondCategory

Emphasis

Figures of Speech

MODULE VII – Hyperbole At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what a hyperbole is 2. Provide examples of hyperbole 3. Make use of hyperbole in rhetorical piece Definition of Hyperbole

Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting” is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, “Ages have passed since I last saw you”. You may not have met him for three or four hours or a day, but the use of the word “ages” exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation. Some other common Hyperbole examples are given below.

Common Examples of Hyperbole

My grandmother is as old as the hills. Your suitcase weighs a ton! She is as heavy as an elephant! I am dying of shame. I am trying to solve a million issues these days.

It is important not to confuse hyperbole with simile and metaphor. It does make a comparison but unlike simile and metaphor, hyperbole has a humorous effect created by an overstatement. Let us see some examples from Classical English literature in which hyperbole was used successfully.

Literary Examples of Allusion

Let us analyze a few examples of the use of allusions in literature: Example 1 In American folk lore, Paul Bunyan’s stories are full of hyperboles. In one instance, he exaggerates winter by saying: “Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.” Freezing of the spoken words at night in winter and then warming up of the words in the warmth of the sun during the day are examples of hyperbole that have been effectively used by Paul Bunyan in this short excerpt. Example 2 From William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, Act II, Scene II, “Neptune’s ocean wash this blood 27

Figures of Speech Clean from my hand? No. This my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red.” Macbeth, the tragic hero, feels the unbearable prick of his conscience after killing the king. He regrets his sin and believes that even the oceans of the greatest magnitude cannot wash the blood of the king off his hands. We can notice the effective use of hyperboles in the given lines. Example 3 From W.H Auden’s poem “As I Walked One Evening”, I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you Till China and Africa meet, And the river jumps over the mountain And the salmon sing in the street, I’ll love you till the ocean Is folded and hung up to dry The use of hyperbole can be noticed in the above lines. The meeting of China and Africa, the jumping of the river over the mountain, singing of salmon in the street, and the ocean being folded and hung up to be dried are exaggerations not possible in real life. Example 4 From “The Adventures of Pinocchio” written by C. Colloid, “He cried all night, and dawn found him still there, though his tears had dried and only hard, dry sobs shook his wooden frame. But these were so loud that they could be heard by the faraway hills…” The crying of Pinocchio all night until his tears became dry is an example of Hyperbole. Example 5 From Joseph Conrad’s novel “The Heart of Darkness”, “I had to wait in the station for ten days-an eternity.” The wait of ten days seemed to last forever and never end. Function of Allusion The above arguments make clear the use of hyperbole. In our daily conversation, we use hyperbole to emphasize for an amusing effect. However, in literature it has very serious implications. By using hyperbole, a writer or a poet makes common human feelings remarkable and intense to such an extent that they do not remain ordinary. In literature, usage of hyperbole develops contrasts. When one thing is described with an over-statement and the other thing is presented normally, a striking contrast is developed. This technique is employed to catch the reader’s attention.

Figures of Speech Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of hyperbole as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, hyperbole. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE VIII – Meiosis At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what a meiosis is 2. Provide examples of meiosis 3. Make use of meiosis in rhetorical piece Definition of Meiosis

The word meiosis originated from the Greek word “meioo” that means “to diminish” or “to make smaller”. Meiosis can be defined as a witty understatement that belittles or dismisses something or somebody, particularly by making use of terms that gives impression that something is less important than it is or it should be. Meiosis examples are sometimes also used in the sense of a synonym of litotes. In literature, however, meiosis describes the use of understatement to highlight a point or explain a situation or to understate a response used to enhance the effect of a dramatic moment. For example, when Mercutio is wounded mortally and he says “ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch…” , this is a form of meiosis(Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare).

Features of Meiosis 1. 2. 3. 4.

It is intentional understatement. It is used to belittle a person or an event. It is opposite to hyperbole or exaggeration. It often makes use of litotes as synonym to give ironic effect.

Literary Examples of Meiosis

There are several examples of meiosis in literature, where the persons and events are understated depending on the situations. Here are some of them: Example 1 An extract from King Lear by William Shakespeare “I am a very foolish fond old man, Fourscore and upward, not an hour more or less; And, to deal plainly, I fear I am not in my perfect mind….” Shakespeare has used meiosis in these lines to create humor. Although it is undoubtedly clear that Lear has gone mad, yet his reaction that “I fear I am not in my perfect mind” is an example of an understatement. Example 2 An extract from Hamlet by William Shakespeare “A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor father’s body, O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer! 31

Figures of Speech O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not nor it cannot come to good: But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue…” In this speech, Hamlet uses understatement or meiosis to conclude his soliloquy where he states that all this cannot come to good, which is a gentle statement as compared to the rest of his speech in which he has lashed out at his mother. The best and the most effective use of meiosis can be seen in tragic plays like this. Example 3 Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. (Fire and Ice by Robert Frost) The understatement in the entire poem is given emphasis on the last word which is suffice. That means “adequate. In this poem, ice symbolizes hatred and fire passion that could consume relations quickly. Therefore, both would be more than enough to destroy the world. Example 4 King Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water. Peasant: Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Power derives from the masses not from some farcical aquatic ceremony. King Arthur: Be quiet! Peasant: You can’t expect to wield supreme power because some watery tart threw a sword at you. King Arthur: Shut up! Peasant: If I went around saying I was an emperor because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me…” Just check the use of the words moistened bint the peasant says to King Arthur. This is the best use of meiosis used here to belittle the king himself. Function of Meiosis Meiosis, in fact, illustrates tone and mannerism such as quiet and brooding where protagonists are often understated in tone and action. Meiosis is very common everywhere in our daily lives, old and modern literature and media. We can distinguish understatement in modesty, in humor, in composed and 32

Figures of Speech calm characters, in personalities where it gives rhetorical effects to the speech delivered by them. Since it is a method used to give information that diminishes the response of an overemotional occurrence, the basic function of meiosis is to reduce the significance of someone or something in order to heighten something else simultaneously.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of meiosis as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, meiosis. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE IX – Litotes At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what a litotes is 2. Provide examples of litotes 3. Make use of litotes in rhetorical piece

Definition of Litotes

Litotes, derived from a Greek word meaning “simple”, is a figure of speech which employs an understatement by using double negatives or, in other words, positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite expressions. For example, using the expression “not too bad” for “very good” is an understatement as well as a double negative statement that confirms a positive idea by negating the opposite. Similarly, saying “She is not a beauty queen,” means “She is ugly” or saying “I am not as young as I used to be” in order to avoid saying “I am old”. Litotes, therefore, is an intentional use of understatement that renders an ironical effect.

Common Examples of Litotes

In everyday life, it is common to experience litotes in conversations although not many people are aware of this term and its usage. Below are a few examples of litotes from daily conversations: They do not seem the happiest couple around. The ice cream was not too bad. New York is not an ordinary city. Your comments on politics are not useless. You are not as young as you used to be. I cannot disagree with your point of view. William Shakespeare was not a bad playwright at all. He is not the cleverest person I have ever met. She is not unlike her mother. Ken Adams is not an ordinary man A million dollars is not a little amount. You are not doing badly at all. Your apartment is not unclean. Interestingly, the use of understatement in the above litotes examples adds emphasis to the ideas rather than decrease their importance. This is due to the ironical effect produced by the understatement.

Literary Examples of Litotes

In literature, writers and poets use this type of figure of speech in their texts in order to communicate novel ideas to readers vividly.

Figures of Speech Example 1 “I am not unaware how the productions of the Grub Street brotherhood have of late years fallen under many prejudices.” (Jonathan Swift, A Tale of a Tub) Now just see how Swift has used double negatives to emphasize the point that he is totally aware of it. The irony is that he is aware but he is saying it as if he is unaware that he is not. Example 2 “Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if I had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.” Now read this short piece “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost very carefully. Calling the destruction caused by the “ice” as “great” is balanced by an opposing statement “would suffice” that is an understatement. Example 3 “Indeed, it is not uncommon for slaves even to fall out and quarrel among themselves about the relative goodness of their masters, each contending for the superior goodness of his own over that of the others.” This line has been taken from “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass; An American Slave” by Frederick Douglass himself. He was an African-American social reformer and a writer. He has effectively used litotes to stress that his point that even slaves used to seek dominance over other slaves by stressing the point that their respective masters were much better than those of the other slaves. Function of Litotes Litotes uses ironical understatement in order to emphasize an idea or situation rather than minimizing its importance. It rather discovers a unique way to attract people’s attention to an idea and that is by ignoring it. J.R. Bergmann in his book “Talk at Work: Interaction in Institutional Settings” talks about litotes in the following words: “I want to claim that the rhetorical figure litotes is one of those methods which are used to talk about an object in a discreet way. It clearly locates an object for the recipient, but it avoids naming it directly.” This is the best that has ever been said about litotes – that to ignore an object and still talk about it in a negative way is the best way to make it appear important and prominent.

Figures of Speech Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of litotes as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, litotes. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE X – Repetition At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what a repetition is 2. Provide examples of repetition 3. Make use of repetition in rhetorical piece Definition of Repetition

Repetition is a literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few times to make an idea clearer. There are several types of repetitions commonly used in both prose and poetry. As a rhetorical device, it could be a word, a phrase or a full sentence or a poetical line repeated to emphasize its significance in the entire text. Repetition is not distinguished solely as a figure of speech but more as a rhetorical device.

Types of Repetition

The following are different types of repetition used both in literature and in daily conversations. Anadiplosis: Repetition of the last word in a line or clause. Anaphora: Repetition of words at the start of clauses or verses. Antistasis: Repetition of word s or phrases in opposite sense. Diacope: Repetition of words broken by some other words. Epanalepsis: Repetition of same words at the end and start of a sentence. Epimone: Repetition of a phrase (usually a question) to stress a point. Epiphora: Repetition of the same word at the end of each clause. Gradatio: A construction in poetry where the last word of one clause becomes the first of the next and so on. Negative-Positive Restatement: Repetition of an idea first in negative terms and then in positive terms. Polyptoton: Repetition of words of the same root with different endings. Symploce: It is a combination of anaphora and epiphora in which repetition is both at the end and at the beginning.

Literary Examples of Repetition Example 1 I’m nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody too? Then there’s a pair of us-don’t tell! They’d banish us you know. These lines have been taken from “I’m nobody! Who are You?” by Emily Dickinson. Observe how she has used “nobody” to emphasize her point in her poem to create an association with the person she is talking about.

Figures of Speech Example 2 Because I do not hope to turn again Because I do not hope Because I do not hope to turn… These three lines have been taken from “Ash-Wednesday” authored by T. S. Eliot, a famous modern poet of the 20th century. The repetition of a full phrase shows us mastery the poet has acquired in using words and phrases to make his point clear and emphasize that he has no hope of coming back. Example 3 I looked upon the rotting sea, And drew my eyes away; I looked upon the rotting deck, And there the dead men lay. These lines have been taken from the famous poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by S.T. Coleridge. The poem tells a story where a seafarer tells about his adventures in the sea. Example 4 “My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, And every tongue brings in a several tale, And every tale condemns me for a villain.” These lines have been taken from “Richard III” by William Shakespeare, Richard. These lines show the repetition of a phrase that occurs at the end of the first and then start of the second line. It is called anadiplosis. Example 5 “A horse is a horse, of course, of course, And no one can talk to a horse of course That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mister Ed.” These lines are from the theme song of Mr. Ed, a 1960s TV program. This is an example of a diacope type of rhetorical repetition. There is repetition but it is broken up with several other words. Function of Repetition The beauty of using figurative language is that the pattern it arranges the words into is nothing like our ordinary speech. It is not only stylistically appealing but it also helps convey the message in much more engaging and notable way. The aura that is created by the usage of repetition cannot be achieved through any other device. It has the ability of making a simple sentence sound like a dramatic one. It enhances the beauty of a sentence and stresses on the point of main significance. Repetition often uses word associations to express the ideas and emotions in an indirect manner. The beauty of reading a piece with repetition in it is the balance where we, as readers, have to decipher such associations and understand the underlying meanings. Repetition as a literary term can be used both constructively and destructively. The constructive usage encompasses functions such as, putting emphasis on a point, confirming a fact or an idea, cohesion, mimesis, transition, showing impartiality and or describing a notion. The same literary device when used destructively can 40

Figures of Speech disintegrate the entire piece of writing. Erasure, redundancy, continuous present, fragmentation, copying and habitual misuse of the literary device are among the destructive effects.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of repetition as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, repetition. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE XI – Rhetorical Question At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what a rhetorical question is 2. Provide examples of rhetorical questions 3. Make use of rhetorical questions in rhetorical piece Definition of Rhetorical Question

A rhetorical question is asked just for the effects or to lay emphasis on some point discussed when no real answer is expected. A rhetorical question may have an obvious answer but the questioner asks rhetorical questions to lay emphasis on the point. In literature, a rhetorical question is self-evident and used for style as an impressive persuasive device. Broadly speaking, a rhetorical question is asked when the questioner himself knows the answer already or the answer is not actually demanded. So, an answer is not expected from the audience. Such a question is used to emphasize a point or draw the audience’s attention.

Common Examples of Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions, though almost needless or meaningless, seem a basic need of daily language. Some common examples of rhetorical questions from daily life are as follows. “Who knows?” “Are you stupid?” “Did you hear me?” “Ok?” “Why not?”

Mostly, it is easy to spot a rhetorical question because of its position in the sentence. It occurs immediately after the comment made and proves the opposite of it. The idea again is to make a point more prominent. Some examples are as follows but keep in mind that they are also called tag questions if used in everyday conversation. It’s too hot today. Isn’t it?” “The actors played the roles well. Didn’t they?”

Literary Examples of Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions in literature are as important as they are in daily language or perhaps even more. The reason is the significant change a rhetorical question can bring about. The absence or presence of a rhetorical question in some of the most famous lines in literature can change the impact altogether. Occasionally, in literature, a writer asks a rhetorical question and goes on answering it to produce desired effects. Below are a few examples of rhetorical questions from some famous lines in literature. 43

Figures of Speech Example 1 1. A very good example of rhetorical quesitons in literature is from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. Have a look and feel the difference the absence of the two rhetorical questions could have made. JULIET: “Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” You must have heard the famous line “What’s in a name?” It’s also become a famous proverb in English. The rhetorical question holds integral value in multiplying the power of the dialogue. Example 2 Percy Bysshe Shelley ends his masterpiece “Ode to the West Wind” with a rhetorical question. “O Wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” The poet achieves the desired effect by asking this rhetorical question instead of making a statement. The answer to this question is not sought, rather an effect is successfully created giving a fine finishing touch to the ode. Example 3 Mrs. Hladia Porter Stewart in her poem “Creation” employs rhetorical questions to create effect and achieve the desired appeal of the poem. “What made you think of love and tears And birth and death and pain?” Without rhetorical questions in the poem, it could be impossible for the poetess to express herself as impressively as she does using rhetorical questions. Example 4 The clarifying aspect of the poem “The Solitary Reaper” by William Wordsworth enhances with the use of a rhetorical question. “Will no one tell me what she sings?” Notice, the answer is not expected to this question. The poet prefers a rhetorical question to a plain statement to emphasize his feelings of pleasant surprise. Example 5 “The Merchant of Venice” by Shakespeare also has the effective use of rhetorical questions. Following are some of the most famous rhetorical questions by Shylock in the play. Shylock: “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” The questions don’t necessarily need an answer. They are neither questions nor plain statements rather something in between the two extremes. 44

Figures of Speech Function of Rhetorical Question Writers employ rhetorical questions for rhetorical effects and we cannot easily condone the impact rendered by a rhetorical question. The idea becomes all the more powerful, and our interest is aroused to read and enjoy the technical and aesthetic beauty a rhetorical question generates. Moreover, it is a requirement in persuasive speeches.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of rhetorical question as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, rhetorical question. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

Summary:

Try to differentiate the five figures of speech. How do they fall on the same category?

Figures of Speech

ThirdCategory

Parallelism

Figures of Speech

MODULE XII â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oxymoron At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what an oxymoron is 2. Provide examples of oxymoron 3. Make use of oxymoron in rhetorical piece Definition of Oxymoron

Oxymoron is a significant literary device as it allows the author to use contradictory, contrasting concepts placed together in a manner that actually ends up making sense in a strange, and slightly complex manner. An oxymoron is an interesting literary device because it helps to perceive a deeper level of truth and explore different layers of semantics while writing.

Examples

Sometimes we cherish things of little value. He possessed a cold fire in his eyes.

Common Examples of Oxymoron Open secret Tragic comedy Seriously funny Awfully pretty Foolish wisdom Original copies Liquid gas Hot Ice Brazen Virtue Sacred Sins Public Secrets Genuine Lies Carnal Innocence Divine Devil Honest Illusions

The above oxymoron examples produce a comical effect. Thus, it is a lot of fun to use them in your everyday speech.

Figures of Speech Literary Examples of Oxymoron Example 1 Below is an extract from the play “Romeo and Juliet”, Act I, Scene I, written by William Shakespeare. “Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O anything, of nothing first create! O heavy lightness! Serious vanity! Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health! Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this. Dost thou not laugh?” We notice a series of oxymoron being employed when Romeo confronts the love of an inaccessible woman. An intense emotional effect is produced to highlight his mental conflict by the use of contradictory pairs of words such as “hating love”, “heavy lightness”, “bright smoke”, “cold fire”, and “sick health”. Example 2 The example below is taken from Tennyson’s “Lancelot and Elaine”. “the shackles of love straiten’d him His honour rooted in dishonoured stood And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true” We clearly notice the use of oxymoron in phrases “shackles… straiten’d”, “honour… dishonour”, “faith unfaithful” and “falsely true”. Example 3 In Sir Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’s 134th sonnet, “I find no peace, and all my war is done I fear and hope, I burn and freeze like ice, I flee above the wind, yet can I not arise;” The contradicting ideas of “war…peace”, “burn ….freeze”, and “flee above…not rise” produce a dramatic effect in the above-mentioned lines. Example 4 Alexander Pope uses oxymoron to develop wit in his poems. “The bookful blockhead ignorantly read, With loads of learned lumber in his head, With his own tongue still edifies his ears, And always list’ning to himself appears.” The above lines from his “Essays of Criticism” provide fine evidence of his witticism. The oxymora “bookful blockhead” and “ignorantly read” describe a person who reads a lot but does not understand what he reads and does not employ his reading to improve his character. Example 5 Shakespeare makes use of oxymoron in his plays to develop a paradox. “I will bestow him, and will answer well The death I gave him. So, again, good night. 50

Figures of Speech I must be cruel, only to be kind: Thus bad begins and worse remains behind. One word more, good lady.” In the above lines taken from “Hamlet”, he draws two contradictory ideas “be cruel…be kind”. The contradiction is understood in the context of the play. Hamlet wants to kill Claudius, the murderer of his father, who has married his mother. Hamlet does not want his mother to be the beloved of his father’s murderer. Therefore, he is of the view that this murder will purge her. Function of Oxymoron Oxymoron produces a dramatic effect in both prose as well as poetry. For instance, when we read or hear the famous oxymoron, “sweet sorrow”, crafted by Shakespeare, it appeals to us instantly. It provokes our thoughts and makes us ponder on the meaning of contradicting ideas. This apparently confusing phrase expresses a complex nature of love that could never be expressed through any other simple expression. In everyday conversation, however, people do not use oxymoron to make some deep statement like the one mentioned above. Instead, they do it to show wit. The use of oxymoron adds flavor to their speech.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of oxymoron as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, oxymoron. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE XIII – Irony At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what an irony is 2. Provide examples of irony 3. Make use of irony in rhetorical piece Definition of Irony

The use of irony in literature refers to playing around with words such that the meaning implied by a sentence/word is actually different from the literal meaning derived. Often, irony is used to suggest the stark contrast of the literal meaning being put forth. The deeper, real layer of significance is revealed not by the words themselves but the situation and the context in which they are placed.

Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality.

Types of Irony

On the grounds of the above definition, we distinguish two basic kinds of irony i.e. verbal irony and situational irony. A verbal irony involves what one does not mean. When in response to a foolish idea, we say, “what a great idea!” it is a verbal irony. A situational irony occurs when, for instance, a man is chuckling at the misfortune of the other even when the same misfortune, in complete unawareness, is befalling him.

Difference between Dramatic Irony and Situational Irony

Dramatic irony is a kind of irony in a situation, which the writers frequently employ in their works. In situational irony, both the characters and the audience are fully unaware of the implications of the real situation. In dramatic irony, the characters are oblivious of the situation but the audience is not. For example, in “Romeo and Juliet”, we know much before the characters that they are going to die. In real life circumstances, irony may be comical, bitter or sometimes unbearably offensive.

Common Examples of Irony

Let us analyze some interesting examples of irony from our daily life: I posted a video on YouTube about how boring and useless YouTube is. The name of Britain’s biggest dog was “Tiny”. You laugh at a person who slipped stepping on a banana peel and the next thing you know, you slipped too. The butter is as soft as a marble piece. “Oh great! Now you have broken my new camera.”

Figures of Speech Literary Examples of Irony Example 1 We come across the following lines in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, Act I, Scene V. “Go ask his name: if he be married. My grave is like to be my wedding bed.” Juliet commands her nurse to find out who Romeo was and says if he were married, then her wedding bed would be her grave. It is a verbal irony because the audience knows that she is going to die on her wedding bed. Example 2 Shakespeare employs this verbal irony in “Julius Caesar” Act I, Scene II, CASSIUS: “‘tis true this god did shake” Cassius, despite knowing the mortal flaws of Caesar, calls him “this god”. Example 3 In the Greek drama “Oedipus Rex” written by “Sophocles”, “Upon the murderer I invoke this curse – whether he is one man and all unknown, Or one of many – may he wear out his life in misery to miserable doom!” The above lines are an illustration of verbal and dramatic irony. It was predicted that a man guilty of killing his father and marrying his own mother has brought curse on the city and its people. In the above-mentioned lines, Oedipus curses the man who is the cause of curse on his city. He is ignorant of the fact that he himself is that man and he is cursing himself. The audience, on the other hand, knows the situation. Example 4 Irony examples are not only found in stage plays but in poems too. In his poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, Coleridge wrote: “Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.” In the above stated lines, the ship, blown by the south wind, is stranded in the uncharted sea. Ironically, there is water everywhere but they do not have a single drop of water to drink. Example 5 Writing a sentence such as, “Oh! What fine luck I have!”. The sentence on the surface conveys that the speaker is happy with their luck but actually what they mean is that they are extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with their (bad) luck. Function of Irony Like all other figures of speech, Irony brings about some added meanings to a situation. Ironical statements and situations in literature develop readers’ interest. Irony makes a work of literature more intriguing and forces the readers to use 54

Figures of Speech their imagination and comprehend the underlying meanings of the texts. Moreover, real life is full of ironical expressions and situations. Therefore, the use of irony brings a work of literature closer to the life.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of irony as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, irony. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE XIV – Paradox At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what paradox is 2. Provide examples of paradox 3. Make use of paradox in rhetorical piece Definition of Paradox

A paradox in literature refers to the use of concepts/ ideas that are contradictory to one another, yet, when placed together they hold significant value on several levels. The uniqueness of paradoxes lies in the fact that a deeper level of meaning and significance is not revealed at first glance, but when it does crystallize, it provides astonishing insight. The term Paradox is from the Greek word “paradoxon” that means contrary to expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion. It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas. A paradox is often used to make a reader think over an idea in innovative way.

Examples

High walls make not a palace; full coffers make not a king.

Common Examples of Paradox

Your enemy’s friend is your enemy. I am nobody. “What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young.” – George Bernard Shaw Wise fool Truth is honey which is bitter. “I can resist anything but temptation.” Oscar Wilde

From the above examples of paradox, we can say that paradox creates a humorous effect on the readers because of its ridiculousness.

Literary Examples of Paradox

In literature, paradox is not just a clever or comical statement or use of words. Paradox has serious implication because it makes statements that often summarize the major themes of the work they are used in. Let us analyze some paradox examples from some famous literary works: Example 1 In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, one part of the cardinal rule is the statement, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. This statement seems to not make any sense. However, on closer examination, it gets clear that Orwell points out a political truth. The government in the novel claims that everyone is equal but it has never treated everyone equally. It is the 57

Figures of Speech concept of equality stated in this paradox that is opposite to the common belief of equality. Example 2 In the famous play of Shakespeare, Hamlet, the protagonist Hamlet says, “I must be cruel to be kind.” This announcement does not seem to make sense. How can an individual treat others kindly even when he is cruel? However, Hamlet is talking about his mother, and how he intends to kill Claudius to avenge his father’s death. This act of Hamlet will be a tragedy for his mother who is married to Claudius. Hamlet does not want his mother to be the beloved of his father’s murderer any longer, and so he thinks that the murder will be good for his mother. Example 3 From Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”: The earth that’s nature’s mother is her tomb; What is her burying grave, that is Rainbow in her womb; The contradictory ideas of the earth being the birthplace and a graveyard make these lines paradoxical. Example 4 In his short lyric “My Heart Leaps up When I Behold”, William Wordsworth remembers the joys of his past and says: “Child is father of the man” This statement has seemingly incorrect proposition but when we look deep into its meaning, we see the truth. The poet is saying that the childhood experiences become the basis for all adult occurrences. The childhood of a person shapes his life and consequently “fathers” or creates the grown-up adult. So, “Child is father of the man.” Function of Paradox The above reading may bring out the question, “Why is paradox used when a message can be conveyed in a straightforward and simple manner?” The answer lies in the nature and purpose of literature. One function of literature is to make the readers enjoy reading. Readers enjoy more when they extract the hidden meanings out of the writing rather than something presented to them in an uncomplicated manner. Thus, the chief purpose of a paradox is to give pleasure. In poetry, the use of paradox is not confined to mere wit and pleasure; rather, it becomes an integral part of poetic diction. Poets usually make use of a paradox to create a remarkable thought or image out of words. Some types of paradox in poetry are meant to communicate a tone of irony to its readers as well as lead their thoughts to the immediate subject. Paradox in most poems normally strives to create feelings of intrigue and interest in readers’ minds to make them think deeper and harder to enjoy the real message of the poem.

Figures of Speech Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of paradox as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, paradox. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

Summary:

Try to differentiate the three figures of speech. How do they fall on the same category?

Figures of Speech

FourthCategory

Substitution

Figures of Speech

MODULE XV – Metonymy At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what metonymy is 2. Provide examples of metonymy 3. Make use of metonymy in rhetorical piece Definition of Metonymy

Metonymy in literature refers to the practice of not using the formal word for an object/subject and instead referring to it by using another word that is intricately linked to the formal name/word. It is the practice of substituting the main word with a word that is closely linked to it.

Examples

When we use the name “Washington D.C” we are talking about the U.S’ political hot seat by referring to the political capital of the United States because all the significant political institutions such as the White House, Supreme Court, the U.S. Capitol and many more are located her. The phrase “Washington D.C.” is metonymy for the government of the U.S. in this case.

Common Examples of Metonymy

We use metonymy frequently in our everyday life. For a better understanding, let us observe a few metonymy examples: England decides to keep check on immigration. (England refers to the government.) The suits were at meeting. (The suits stand for business people.) The pen is mightier than the sword. (Pen refers to written words and sword to military force.) The Oval Office was busy in work. (“The Oval Office” is a metonymy as it stands for people at work in the office.) Let me give you a hand. (Hand means help.)

Literary Examples of Metonymy Example 1 The given lines are from Shakespeare’s “Julies Caesar” Act I. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” Mark Anthony uses “ears” to say that he wants the people present there to listen to him attentively. It is a metonymy because the word “ears” replaces the concept of attention. Example 2 This line is from Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone with the Wind”. “I’m mighty glad Georgia waited till after Christmas before it secedes or it would have ruined the Christmas parties.” 63

Figures of Speech Scarlett uses “Georgia” to point out everything that makes up the state: citizens, politician, government etc. It is a metonymy extremely common in the modern world, where a name of a country or state refers to a whole nation and its government. Thus, it renders brevity to the ideas. Example 3 These lines are taken from “Out, Out” by Robert Frost. “As he swung toward them holding up the hand Half in appeal, but half as if to keep The life from spilling” In these lines, the expression “The life from spilling” is a metonymy that refers to spilling of blood. It develops a link between life and blood. The loss of too much blood means loss of life. Example 4 These lines are from the poem “Yet Do I Marvel”. “The little buried mole continues blind, Why flesh that mirror Him must someday die,” Countee Cullen uses “flesh” to represent human and questions God why we have to die when we are created in His likeness. Example 5 These lines are from Lycidas written by John Milton. “But now my oat proceeds, And listens to the herald of the sea That came in Neptune’s plea, He asked the waves, and asked the felon winds, What hard mishap hath doomed this gentle swain?” In the above-mentioned lines, John Milton uses “oat” for a musical instrument made out of an oak-stalk. Thus, “oat” represents the song that the poet is composing next to the ocean. Function of Metonymy Generally, metonymy is used in developing literary symbolism i.e. it gives more profound meanings to otherwise common ideas and objects. By using metonymy, texts exhibit deeper or hidden meanings and thus drawing readers’ attention. In addition, the use of metonymy helps achieve conciseness. For instance, “Rifles were guarding the gate” is more concise than “The guards with rifles in their hands were guarding the gate.” Furthermore, metonymy, like other literary devices, is employed to add a poetic color to words to make them come to life. The simple ordinary things are described in a creative way to insert this “life” factor to the literary works.

Figures of Speech Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of metonymy as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, metonymy. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE XVI – Synecdoche At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what synecdoche is 2. Provide examples of synecdoche 3. Make use of synecdoche in rhetorical piece Definition of Synecdoche

A synecdoche is a literary device that uses a part of something to refer to the whole. It is somewhat rhetorical in nature, where the entire object is represented by way of a faction of it or a faction of the object is symbolized by the full.

Difference between Synecdoche and Metonymy

Synecdoche is often confused with another literary device called metonymy. Both may resemble each other to some extent but are not the same. Synecdoche refers to a whole of a thing by the name of any one of its parts. For example, calling a car “wheels” is a synecdoche because a part of a car “wheels” stands for the whole car. However, in metonymy, the word we use to describe another thing is closely linked to that particular thing, but is not necessarily a part of it. For example, “crown” that refers to power or authority is a metonymy used to replace the king or the queen.

Example

“Weary feet in the walk of life”, does not refer to the feet actually being tired or painful; it is symbolic of a long, hard struggle through the journey of life and feeling low, tired, unoptimistic and ‘the walk of life’ does not represent an actual path or distance covered, instead refers to the entire sequence of life events that has made the person tired.

Common Examples of Synecdoche

It is very common to refer to things by the name of its parts. Let us a look at some common examples: The word “bread” refers to food or money as in “Writing is my bread and butter” or “sole breadwinner”. The phrase “gray beard” refers to an old man. The word “sails” refers to a whole Ship. The word “suits” refers to businessmen. The word “boots” refers to soldiers. The term “coke” is a common synecdoche for all carbonated drinks. “Pentagon” is a synecdoche when it refers to the few decision makers. The word “glasses” refers to spectacles.

Figures of Speech Literary Examples of Synecdoche Example 1 Coleridge employs synecdoche in his poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”: “The western wave was all a-flame. The day was well was nigh done! Almost upon the western wave Rested the broad bright Sun” The “western wave” is a synecdoche as it refers to the see by the name of its part i.e. wave. Example 2 Look at the use of synecdoche in the lines taken from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116: “O no! It is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken.” The phrase “ever-fixed mark” refers to a lighthouse. Example 3 Look how Shelly uses synecdoche in his poem “Ozymandias”: “Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, the hand that mocked them.” “The hand” in the above lines refers to the sculptor who carved the “lifeless things” into a grand statue. Example 4 Observe the use of synecdoche in the following lines from “The Secret Sharer” by Joseph Conrad: “At midnight I went on deck, and to my mate’s great surprise put the ship round on the other tack. His terrible whiskers flitted round me in silent criticism.” The word “whiskers” mentioned in the above lines refers to the whole face of the narrator’s mate. Example 5 Jonathon Swift in “The description of the Morning” uses synecdoche: “Prepar’d to scrub the entry and the stairs. The youth with broomy stumps began to trace.” In the above lines the phrase “broomy stumps” refers to the whole broom. Example 6 Note the use of synecdoche in “The Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton: “His eye met hers as she sat there paler and whiter than anyone in the vast ocean of anxious faces about her.” “Faces” refers to the whole persons. Function of Synecdoche Literary symbolism is developed by the writers who employ synecdoche in their literary works. By using synecdoche, the writers give the otherwise common ideas and objects deeper meanings and thus drawing readers’ attention. 68

Figures of Speech Furthermore, the use of synecdoche helps writers to achieve brevity. For instance, saying “Soldiers were equipped with steel” is more concise than saying “The soldiers were equipped with swords, knives, daggers, arrows etc.” Like any other literary device, synecdoche when used appropriately adds a distinct color to words making them appear vivid. To insert this “life” factor to the literary works, writers describe simple ordinary things creatively with the aid of this literary device.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of synecdoche as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, synecdoche. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

Summary:

Try to differentiate the two figures of speech. How do they fall on the same category?

Figures of Speech

FifthCategory

SoundEffects

Figures of Speech

MODULE XVII – Alliteration At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what alliteration is 2. Provide examples of alliteration 3. Make use of alliteration in rhetorical piece Definition of Alliteration

Alliteration is derived from Latin’s “Latira”. It means “letters of alphabet”. It is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series. Consider the following examples: 1. But a better butter makes a batter better. 2. A big bully beats a baby boy.

Both sentences are alliterative because the same first letter of words (B) occurs close together and produces alliteration in the sentence. An important point to remember here is that alliteration does not depend on letters but on sounds. So the phrase not knotty is alliterative, but cigarette chase is not. Alliteration is a literary device where words are used in quick succession and begin with letters belonging to the same sound group. Whether it is the consonant sound or a specific vowel group, the alliteration involves creating a repetition of similar sounds in the sentence. Alliterations are also created when the words all begin with the same letter. Alliterations are used to add character to the writing and often add an element of ‘fun’ to the piece.

Example

The Wicked Witch of the West went her own way. (The ‘W’ sound is highlighted and repeated throughout the sentence.)

Common Examples of Alliteration

In our daily life, we notice alliteration in the names of different companies. It makes the name of a company catchy and easy to memorize. Here are several common examples. Dunkin’ Donuts PayPal Best Buy Coca-Cola Life Lock Park Place American Apparel American Airlines Chuckee Cheese’s Bed Bath & Beyond 73

Figures of Speech Krispy Kreme The Scotch and Sirloin We also find alliterations in names of people, making such names prominent and easy to be remembered. For instance, both fictional characters and real people may stand out prominently in your mind due to the alliterative effects of their names. Examples are: Ronald Reagan Sammy Sosa Jesse Jackson Michael Moore William Wordsworth Mickey Mouse Porky Pig Lois Lane Marilyn Monroe Fred Flintstone Donald Duck Spongebob Squarepants Seattle Seahawks

Literary Examples of Alliteration Example 1 From Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” “The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free; We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea.” In the above lines we see alliteration (“b”, “f” and “s”) in the phrases “breeze blew”, “foam flew”, “furrow followed”, and “silent sea”. Example 2 From James Joyce’s “The Dead” “His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.” We notice several instances of alliteration in the above mentioned prose work of James Joyce. Alliterations are with “s” and “f” in the phrases “swooned slowly” and falling faintly”. Example 3 From Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” “Up the aisle, the moans and screams merged with the sickening smell of woolen black clothes worn in summer weather and green leaves wilting over yellow flowers.” 74

Figures of Speech Maya gives us a striking example of alliteration in the above extract with the letters “s” and “w”. We notice that alliterative words are interrupted by other non-alliterative words among them but the effect of alliteration remains the same. We immediately notice alliteration in the words “screams”, “sickening smell”, “summer”, “weather” and wilting”. Example 4 From William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” (prologue to Act 1) “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes; A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.” This is an example of alliteration with the “f” and “l.” in words “forth, fatal, foes” and “lion, lovers, and life”. Example 5 Percy Bysshe Shelley’s (English Romantic poet) “The Witch of Atlas” is a famous poem that is full of examples of alliterations. Just a few of them are “wings of winds” (line 175), “sick soul to happy sleep” (line 178), “cells of crystal silence” (line 156), “Wisdom’s wizard. . . wind. . . will” (lines 195-197), “drained and dried” ( line 227), “lines of light” (line 245), “green and glowing” (line 356), and crudded. . . cape of cloud” (lines 482-3). Function of Alliteration Alliteration has a very vital role in poetry and prose. It creates a musical effect in the text that enhances the pleasure of reading a literary piece. It makes reading and recitation of the poems attractive and appealing; thus, making them easier to learn by heart. Furthermore, it renders flow and beauty to a piece of writing. In the marketing industry, as what we have already discussed, alliteration makes the brand names interesting and easier to remember. This literary device is helpful in attracting customers and enhancing sales.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of alliteration as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, alliteration. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE XVIII – Assonance At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what assonance is 2. Provide examples of assonance 3. Make use of assonance in rhetorical piece Definition of Assonance

Assonance takes place when two or more words close to one another repeat the same vowel sound but start with different consonant sounds. For instance, “Men sell the wedding bells.”

The same vowel sound of the short vowel “-e-” repeats itself in almost all the words excluding the definite article. The words do share the same vowel sounds but start with different consonant sounds unlike alliteration that involves repetition of the same consonant sounds.

Example

“A long song”. (Where the ‘o’ sound is repeated in the last two words of the sentence)

Common Examples of Assonance

In our daily life, we notice alliteration in the names of different companies. It makes the name of a company catchy and easy to memorize. Here are several common examples. We light fire on the mountain. I feel depressed and restless. Go and mow the lawn. Johnny went here and there and everywhere. The engineer held the steering to steer the vehicle.

Literary Examples of Assonance

Assonance is primarily used in poetry in order to add rhythm and music, by adding an internal rhyme to a poem. Let us look at some examples of assonance from literature. Example 1 Try to notice the use of assonance in Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice”: “He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. 77

Figures of Speech But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.” The underlined bold letters in the above extract are vowels that are repeated to create assonance. Example 2 Assonance sets the mood of a passage in Carl Sandburg’s Early Moon: “Poetry is old, ancient, goes back far. It is among the oldest of living things. So old it is that no man knows how and why the first poems came.” Notice how the long vowel “o” in the above extract helps emphasize the idea of something being old and mysterious. Example 3 The sound of long vowels slows down the pace of a passage and sets an atmosphere that is grave and serious. Look at the following example taken from Cormac McCarthy’s “Outer Dark”: “And stepping softly with her air of blooded ruin about the glade in a frail agony of grace she trailed her rags through dust and ashes, circling the dead fire, the charred billets and chalk bones, the little calcined ribcage.” The repetition of the long vowel in the above passage lays emphasis on the frightening atmosphere that the writer wants to depict. Example 4 Similarly, we notice the use of long vowels in a passage from Dylan Thomas’ famous poem “Do Not Go Gentle into the Good Night”: “Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage, against the dying of the light. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight, Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” The poet deliberately uses assonance in the above lines to slow down the pace of the lines and create a somber mood, as the subject of the poem is death. Example 5 William Wordsworth employs assonance to create an internal rhyme in his poem “Daffodils”: “I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o‘er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; 78

Figures of Speech Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze…” Example 6 Below are a few brief examples of assonance from different writers: “If I bleat when I speak it’s because I just got . . . fleeced.” – Deadwood by Al Swearengen “Those images that yet, Fresh images beget, That dolphin-torn, that gong-tormented sea.” – Byzantium by W.B. Yeats “Strips of tinfoil winking like people” - The Bee Meeting by Sylvia Plath “I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and restless.” – With Love by Thin Lizzy Function of Assonance Similar to any other literary device, assonance also has a very important role to play in both poetry and prose. Writers use it as a tool to enhance a musical effect in the text by using it for creating internal rhyme, which consequently enhances the pleasure of reading a literary piece. In addition, it helps writers to develop a particular mood in the text that corresponds with its subject matter.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of assonance as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, assonance. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE XIX – Pun At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what pun is 2. Provide examples of pun 3. Make use of pun in rhetorical piece Definition of Pun

A pun is a play on words in which a humorous effect is produced by using a word that suggests two or more meanings or by exploiting similar sounding words having different meanings. Humorous effect created by puns depends upon the ambiguities words entail. The ambiguities arise mostly in homophones and homonyms. For instance, in a sentence “A happy life depends on a liver” liver can refer to the organ liver or simply the person who lives. Similarly, in a famous saying “Atheism is a non-prophet institution” the word “prophet” is used instead of “profit” to produce a humorous effect. Puns are a very popular literary device wherein a word is used in a manner to suggest two or more possible meanings. This is generally done to the effect of creating humor or irony or wryness. Puns can also refer to words that suggest meanings of similar-sounding words. The trick is to make the reader have an “ah!” moment and discover 2 or more meanings.

Example

Santa’s helpers are known as subordinate Clauses.

Common Examples of Pun

In everyday life, puns are intentionally or accidently used in jokes and witty remarks. Let us consider a few examples: The life of a patient of hypertension is always at steak. Why do we still have troops in Germany? To keep the Russians in Czech. A horse is a very stable animal Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. An elephant’s opinion carries a lot of weight. What is the difference between a conductor and a teacher? The conductor minds the train and a teacher trains the mind.

Literary Examples of Pun

In literature, puns have been used by famous writers in their literary works. Let us consider a few examples: Example 1 In constructing puns, William Shakespeare was a master craftsman. We find many examples of puns in his plays. Let us have a look at some of them: 81

Figures of Speech “It is the unkindest tied that ever any man tied.”(Richard III) “winter of our discontent…made glorious summer by this Son of York.”(Richard III) Romeo: “Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes with nimble soles; I have a soul of lead” (Romeo and Juliet) Claudius: “…But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son…” Hamlet: [aside] “A little more than kin, and less than kind. (Kindred)” (Hamlet) Example 2 We notice John Donne use pun in his poem “A Hymn to God the Father”. Read the following lines: “When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done for I have more. That at my death Thy Son / Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore And having done that, Thou hast done; I fear no more.” He is playing with his name Donne and with the name of his wife Anne More. Besides, he uses Son, referring to the Christ, instead of sun. Example 3 Oscar Wilde employs pun in his play “Importance of being Earnest”. Jack Earnest tells Aunt Augusta in Act III: “On the contrary, Aunt Augusta, I’ve now realised for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest” Similarly, in Act III we see Jack puns his family name again: “I always told you, Gwendolen, my name was Ernest, didn’t I? Well, it is Ernest after all. I mean it naturally is Ernest.” Here Jack discovers his father name which makes him truly earnest. Example 4 Charles Dickens plays around with words in his novel “Great Expectations”. In his opening chapter “Pip” says: “They seemed to think the opportunity lost, if they failed to point the conversation to me, every now and then, and stick the point into me” Not the pun in the use of the word “point”. We see another interesting example in Chapter 2: “Tickler was a wax-ended piece of cane, worn smooth by collision with my tickled frame.” The writer puns the word “tickle”. Example 5 We notice a unique use of multilingual puns in Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita”. For example, the name of a character “Humbert” is a pun in two languages. In French it means “Shadow” and in Spanish it means “man”. Similarly, “Lolita” 82

Figures of Speech changing her name to “Dolores” which means pain in Latin and her nick name “Dolly” refers to a toy in English. Function of Pun Apart from being witty and humorous, puns add profound meanings to the texts and shapes the way in which the text is interpreted by the readers. By playing with the words, the writers reveal the cleverness of their characters and of course of their own. Besides, puns in a literary works act as a source of comic relief or an intentional effort on the part of the writer to show his / her creative ability in using language.

Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of pun as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, pun. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

MODULE XX – Euphemism At the end of this module, students shall be able to 1. Know and identify what an euphemism is 2. Provide examples of euphemism 3. Make use of euphemism in rhetorical piece Definition of Euphemism

The term euphemism refers to polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant. Euphemism is an idiomatic expression which loses its literal meanings and refers to something else in order to hide its unpleasantness. For example, “kick the bucket” is a euphemism that describes the death of a person. In addition, many organizations use the term “downsizing” for the distressing act of “firing” its employees. Euphemism depends largely on the social context of the speakers and writers where they feel the need to replace certain words which may prove embarrassing for particular listeners or readers in a particular situation. The term ‘euphemism’ is used to refer to the literary practice of using a comparatively milder or less abrasive form of a negative description instead of its original, unsympathetic form. This device is used when writing about matters such as sex, violence, death, crimes and "embarrassing". The purpose of euphemisms is to substitute unpleasant and severe words with more genteel ones in order to mask the harshness... The use of euphemisms is sometimes manipulated to lend a touch of exaggeration or irony in satirical writing.

Techniques for Creating Euphemism

Euphemism masks a rude or impolite expression but conveys the concept clearly and politely. Several techniques are employed to create euphemism. It may be in the form of abbreviations e.g. B.O. (body odor), W.C. (toilet) etc. Foreign words may be used to replace an impolite expression e.g. faux (fake), or faux pas (foolish error) etc. Sometimes, they are abstractions e.g. before I go (before I die). They may also be indirect expressions replacing direct ones which may sound offensive e.g. rearend, unmentionables etc. Using longer words or phrases can also mask unpleasant words e.g. flatulence for farting, perspiration for sweat, mentally challenged for stupid etc. Using technical terms may reduce the rudeness exhibited by words e.g. gluteus maximus. Deliberately mispronouncing an offensive word may reduce its severity e.g. darn, shoot etc.

Example

Using “to put out to pasture” when one implies retiring a person because they are too old to be effective.

Figures of Speech Below are some more examples of Euphemisms Downsizing - This is used when a company fires or lays off a larger number of employees Friendly fire - This is used by the military when soldiers are accidentally killed by other soldiers on the same side. Tipsy - This is a soft way to say that someone has had to much to drink. Golden years - This is used to describe the later period of life when someone is of old age. Gone to heaven - This is a polite way to say that someone is dead. Enhanced interrogation - This is modern euphemism to minimize what by many people would be viewed as torture

Common Examples of Euphemism

Euphemism is frequently used in everyday life. Let us look at some common euphemism examples: You are becoming a little thin on top (bald). Our teacher is in the family way (pregnant). He is always tired and emotional (drunk). We do not hire mentally challenged (stupid) people. He is a special child (disabled or retarded).

Literary Examples of Euphemism Example 1 Examples of euphemism referring to sex are found in William Shakespeare’s “Othello” and “Antony and Cleopatra”. In “Othello”, Act 1 Scene 1, Iago tells Brabantio: “I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.” Here, the expression “making the beast with two backs” refers to the act of having sex. Similarly, we notice Shakespeare using euphemism for sexual intercourse in his play “Antony and Cleopatra”. In Act 2 Scene 2, Agrippa says about Cleopatra: “Royal wench! She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed. He plowed her, and she cropped.” The word “plowed” refers to the act of sexual intercourse and the word “cropped” is a euphemism for becoming pregnant.

Figures of Speech Example 2 John Donne in his poem “The Flea” employs euphemism. He says: “Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little that which thou denies me is; It suck’d me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be. Thou know’st that this cannot be said A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead; Yet this enjoys before it woo, And pamper’d swells with one blood made of two; And this, alas! is more than we would do.” In order to persuade his beloved to sleep with him, the speaker in the poem tells her how a flea bit both of them and their blood got mixed in it. This is a euphemism. Example 3 “The Squealer”, a character in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, uses euphemisms to help “the pigs” achieve their political ends. To announce the reduction of food to the animals of the farm, Orwell quotes him saying: “For the time being,” he explains, “it had been found necessary to make a readjustment of rations.” Substituting the word “reduction” with “readjustment” was an attempt to suppress the complaints of other animals about hunger. It works because reduction means “cutting” food supply while readjustment implies changing the current amount of food. Function of Euphemism

Euphemism helps writers to convey those ideas which have become a social taboo and are too embarrassing to mention directly. Writers skillfully choose appropriate words to refer to and discuss a subject indirectly which otherwise are not published due to strict social censorship e.g. religious fanaticism, political theories, sexuality, death etc. Thus, euphemism is a useful tool that allows writers to write figuratively about the libelous issues.

Figures of Speech Discussion and Analysis

Make a list of your own examples of euphemism as many as you can. Write them below.

Figures of Speech Make a rhetorical piece using the figure of speech, pun. (Prose or Poetry)

Figures of Speech

Summary:

Try to differentiate the four figures of speech. How do they fall on the same category?

Figures of Speech

POST TEST Identify what figure of speech are the sentences below. 1. "And the executioner went off like an arrow." 2. Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t it so? 3. The rise in poverty will unlock the Pandora’s Box of crimes. 4. A million dollars is not a little amount. 5. Ken Adams is not an ordinary man 6. He was a horse in the running competition 7. I’m nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody too? Then there’s a pair of us-don’t tell! They’d banish us you know. 8. “I am a very foolish fond old man, Fourscore and upward, not an hour more or less; And, to deal plainly, I fear I am not in my perfect mind….” 9. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky.” 10. I looked upon the rotting sea, And drew my eyes away; I looked upon the rotting deck, And there the dead men lay.

Figures of Speech

Song on Figures (In the tune of I’m Yours) Well, you know I read and you bet I’m thinking ‘Bout literary piece; I’m so hot and was wondrin’ I think it could mean like that And I’m trying to get what. Before the noon, I’ve come up There is something which is missing So I try to find then look and act somehow like researcher In order to figure it out To earn some or learn some. And I found figures of speech Add force, color, Clearness, beauty To thoughts. Well, open up my mind to simile Comparison by using “as” and “like” For example: Hearts like yours find love, love, love, love. Listen to my music, I will talk about synecdoche A part to represent the whole body Or it will use the whole to represent the part, part, part, part, part. So I found figures of speech Add force, color, Clearness, beauty To thoughts. This can give decoration, Life to language. This is figure Of speech.

I’ve been spending a week to long searching the net for a figure. And ended over on a site I see the oxymoron. Two contradictory words Combined for special effects, like “dark light”. I guess what I’ll be saying next is all about the exclamation To express a fright, a pain or any violent emotions. Ends with exclamation point. “You, kid, don’t have virtue!” So I found figures of speech Add force, color, Clearness, beauty To thoughts. Well, open up my mind to simile Comparison by using “as” and “like” For example: Hearts like yours find love from guys like those. Speech figures, figures, figures This can give decoration, And life to language. This oh, this oh, this is figure Of speech. Oh figures oh of speech, oh oh We must study speech You gonna learn You gonna learn figures of speech.

Do you want to know more? Just come on over closer, dear And I will natter to your ear.

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