Figures of Speech

Non-Literal Language

Figures of Speech
(Non-Literal Use of Language)

Figures of speech are rhetorical devices or linguistic techniques that use words in non-literal or imaginative ways to convey meaning, enhance expression, or evoke emotions. They often involve the manipulation of language, such as altering word meanings, structures, or sounds, to create vivid imagery, emphasis, or comparisons.

** For a more complete list, see the Glossary of Rhetorical Terms in this guide. **

Common Figures of Speech

These involve unusual use of language to create effects.

Metaphor: Comparing two things without using "like" or "as."
Simile: Comparing two things using "like" or "as."
Hyperbole: Exaggeration to an extreme degree for emphasis or effect.
Personification: Attributing humanlike qualities to inanimate objects.
Oxymoron: Combining contradictory terms.
Irony: Using language that signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
Metonymy: Replacing the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is closely associated.
Synecdoche: A part is made to represent the whole or vice versa.

Figures of Sound

These emphasize the auditory quality of words.

Alliteration: Repetition of the initial consonant sounds in nearby words.
Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.
Consonance: Repetition of consonant sounds, typically at the end of words.
Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate natural sounds.

Figures of Thought

These involve the content of the thought rather than the style.

Antithesis: Juxtaposing contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
Chiasmus: Reversing the order of words in parallel clauses.
Apostrophe: Addressing an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction.
Paradox: A statement that appears contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.
Euphemism: A mild or indirect word substituted for one considered too harsh or blunt.

Figures of Emphasis

These stress particular elements of an argument or expression.

Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
Epistrophe: Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.
Epanalepsis: Repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning.
Epizeuxis: Repetition of a word for emphasis.

Figures of Addition or Amplification

These add information or detail to enhance understanding or impact.

Enumeratio: Listing parts, causes, effects, or consequences to make a point more forcibly.
Polysyndeton: Using many conjunctions to achieve an overwhelming effect.
Asyndeton: Omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses.

Figures of Omission

These omit certain elements to create an effect.

Ellipsis: Omitting words that are implied by the context.
Paralepsis: Emphasizing a point by seeming to pass over it.

Analysis of Figures of Speech

(Example Analysis)

"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players."

Metaphor: This phrase compares the world to a stage and people to actors in a play. By framing life as a performance, Shakespeare suggests that individuals follow predetermined roles, emphasizing the transience and scripted nature of human existence. This metaphor helps the audience conceptualize life in terms of theatrical structure, reinforcing the idea that people enter and exit the world just as actors do on stage. (MET-uh-for)
Extended Metaphor: The metaphor of life as a stage is extended throughout the monologue, describing the "seven ages of man," where each stage of life corresponds to a different role in a play. This continuity deepens the audience’s understanding of life’s cyclical nature and the inevitability of aging. By portraying life as something prewritten, the passage subtly implies that human actions are part of a larger, inescapable pattern.
Parallelism: The repetition of structure in "All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players" creates balance and rhythm, making the statement more memorable. The use of "all" at the beginning of both clauses reinforces the universality of the idea, emphasizing that no one is exempt from the metaphorical performance of life. (PAIR-uh-lel-iz-uhm)

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Figures of Speech (Non-Literal Use of Language)