What is Figure Of Speech? Definition and Examples
Table of Contents
Figure Of Speech
The way of speaking has an important place in English. It should be clear what your speech means or what you mean in everyday life or official situations. To achieve this, speech patterns have emerged. Thanks to these ways of speaking, the thought and subject you want to convey to the other party emerge.
There are many literary devices in the English language. If we list the most common forms of speech, they are directed towards literature and poetry. In addition, these ways of speaking have an important place in movie lines. The most preferred forms of speech in all parts of life are as follows:
- alliteration
- anaphora
- assonance
- euphemism
- hyperbole
- irony
- Metaphor
- onomatopoeia
- personification
- simile
- synecdoche
- oxymoron
- understatement
Alliteration
This way of speaking is referred to as the repetition of the initial sounds of consecutive words.
- He sells seashells.
- Nadia needs new notebooks.
- Wendy wondered where Walter was.
Anaphora
This way of speaking is a technique that starts with the same words in sentences.
Examples of sentences:
- With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right. – Abraham Lincoln
- Mad world! mad kings! Mad composition! – King John II, William Shakespeare
Euphemism
It is preferring a more polite way of speaking instead of unkind words. In this way, rudeness and offensive words are avoided.
Examples are:
- Instead of saying stolen goods as stolen, it means they fell from the sky.
- Giving someone permission to go instead of firing them.
- Instead of saying he died, it means he went to heaven.
Exaggeration
The exaggerated way of speaking is preferred to speak emphatically and dominantly. Examples of sentences are:
- I’ve told you a thousand times to shut up about this!
- I could do this forever!
- He’s older than anyone else in the world.
Irony
In irony, there is a big difference between what is said and what is meant. Many people prefer this, especially in spoken language. Examples for this speaking style:
- About a bad football player “He plays like Ronaldo.”
- Talking about a failed writer, “I admire this writer who has Tolstoy’s competence.”
- About an undesirable place “I can’t wait to go there.”
It’s like a person who doesn’t like a rainy day saying, “It’s raining beautifully.” These people mean the exact opposite of what they say. Thus, an air of irony is created.
Many such forms of speech are used in English. In this way, the daily lifestyle of speech is shaped.
