Different figures of speech
Language that uses figures of speech is known collectively as figurative language. You will find examples of figurative language in novels, poems, essays, and plays. The opposite of figurative language is literal language.
Alliteration:
Alliteration is the repeating of consonant sounds right next to each other, which creates a memorable or melodic effect.
eg: She sells seashells by the seashore.
Hyperbole:
Hyperbole is a deliberate exaggeration that adds emphasis, urgency, or excitement to a statement.
eg: If I don’t eat soon, I’m going to die of hunger.
Imagery:
Imagery in poetry uses language to engage our senses (sight.sound, smell, taste and touch).
eg: The maxim of good imagery is “Show, don’t tell”. Instead of telling us that “the wind blew the dead leaves” in Ode to the West Wind, Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote:
“O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being,
Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead
Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing,”
Irony:
Irony is used to contradict what one says and what one does, or what one says and its literal meaning (sarcasm). It's usually used to create suspense.
eg: The Titanic was acclaimed as an “unsinkable” ship, yet it sank on its first voyage.
Metaphor:
A metaphor is a thing that is symbolic of something else, especially abstract.It Usually creates a comparison without using like or as.
eg: He was a lion in the battle field.
Onomatopoeia:
Onomatopoeia is when a word imitates the sound it makes.It is a word that sounds like what it means.
eg: Bow-Wow!, Meow.
Paradox:
A paradox is a statement that appears to contradict itself but contains some truth, theme, or humor.
eg: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” —George Orwell, Animal Farm
