F

igur
eofs
peec
h➛ Awor
dorex
pres
sionus
ednotwi
thi
tsor
igi
nal
mea
ningbuti
nani
mag
ina
tiv
ewa
ytoma
kea
s
pec
ial
eff
ect
.Af
igur
eofs
peec
hisaphr
aseorwor
dha
vingdi
ff
ere
ntmea
ning
stha
nit
sli
ter
almea
ning
s.

✵ All
iterati
on➛ Whenas eri
esofwor ds,usua l
l
yt woormorenei ghbori
ngwor ds,
havethesamefirs
tconsonant
s
ound. As er
iesofwords,usual
lytwoormor enei ghbor
ingwords ,havethes amefir
stc
onsonantsound;however,
s
omet i
me sre pet
it
ionofsoundsoccurinsideawor d.Al
li
ter
ati
oni sus edpri
ma ri
lyi
npoetrybutcanbeusedin
v
ariousfacetsofli
tera
tureaswe l
lassongl yr
ics,name s
,quota
tionsora nypieceofwri
ti
ng.Thepurposeof
a
ll
itera
tionist omaketextsta
ndouta nddi rectthereader'
sat
te ntiontoapa rti
cul
arse
cti
on.All
it
erati
onis
c
ommonl yuse dt
oa ddinte
resttoasent e
nc ea ndc a
nbeag reatwa ytohelpyourememberna mesandphra s
es.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•Pet
erPi
perpi
cke
dape
ckofpi
ckl
edpe
ppe
rs.

•S
hes
ell
sse
ashel
l
sdownbyt
hes
eas
hor
e.

•Vi
vi
eni
sve
ryv
ixe
n-l
i
kea
ndv
exi
ng.

•Qui
ncy
'squi
l
ter
squi
tqui
l
tingqui
ckl
y.

✵ Anaphora➛ Anaphor
aisafi
gur
eofs
pee
chinwhi
chwordsrepeata
tthebegi
nni
ngofsucc
ess
ivec
laus
es,
phr
ases,
orsent
ences.
Asequenc
eofwor
dsatt
hebeg
inni
ngsofneig
hbori
ngcl
auses
,ther
ebyl
endi
ngthem
emphasi
s.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•“
Eve
ryda
y,ev
eryni
ght
,ine
ver
ywa
y,I
amg
ett
ingbet
tera
ndbe
tter
.”

•Myl
i
fei
smypur
pos
e.Myl
i
fei
smyg
oal
.Myl
i
fei
smyi
nspi
rat
ion.
”

•Ma
dwor
ld!Ma
dki
ngs
!Ma
dcompos
it
ion!

•“
Thewr
ongper
sonwa
sse
lec
tedf
ort
hewr
ongj
ob,
att
hewr
ongt
ime
,fort
hewr
ong
pur
pos
e.”

✵ Assonance➛ Therepet
it
ionofavowel s
oundinali
neoftextorpoetry
.Thewordsha
v etobec
loseenoug
h
t
ogetherf
orther
epeti
tiont
obenot i
ceabl
e.Therepet
it
ionofv
owel soundsinne
arbywords.
Iti
susedto
r
einf
orcethemeani
ngsofwordsortosetthemood.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•F
romt
hemov
ieMyF
airL
ady
:"T
her
aini
nSpa
ins
tay
sma
inl
yont
hepl
ai
n."

•T
hats
oli
tudewhi
chs
uit
sabs
trus
ermus
ing
s.

•Hi
ste
nde
rhei
rmi
ghtbe
arhi
smemor
y.

•T
heWi
l
low-
Wrenwa
stwi
tt
eri
nghi
sthi
nli
tt
les
ong
,hi
dde
nhi
mse
lfi
ntheda
rks
elv
edg
eoft
he
r
ive
rba
nk.

✵E uphemis
m➛ Euphemismreferst
opol
it
e, i
ndi
rec
texpr
essi
onsthatr
epla
cewordsandphr
asesc
onside
red
har
shandimpol
i
te,orwhi
chsug
ge s
tsomet
hingunpl
easa
nt.I
tisapoli
tewayofs
ayi
ngsomethi
ngthatwoul
d
nor
ma l
lys
oundhar
shorunpl
easant
.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•Y
oua
rebec
omi
ngal
i
ttl
ethi
nont
op(
bal
d).

•Hei
sas
pec
ial
chi
l
d(di
sabl
edorl
ear
ningc
hal
l
eng
ed)
.

•Pa
sse
dawa
y=de
ad

1
 •E
conomi
cal
l
ydi
sadv
ant
age
d=poor

✵ Hyperbole➛ Itma ybeus edt

oevokest
rongfeeli
ngsort
ocreat
eastrongi
mpres
sion,
butisnotmeantt
obe
t
akenli
teral
l
y.Hyperbolesareexa
gger
ati
onstocreateemphasi
soref
fec
t.Hyper
bol
ema yals
obeus edf
or
i
nsta
ncessuchas
, ex
a ggera
tionsf
oremphas
isoreffect
.

➾F
orI
nst
anc
e,•T
heba
gwe
ighe
dat
on.

•I
wass
ohung
ry;
Icoul
dea
tahor
se!

•S
he'
sol
dert
hant
hehi
l
ls.

•I
coul
dsl
eepf
oray
ear
;Iwa
ssot
ir
ed.

•He
'sf
il
thyr
ich.
He'
sgott
onsofmoney
.

✵I rony➛ I nwhi c
hwor dsareusedinsuchawayt hatt
heirintendedmeaningi
sdif
ferentfromt hea c
tual
me aningofthewor ds
.Itma yal
sobeas i
tuat
ionthatendsupi nquiteadi
ffe
rentwaythanwha tisgenera
ll
y
anti
cipated.
Insimplewor ds,i
tisadi
ffe
rencebet
we e
na ppearanceandreal
it
y.Ther
eisac ontradic
ti
onof
expectati
onbe t
we enwha ti
ssaidandwha ti
srea
llymea nt.
Itischarac
ter
iz
edbya ninc
ong ruit
y,acontrast
,
betwe enreal
it
ya ndappea r
ance.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•T
hebut
teri
sass
ofta
sas
labofma
rbl
e.

•“
Ohg
rea
t!Nowy
ouha
vebr
oke
nmyne
wca
mer
a.”

T
ypesofi
rony

Ve
rba
lir
ony➛ I
tisac
ont
ras
tbe
twee
nwha
tiss
aida
ndwha
tismea
nt.
Whent
hes
pea
kers
ayss
ome
thi
ngi
n
s
har
pc ont
rasttohi
sorherac
tua
lme ani
ng.Thespeak
eroft
enmakesas
tat
ementt
hats
eemsv
erydi
rec
t,y
et
i
ndi
cat
esthattheoppos
it
eisi
nfactt
rue,orwhatthespe
akerr
eal
l
yme a
ns.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•Whe
ninr
espons
etoaf
ool
i
shi
dea
,wes
ay,
“Wha
tag
rea
tide
a!”

•Hi
sfr
iend’
sha
ndwa
sass
ofta
sar
ock
.

•T
hedes
ertwa
sasc
ool
asabe
dofbur
ningc
oal
s.

•T
henewma
nag
eri
sasf
ri
endl
yasar
att
les
nak
e.

Dr
ama
tici
rony➛ I
toc
cur
swhent
hea
udi
enc
eort
her
eade
rknowsmor
etha
nthec
har
act
era
boutev
ent
s.I
n
otherwords
,wha tthec har
a c
terthink
sistrueisi
ncongruouswit
hwhatthea udienceknows .Whent heaudienc
e
knowssomethingtha ti
sgoingoni nas i
tuat
ionbutthecharac
ter
sareuna wareofwha ti
sg oingon.Becauseof
thi
sunderst
anding,thewor dsanda ct
ionsofthecharac
tersta
keonadiffere
ntme a
ning.Thiscancreateint
ense
suspens
eorhumor .T ensi
onde vel
opsbe tweenwhatthea udi
encea
ndc haract
ersknowi shappening.

➾F ori
nsta
nce,•InSha
kes
peare'
sRomeoandJ
uli
et,
thea udi
enc
eknowsJ
uli
eti
sinadr
ugg
edsl
eep,sowhen
Romeot
hinkss
heisde
adandki
l
lshimse
lf(
fol
l
owedbyJul
ietdoi
ngthesa
me)i
tinc
reas
est
heaudi
enc
e'sshoc
k.

•Girl
inahor
rorf
il
mhi
desi
nac
los
etwher
ethek
il
lerj
ustwent(
thea
udi
enc
eknowst
hek
il
leri
s
t
her
e,buts
hedoesnot)
.

2
 S
itua
tiona
lir
ony➛ Thi
sref
erst
othec
ont
ras
tbet
wee
nthea
ctua
lre
sul
tofas
it
uat
iona
ndwha
twa
sint
ended
orexpect
edt
oha
ppe
n.Whena
cti
onsorev
ent
sha
vet
heoppos
it
eres
ultf
romwha
tisex
pec
tedorwha
tis
i
ntended.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•Af
ir
est
ati
onbur
nsdown.

•T
hepol
i
ces
tat
iong
etsr
obbed.

•Apos
tonF
acebookc
ompl
ai
ni
nghowus
ele
ssF
ace
booki
s.

•Api
l
otha
saf
earofhe
ight
s.

✵ Me taphor➛ Ametaphori
safig
ureofs
peec
hthati
susedt omakeacomparis
onbetweentwothi
ngsthat
are
n'tali
kebutdohav
esome t
hingi
ncommon.AMetaphorisafi
gureofs
peechthatmakesani
mplic
it,
impli
ed,
orhiddencompar
is
onbetweentwothi
ngst
hatar
eunrel
ated,butwhic
hshar
es omecommonc ha
racter
ist
ic
s.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•Hes
awt
hes
oul
ofdus
twhe
npa
ssi
ngt
hroug
hthedus
tst
orm.

•Wa
rist
hemot
herofa
llba
ttl
es.

•Hi
ski
sse
sar
eli
ker
ose
s.

•L
ovei
saba
ttl
efi
el
d.

✵ Onoma t
opoei
a➛ Afi
gureofspeechi
nwhi chwordse v
oketheac
tua
lsoundofthet
hingt
heyre
fert
oor
des
cri
be.Awordwhi
chi
mita
testhenatur
alsoundsofat hi
ng.I
tcr
eat
esasoundeff
ectt
hatmimi
csthet
hing
des
cri
bed,mak
ingt
hedes
cri
pti
onmor eexpr
e s
siveandinter
est
ing
.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•Br
rrr
rrr
ii
ii
i
ii
ii
i
ii
ii
i
ii
ii
nng
!Ana
lar
mcl
ockc
lang
edi
ntheda
rka
nds
il
entr
oom.
"

•Chug
,chug
,chug
.Puf
f,puf
f,puf
f.Di
ng-
dong
,di
ng-
dong
.Thel
i
ttl
etr
ainr
umbl
edov
ert
he
t
rac
ks.
"

•I
order
edonl
i
nepr
oof
rea
dings
erv
iceswi
tht
hec
li
ckofamous
e.

•I
kne
wweha
dfi
nal
l
ylef
tthec
it
ywhe
nIc
oul
dhe
art
heg
ent
lemoooft
hec
owsi
nthef
iel
d.

✵ Ox
y moron➛ Oxymoroni
safigureofspeec
hinwhic
ht woopposi
tei
deasa
rejoi
nedtocr
eat
ea neff
ect.
An
ox
ymoronisafi
gur
eofspeec
hthatputstoget
heroppos
it
ee l
ements
.Thecombi
nati
onofthe
secontr
adic
ti
ng
el
ementss
ervest
orev
ealapara
dox ,
confuse,
orgi
vethereaderal
augh.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•Ser
ious
lyf
unny

•Awf
ull
ypr
ett
y

•F
ool
i
shwi
sdom

•Or
igi
nal
copi
es

✵Per
soni
fi
cat
ion➛ Per
soni
fi
cat
ioni
saf
igur
eofs
peec
hwhe
rehuma
nqua
li
ti
esa
reg
ive
ntonon-
li
vi
ngobj
ect
s.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•T
hes
tar
sda
ncedpl
ayf
ull
yint
hemoonl
i
tsk
y.

•Oppor
tuni
tywa
sknoc
kinga
therdoor
.

3
 •T
hepenc
ilda
nceda
cros
sthepa
per
.

•T
hemoons
mil
edupont
her
iver
.

✵S i
mile➛ Asimileisaf
igureofs
peec
hthatmake
sacompar
is
on,
showi
ngs
imi
l
ari
ti
esbe
tweent
wodif
fer
ent
t
hingsi
na ni
nte
re s
tingway
. Asi
mil
edrawsr
esembl
anc
ewitht
hehel
poft
hewor
ds“l
ik
e”or“
as.
”The
ref
ore,i
tis
adir
ectcompar
ison.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•Asc
utea
sak
itt
en.

•S
hemov
edl
i
keadee
r.

•He
rsmi
l
eisa
sbr
ighta
sas
un.

✵S y
necdoche➛ Inwhi
chawordorphra
setha
tref
erst
oapar
tofsomethingiss
ubs
ti
tut
edtos
tandi
nfort
he
whol
e,orv
icever
s.Sy
nec
dochei
safi
gureofs
peecht
hatuse
sapar
ttorepresentt
hewhol
e.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•Boot
sont
heg
round—r
efe
rst
osol
di
ers
.

•Ne
wwhee
ls—r
efer
stoane
wca
r.

•As
kforherha
nd—r
efer
stoa
ski
ngawoma
ntoma
rry
.

•S
uit
s—c
anr
efe
rtobus
ines
speopl
e.

✵ Un derstat
eme nt➛ Anunder st
a t
ementisafi
gureofspeechemploy edbywrit
ersorspeak
e r
stoint
enti
onal
ly
ma keas i
tua
tionseemlessi
mpor t
antthanitre
all
yis
.Unde r
sta
teme ntisafi
gureofspeechinwhichawrit
eror
speakerdeli
berat
elymakesasituat
ionseemlessi
mportantorseri
oust hani
tis.
Unde r
sta
tementiswhenawr i
ter
presentsasi
tuati
onorthi
nga sifi
tisle
ssi
mpor t
antorseri
ousthanitisinrea
li
ty.I
tdescr
ibessomethi
ngwithl
ess
str
eng t
hthanwoul dbeexpected.

➾F
ori
nst
anc
e,•T
her
e’ss
omewa
teri
ntheAt
lant
icOc
ean.

•T
hes
tor
mbr
oug
htusal
i
ttl
ebi
tofr
aint
oda
y.

•T
hewha
lei
snotv
eryt
hin.

•Af
terwr
eck
ingy
ourc
ar:
"The
re'
sal
i
ttl
esc
rat
ch.
"