Literary devices/Figurative speech
Literary devices/Figurative speech:
What are literary devices?
Literary devices are tools used by writers & poets to enhance their writing. They include a variety of techniques and structures that make their work more meaningful, complex, and interesting. Moreover literary devices are also the part of 9th, and 10th Board Syllabus.
Here is the list of Literary Devices
Similes
Metaphor
Personification
Hyperbole
Understatement
Alliteration
Assonance
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Irony
Metonymy
Litotes
Euphemism
Consonance
Imagery
Apostrophe
Refrain
Enjambment
Rhyme
Repetition
Anaphora
Epistrophe
Paradox
Meter
Black Verse
Free Verse
Symbolism
Pun
1. Similes:
A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words "like" or "as" to highlight a similarity between them. It is a direct comparison that helps to create vivid imagery, emphasize a point, or evoke a particular emotional response. Here are some examples of similes with explanations and usage in sentences: Examples of Similes
Examples of Simile in Poetry
From William Wordsworth's poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”: "I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills.": Wordsworth compares himself to a cloud using the simile "lonely as a cloud," emphasizing his solitary state and the free-floating nature of his wandering.
From Robert Burns's poem A Red, Red Rose: "O my Luve is like a red, red rose / That's newly sprung in June.": Burns compares his love to a red rose using the simile "like a red, red rose," emphasizing its beauty, freshness, and deep affection.
Examples of Simile in literature
"Her smile was as bright as the morning sun.": This simile compares the brightness of her smile to the brightness of the morning sun, emphasizing its warmth and radiance.
"He fought like a lion defending his cubs.": This simile likens his fighting style to that of a lion protecting its young, highlighting his bravery and fierce determination.
"She slept like a log after the long hike.": This simile compares her deep sleep to the stillness and solidness of a log, indicating how exhausted she was from the hike.
Explanation and Usage
Similes serve several purposes in writing and speech:
Vivid Imagery: They create clear mental images by comparing familiar things to less familiar things.
Emphasis: Similes highlight specific qualities or characteristics of the subjects being compared.
Enhanced Description: They enrich descriptions by making them more colorful and evocative.
Emotional Effect: Similes can evoke emotions by associating feelings or experiences with concrete images or experiences.
Overall, similes are effective literary devices that help writers, and poets to engage readers, create memorable descriptions, and convey complex ideas or emotions through simple and relatable comparisons.
2. Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly refers to one thing by mentioning another for rhetorical effect. It asserts that two things are alike in some way, often without using the words "like" or "as," which are used in similes. Metaphors can be straightforward or more complex, and they are used to convey deeper meanings, create imagery, and provoke thought. Here are some examples of metaphors with explanations and usage in sentences:
Examples of Metaphors in Literature
"Life is a journey": This metaphor suggests that life is similar to a journey, with its various paths, obstacles, and destinations, implying that life is full of experiences and adventures.
Sentence: "Life is a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns."
"The world’s a stage" from William Shakespeare's play “ As You Like It”: Shakespeare compares the world to a stage and people to actors, suggesting that life is like a theatrical performance where everyone plays different roles.
Sentence: "All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts”,"Time is a thief": This metaphor suggests that time steals moments and opportunities from us, emphasizing its fleeting nature.
Sentence: "She lamented how quickly her children had grown up, feeling as if time had been a thief."
"Her eyes were sparkling diamonds": This metaphor compares her eyes to diamonds, suggesting they are bright, beautiful, and captivating.
Sentence: "When she smiled, her eyes were sparkling diamonds, lighting up the room."
"The classroom was a zoo": This metaphor compares the classroom to a zoo, implying it was noisy and chaotic.
Sentence: "During the last period on a Friday, the classroom was a zoo."
"The stormy sea was a raging beast": This metaphor compares the sea during a storm to a wild/furious, uncontrollable beast, emphasizing its power and danger.
Sentence: "The stormy sea was a raging beast, tossing the small boat mercilessly."
7. "His heart is a cold iron": This metaphor compares his heart to cold iron, suggesting he is unemotional and unfeeling.
Sentence: "After the betrayal, his heart became a cold iron, impervious (not allowing) to love."
8. "The snow was a white blanket covering the earth": This metaphor compares the snow to a blanket, suggesting it gently and completely covered the ground.
Sentence: "The snow was a white blanket covering the earth, muffling all sounds." ( muffle: enfold, envelop, cloak, cover up, wrap)
9. "She has a heart of gold": This metaphor suggests that she is very kind and generous.
Sentence: "Everyone loved her because she has a heart of gold."
10. "The city is a jungle": This metaphor compares the city to a jungle, suggesting it is wild, chaotic, and full of danger.
Sentence: "Navigating through the bustling streets, he felt like the city was a jungle.
Examples in Poetry
"Hope is the thing with feathers" from Emily Dickinson's poem: This metaphor compares hope to a bird, suggesting it is light, uplifting, and resilient.
Sentence: "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches (rest, sit, settle) in the soul."
"The sun was a golden coin": This metaphor compares the sun to a golden coin, emphasizing its brightness and value.
Sentence: "As it set, the sun was a golden coin, slipping beneath the horizon."
Explanation and Usage
Metaphors serve several purposes in writing and speech:
Vivid Imagery: They create striking and memorable images by comparing two unlike things directly.
Emphasis: Metaphors highlight specific qualities or characteristics of the subjects being compared.
Enhanced Description: They enrich descriptions by adding layers of meaning and making them more engaging.
Emotional Impact: Metaphors can evoke strong emotions by connecting familiar experiences or objects with deeper meanings.
Overall, metaphors are powerful literary devices that enhance the richness and depth of language, making writing more impactful and expressive.
3. Personification
Personification is a literary device where human traits, emotions, or actions are attributed to non-human entities, objects, or abstract concepts. This helps create vivid imagery and can evoke emotional responses from readers. Here are some examples of personification with explanations and usage in sentences:
Example from poetry:
In William Wordsworth's poem Daffodils: "Ten thousand saw I at a glance, / Tossing their heads in sprightly dance."
Explanation: Wordsworth personifies the daffodils by attributing them with the human action of "tossing their heads," which emphasizes their lively and joyful movement.
In the poem "The Rain" by W. H. Davies, states “I hear leaves drinking rain;” personifies leaves by describing them as "drinking" the rain, which gives them a sense of vitality, liveliness.
The poem “ Mowing” by Robert Frost also personifies the scythe. The scythe is given human qualities by being described as whispering.
From Emily Dickinson's poem Because I could not stop for Death: "He kindly stopped for me – / The Carriage held but just Ourselves – / And Immortality."
Explanation: Dickinson personifies Death as a courteous and patient carriage driver, transforming the abstract concept of death into a tangible figure.
From Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference."
Explanation: Frost personifies the two roads by suggesting they diverge and present choices, as if they are sentient (alive, person) paths guiding the speaker's decision-making.
Example from Literature:
In Shakespeare's play Macbeth: "Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires."
Explanation: Shakespeare personifies the stars by suggesting that they can hide or conceal themselves, as if they have awareness, and consciousness.
Examples in Sentences
Sentence Example:
"The old house groaned/cried as the wind rattled/shaked its windows."
Explanation: The house is personified with the human action of "groaning," which makes it seem as if the house is expressing discomfort or distress.
Sentence Example:
"The sun smiled down on the children playing in the park."
Explanation: The sun is personified with the human action of "smiling," attributing it with a cheerful and benevolent demeanor(attitude, manner).
Sentence Example:
"Time flies when you're having fun."
Explanation: Time is personified as if it has wings and the ability to "fly," which makes the concept of time passing quickly more tangible and relatable.
"The wind whispered through the trees."
Explanation: The wind is given the human ability to whisper, suggesting a gentle and quiet movement through the trees.
Sentence: "As night fell, the wind whispered through the trees, creating a soothing lullaby."
"The sun smiled down on the village."
Explanation: The sun is personified by being given the human action of smiling, indicating warmth and brightness.
Sentence: "On the summer morning, the sun smiled down on the village, promising a beautiful day."
Explanation and Usage
Personification serves several purposes in literature and everyday language:
Vivid Description: It helps create vivid and imaginative descriptions by making abstract concepts or inanimate objects more relatable and understandable.
Emotional Impact: It can evoke emotional responses from readers by attributing human emotions or behaviors to non-human entities.
Enhanced Narrative: It enriches storytelling by giving life and personality to characters, settings, or ideas that might otherwise seem ordinary or abstract.
Overall, personification is a powerful literary device that allows writers to bring their writing to life, making it more engaging and meaningful for readers by humanizing the non-human aspects of their narratives.
4. Hyperbole
Exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Hyperbole is a common and powerful tool in language, often used to create vivid images or convey strong emotions.
"I've told you a million times to clean your room." (Here, the speaker hasn't actually said it a million times, but they want to stress that they've mentioned it often).
Hyperbole is a rhetorical device that involves exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. It's used to create emphasis or effect. Here are some examples of hyperbole in various contexts:
Literature:
In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: "A thousand times good night." (Juliet exaggerates to express how much she wants to keep saying goodnight to Romeo.)
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: "People moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the stores around it, took their time about everything." (This exaggeration conveys the slow, relaxed pace of life in the town.
Everyday Conversation:
"I'm so hungry I could eat a cow." (This exaggeration emphasizes extreme hunger.)
"I've told you a million times to clean your room." (Here, the speaker hasn't actually said it a million times, but they want to stress that they've mentioned it often.)
"The best coffee in the world." (Companies often use hyperbole to claim their products are the best.)
"This car can save you thousands." (While savings are possible, the amount is likely exaggerated.)
"That player is unstoppable!" (No player is truly unstoppable, but the commentator is emphasizing the player's exceptional skill.)
"The crowd went wild." (While the crowd may be excited, they are not literally going wild.)
"He’s running faster than the speed of light." (it describes someone running very fast.)
"She’s got a ton of homework." (The amount of homework isn't literally a ton, but it’s a lot.)
Hyperbole is a common and powerful tool in language, often used to create vivid images or convey strong emotions.
5.Understatement:
Understatement is a literary device used to downplay the significance or intensity of something, often for ironic or comedic effect. It involves presenting something as less important, less serious, than it actually is. Here are some examples of understatement with explanations and usage in sentences.
Examples:
"I have to have this operation. It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain."
Explanation: Here, the speaker uses understatement to minimize the seriousness of their medical condition, perhaps to alleviate worry or to downplay the reality of their situation.
2. "The weather's a bit inclement (cold) today."
Explanation: This understatement could refer to a stormy or severe weather condition, playing down its impact.
3. "It rained a bit more than usual."
Explanation: This understatement might refer to a severe flood, downplaying the extent of the rainfall.
Sentence: "After the week-long storm that flooded the streets, she said, 'It rained a bit more than usual.'"
4. "It's just a scratch."
Explanation: This understatement might be used when referring to a more . serious injury, downplaying its severity.
Sentence: "Even though his arm was bleeding profusely, he insisted, 'It's just a scratch.'
5. "He's not the worst cook."
Explanation: This understatement implies that someone is actually a very poor cook, without stating it directly.
Sentence: "After tasting the burnt and undercooked meal, she diplomatically said, 'He's not the worst cook.'"
Literary Example:
In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Mr. Bennet comments on his wife's excessive nerves: "You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends."
Explanation: Mr. Bennet uses understatement to humorously downplay . Mrs. Bennet's constant anxiety and exaggeration.
Another example from the same novel: Quote: "I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself without disguise."
Explanation: Elizabeth Bennet ironically understates Mr. Darcy's pride by saying he "has no defect," highlighting his arrogance.
Sentence: "After hearing Mr. Darcy's self-assured confession, Elizabeth dryly commented, 'I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect.'"
Quote: "It's just a little water, more or less."
Explanation: From Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
Huck is referring to the Mississippi River, downplaying its vastness and power by calling it "just a little water."
Sentence: "As they floated down the mighty river, Huck remarked, 'It's just a little water, more or less.'"
Purpose and Effect
Understatement serves several purposes in writing and conversation:
Irony and Humor: It can create irony by emphasizing the difference between what is said and what is actually meant, leading to a humorous effect.
Emotional Restraint: It can be used to maintain composure or to avoid overstating emotions or situations that might be sensitive or difficult.
Cultural Norms: In some cultures, understatement is a stylistic choice that reflects modesty or humility.
Overall, understatement is a versatile literary device that adds nuance and complexity to language, allowing speakers and writers to subtly convey meaning while inviting interpretation and reflection from the audience.
6. Alliteration
The repetition of the initial consonant sounds in a series of words.
Example: "She sells seashells by the seashore".
Alliteration is a literary device where the same consonant sound is repeated at the beginning of closely connected words. It is used to create rhythm, mood, and emphasis in both poetry and prose. Here are some examples of alliteration with explanations and usage in sentences:
Examples in Literature
"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Coleridge:
Example: "The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, / The furrow followed free."
Explanation: The repetition of the "f" and "b" sounds creates a rhythmic and musical quality, emphasizing the movement and freedom of the ship.
"Macbeth" by William Shakespeare:
Example: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair: / Hover through the fog and filthy air."
Explanation: The repetition of the "f" sound emphasizes the theme of deception and the unsettling atmosphere.
Examples in Sentences
"The silent sea softly shimmered under the silver moon."
Explanation: The repetition of the "s" sound creates a soothing and tranquil mood, enhancing the imagery of the sea.
"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."
Explanation: The repetition of the "p" sound makes the sentence playful and memorable, typical of a tongue twister.
"Bright birds bathed in the bubbling brook."
Explanation: The repetition of the "b" sound creates a cheerful and lively image of birds enjoying the water.
Examples in Poetry
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe:
Example: "And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain."
Explanation: The repetition of the "s" sound adds to the eerie and suspenseful atmosphere of the poem.
Explanation and Usage
Alliteration serves several key purposes in writing:
Rhythm and Musicality: It adds a musical quality to the text, making it more enjoyable to read and listen to.
Mood and Atmosphere: The repeated sounds can help set the mood or tone of a piece. For example, soft consonants like "s" can create a soothing or mysterious mood, while harsh consonants like "t" or "k" can create a tense or energetic atmosphere.
Emphasis: By repeating certain sounds, writers can draw attention to specific words or themes, making them more memorable.
Unity and Cohesion: Alliteration can tie together different parts of a sentence or stanza, creating a sense of unity and cohesion.
Alliteration is a versatile literary device that enhances the texture and auditory appeal of language, enriching both poetry and prose with its rhythmic and resonant qualities.