CLARK KENT MANZANO

FIGURE OF SPEECH

3. Assonance

A figure of speech is a word or phrase that has a meaning

something different than its literal meaning. It can be
a metaphor or simile that is designed to further explain a
concept. Or, it can be a different way of pronouncing a word or
phrase such as with alliteration to give further meaning or a
different sound.

Remember the phrase I Like Ike? It was a very common

phase for those who supported Dwight Eisenhower during his
presidential run. This is a figure of speech that focuses on the
vowel sounds in a phrase, repeating them over and over to
great effect.
4. Hyperbole

List of Figure of Speech and Examples

1. Alliteration
This is a very common figure of speech that involves using
words that begin with the same sound.
For instance, Sally sells sea shells by the seashore is
alliteration and try saying it fast to see how difficult it is! It is
often used in advertising slogans to create something catchy
that more people will remember.
2. Anaphora
This figure of speech uses a specific clause at the beginning of
each sentence or point to make a statement.
For instance: Good night and good luck is an example of the
beginning word being the same. The more it is used, the more
of an emotional effect is can evoke among those who are
listening. Another example is "Mad world! Mad kings! Mad
composition!" from King John, II, I by William Shakespeare.

It was as big as a mountain! It was faster than a cheetah! It

was dumber than a rock! This figure of speech makes things
seem much bigger than they really were by using grandiose
depictions of everyday things. Hyperbole is often seen as an
exaggeration that adds a bit of humor to a story.
5. Irony
This figure of speech tries to use a word in a literal sense that
debunks what has just been said. Gentlemen, you cant fight
in here! This is the War Room! from Dr. Strangelove is a great
example. It is often used to poke fun at a situation that
everyone else sees as a very serious matter.
Situational Irony
This type of irony may occur when the outcome of a certain
situation is completely different than what was initially
expected. It is often referred to as an irony of events.
Examples of irony in the situational category include a
contradiction or sharp contrast.

Example: A person who claims to be a vegan and

avoids meat but will eat a slice of pepperoni pizza
because they are hungry. It may not make sense, but it is
an illustration of irony.

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Example: A man who is a traffic cop gets his license

suspended for unpaid parking tickets.
Example: An ambulance driver goes to a nightime bike
accident scene and runs over the accident victim because
the victim has crawled to the center of the road with their
bike.

Cosmic Irony
This type of irony can be attributed to some sort of misfortune.
Usually cosmic irony is the end result of fate or chance.

Example: Gambling. If you are playing blackjack

chances are you will be up (making money) for awhile,
and then just when you thought things were going well,
you lose it all.

Example: The Titanic was promoted as being 100%

unsinkable; but, in 1912 the ship sank on its maiden
voyage.

Example: At a ceremony celebrating the rehabilitation

of seals after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, at an
average cost of $80,000 per seal, two seals were released
back into the wild only to be eaten within a minute by a
killer whale.
Cosmic irony feeds on the notion that people cannot see the
effects of their actions, and sometimes the outcome of a
persons actions may be out of their control.
Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony occurs when there is miscommunication in a
book, play or film and the audience is smarter than the
characters.

Example: As an audience member, you realize that if a

character walks into an abandoned warehouse, chances
are a killer is waiting... but because you are a member of
the audience you cannot disclose the information to the
character.

Example: In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Romeo finds Juliet in a drugged state and he thinks she is
dead. He kills himself. When Juliet wakes up she finds
Romeo dead and kills herself.

Example: In Macbeth by William Shakespeare Macbeth

appears to be loyal to Duncan but he is planning Duncan's
murder. Duncan doesn't know Macbeth's plans but the
audience knows what is going to happen.
This is most often seen in horror films. If you are watching a
horror movie, you know by the actions of a character that their
number is about to be up.
Socratic Irony
This type of irony is most relative in the great world of
academia and is related to the Socratic teaching method. The
Socratic teaching method encourages students to think and
present opposing views while the teacher plays ignorant.

Example: Later on in the lesson the teacher completely

embarrasses the student, by illustrating how their points
were both foolish and ignorant.
The Socratic teaching method is widely used at prestigious
colleges and universities on the undergraduate level where
bustling minds are quick to ignore the obvious in exchange for
coming up with a grand explanation to a not so grand problem.

Example: Another way in which Socratic irony is used

is when a person pretends to be completely ignorant
about a topic in an argument just to get an upper hand in
the argument.

Example: A professor never answers questions and

does not explain key concepts of the course; however he
expects students to come to class after having read their
assignment, ready to answer the professor's questions.

Example: A child asks his parents how the presents got

under the Christmas tree to which the parents reply that
they have no idea.
Socratic irony can be used as a tactical strategy in getting
what you want.
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Sarcasm Irony
Sarcasm is yet another popular form of irony where the user
intends to wittily attack or make a derogatory statement about
something or someone. Often, sarcasm is confused with irony
instead of being a recognized form of irony.

Example: A beautiful actress walked by a table of talent

agents as one said there goes a good time that was had
by all. The talent agent said the phrase referring to the
young actress extracurricular activities with fellow talent
agents. It was a derogatory statement, yet created with
wit.

Example: At a party a lady tells Winston Churchhill he

is drunk to which Churchhill said "My dear, you are
ugly...but tomorrow I shall be sober."

Example: In "The Canterbury Tales" Chaucer criticizes

the clergy who had become corrupt, by referring to the
Friar as a "wanton and merry" person who takes bribes
and seduces women.
Sarcasm can often be funny and witty, yet simultaneously it
can be hurtful and humiliating.
6. Metaphor
The use of metaphor compares two things that are not alike
and finds something about them to make them alike.
My heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill from a
book by William Sharp is a good example of metaphor. Some
writers try to use this style to create something profound out of
comparing two things that appear to have nothing at all in
common.

7. Simile
In this figure of speech, two things are compared that are not
really the same, but are used to make a point about each
other.
Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what youre
going to get is a famous line from the movie Forrest Gump
that illustrates the simile. This is often used to make an
emotional point about something. The difference between
simile and metaphor is that you can obviously see words "like"
in the sentence.
8. Metonymy
In this figure of speech, one word that has a very similar
meaning can be used for another. Using the word crown for
royalty or lab coats for scientists are two examples. In
some ways it can be seen as a nickname for something else;
for instance, The White House said doesnt actually mean
the White House said it (a house cant speak!) but that the
President said it. However, we all understand the meaning,
and so the words are interchangeable.
9. Onomatopoeia
This is the use of a word that actually sounds like what it
means. Good examples include hiss or ding-dong or fizz.
These words are meant to describe something that actually
sounds very much like the word itself. This is a trick often used
in advertising to help convey what something is really like.

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10. Paradox
This figure of speech completely contradicts itself in the same
sentence. Famous quotes that illustrate this from George
Orwells 1984 include: War is peace. Ignorance is strength.
Freedom is slavery. Though we know these things arent true,
they present an interesting paradox that makes a person think
seriously about what they have just read or heard.
11. Personification
This is a way of giving an inanimate object the qualities of a
living thing. The tree quaked with fear as the wind
approached is an example; The sun smiled down on her is
another. This can sometimes be used to invoke an emotional
response to something by making it more personable, friendly
and relatable.

14. Understatement
This is a situation in which the thing discussed is made to
seem much less important than it really is. This famous line
from Catcher in the Rye is a good example: I have to have
this operation. It isnt very serious. I have this tiny tumor on the
brain. Understatement can often be used to comedic effect.
15. Antithesis
This is a contradiction that pits two ideas against each other in
a balanced way. Youre easy on the eyes, hard on the heart
is a line from a country song that illustrates this perfectly. This
is often used to indicate just how something can be more than
one thing at the same time.
16. Euphemism

12. Pun
This play on words uses different senses of the word, or
different sounds that make up the word, to create something
fun and interesting. For instance: I would like to go to Holland
some day. Wooden shoe? is a pun that actually means
wouldnt you? Sometimes puns are so subtle that they can
be tough to pick up unless you are really listening for them.

Words that are used to soften the message are often

considered euphemisms. Passed away is often used in place
of died or killed. A misunderstanding might be used in
place of fight or argument. And who could forget wardrobe
malfunction, which is a fancy way of saying your clothes fell
off.

13. Synecdoche

This puts two words together that seem to contradict each

other. Military intelligence, real phony, civil war, and silent
yell are all examples of an oxymoron. Many people use these
to promote the humor in a situation.

This is a figure of speech in which one thing is meant to

represent the whole. A few good examples include ABCs for
alphabet, new set of wheels for car, or 9/11 to demonstrate
the whole of the tragedy that happened in the United States on
September 11, 2001. This is often used in journalism as a type
of shorthand.

17. Oxymoron