Synecdoche High School Highland Falls, NY Literary Devices 2.0 Synecdoche High School Highland Falls, NY

Did somebody say metaphor? A metaphor is essentially a comparison between two things that suggests those two things share common characteristics, e.g.: Your Majesty is a shaft of gold when all around is dark. Nobody wanted to talk about the elephant in the room.

Loosely defined, a synecdoche (sea-nek-duh-ki or [sɪ’nɛkdəki]) is a term applied to a word or expression used to refer to something of which it is a part. For instance: His mother gave him a new set of wheels for Christmas. (car = wheels + other stuff, such as an engine and doors and a battery? Who knows.) Give us this day our daily bread. (food = bread + chocolate - and/or other nutritious edibles, or not.) All hands on deck. (hands = hands + bodies, meaning: people) Synecdo-what?

A metonymy refers to an entity with which it shares more than some general characteristic – that characteristic must be readily identifiable as related to the entity (meaning, very closely identified with it). “I’m sorry; what?” you say? Examples: The Pentagon will hold a news conference later today. (The building itself is not a part of the people that make up the DoD, but we know this is where they work.) The pen is mightier than the sword. (pen = written word; sword = military force) The Crown agreed to a meeting with the House. (Crown = King or Queen; House = the legislative branch of government) Metonymy Rules

So the difference between a synecdoche and a metonymy is…? A synecdoche is a part of a whole: Hands  people Wheels  car Sails  sailboats Number  phone number, not just a random set of digits (“What’s your number?”) Glass  “She drank that glass in no time.” (She did not consume the actual glass.) A metonymy uses words that are closely associated with the entity in question: Crown  King or Queen (The crown is not a part of their person.) Ride  car (“That’s a nice ride!”) Suits  business people (they can still be business people without wearing a suit.) A synecdoche is a kind of metonymy. So the difference between a synecdoche and a metonymy is…?

And the difference between a metonymy and a metaphor is …? Metaphors and metonymies exist on both ends of a continuum. We usually think of them this way: Metaphors draw a similarity between two things. (not obviously related) Metonymies draw an association between two things. (obviously related) There is no transfer of qualities or characteristics in metonymy (a hand is not like a person), but there is in metaphor (an elephant is an obvious presence, as is the problem that must be discussed) . And the difference between a metonymy and a metaphor is …?

And Symbols, in all of this? A symbol is a word used outside of its literal sense to represent an idea. Ex: a dove is a common symbol for peace (not for birds in general). Likewise, winter can be a symbol for old age (not for seasons in general). Symbols are used to help convey or give deeper meaning to an idea.

So, symbols and metaphors are different because…? Metaphors draw similarities between two entities that are on the surface unrelated, but symbols make associations between ideas on a literal and figurative level. As such, metaphors can (in theory) more easily transcend (go beyond) culture than symbols, which are more closely related to place and time, e.g.:

Do you still have questions Do you still have questions? Do you just think it’s fascinating and want to talk about it some more? Come and talk to us after school! Mrs. Susskind (room 305) Mr. Yosso (room 326)