Figures of Speech Grade 9 SUTHERLAND HIGH SCHOOL

A figure of speech is a word or a phrase used in a non – literal sense for a rhetorical or vivid effect. What is a Figure of Speech?

IN GRADE 8 WE LOOKED AT FEW TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH. IN GRADE 9 WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT A FEW MORE… 1.Simile 2.Metaphor 3.Personification 4.Alliteration 5.Assonance. 6. Onomatopoeia 7. Hyperbole 8. Antithesis 9. Allusion 10. Apostrophe 11. Anaphora 12. Oxymoron 13. Paradox 14. Irony 15. Puns

A simile is a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared using the words “ like” or “as”. Example: As blind as a bat. What is being compared? Does this mean that bats have good or bad vision? 1. SIMILE

2. METAPHOR Comparing two things without using the words “like” or “as”. Example: Noah has the heart of a lion What 2 things are being compared? What does this tell you about Noah’s heart?

3. PERSONIFICATION Personification is giving an object, event or abstract ideas human characteristics. Example: The stars winked at me. What does this mean? What is being personified?

4. ALLITERATION Is a sound device. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. It often highlights the expression of movement. Example: F ootball f ever f uels f ans. R ampant R ooney cr ushes Cr oatia.

5. ASSONANCE Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. Short vowel sounds may create a mood of speed, vitality, joy or suspense. Long vowel sounds slow down the pace and temper the mood. Example: Cl a p your h a nds and st a mp your feet. G ir ls in c ur ls sw ir led around the stage.

6. ONOMATOPOEIA Onomatopoeia uses words that imitate and reproduce real-life sounds and actions. The sound effect heightens the visual effect. Example: The sky exploded with a crash, bang and a hissing of fireworks.

7. HYPERBOLE A hyperbole is a deliberate exaggeration, often with the intent of making a point or stimulating emotions. Example: I’m so hungry I could eat a horse! What is being exaggerated?

8. ANTITHESIS Antithesis is the use of an opposite in order to highlight a point. Example : Speech is silver but silence is gold. What 2 opposites are being compared? What do you think this means?

9. ALLUSION Allusion makes a reference to a place, person or something that happened. This can be real or imaginary and may refer to anything, including paintings, opera, folklore etc. The reference made may be indirect or may be inferred and can broaden the readers understanding. Example: He was a real Romeo with the ladies.

10. APOSTROPHE An apostrophe is the direct address of an absent or imaginary person or object, especially in the course of speech or composition. Example: William Shakespeare makes use of apostrophe in his play “Macbeth”. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand Come, let me clutch thee! I have thee not, and yet I see thee still” What is Macbeth talking to? What effect is this creating in the play?

11. ANAPHORA Anaphora is the repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive verses, clauses or sentences. Anaphora gives importance to ideas, creates a rhythm in literature making it more pleasurable to read and remember. It is also to appeal to the emotions of the audience to motivate, encourage and inspire them. Example: “Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better” What word is being repeated? What effect do you think this has?

12. OXYMORON An oxymoron is where adjacent and connected words appear to form a contradiction. Example: Act naturally Only choice Big baby Discuss why these 3 examples would be oxymoron's.

13. PARADOX A paradox is a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement which, when analysed, is found to be true. It is in fact, an extended oxymoron. The opposites are not next to each other, but are found in the same sentence. Example: “You will kill him with your kindness.” –Your kind deeds are doing more harm than good.

14. IRONY Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality. Example: I posted a video on YouTube about how boring and useless YouTube is. The name of Britain’s biggest dog was “Tiny”. There are two types of Irony that you need to know: 1.Situational Irony 2.Dramatic Irony

Situational & Dramatic Irony Dramatic irony is a kind of irony in a situation, which the writers frequently employ in their works. In situational irony, both the characters and the audience are fully unaware of the implications of the real situation. Here the opposite of what is expected occurs. In dramatic irony, the characters are oblivious of the situation but the audience is not. For example, in “Romeo and Juliet”, we know much before the characters that they are going to die. In real life circumstances, irony may be comical, bitter or sometimes unbearably offensive.

15. PUNS A pun is a clever play on words, alike in sound but different in meaning. The double meaning is used to convey humour. –Headlines make use of puns in order to grab attention. –Puns are often used in jokes or riddles. Example: Cricket Captain stumped!