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Basics on
Figures of
Speech
Prepared by: Mihlali Luningo

Figurative languages vs Literal
Language
– Literal language refers to the real meaning of something.
– Literal language has no underlying meanings. So it means what it says.
– According to Joey Valdriz literal is “the actual. Dictionary meaning of a word;
language that means what it appears to mean” (2016).
– Figurative language, therefore, has a further meaning than what meets the eye.
– It tends to creates what Noelyn Cangalawan describes as “figures” or rather
“creates pictures in the mind of a reader” (2013).

Why Figurative Language?
– Figurative language is often used in poetry, novels, plays or drama. It is a device
used to captivate and evoke certain emotions for a reader so that they may be
interested in a text.
– Noelyn Cangalawan mentions that it “adds color and interest to awaken the
imaginative minds of the readers” (2013).

Comparison:
Simile/Metaphor/Personification
– Simile: key words “as/like”
– “A description that uses as or like to make a comparison”,
Divivia Ginete (2018).
– Example: “the muscles on his brawny arm are strong as iron
bands” Cangalawan (2013). The strength of the muscle is
compared to iron bands
– Example: “Kim ate her food like a vacuum cleaner”
Cangalawan (2013). The intensity of how Kim ate her food
seemed as those a vacuum was cleaning.

Comparison:
– Metaphor: compares two things that are not
alike yet have something in common.
– Ginete states that a metaphor “is an implied
comparison between two dissimilar things that
have something in common” (2018).
– It is often hard to identify a metaphor, hence one
needs to understand that something is compared
to something that have a quality in common.
– As Joey Valdriz states “read in between the lines
because not everything is as it appears” (2016).

“Laughter is the best medicine”
Laughter Medicine

Comparison:
– Personification/ Personify: this should give a clue that something is being
compared to a “person” or rather given “human” qualities whereas, it can never
have those qualities.
– Simply put by Tine Lachina personification, “gives human traits or
characteristics to inanimate objects” (2016).
– Example: “The city never sleeps.” Lachina (2016)

Sound:
Alliteration/ Onomatopoeia
– These two sound devices are often found in poetry as this brings a rhythm and
flow in the poem. Makes poetry musical and enjoyable.
– Alliteration “is the repetition of an initial consonant sound” Ginete (2018).
– Example: “The big bad bear attacked all the little bunnies in the forest” (2018)
– The repetition of B creates a banging sound that creates suspense and fear of
the bear that attacked the little bunnies.

Sound:
– Onomatopoeia is often used in poems and nursey books
– “it is the use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or
actions they refer to” (2018).
– This creates musical effect and ensures the reader pays more attention to
what is being said.
– Example: “Chug, chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. Dingdong, ding-dong. The little
train rumbled over the tracks.” Valdriz (2016).

Sound:
Alliteration Onomatopoeia

Oxymoron
– According to Lachina oxymoron is “composed of a pair
of contradictory words” (2016).
– This often creates confusion to the reader to ensure
they pay close attention to what is said and find the
humor or the intended effect of the text.
– Example: “We laughed and cried through the tragic
comedy.”
– One would wonder how could one cry and laugh at
the same time, furthermore, how can a comedy be
tragic? Oxymoron picks on your brain and requires a
mental exercise.

Why Figurative Language??
– To elicit interest
– For entertainment
– To pick your brain
– And most importantly for ARTS SAKE!!

Reference List
– Cangalawan, N. (2013). Go figure; Figures of Speech. Available from �ݺ�ߣShare
at /noelyncagalawan/figures-of-speech-23193534
(Accessed 14 August 2020).
– Ginete, D. (2018) Figures of Speech. Available from �ݺ�ߣShare at
/DivinadelaPenaGinete/figures-of-speech-96660611
(Accessed on 14 August 2020).
– Lachina, T. (2016). Eng9 Figures of Speech. Available from �ݺ�ߣShare at
/tinelachica04/eng9-figures-of-speech (Accessed on
14 August 2020).

Reference List
– Lerios, J.J. (2020). Figures of speech that shows comparison. Available from
�ݺ�ߣShare at /JohnTitoLerios/figures-of-speech-
237738222 (Accessed on 14 August 2020).
– Valdriz, J. (2016). Figures of Speech. Available from �ݺ�ߣShare at
/joeyvaldriz/figures-of-speech-61688493 (Accessed
on 14 August 16, 2020).

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