CBSE Class 8 Answered

Please explain the figures of speech and its types with examples

Asked by amrikj1947 | 20 Aug, 2016, 08:27: PM

Expert Answer

1. Simile is a figure of speech which directly compares two things which may have similar qualities by using 'like' or 'as'.
"She entered with ungainly struggle like some huge awkward chicken, torn, squawking, out of its coop."

-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Three Gables

2, Metaphor is a figure of speech which makes a direct equation between two things which share similar qualities.

"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players."

Shakespeare, As You Like It

3. Personification is a figure of speech where human qualities or activities are attributed to animals, non-living things or abstract ideas.

"When well-apparelled April on the heel Of limping winter treads."

-xShakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

4. Synecdoche is a figure of speech where a part is used to signify the whole.

The family has many mouths to feed. (The word 'mouth‘ represents members of the family.)

5. Transferred epithet is a figure of speech where a quality of one noun is ascribed to another.

Phillip‘s happy days are here again. (Phillip is the one who is happy, but the noun 'days' is ascribed the quality of happiness.)

6. Metonymy is a figure of speech where the name of one thing is used for another because of their close association or recurrent relationship with each other.

Europe has opened its doors to the immigrants. ('Europe' is the metonymy for European government or the people of Europe.)

7. Pun is a figure of speech where multiple meanings of the same word are exploited for poetic or comic effect.

A pessimist‘s blood type is always B-negative. (It is a play on the word negative because pessimists always have a negative outlook towards life.)

8. Euphemism is figure of speech where an offensive or a harsh word is substituted with a milder and a less egregious expression.' The Sharma‘s dog was put to sleep because it was in a lot of pain. (The term 'put to sleep' is a less offensive term used instead of 'killed' or 'euthanised‘.)

9. Paradox is a statement or a general truth which may sound absurd or illogical, but on deeper analysis, it may make complete sense.

When it comes to speaking, less is more. (The statement ‗less is more‘ sounds absurd. If one were to analyse it, it means brevity of speech can accomplish more than verbosity.)

10. Repetition is a figure of speech where a word or a phrase within a sentence is repeated for poetic effect.

'I‘m nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody too?'

—Emily Dickinson, I’m Nobody! Who are You?

11. Alliteration is the repetition of sound of words which are in a sequence or which are close to each other.

Susie suddenly sounds serious on the phone. (The consonant sound 's‘ is repeated for a pleasing effect.)

12. Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech where words resembling their actual sounds are used.

'Yet the ear it fully knows, By the twanging And the clanging.'

—Edgar Allan Poe, The Bells

These are some of the figures of speech used in English. If you want explanation for more, please mention the figure of speech in your query and we will gladly help you.

Happy Studying!

Answered by Snehal Naik | 21 Aug, 2016, 11:05: AM

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