Literary Terms Figurative Language Essay Example

Literary Terms Figurative Language Paper literal language language that means exactly what it says figurative language writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally (same as figure of speech) figure of speech A word or phrase that describes one thing in terms of another and is not meant to be taken on a literal level simile comparison using like or as metaphor a comparison of two unlike things without using the word like or as. extended metaphor a metaphor which extends over several lines or an entire poem conceit extended metaphor hyperbole an extreme exaggeration personification giving human qualities to animals or objects irony the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning verbal irony occurs when what is said contradicts what is meant or thought, The contrast between what is said and what is actually meant. irony of situation this refers to a happening that is the opposite of what is expected or intended (same as situational irony) dramatic irony In this type of irony, facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or a piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work euphemism a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term apostrophe a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction metonymy a figure of speech that uses the name of an object, person, or idea to represent something with which it is associated, such as using the crown to refer to a monarch ; Also, The pen is mightier than the sword. antithesis a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced synecdoche a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part idiom An expression that cannot be understood if taken literally (ex- Get your head out of the clouds). symbolism A device in literature where an object represents an idea. oxymoron a figure of speech consisting of two apparently contradictory terms paradox A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. cliche a worn-out idea or overused expression