Figures Of Speech

FIGURES OF SPEECH ALLITERATION 1. Puny puma pit their skills against zebras.

“…And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride…”

2. Handsome Harry hired hundreds of hippos for Hanukkah.

CHIASMUS

ANAPHORA

2. “He who sheds the blood of man, by man, shall his blood be shed.”

1. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Act I Scene I “And do you now put on your best attire? And do you now cull out a holiday? And do you now strew flowers in his way That comes in triumph over Pompey’s blood? Be gone!” 2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Book I – Recalled to Life It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…” ANTITHESIS 1. Lloyd Braun: "Serenity now; insanity later." -- from Seinfeld episode "The Serenity Now" 2. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!"

1."The first one knows his blows And the second blows his nose."

EUPHEMISM 1. "waste a gook," "barbecue party" 2. protective reaction strike, selective ordinance, collateral damage HYPERBOLE 1. "It was so cold, even the polar bears were wearing jackets." 2. "The test was so hard, by the time I finished it I was 100 years old!" IRONY 1, A merchant was walking home from the market when he met a man on the road. They walked together as the merchant boasted of his successes and profits. Eventually the merchant realized he didn't know his new friend's name, and asked who he was. I am the Angel of Death, replied the man. 2. "A fine thing indeed!" he muttered to himself. LITOTES 1.It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain. 2. Running a marathon in under two hours is no small accomplishment.

-- Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream

METAPHOR

APOSTROPHE

1. "Life is a journey, travel it well."

1. "Science! True daughter of Old Time thou art!" (Edgar Allan Poe, "To Science")

2. "Love is the wild card of existence." METONYMY

2. "Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art" (John Keats) ASSONANCE 1. The Bells by Allan Edgar Poe “Hear the mellow wedding-bells Golden bells!” 2. Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

1. I couldn’t catch his tongue. 2. Today, we will be performing Shakespeare.

ONOMATOPEIA 1. 'Listen to the bee buzz by' 2. 'Dave whooshed down the hill'.

OXYMORON

SIMILE

1. "O miserable abundance, O beggarly riches!" (John Donne, Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions)

1. "The rain falls like the sun, rising upon the mountains."

2. "A yawn may be defined as a silent yell." (G.K. Chesterton)

2. "He looked about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food." (Raymond Chandler)

PARADOX 1. A rich man is no richer than a beggar. 2. You can save money by spending it. PERSONIFICATION 1. "The road isn't built that can make it breathe

hard!" (slogan for Chevrolet automobiles) 2. "Fear knocked on the door. Faith answered. There was no one there." (proverb quoted by Christopher Moltisanti, The Sopranos) PUN 1. The violinist spent the night in a vile inn. 2. When the butter melted, it was rendered useless.

SYNECDOCHE 1. All hands on deck. 2. Give us this day our daily bread.

UNDERSTATEMENT 1. "A soiled baby, with a neglected nose, cannot be

conscientiously regarded as a thing of beauty." (Mark Twain) 2. "Well, that's cast rather a gloom over the

evening, hasn't it?" (Dinner guest, after a visit from the Grim Reaper, in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life) ~Princess Joy Pidlaoan (IV-A)