20 Questions
What is the primary characteristic of literal language?
It maintains a consistent meaning regardless of the context.
What is the key characteristic of figurative language?
It conveys a more complicated meaning or heightened effect.
What does the figurative use of language imply?
A non-literal meaning which does make sense.
What does literal usage confer to words?
A consistent meaning regardless of the context.
Who were among the early analysts of rhetoric who expounded on the differences between literal and figurative language?
Aristotle and Quintilian
What is the key difference between a simile and a metaphor?
Simile directly states the similarity between two things, while metaphor implies the similarity without using 'like' or 'as'.
Which type of figurative language attributes human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract notions?
Personification
In an extended metaphor, what happens to the metaphor over multiple sentences?
It is continued over multiple sentences
What distinguishes onomatopoeia from other types of figurative language?
It uses words that imitate sounds
Which literary device involves a figure of speech in which a pair of opposite or contradictory terms are combined?
Oxymoron
Which type of figurative language involves the use of the words 'as' or 'like' to highlight similarities between two seemingly different things?
Metaphors
What is the primary characteristic of figurative language?
It helps readers visualize and understand writing
Which type of figurative language attributes human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract notions?
Personification
What distinguishes onomatopoeia from other types of figurative language?
It creates sound effects using words that imitate natural sounds
In an extended metaphor, what happens to the metaphor over multiple sentences?
It is developed and elaborated on
Which type of figurative language is used when a part of something is used to represent a whole (or vice-versa)?
Synecdoche
Which literary device involves the figurative application of human qualities and abilities to inanimate objects or abstractions?
Personification
What is the function of litotes as a type of ironic understatement?
To emphasize the positive by using negatives
What is the primary characteristic of allusion in the context of figurative language?
Implicitly referencing famous people, places, or events
What distinguishes an oxymoron from other types of figurative language?
It involves contradictory words put side by side
Study Notes
Literal and Figurative Language
- The primary characteristic of literal language is that it uses words to convey their exact meaning.
- The key characteristic of figurative language is that it uses words to convey a meaning beyond their literal interpretation.
Figurative Language Characteristics
- Figurative language implies that the words used have a deeper meaning or connotation beyond their literal interpretation.
- Literal usage confers exact meaning to words, whereas figurative language adds extra layers of meaning.
Early Analysts of Rhetoric
- Early analysts of rhetoric, such as Aristotle, expounded on the differences between literal and figurative language.
Types of Figurative Language
- A simile is a type of figurative language that compares two things using "like" or "as," whereas a metaphor makes a direct comparison without using these words.
- Personification is a type of figurative language that attributes human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract notions.
- In an extended metaphor, the metaphor is developed and expanded over multiple sentences.
- Onomatopoeia is a type of figurative language that uses words to imitate the sounds they describe, distinguishing it from other types of figurative language.
- Oxymoron is a literary device that combines two opposite or contradictory terms.
Other Literary Devices
- A synecdoche is a type of figurative language that uses a part of something to represent a whole (or vice-versa).
- Personification is a literary device that involves the figurative application of human qualities and abilities to inanimate objects or abstractions.
- Litotes is a type of ironic understatement that uses a negative to emphasize a positive.
- Allusion is a type of figurative language that references a person, place, event, or work of art to create a richer meaning.
Characteristics of Figurative Language
- The primary characteristic of figurative language is that it uses words to convey a meaning beyond their literal interpretation.
- Personification attributes human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract notions.
- Onomatopoeia uses words to imitate the sounds they describe, distinguishing it from other types of figurative language.
- Extended metaphors develop and expand the metaphor over multiple sentences.
- Allusion references a person, place, event, or work of art to create a richer meaning.
- Oxymoron combines two opposite or contradictory terms.
Test your knowledge of literal and figurative language, and understand how each is used to convey meaning in different contexts. Explore the differences between words' conventional meanings and their non-literal usage to convey complex ideas or emotions.
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