Figurative Language Used in Creative Nonfiction PDF

Figurative Language Used in Creative Nonfiction DR. LUISCEL TEOFI E. CABICO LIT. E-413 1. Adage 19. Irony 2. Allegory 20. Litotes 3. Alliteration 21. Metaphor 4. Allusion 22. Metonymy 5. Anaphora 23. Onomatopoeia 6. Antim...

Figurative Language Used in Creative Nonfiction DR. LUISCEL TEOFI E. CABICO LIT. E-413 1. Adage 19. Irony 2. Allegory 20. Litotes 3. Alliteration 21. Metaphor 4. Allusion 22. Metonymy 5. Anaphora 23. Onomatopoeia 6. Antimetabole 24. Oxymoron 7. Antithesis 25. Parallelism 8. Aphorism 26. Paradox 9. Apostrophe 27. Personification 10.Assonance 28. Pun 11.Asyndeton 29. Repetition 12.Cacophony 30. Rhetorical Question 13.Chiasmus 31. Rhyme 14.Cliches and Idioms 32. Simile 15.Colloquialisms 33. Synecdoche 16.Consonance 34. Synesthesia 17.Euphemism 35. Understatement/Meiosis 18.Hyperbole  Adage  Short, pointed, and memorable saying that is based on facts, and which is considered a veritable truth by the majority of people.  Famous adages become popular due to their usage over a long period of time. In fact, an adage expresses a general fact or truth about life, which becomes more and more popular before it is accepted as a universal truth. a. “ All the world’s a stage,/And all men and women merely player./They have their exits and their entrances,/And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.” As You Like It by William Shakespeare b. “ God helps those who help themselves”- from Adagia by Desiderius Erasmus c. “ Slow and steady wins the race.”-from The Tortoise and the Hare by Aesop d. “ Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”- In Memoriam by Alfred Lord Tennyson e. “ Eat to live, and not live to eat.” – from Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin f. “ Appearances often are deceiving.” – from Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Aesop g. “ To everything there is a reason” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 h. “ Put the cart before the horse” –from Adagia by Desiderius Erasmus  Allegory  Symbolism device where the meaning of a greater, often abstract concept is conveyed with the aid of a more corporeal object or idea being used as an example.  Usually a rhetoric device, an allegory suggests a meaning via metaphoric examples. a. Example: The declaration of an ex-US president G. W. Bush was allegorical when he used the term “Axis of Evil” for three countries and later the term “allies” for those countries that would wage war against the “Axis” b. Plato in his “Allegory of Cave” tells a story of how some people are ignorant and at the same time, some people “seek the light”-stands for an idea and does not tell a story  Alliteration  Repetition of initial consonant sounds of stressed syllables in neighboring words or at short intervals within a line or passage Plays a very crucial role in poetry and literature as it provides a work with musical rhythms Examples: a. “Let us go forth to lead the land we love.”- J. F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech b. But a better butter makes a batter better. c. A big bully beats a baby boy Famous Companies 1. American Airlines 4. Best Buy 2. Bed, Bath & Beyond 5. PayPal 3. Krispy Kreme 6. Dunkin’ Donuts  Allusion  Makes a reference to, or a representative of people, places, events, literary work, myths, or works of art, either directly or by implication The purpose of allusion is to broaden the context and deepen the meaning of the literary work a. “ Don’t act like a Romeo in front of her.” – “Romeo” is a reference to Shakespeare’s Romeo b. “ Hey! Guess the new Newton of our school is?- “Newton” , means a genius student, alludes to a famous scientist Isaac Newton c. “ This place is like a Garden of Eden.” – This is a biblical allusion to the “garden of God” in the Book of Genesis d. “ The rise in poverty will unlock the Pandora’s box of crimes.- This is an allusion to one of Greek Mythology’s origin myth, “Pandora’s box”  Anaphora Rhetorical device that consists of repeating a sequence of words at the beginnings of neighboring clauses, thereby lending them emphasis a. “ Buying nappies for the baby, feeding the baby, playing with the baby: This is what your life is when you have a baby.” b. “ Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better” c. “ I want my money right now, right here, all right?” d. “ My life is my purpose. My life is my goal. My life is my inspiration.” e. “ She looked to the left, she looked to the right, she looked straight ahead.”  Antimetabole  Derived from the Greek word which means “turning about”  A literary term or device that involves repeating a phrase in reverse order a. “ Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address b. “ He who questions training only trains himself at asking questions.” The Sphinx, Mystery Men (1999) c. “ If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” d. “ I go where I please, and I please where I go.”- Attributed to Duke Nukem e. “ The great object of (Hamlet’s) life is defeated by continually resolving to do, yet doing nothing but resolve.”- Samuel Taylor Coleridge on Shakespeare’s Hamlet  Antithesis  A rhetorical term for the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases or clauses.  Is used when the writer employs two sentences of contrasting meanings in close proximity to one another.  The purpose of using an antithesis in literature is to create a balance between opposite qualities and lend a greater insight into the subject. a. “Better reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.” in Paradise Lost by John Milton b. “Even though the sun is shining, I can feel the rain.” –Roger Hodgson c. “Folks who have no vices have very few virtues.” – Abraham Lincoln d. “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.”- William Shakespeare e. “ I close my eyes so I can see… I burn a fire to stay cool…Shut the door so I can leave”- Shut the door by Fugazi  Apostrophe  A figure of speech in which some absent or non-existent person or thing is addressed as if present and capable of understanding or replying. a. “Hello darkness, my old friend,/ I’ve come to talk with you again.” –Paul Simon, The Sound of Silence b. “Car, please get me to work today.” c. “Dear love, please don’t shoot me with your Cupid’s bow.” d. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star,/How I wonder what you are/ Up above the world so high,/ Like a diamond in the sky.”- Jane Taylor  Aphorism  Statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner. Is often applied to philosophical, moral and literary principles. To qualify as an aphorism, it is necessary for a statement to contain a truth revealed in a terse manner. a. “Tis education forms the common mind; just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined.”-Golden Treasury of the Familiar by Alexander Pope b. “A proverb is no proverb to you till life has illustrated it.” John Keats c. “ Life’s Tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.” Benjamin Franklin d. “The man who removes mountains begins by carrying away small stones.” William Faulkner  Assonance  Repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming, within phrases or sentences to set the mood or add to the meaning of the word. a. Men sell the wedding bells. b. We light fire on the mountain. c. I feel depressed and restless. d. Go and mow the lawn. e. Johnny went here and there and everywhere.  Asyndeton  Stylistic scheme in which conjunctions are deliberately omitted from a series of related clauses.  Produce a hurried rhythm in the sentence a. I remember those evenings at Grandma’s-full of laughter, food, family. b. She ran, jumped, vaulted, landed-a perfect 10! c. The dark, the moon, the stars-all created a romantic effect. d. Wind, sun, surf-could the day get any better?  Cacophony  Refers to juxtaposition of words producing a harsh sound. The word cacophony originates from the Greek word meaning “bad sound”  The term in poetry refers to the use of words that combine sharp, harsh, hissing, or unmelodious sounds. a. “ I detest war because cause of war is always trivial.” b. “ He is rotten, dirty, terrible, trudging, stupid dude!  Chiasmus  Two or more clauses are related to each other through a reversal of structures in order to make a larger point; that is, the clauses display inverted parallelism. a. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) b. “Never let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You.” c. “ Love as if you would one day hate, and hate as if you would one day love.”  Cliches and Idioms  An idiom is a term or phrase that cannot be understood by a literal translation, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is understood through common use.  A cliché is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty a. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. b. A picture is worth a thousand words. c. A watched pot never boils. d. All that glitters is not gold e. As brave as a lion- a cliché to describe a very brave person f. As clever as a fox- a cliché to describe a very clever person  Colloquialism  The use of informal words, phrases or even slang in a piece of writing  Writers use such expressions intentionally too as it gives their works a sense of realism a. Anak ng Pating, Anak ng Kuba, Anak ng Tokwa, Anak ng Teteng b. Ansabe?- What did he say? A contraction of Filipino terms “Anong sinabi?” c. BTS-Behind the scenes d. BRB- Be right back e. ICYMI- In Case You Missed It f. LMAO- Laughing My Ass Off g. OOTD- Outfit of the Day  Consonance  Cunning combination of consistently copied consonants.  Typically, the letter appears at the beginning of the words, meaning consonance is also an example of alliteration a. She ate seven sandwiches on a sunny Sunday last year. b. Shelley sells shells by the seashore c. The ship has sailed to the far off shores  Euphemism  Refers to polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite  Idiomatic expression which loses its literal meanings and refers to something else in order to hide its unpleasantness a. A little thin on top instead of bald b. Adult beverages instead of beer or liquor c. Adult entertainment instead of pornography d. Golden years instead of old age e. Powder your nose instead of use the rest room  Hyperbole  Derived from the Greek word meaning “over-casting” is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis a. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. b. He has tons of money. c. I am trying to solve a million issues these days d. She is as heavy as an elephant. e. She shed a flood of tears. f. I have been waiting for ages.  Irony  A literary device referring to how a person, situation, statement, or circumstance is not as it would actually seem.  Situational Irony- a situation features a discrepancy between what is expected and what is actualized  Dramatic Irony- a character is unaware of pivotal information already revealed to the audience  Verbal Irony- where one states one thing while meaning another. a. He’s as nice as a lion to his prey. b. As pleasant as surgery c. As sunny as day in winter in Alaska d. Looking at her son’s messy room, Mom says, “Wow, you could win an award for cleanliness!”  Litotes  Consisting of an ironical understatement in which affirmative is expressed by the negation of the opposite.  The usages are intentional, ironical and provide emphasis to the words. This is mainly done through double negatives. a. “Not too bad” for “very good” b. He is not unlike his dad. c. He is not the friendliest person. d. Heat waves are not rare in the summer. e. They aren’t unhappy with the presentation. f. He is not the kindest person I’ve met.  Metaphor  An implied comparison between two unlike things that actually have something important in common a. Her voice is music to his ears. (This implies that her voice makes him feel happy) b. My brother was boiling mad. (This implies he was too angry) c. It is going to be clear skies from now on. (This implies that clear skies are not a threat and life is going to be without hardships) d. The skies of his future began to darken. (Darkness is a threat; therefore, this implies that the coming times are going to be hard for him  Metonymy  Is a figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated ; also, the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by referring to things around it. a. “ Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” b. “The Silicon Valley” is a metonymy for the technology sector c. The pen is mightier than the sword. Onomatopoeia  Formation or use of words which imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes a. The buzzing bee flew away. b. The sack fell into the river with a splash. c. The books fell on the table with a loud thump. d. He looked at the roaring sky.  Oxymoron  Two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect a. Awfully pretty b. Bittersweet c. Foolish wisdom d. Open secret  Parallelism  Giving two or more parts of one or more sentences a similar form to create a definite pattern, a concept and method closely related to the grammatical idea of a parallel construction of structure  Rhetorical device is used in many languages and cultures around the world in poetry, epics, songs, written prose and speech a. Easy come, easy go b. Flying is fast, comfortable, and safe c. Like father, like son  Paradox  Is from the Greek word “paradoxon” that means contrary to expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion. a. “ I can’t resist anything but temptation.” –Oscar Wilde b. I am nobody c. Truth is honey which is bitter  Personification  Inanimate object, an animal, or an idea is endowed with human qualities or abilities a. Blind justice b. Blushing birds c. The fire swallowed the entire forest d. Trembling shadows  Pun  Play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words a. A happy life depends on a liver. (liver can refer to the organ liver or simply the who lives) b. An elephant’s opinion carries a lot of weight. c. What is a difference between a conductor and a teacher? The conductor minds the train and the teacher trains the mind. Repetition  Repeating of a word or phrase  Widely used in both poetry and prose. Aside from helping stress or highlight important thoughts and points, repetition can be a key tool for authors and speakers in developing style, tone, and rhythm. Example: The big stairs led up to a big house with a big front door. Breathe, breathe, breathe, I told myself. I only have to stay for one second, be afraid for one second, not scream for one second. I can do it. I can win the bet. I can prove I’m brave. The passage above uses several different styles of repetition to show the narrator’s anxiety. By repeating what the character thinks and sees, the author makes the situation more interesting. Rhetorical Question  A question that is asked not to get an answer, but instead to emphasize a point.  The word “rhetorical” signifies that the question is meant as a figure of speech. Though no answer is necessary for rhetorical questions, they are often used to elicit thought and understanding on the part of the listener or reader. a. “How did this idiot get elected?”- A rhetorical question to convince others that the “idiot” does not deserve to be elected. b. “What’s in a name?” That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet! (Juliet, Romeo and Juliet)  Rhyme  A type of echoing which utilizes a correspondence of sound in the final accented vowels and all that follows of two or more words, but the preceding consonant sounds must differ, as in the words, bear and care.  Simile  A stated comparison (usually formed with “like”, “than,” or “as” between two fundamentally dissimilar or unlike things that have certain qualities in common. a. The water well was as dry as a bone. b. He is funny as a monkey. c. Her cheeks are red like a rose.  Synecdoche  A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, the whole for a part, the specific for the general, the general for the specific, or the material for the thing made from it. a. The expression, “Lend me a hand” means I need help, or please help me. b. The phrase, “all hands on deck” means “all men on deck” not just their hands. c. The word “bread” refers to food or money as in “Writing is my bread and butter” or “sole breadwinner”  Synesthesia Refers to a technique adopted by writers to present ideas, characters or places in such a manner that they appeal to more than one senses like hearing, seeing, smell, etc.  Is an attempt to fuse different senses by describing one in terms of another a. The sound of her voice was sweet. ( Sweet has something to do with taste and not sound) b. The word “cool” is generally associated with temperature. However, in a casual conversations, we can hear phrases like “cool dress” , “cool colors” or “you are looking cool” wherein the visual sensation is blended with the sense of touch Understatement/Meiosis  Is a figure of speech in which a writer or a speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is.  We use meiosis to describe and belittle professions a. “The unspeakable in full pursuit of the unbeatable.”- Oscar Wilde on fox hunting b. “grease monkey” for mechanic c. “shrink” for psychiatrist d. “slasher” for surgeon e. “short-order chef” for morgue worker