Deciphering the Figures of Speech: Simile, Metaphor, ETC

Although learning the rules of grammar may have been boring to most people in elementary school, understanding the figures of speech can greatly improve an article's chances of being published. Used properly, figures of speech bring written work to life. Do you know the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Or perhaps a less common pair, do you know the difference in a hyperbole versus a litotes? A thorough examination of the figures of speech will distinguish the grammatic tools used to enliven the written language.

Simile: A simile is a direct and explicit comparison between two typically unrelated things. The simile indicates a likeness or similarity between some common thread found in both words. A simile uses like or as to indicate the comparison. Examples include: "Marie eats like a bird," "Tom sleeps like a log," and "She is skinny as a rail"

Metaphor: A metaphor is an implied comparison between two unrelated things. A metaphor does not use like or as in the comparison. A simile can be changed to a metaphor by removing like or as and replacing the word with is. Examples include: "She is a rail," "All the world's a stage," and "Fred is a pig."

Personification: Used to bring inanimate objects and ideas to life by giving them human characteristics, personification brings depth to the written work which allows the reader a sensory perception of what is happening. Consider the examples: "The wind whistled," "My taste buds danced with anticipation of a big breakfast," and "The heart cried out."

Synecdoche: Used by mentioning a part of something which actually represents the whole. By creatively using this technique, a writer avoids being overly repetitive with word choice. Examples: "All hands on deck," "Give us this day our daily bread," and "A Sail! A Sail!"

Metonymy: The art of using a word naming an object it is closely associated with it. This substitution also decreases overly repetitive prose. Examples are: "Pay tribute to the crown," "The White House has decided," and "Aladdin has to sweat for his bread."

Hyperbole: Not intended to be taken literally, the hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration used for the sake of emphasizing the point. Examples of this method: "Sweat to death," "As old as time," and "A million times a day."

Litotes: Considered the opposite of hyperbole, this is a sarcastic understatement which is achieved by stating the opposite of the obvious interpretation. For example: "She named her pet turtle Speedy," "I have a small problem," and "I called, 'Hey there young fellow!' to my elderly neighbor."

Antithesis: Used to balance contrasting terms against one another. Examples of this technique include: "Fair is foul and foul is fair" and "All is fair in love and war."

Apostrophe: Used to address someone or something that is not present as if actually present. Such examples: "O Captain! My Captain! Our faithful trip is done!" and "Death be not proud, though some have called it thee."

Adding figures of speech to writing increases the reader's interest. Many of the methods offer the writer an opportunity to showcase creative talents while guiding the reader with subliminal hints as to the tone of the work.