Figurative Language

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Figurative Language

• Chapter 14, Everythings an Argument, other
  sources

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What Is Figurative Language?

• Language that plays with the meanings or sounds
  of words to enhance imagery, add layers of
  meaning, direct the readers attention in a
  particular way or to add power.
• Tropes Schemes

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TROPES Metaphors, et al.

• A metaphor compares two things (without using
  like, as, or similar language).
• Similes (use like, as, c.)
• Personifications
• Metonymy
• Synecdoche

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TROPES Metaphors

• Compare two things without like or as
• Descriptive Your eyes are stars.
• Abstract Mercy is the gentle rain that falleth
  from heaven upon the place beneath. (paraphrase)
• Embedded The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle
  on the windowpane
• Allegory is an extended metaphor

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Metaphor Simile Exercise

• They were very lazy and slept all day
• They were lazy sloths and slept all day.
• The greedy oil companies destroyed the native
  culture.
• The greedy oil companies invaded like barbarian
  hordes and decimated the native culture.
• The woman cried a lot.
• The woman seeped tears like water from a spring.

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TROPES Personification

• May be a metaphor or a simile
• Why use personification?
• The sun glories in his strength
• The ambitious cat strove to make himself leader
  of the neighborhood toms.
• The stubborn door refused to open.
• Exercise
• The door slammed on his thumb.
• The shoe squeaked as she walked.
• The shrimp fled the fish.

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TROPES Metonymy

• An attribute of the thing being described is used
  to indicate the whole
• Capital must talk to labor.

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TROPES Synecdoche (I)

• Genus for species or species for genus
• Weapon for sword
• Creature for man
• Bread for food
• Cutthroat for assassin
• Part for whole
• Hands for helpers
• Roofs for houses

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TROPES Synecdoche (II)

• Matter for the material from which it is made
• Silver for money
• Dust for humans (in a Biblical context)
• Flesh and blood for humans
• Steel for sword

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Metonymy and Synecdoche Exercise

• Why use Metonymy Synecdoche?
• He drew his sword and cut the child down
• He drew his weapon and cut the child down
• The writer is more powerful than the soldier
• The pen is mightier than the sword
• The pundits had predicted that Minnie Mouse would
  be elected president
• The talking heads had predicted that Minnie Mouse
  would be elected president

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TROPES Stretching

• Hyperbole My mothers going to kill me
• Satire Humorous exaggeration of people,
  behavior or actions to make a point
• Parody Exaggeration or distortion of a
  particular form or work (art, words, texts, film
  noir, pastorals, etc.)

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TROPES Shrinking, c.

• Understatement The presidential election has
  taken a little bit longer than expected
• (Verbal) Irony The significance of the
  statement is the opposite of the meaning of the
  words Khruschev was such a well-mannered,
  self-controlled gentelman
• (Situational) Irony the outcome differs
  radically from the expectation.

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Paradox Oxymoron

• Paradox - an apparent contradiction that induces
  a reconsideration of words in question. He who
  finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his
  life for my sake will find it (Matt. 1039).
• Oxymoron two words which form a contradiction.
  Dry rain, burning cold, apathetic alertness, c.

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SCHEMES Sounds

• Onomatopoeia
• Swooshed
• Spat
• Crackle
• Ululation
• Growl
• Susurration
• Clack
• Murmur

• Alliteration
• Thou still unravished bride of quietness, Thou
  foster child of silence and slow time.
• By the margin, willow-veiled, slide the heavy
  barges, trailed by slow horses. And, unhailed,
  the shallop flitteth, silken-sailed, skimming
  down to Camelot.

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SCHEMES Juxtaposed Meanings

• Parallelism repeating a grammatical structure
• Antithesis contrasting 2 opposites most
  effectively employed in parallel
• 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, we had everything before us, we had
  nothing before us, we were all going direct to
  Heaven, we were all going direct the other wayin
  short, the period was so far like the present
  period, that some of its noisiest authorities
  insisted on its being received, for good or for
  evil, in the superlative degree of comparison
  only.

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SCHEMES Word Order

• Anaphora repetition of a word for effect
• BASSANIO Sweet Portia,
• If you did know to whom I gave the ring,
• If you did know for whom I gave the ring
• And would conceive for what I gave the
  ring
• And how unwillingly I left the ring,
• When nought would be accepted but the
  ring,
• You would abate the strength of your
  displeasure.
•  
• PORTIA If you had known the virtue of
  the ring,
• Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,
• Or your own honour to contain the ring,
• You would not then have parted with the
  ring.

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SCHEMES Word Order (II)

• Tricolon crescans three elements presented in
  increasing order
• Young man, sit in that corner and do not move,
  do not talk, do not breathe!
• Inversion changing the usually order of the
  syntax
• Ask not what your country can do for you ask
  only what you can do for your country.

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Beware!

• Clichés figurative devices that have lost their
  energy through familiarity and long use.
• Mixed metaphors changing image midway also
  saps language of its power
• Unduly slanted language / connotations
  inappropriate use of a particular image

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Beware! - Examples

• The political machine was as pervasive as kudzu,
  and it chewed up and digested unwary townspeople.
• The bus was like a growling dinosaur, belching
  smoke and fire.
• Mother Theresa distributed food to the orphans
  with the efficiency of a shark.
• Vote for Fred hell slash taxes like an
  ax-murderer!

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Life Without Figurative Language

• As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so
  is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under
  his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was
  sweet to my taste.
• His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are
  bushy, and black as a raven.
• His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers
  of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
• His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet
  flowers his lips like lilies, dropping sweet
  smelling myrrh.
• His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl
  his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with
  sapphires.
• His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon
  sockets of fine gold his countenance is as
  Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

• My beloved is more handsome and potent than the
  other men...
• He has a handsome face and nice black hair.
• His eyes are handsome.
• His cheeks and mouth are manly and he has good
  breath.
• His hands are tan and strong he has a sexy
  tummy.
• His legs are strong and his face exemplifies the
  qualities we like in our homeland.