Literature- Figure of speeches - JSS3 English language Lesson Note

Figures of Speech

 

Definition: Figures of speech are expressive uses of language where words are used in a non-literal way to create an effect.

 

Types of Figures of Speech:                          

 

Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as."

  - Example: "Her smile is like the sun."

 

Metaphor: A direct comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as."

  - Example: "Time is a thief."

 

Personification:

- Giving human characteristics to non-human things.

  - Example: "The wind whispered through the trees."

 

Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally.

  - Example: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."

 

Onomatopoeia: A word that imitates the sound it represents.

  - Example: "The bees buzzed."

 

Alliteration:

- The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words.

  - Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

 

Examples in Context:

- "The night is a big black cat" (Metaphor)

- "The leaves danced in the wind" (Personification)

- "Boom! The thunder shook the house" (Onomatopoeia)

- "She sells seashells by the seashore" (Alliteration)