Figures Of Speech
A figure of speech is a figurative language in the form of a single word or phrase. It can be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or phrase wit a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words. There are different types of figures of speech such as:
1. Simile: Is a figure of speech in which a comparison is made between unlike or dissimilar objects using the words like or as.
2. Metaphor: Is a figure of speech in which comparison is drawn
between two dissimilar or unlike things without the use of like or as.
3. Personification: Is a figure of speech in which animals, ideas, or objects are given human characteristics or form.
4.Hyperbole: Is a figure of speech in which an exaggeration or overstatement is made to illustrate a point.
5. Alliteration: Is a figure of speech in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series.
The book Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury is a book that has different examples of figures of speech such as simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and alliteration some of them are: - "The people who had been sitting a moment before, tapping their feet to the rhythm of Denham´s Dentifrice, Denham´s Dandy Dental Detergent, Denham´s Dentifrice Dentifrice Dentrifice, one two, one two three, one two, one two, one two three." (page 75) This sentence taking from the book Fahrenheit 451 is a figure of speech call Alliteration because it has a repetition of beginning sounds. For me this sentence is confusing because it has a lot of repetition of the same word which confuse me while I´m reading the book.
- "The train radio vomited upon Montag, in retaliation, a great ton load of music made of tin, copper, silver, chromium, and brass" This is a personification because the author is giving human qualities to a non-living things or ideas in this case a radio is given human characteristic of being able to throw up and get revenge.
- "The salamander devours his tail." (page 82) This is an irony because the sentence is using words where the meaning is the opposite of their usual meaning in this case Ray Bradbury is using the word salamander which represent the symbol of a firemen through all the story.
- "There sat Beatty, perspiring gently, the floor littered with swarms of black moths that had died in a single storm" (page 73). This is a metaphor because the author is comparing between two unlike things in this case he is comparing the burnt pages of a book to a swarm of black moths.
- "Montag, reached inside the parlor wall and pulled the main switch. The images drained away, as if the water had been let from a gigantic crystal bowl of hysterical fish" (page 90). This is a simile because the author is making a comparison between two unlike things in this case he compared the way images from the Tv disappear with the way water filled with crazy fish would drain if it was to be poured out.
