Figures of Speech

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Figure of Speech Project in English Date: February 20, 2012 Simile - is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by employing the words "like" or "as". Examples: 1. My love is like a red, red rose. 2. You were as brave as a lion. 3. He is as funny as a barrel of monkeys. 4. He is as strong as an ox. 5. That is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Metaphor- is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea. Examples: 1. Children have an enormous appetite for learning. 2. Fear is a beast that feeds on attention 3. There was a blizzard of activity at the emergency room. 4. She was hit by the bombshell that her boyfriend was married. 5. A bumper crop of stories have sprouted from this news leak. Hyperbole- is the use of exaggeration as arhetorical device or figure of speech. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally. Examples: 1. I have a million things to do. 2. That joke is so old, the last time I heard it I was riding on a dinosaur. 3. You could have knocked me over with a feather. 4. He is as skinny as a toothpick. 5. I am so hungry I could eat a horse. Irony- is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions. There is presently no accepted method for textually indicating irony, though an irony (punctuation) mark has been proposed. Examples: 1. It was ironic that the fire station burned down. 2. He is as smart as a soap dish. 3. I have no doubt your theatrical performance will receive the praise it so richly
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