Important Figures of Speech for CBSE Class 10 English with ExamplesFigures of Speech Get PDF @ Rs. 99 – All Chapter Notes Get PDF @ Rs. 199 – Class 10 Notes Figures of SpeechWhat are Figures of Speech?Figures of speech are literary devices which are used to express ideas that move beyond their literal meaning.Functions of Figures of Speech• They impart beauty to the language by stimulating the visual, aural and sensory appeal of the verses.• The reader is made to use his imagination to create rich mental pictures.• They provide freshness of expression and clarity of meaning.• They can be used in poetic as well as in everyday language.• Language of speeches and debates can also be enriched with the use of figures of speech.• In short, figures of speech make the language more colourful, descriptive and interesting.Types of Figures of SpeechThere are more than 200 types of figures of speech in English. In this chapter, we will be covering a few of them.Simile• Simile is a figure of speech which directly compares two things which may have similar qualities.• It employs the use of words such as ‗like‘ or ‗as‘.• The prisoners languished like caged animals. (The prisoners are likened to caged animals.)• Manish is as thin as a reed. (Manish is compared to a reed.)Metaphor• Metaphor is a figure of speech which makes a direct equation between two things which share similar qualities.• Unlike similes, metaphors do not use words such as ‗as‘ or ‗like‘.• My old employer was the devil incarnate. (The old employer is equated with the devil.)• The pen is the tongue of the mind. (The pen is equated with the tongue.)We also use various metaphors in our day-to-day language.Personification• Personification is a figure of speech where human qualities or activities are attributed to animals, non-living things or abstract ideas.• Through personification, writers and poets offer a fresh perspective to the reader.• Readers relate to the inanimate as they would relate to humans.• The skies wept. (The skies are given the human ability to weep.)• Your arrogance betrayed you today. (Arrogance is said to have the ability to betray.)Synecdoche• Synecdoche is a figure of speech where a part is used to signify the whole.• The family has many mouths to feed. (The word ‗mouth‘ represents members of the family.)• Two heads are better than one. (The word ‗heads‘ represents people.)Transferred Epithet• Transferred epithet is a figure of speech where a quality of one noun is ascribed to another.• By doing so, the adjective is transferred to a noun to which it does not belong.• Phillip‘s happy days are here again. (Phillip is the one who is happy, but the noun ‗days‘ is ascribed the quality of happiness.)• Priti has committed too many careless mistakes. (Here, Priti is the one who is careless. But the quality is ascribed to the noun ‗mistakes‘.)Metonymy• Metonymy is a figure of speech where the name of one thing is used for another because of their close association or recurrent relationship with each other.• It is not to be confused with synecdoche because the term used to describe another is not a part of it.• Europe has opened its doors to the immigrants. (‗Europe‘ is the metonymy for European government or the people of Europe.)• The court has issued a summon. (‗The court‘ is the metonymy for the judge.)Pun• Pun is a figure of speech where multiple meanings of the same word are exploited for poetic or comic effect.• It imparts a ‗double meaning‘ to the word in a witty manner.• It exploits both the literal and the figurative meaning of the word.• A pessimist‘s blood type is always B-negative.(It is a play on the word negative because pessimists always have a negative outlook towards life.)• An elephant‘s opinion carries a lot of weight. (The word ‗weight‘ stands for the elephant‘s weight in the literal sense and for its figurative sense.)Euphemism• Euphemism is figure of speech where an offensive or a harsh word is substituted with a milder and a less egregious expression.• By using a euphemism, the writer or the poet makes the unpleasant sound poetic and polite.• The Sharma‘s dog was put to sleep because it was in a lot of pain.(The term ‗put to sleep‘ is a less offensive term used instead of ‗killed‘ or ‗euthanised‘.)• Let us offer a prayer in the memory of those departed.(The term ‗the departed‘ is a milder expression used instead of ‗the dead‘.)Popular Examples:―For the time being,‖ he explains, ―it had been found necessary to make a readjustment of rations.‖ (The term ‗a readjustment of rations‘ is a milder term for reduction in food supply.)—George Orwell, Animal Farm―But he could do little for them; and now he is gone‖ (The phrase ‗he is gone‘ stands for death.)—Thomas Hardy, Afterward―And will any say when my bell of quittance is heard in the gloom‖(The phrase ‗my bell of quittance‘ stands for the death knell or a bell which is rung at the event of a person‘s death.)—Thomas Hardy, Afterward―The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States…but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.‖(The term ‗Persons‘ is a milder term used for slaves.)• Constitution of the United States, Article 1, Section 9Tautology• Tautology is a figure of speech where the same ideas are repeated using different words.• Another term for tautology is redundancy.• It helps in reinforcing the idea in the mind of the reader.• Tautology is considered faulty in modern writing.• Will you please repeat the last sentence again.Repeating is an action which happens again. Hence, the term ‗again‘ is unnecessary when the word ‗repeat‘ is use.• I was astonished, amazed and surprised.The words ‗astonished‘, ‗amazed‘ and ‘surprised‘ are synonyms.Inversion• Inversion is a figure of speech where the order of the words in the sentence is jumbled for poetic effect.• Through inversion, the writer uses poetic liberty to make the sentence sound more pleasing.• Sometimes, the writer may employ inversion to make the line rhyme with the previous one. The sun shines and the birds tweet,Sing the womenfolk their songs sweet.• Powerful you have become; the dark side I sense in you.The order of the sentence has been changed. The correct order is ‗You have become powerful; I sense the dark side in you‘.• Through vales and dales, blows gently the wind.The correct order of the sentence is ‗Through vales and dales, the wind blows gently‘.Antithesis• Antithesis is a figure of speech where opposite ideas are brought together in a sentence for poetic effect.• He toiled all day and he slept all night.(Contrasting words ‗day‘ and ‗night‘ are brought together.)• Madhu is disciplined in her professional life but disorganised in her personal life. (Contrasting words ‗disciplined‘ and ‗disorganised‘ are brought together.)Irony• Verbal irony is a figure of speech where the speaker says the exact opposite of what he or she intends.• Some writers employ verbal irony to indirectly criticise or to taunt.• Dramatic irony is a figure of speech where the spectator or the reader knows more about the outcome of the story than the character in a film, novel or play.• Situational irony is where there is a deviance from what is usually expected from the situation.• Suresh is the busiest man I know. Between gambling and sleeping, he barely finds time for work.(By saying he barely finds time to work, the writer intends to criticise Suresh who is whiling away his time sleeping and gambling.)• The most discreet person in the office is Shalini who cannot help discussing sordid details of her private life with anyone who comes her way.(By calling her ‗The most discreet person‘, the speaker goes on to narrate Shalini‘s indiscretion.)Oxymoron• Oxymoron is a figure of speech where two contrasting words are conjoined.• This conjoining of contrasting words may seem ridiculous if literally interpreted, but it may be meaningful if it is figuratively understood.• Seriously joking – The words ‗joking‘ and ‗serious‘ are contrasting, but they are brought together to mean that someone was actually joking.• Bittersweet – The word is made of contrasting adjectives ‗bitter‘ and ‗sweet‘. Both are conjoined to refer to a taste which is both bitter and sweet.Paradox• Paradox is a statement or a general truth which may sound absurd or illogical, but on deeper analysis, it may make complete sense.• Paradox is similar to oxymoron because both yoke together contrasting ideas.• But the former stands for a rule or a truth which is rooted in reality.• When it comes to speaking, less is more.(The statement ‗less is more‘ sounds absurd. If one were to analyse it, it means brevity of speech can accomplish more than verbosity.)• Child is the father of man.(The statement sounds illogical if one were to interpret it literally. Figuratively, it means that childhood is an important stage where man imbibes qualities which will become synonymous with his personality in adulthood.)Repetition• Repetition is a figure of speech where a word or a phrase within a sentence is repeated.• It is done for poetic effect or for emphasis.• It is a very commonly used figure of speech.• I searched and searched and searched.(The act of searching is highlighted and emphasised.)• He came, He saw, He conquered.(The pronoun ‗He‘ is repeated thrice for emphasis.)Alliteration• Alliteration is the repetition of sound of words which are in a sequence or which are close to each other.• It is the repetition of the sound of the consonants in the words.• It makes the lines sound lyrical and rhythmic.• Alliteration also renders a pleasing flow to the verses.• Susie suddenly sounds serious on the phone.(The consonant sound ‗s‘ is repeated for a pleasing effect.)• Pitter patter of petite feet(The consonant sound ‗p‘ is repeated for a pleasing effect.)Onomatopoeia• Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech where words resembling their actual sounds are used.• Noises made by humans, animals, objects and natural phenomena constitute onomatopoeia.• Like alliteration, onomatopoeia imparts a lyrical quality to the sentences or verses.• The audible purr of the kittenThe word ‗purr‘ is onomatopoeic sound because it resembles the actual purring sound made by kittens.• The battleground resonated with the clanking of the swords.The word ‗clanking‘ resembles the sound of metal instruments clashing.Apostrophe• Apostrophe is a direct address to an absent person or a non-living thing.• The character detaches himself or herself from reality and evokes the thing or the person.• Hello darkness my old friend.(Here the word ‗darkness‘ is addressed as if it were a real person.)• Dear God. Are you listening?(The person is addressing God directly.)Hyperbole• Hyperbole is a figure of speech where a statement is exaggerated for a dramatic effect.• Another name for hyperbole is overstatement.• She has been warned thousands of times before.(A dramatic is added to the sentence by exaggerating the number of times she has been warned.)• Her awful singing voice made my ears bleed.(By saying ‗my ears bleed‘, the speaker aims to dramatically highlight the fact that the person concerned had an awful voice.)Understatement• Understatement is the opposite of hyperbole.• It is a figure of speech where the significance of something is downplayed or minimised.• In other words, something is deliberately projected in a less important manner.• By doing so, the writer accentuates the idea he wishes to deliver to the reader.• Other figures of speech such as irony and sarcasm are highlighted through understatement.• The terrorist attacks in the city spoiled the weekend plans of many a citizen.(The terrorist attacks are projected as a minor impediment which only ruined the weekend plans of the citizens. By doing so, the writer intends to highlight the irony.)• Weighing around a quintal, he is not exactly the thinnest person in the world.(A person who weighs a quintal will be a morbidly obese person let alone the thinnest person in the world. The writer wishes to capture the attention of the reader by understating the person‘s obesity.)Climax• Climax is a figure of speech where the actions start moving in the ascending order of importance.• He came, he saw, he conquered.(The actions of the person become more intense.)• The cat crouched on all fours, locked its target, pounced high and struck its target down in a swift move.(The actions of the cat are arranged in the ascending order of importance.)Anticlimax• Anticlimax is a figure of speech where the events or ideas in the sentence are arranged in the descending order of importance.• The purpose of anticlimax is to first arouse the interest of the reader and then to create a trivial or an unimpressive conclusion.• I thought the chest contained gold coins, trinkets or jewels, but to our dismay, it was filled with rocks.(The writer enumerates valuables as the possible contents of the chest, but ultimately reveals that it was filled with rocks. There is an initial build-up of excitement after which there comes a fall.• The much-hyped event which everyone was waiting for turned out to be a boring affair with the turnout as less as 50 people.(Here, the writer starts by describing the event as ‗much-hyped‘ and later calls it a ‗boring affair‘ in an anti-climatic manner.)Uses of Figures of Speech• Figures of speech lend freshness to literature by departing from the usage of plain words.• They spur the reader to use their imaginative powers.• They appeal to the aesthetic sensibilities of the reader.• They help the writers express themselves in a variety of ways.• Without figures of speech, works of literature such as poems, drama, novels and speeches may sound monotonous and uninteresting.SimileMetaphorPersonalisationSynecdocheTransferred EpithetMetonymyPunEuphemismTautologyInversionAntithesisIronyOxymoronParadoxRepetitionAlliterationOnomatopoeiaApostropheHyperboleUnderstatementClimaxAnticlimaxFlogging a dead horse – It is a metaphor for a pointless argument which refuses to die.Why does the boss have to flog the dead horse? I thought the matter is already settled.Elephant in the room – It is a metaphor for an uncomfortable or unpleasant fact that everyone sees but no one acknowledges for the fear of causing embarrassment or awkwardness.Mitesh‘s dismissal from his job is the veritable elephant in the room tonight.A gift that keeps on giving – It is a metaphor for something will continue to be useful longer than it is intended to be.Friendship with a good person is a gift that keeps on giving.Music to my ears – It stands for something which brings joy to the listener.The fact that my favourite actor has won an award is music to my ears.Popular Examples:"The new man wrote a question at which I stared in wide-eyed amazement‖— Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man―Lord Ullin reach'd that fatal shore‖—Thomas Campbell, Lord Ullin’s Daughter― ... may be completely destroyed in that second's instant of a careless match,"—William Faulkner, Golden Land―…until it shines, like her own honest forehead, with perpetual friction."—Charles Dickens, David Copperfield JOIN TELEGRAM CHANNEL Join Our WhatsApp Channel JOIN NOW