Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone
Key Notes :
1. What are Figures of Speech?
Figures of speech are special ways of using words to create deeper meaning, vivid imagery, or emotional effect in writing or speech. They go beyond literal meanings to enhance the reader’s or listener’s experience.
Common Figures of Speech and Their Effects:
| Figure of Speech | Definition | Effect on Meaning | Effect on Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simile | A comparison using “like” or “as”. | Makes descriptions clearer and more relatable. | Can create a light, emotional, or vivid tone. |
| Metaphor | A direct comparison without “like” or “as”. | Gives deeper symbolic meaning. | Adds seriousness, beauty, or power to the tone. |
| Personification | Giving human qualities to non-human things. | Makes ideas or objects come alive. | Creates an emotional or whimsical tone. |
| Hyperbole | Extreme exaggeration. | Emphasizes a point strongly. | Can create a humorous, dramatic, or intense tone. |
| Alliteration | Repetition of the same starting sounds. | Adds rhythm and musical quality. | May create a playful, catchy, or strong tone. |
| Irony | Saying the opposite of what is meant. | Highlights contrast or contradiction. | Can add humor, sarcasm, or surprise. |
| Oxymoron | Two opposite words used together (e.g., “bittersweet”). | Shows complexity or dual emotions. | Gives a thoughtful or puzzling tone. |
| Symbolism | Using an object to represent a deeper idea. | Deepens meaning with hidden layers. | Can create a thoughtful or emotional tone. |
Why Analyzing These Effects Matters:
- Understanding Meaning: Helps uncover what the author really wants to say.
- Identifying Tone: Helps readers feel the attitude or emotion behind the words.
- Improving Writing Skills: Encourages more creative and expressive writing.
Tips for Analyzing Figures of Speech:
- Spot the figure of speech – Identify the technique used.
- Think about its literal and figurative meanings.
- Ask how it changes the tone – Is it playful, serious, angry, sad?
- Explain its effect on the message – Does it make the text more powerful, emotional, or descriptive?
Example:
“The classroom was a zoo.”
→ Figure of Speech: Metaphor
→ Meaning: The classroom was noisy and chaotic.
→ Tone Effect: Humorous and exaggerated tone.
Learn with an example
Select the hyperbole in the passage.
In a time without film television or recorded music, live performances provided the only opportunity for people to hear and appreciate music. What we now call ‘classical’ music was an art form that was enormously important in the lives of the privileged and unfortunate alike, and composers like Beethoven often were seen as little less than gods. Newspapers wrote obsessively about musicians and composers, and huge crowds gathered outside concert halls when a new work was being performed.
From Russell Martin and Lydia Nibley, The Mysteries of Beethoven’s Hair. Copyright 2009 by Russell Martin and Lydia Nibley
The author describes composers as little less than gods, which is clearly an exaggeration. This is an example of hyperbole.
Select the simile in the passage.
As I was waiting, a man came out of a side room, and at a glance, I was sure he must be Long John. He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham—plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling. Indeed, he seemed in the most cheerful spirits, whistling as he moved about among the tables, with a merry word or a slap on the shoulder for the more favored of his guests.
From Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
The narrator compares Long John’s face to a ham, using as. This is a simile.
Select the personification in the passage.
‘Aline!’
Aline, ugly, neat, and enigmatic, appeared with the breakfast tray. A delicious scent preceded her.
Mrs Clephane raised herself on a pink elbow, shook her hair over her shoulders, and exclaimed: ‘Violets?’
Aline permitted herself her dry smile. ‘From a gentleman.’
Colour flooded her mistress’s face. Hadn’t she known that something good was going to happen to her that morning—hadn’t she felt it in every touch of the sunshine, as its golden fingertips pressed her lids open and wound their way through her hair? She supposed she was superstitious. She laughed expectantly.
From Edith Wharton, The Mother’s Recompense. Copyright 1925 by Edith Wharton
The narrator compares sunshine to a person’s fingertips. This is an example of personification.
let’s practice!
