Figurative Language English 2

EUPHEMISM

a word or phrase substituted for another that is considered harsh, offensive, or taboo. It serves to soften or mask unpleasant or sensitive subjects, using more polite or indirect expressions.

ANAPHORA

 is a form of literary repetition in which the same word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of lines, clauses, or sentences. Anaphora creates a sense of rhythm, emphasis, or urgency.

ALLEGORY

is a work of art or literature that reveals a hidden meaning through characters, events, or settings that symbolize broader abstract ideas or moral principles. Allegorical messages are rarely obvious and require interpretation.

PARABLE

 is a short story about human characters that teaches a clear moral or spiritual truth. 

FABLE

is a short story—usually with animals or or other nonhuman characters—that conveys a clear moral lesson.

UNDERSTATEMENT

 minimizes the importance of something, often for dramatic or comedic effect. 

HYPERBOLE

is exaggeration not meant to be taken literally, used to emphasize a point or make a more vivid impression. 

IMAGERY

refers to descriptive language that evokes sensory experiences in the reader's mind, allowing them to visualize, hear, smell, taste, or feel the scene, object, or feeling being described.

MOOD

 refers to the overall feeling or atmosphere created for the reader. Mood is the reader's experience. 

TONE

 refers to the author's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice and style. Tone is the author's voice.

DENOTATION

refers to the strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, without any emotion or attitude.

CONNOTATION

 refers to ideas, emotions, or attitudes associated with a word; implied/suggested meaning as opposed to literal meaning. Such an association might be positive, neutral, or negative.

DICTION

refers to an author’s or speaker’s word choices and style of expression. Diction affects the tone, mood, and atmosphere in writing. 

For example, a writer might use formal language to sound authoritative, while informal diction can make a piece more approachable.

SYNTAX

refers to the arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences. Syntax affects the clarity, emphasis, and impact of ideas. Examples include active vs. passive voice and standard vs. inverted sentence structure.

IDIOM

a type of colloquialism that expresses a specific meaning figuratively or metaphorically. Those first learning a language find idioms confusing because they cannot be translated literally.

COLLOQUIALISM

refers to the use of slang or informal language – mainly in speech – but also in written dialogue. Examples include expressions like ain’t (is/am/are not), gonna (going to), wanna (want to), and ‘cause (because). Colloquial terms are used within a particular group, region, or culture.

ALLUSION

in literature is a brief direct or indirect reference to a well-known person, place, thing, or idea from history, mythology, religion, literature, or culture. Allusions are often used to enhance meaning through comparison or contrast.

Verbal irony

 (the most common type of irony) is a figure of speech in which the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean. may involve contradiction or exaggeration. 

differs from simply lying because the speaker’s intent is not to conceal the truth but to emphasize meaning in a dramatic, witty, or humorous way. 

delivered with a mean tone intended to mock or convey contempt is sarcasm. Verbal irony is not always sarcasm.

Situational Irony

refers to an unexpected, paradoxical, or perverse turn of events. In literature, situational irony occurs when an outcome is opposite or very different from what characters or the audience/readers expect. Situational irony adds an element of surprise that keeps readers engaged and leads to a less predictable plot resolution.

OXYMORON

(from Greek meaning “pointedly foolish”) is a subgroup of paradox that juxtaposes apparently contradictory terms. Oxymorons are used to express nuanced, complex ideas, provoke thought, or add irony or humor.

The most recognizable oxymorons are adjective-noun (cruel kindness) pairs but may also be expressed in a clause or sentence (The silence was deafening).

PARADOX

 is a statement or situation that appears contradictory or absurd on the surface but, upon closer examination, reveals a deeper, often insightful truth.

ANTITHESIS

 is a literary device that juxtaposes (or places side-by-side) opposite ideas within a parallel grammatical structure. The resulting rhythm highlights the contrasts and makes the expression memorable. 

JUXTAPOSITION

 is a literary device that involves placing words, images, objects, ideas, situations, settings, characters, or other elements side-by-side or close to each other in order to compare them or highlight their differences. 

FOIL CHARACTER

 is a character whose primary purpose is to highlight the traits of another character, typically the protagonist, by providing a contrast. The foil's personality, values, or actions serve to make the protagonist's qualities or flaws stand out. Foils are characters who represent a different approach to life, a contrasting viewpoint, or a different set of values. Foils can be antagonists, but not necessarily.

THEME

is a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature. Themes are universal because they not only apply to the specific characters and events of a book or play, but also express broader truths about human experience that readers can apply to their own lives.

MOTIF

is a recurring element, idea, or image in a literary work, often reinforcing a theme.

SYMBOL

 is an object, word, or phrase that represents something else besides itself, often appearing only once or a few times in a text.

FORESHADOWING

A hint or suggestion about events that will occur later in the story.

FLASHBACK

A scene that interrupts the current plot of a story to present events that took place in the past.

DRAMATIC IRONY

occurs in literature when the audience (or reader) knows something the characters don't, making their actions and words take on a different meaning for the audience than for the characters. This contrasting awareness can lead to suspense, humor, or even tragedy. (Find more info and examples at

ARCHETYPE

is a recurring, universal pattern or symbol that appears across different cultures and time periods. These patterns can be characters, situations, themes, or symbols that resonate deeply with readers because they tap into shared human experiences and unconscious expectations.

ANTAGONIST

 a character or force that opposes the protagonist's goals or obstructs their journey in some way. 

PROTAGONIST

 the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.

common euphemisms

 “passed away” (died), “between jobs” (unemployed), “lose your lunch” (throw up), “getting on” (aging or old).

euphemisms in literature

Speaking to Macbeth about the king’s impending arrival, Lady Macbeth says, “He that’s coming / Must be provided for” (Act 1, Sc. 5, 75-76). She uses the euphemism “provided for”--similar to “taken care of” today–to mean the king must be killed. 

anaphora example

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness . . .” (Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities).

First Witch: When shall we three meet again?

In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

Second Witch: When the hurly-burly's done,

When the battle’s lost and won. 

(Shakespeare's Macbeth, Act 1, Sc. 1, 1-4)

allegory example

 Novels, such as Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Animal Farm by George Orwell; films, such as The Matrix (1999) and Avatar (2009). 

parable example

Jesus’ story of “The Good Samaritan.” 

Message: Care for others regardless of who they are.

fable example

 "The Tortoise and the Hare.” 

Message: Slow and steady wins the race.

hyperbole example

• These tight shoes are killing me!

• You’re as light as a feather.

understatement example

• An heiress greets guests to her mansion: “Welcome to my humble abode.”

• “A bit chilly, isn’t it?” he quipped as the snowstorm intensified.

imagery example

"The old house stood on a hill overlooking a valley, silent save for the rustling of leaves in the wind. The sun cast long shadows, painting the scene in hues of gold and gray." 

mood and tone example

 "Oh, brilliant," I muttered under my breath, a tight smile plastered on my face as I surveyed the mountain of paperwork threatening to topple off the desk. "Just what I needed to brighten my absolutely fabulous Friday afternoon."

denotation vs. connotation example

Home

a place where one lives or belongs

positive: warmth, family, security

House

a building where people live

neutral: just a structure

Thrifty

careful about spending money

positive:

Cheap

unwilling to spend money, low cost

negative: stingy, poor quality, inferior

diction examples

 "The individual in question exhibited a conspicuous lack of deference towards established protocols, thereby necessitating immediate corrective measures."

"That person totally blew off the rules, so we had to set them straight right away."

idiom examples

• “the be all end all” (Macbeth, Act I, Sc. 7), meaning the final, most important, or best outcome

• “a sorry sight” (Macbeth, Act 2, Sc. 2), meaning a regrettable, unpleasant appearance

• “lily-livered” (Macbeth, Act 5, Sc. 3), meaning cowardly

colloquialism example

• chrome - gun

• stoolie - informant (short for ‘stool pigeon’)

• a get-over - an easy target to rob

• a lame looking for a name - a weak person seeking to build a tough reputation

Allusion example

Letter from Birmingham Jail by MLK, Jr.: “ . . . just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town.”

the novel Monster by Walter Dean Myers: The title Monster evokes Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein (1819). The incarcerated teen in Dean’s novel narrates his experiences of isolation and dehumanization, much like the mad scientist’s creature does in Shelley’s novel. This reference is indirect because Frankenstein is not mentioned in the book.

verbal irony example

• "I love being stuck in traffic for hours," he said while tapping his fingers impatiently.

• That explanation is as clear as mud to me. 

• A woman says, “Oh, no! My life is ruined,” when she chips a nail. 

situational irony example

• In “What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish” by Etgar Keret, the main character (along with readers) is surprised by the appearance of an actual talking goldfish (a mythical creature) that leads to the protagonist’s pivotal decision. 

• In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the lovers keep their pledge to never part, but–ironically–only in death. 

oxymoron example

minor crisis, unbiased opinion, silent scream, virtual reality, bittersweet, original copy.

paradox example

• Less is more.

• The only constant in life is change.

• You have to spend money to make money.

• The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know.

antithesis example

O’Brien, the defense attorney in Monster by Walter Dean Myers: “My job is to make sure the law works for you as well as against you” (16).

The witches in Shakespeare’s MacBeth: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Act 1, scene 1, line 10). 

juxtaposition example

In “The Seventh Man” by Haruki Murakami, the narrator’s childhood memories of friendship contrast with his later state of isolation, guilt, and fear. 

Taylor Swift, in the song “Blank Space”: “I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream . . . .”

foil character example

 Foils for Harry Potter include Draco Malfoy (also one of Harry’s antagonists) and Neville Longbottom (a shy classmate who highlights Harry’s bravery).

Thematic Concept vs. Thematic Statement

A work's thematic concept is the broader topic it touches upon (love, forgiveness, pain, etc.), while its thematic statement is what the work says about that concept. For example, the thematic concept of a romance novel might be love, and, depending on what happens in the story, its thematic statement might be that "Love is blind," or that "You can't buy love."

symbol example

 The goldfish (also a character/archetype) symbolizes the object of desire, the ultimate prize one might do anything to possess.

motif example

Wishing in “What of this Goldfish Would You Wish?” emphasizes the theme of humans’ never-ending desire for happiness, a better life, or whatever they don’t have.

flashback example

•  A character might suddenly recall a vivid memory from childhood that helps them understand their current feelings.

foreshadowing example

• A character might make a casual remark about a dangerous situation that hints at a potential disaster.

dramatic irony examples

 In Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows Juliet is in a drugged sleep, so when Romeo thinks she is dead and kills himself (followed by Juliet doing the same) it increases the audience's shock and sense of helplessness.

archetype example

mentor, hero, shadow

protagonist vs antagonist

harry potter, voldemort

captain america, thanos