What Is Figurative Speech?

Question

What Is Figurative Speech?

6 Answers

Answer Question

Answer 1

Figurative speech is a language that comprises of images. Figurative speech is mainly metaphor, simile and personification. This speech helps a reader to create a clear and dramatic image.

A metaphor is a straight contrast of two things. It is like borrowing qualities of some other object and relating it to something that has nothing to do with the object. The word metaphor is basically broken down into two parts, which is 'meta' meaning across and 'phor' meaning ferry or carry.

If words "like" or "as" are used then it is simply known as Simile. And the last type of Figurative speech is personification. It is basically giving an human characteristics to an object.

Answer 2

To paint a colorful picture of what we're trying to describe; to make our speech more vivid. In doing so, we catch the listener's attention and have a better chance to get our message across.

Answer 3

According to Robert Frost, "Poetry provides the one possible way of saying one thing and meaning another." Evidently, he is referring to the use of the figures of speech in poetry. It may seem absurd to say one thing and mean another. But we all do this to make our speech more vivid and forceful. A figurative statement is more forceful than a literal statement. Figures of speech add extra dimensions to language. Broadly defined, a figure of speech is any way of saying something other than the ordinary way. According to Bain, "A figure of speech is a deviation from the plain and ordinary mode of speaking for the sake of greater effect it is a departure from the simplest form of statement with a view to heightening or specialist the effect". Some rhetoricians have classified as many as 250 separate figures. For our practical purpose, however, a figure of speech is more narrowly defined as "a way of saying one thing and meaning another." We need to be concerned with no more than a dozen. Figurative language –language using figures of speech is language that cannot be taken literally. Examples of the use of a figure of speech: instead of saying that a man is very brave, we would like to say that he is as brave as a lion. Strictly speaking, the statement is not true, but it very aptly describes the man's bravery. The truth is that the words as brave as a lion are not used literally but figuratively. We have used a simile to heighten the effect.

Answer 4

To try and draw a verbal picture of what we are talking about.

Answer 5

Anonymous answered

A closed mouth catches no flies

Answer 6

According to Robert Frost, "Poetry provides the one possible way of saying one thing and meaning another." Evidently, he is referring to the use of the figures of speech in poetry. It may seem absurd to say one thing and mean another. But we all do this to make our speech more vivid and forceful. A figurative statement is more forceful than a literal statement. Figures of speech add extra dimensions to language. Broadly defined, a figure of speech is any way of saying something other than the ordinary way.

According to Bain, "A figure of speech is a deviation from the plain and ordinary mode of speaking for the sake of greater effect it is a departure from the simplest form of statement with a view to heightening or specialist the effect". Some rhetoricians have classified as many as 250 separate figures. For our practical purpose, however, a figure of speech is more narrowly defined as "a way of saying one thing and meaning another." We need to be concerned with no more than a dozen.

Figurative language –language using figures of speech is language that cannot be taken literally. Examples of the use of a figure of speech: instead of saying that a man is very brave, we would like to say that he is as brave as a lion. Strictly speaking, the statement is not true, but it very aptly describes the man's bravery. The truth is that the words as brave as a lion are not used literally but figuratively. We have used a simile to heighten the effect.