What is figurative language?

Figurative language is a form of expression that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to convey a message or idea. This concept dates back to the mid-19th century and comes from the Old French term “figuratif,” which means “metaphorical.”

Use of figurative language

Figurative language is the intentional use of words or phrases that implies a non-literal meaning, that is, that it makes sense, but could also be true. This means that a figurative language can seem literal, as can a double meaning or a metaphor , even though these are clearly non-literal.

Rhetorical figures, which form an essential part of all languages, are found in primitive oral literature as well as in poetry and refined prose. Greeting cards, slogans, newspaper headlines and cartoon captions often use figures of speech usually for humorous, mnemonic (memorizing technique) or aesthetic purposes.

Most figures of speech are formed using what is familiar to the user, and may become well known within the language. For example, it is not uncommon for metaphors with implied similarities to combine human physiology and nature or inanimate objects and say, for example, “the bowels of the earth” or “the eye of a needle.” Similarly, similarities to natural phenomena are often applied to other realms, as in the expressions “a wave of enthusiasm,” “a ripple of excitement,” or “a whirlwind of emotions.”

Figurative Language Categories

Figurative language is divided into five categories: relationship or similarity, emphasis or euphemism, figures of sound, verbal games, and errors.

relationship or resemblance

Within figurative language we use relationships or similarities to make analogies; Within this category there are several figures, which are the following:

1. Allusion. The allusion occurs when a text refers to another external text, or perhaps to a person, a place or an event, and can be explicit or implicit. “We have entered the Garden of Eden” is an allusion to the biblical place, for example.
2. Simile. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different concepts by using a clear connecting word, in this case “like.” Examples of similes are the phrases “I was cunning as a fox” or “I slept like a log.”
3. Metaphor. A metaphor fulfills the functions of a simile without connecting words. This suggests that two different things are equal. For example, “the culprit, a real fox, escaped punishment” or “she cried a river of tears.”
4. Implicit metaphor. The metaphor takes different forms. Sometimes the object of the comparison is implied rather than directly referred to, as in the phrase “barked orders to the team,” which implies the comparison to a dog.
5. Metonymy. Metonymy is a figure of speech in which the name of an object or concept is substituted for a closely related or similar word to the original, such as crown for king.
6. Personification . Personification projects human qualities onto inanimate objects, animals, or natural elements. “The wind howled,” “words jumped off the page,” and “time moves by leaps and bounds” are examples of personification.

Emphasis or euphemism

The emphasis is the forcefulness that is given to something that you want to highlight when considered important, while the euphemism is a decent statement of some expression or word that is not so important. Within this category we can find the following figures:

1. Hyperbole. Hyperbole is an extravagant and intentional exaggeration. “I have a million things to do today” is a common example of hyperbole.
2. oxymoron . It is a figure of speech in which a pair of opposing or contradictory terms are used together for emphasis. as in the verses «O quarrelsome love! O loving hate! Oh, nothing that is created first! Oh heavy lightness, grave vanity!» Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
3. Paradox. A statement or proposition that is self-contradictory, irrational, or illogical, similar to an oxymoron, but without the need for opposites. For example, “This statement is a lie.” Paradoxes should not be confused with issues such as the time paradox, which is a plot device and not a narrative technique.

sound figures

The sound figures refer to the figures of diction that are capable of introducing a sound in a writing, within these are:

1. Alliteration. Alliteration is considered an example of figurative language, although it does not involve rhetorical figures. This is a sound resource that adds additional meaning to the literal language of the text. Occurs when a series of words begin with the same letter sound, such as “wicked witch” or “from the fatal loins of these two enemies.” This can help build images or moods, hence the connection to figurative language.
2. Assonance. This resource consists of the repetition of vowel sounds and is described as a partial rhyme in which the stressed vowel sounds can be different. “I am a distant and latent rose that seeks to feel your embrace, your kiss and your fire” is an example of this figure.
3. Onomatopoeia. In onomatopoeia the words sound like what they describe. Sound effects like “tick-tock” and “ding-dong” are everyday examples, as are words like “zap” and “hiccups.” Sometimes individual words are not onomatopoeic, but they will be in the context of the words around them, as in Edgar Allan Poe’s “suddenly there came a knocking, as of someone gently knocking, knocking on my bedroom door.”

verbal games

Punning , also known as paronomasia, takes advantage of the different meanings of a word or its homonyms, for humorous or rhetorical effect, such as “the two pianists had a good marriage . They were always in tune.” Another example of a play on words is “I’m crazy, crazy, and she’s crazy / I put it on and she takes it off.”

Within this figure we also find the idiomatic , which are non-literal turns (expressions) common among people who speak the same language and according to region and culture.

Mistakes

Mistakes in figurative language are often used for comic effect that are often considered slip-ups, but can be used deliberately for a variety of purposes. Within this we find the malapropism that consists of using words that do not have the meaning that one intends but that sound similar to others that do. “What a pretty statue” or “I’m afraid of bats” are examples of this error.

Sources

• Figurative language. Some definitions and examples. At REEDCOLLEGE.
• Figurative language. Definition and examples of literary terms. In Literary Devices .