Analyse the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone
key notes :
What are Figures of Speech?
- Figures of speech are special ways of using words to create interesting, imaginative, or vivid meanings.
- They help writers and speakers express ideas more clearly, creatively, and with emotion.
Why are Figures of Speech Important?
- They make writing more engaging and memorable.
- They help create a specific tone (the writer’s attitude or feeling).
- They affect the meaning by adding depth, humor, or emotion.
✍️ Common Figures of Speech and Their Effects
| Figure of Speech | Definition | Effect on Meaning and Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | A comparison using “like” or “as” | Makes descriptions vivid and helps the reader imagine more clearly. |
| Metaphor | A direct comparison (without “like” or “as”) | Adds strong imagery and emotion. Can create a serious, poetic, or thoughtful tone. |
| Personification | Giving human qualities to non-human things | Adds life, emotion, and can create a friendly or dramatic tone. |
| Hyperbole | An extreme exaggeration | Emphasizes feelings or actions; often used for humor or excitement. |
| Alliteration | Repeating the same sound at the start of words | Creates rhythm and musical tone; draws attention to important ideas. |
| Onomatopoeia | Words that sound like their meaning (e.g. bang, buzz) | Adds sound effects and brings writing to life; creates excitement or tension. |
🎯 How to Analyse the Effects
- What figure of speech is being used?
- What does it help the reader understand?
- How does it make the writing sound or feel? (Happy, sad, serious, funny, etc.)
Learn with an example
Select the personification in the passage.
I pulled the pink woollen cap down over my ears and tugged my coat closed near my throat. Despite my bundled layers, January’s teeth bit sharp. My fingers had lost all feeling. Pieces of my hair, frozen crisp to my collar, tore as I turned my head. So I thought of August.
My eyes dropped closed.
And then they opened.
A Russian soldier was there.
He leaned over me with a light, poking my shoulder with his pistol.
The speaker gives January human traits by referring to its teeth and its bite. This is an example of personification.
Select the hyperbole in the passage.
Now I stared out the window, wondering if those houses with lights had trees up already and if there were presents under them. The Christmas before last, I’d gotten so much stuff, I thought I’d never stop unwrapping. Most of it was still in Denver somewhere. Stuffed animals, games, clothes, gone. Even the ring Daddy had given me with TOSWIAH engraved into the gold.
The narrator says she thought she would never stop unwrapping her presents, which is clearly an exaggeration. This is an example of hyperbole.
let’s practice!
