Roll No:- 03.
Paper No:- 07(Literary Criticism II)
Email id:- hitaxidave81@gmail.com
Topic:- Types of figurative language
Submitted to:- Maharaja
Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Figurative language is when you use a word or phrase that
does not have its normal everyday literal meaning. By using Figurative Language
authors make use of this effectively through giving you visuals and mental
pictures to help get their point across.
Through appealing to ones imagination the author is making efficient use of
Figurative language. Through this technique an author can get his point across
without using as much detail in the explanation. Another useful way that the
author can use symbolic language effectively is through appealing to our
Senses. There are several ways in which an author can make effective use of
non-literal language; all of which are more entertaining appeal to the reader
and hide meaning within the poem.
Figurative Language which appeals to the senses is called
imagery. It appeals to your senses, i.e…hearing, taste, touch, smell, and
sight. Through this type of literary technique the post is able to allow the
reader to experiences his sensations. For example in the poem “Grief Of Mind”
by Edward De Vere, he describes his grief of mind as “ eating in every vein.”
This quote can allow us the readers to share the pain that he must be feeling
as a result of grief. We recognize the feeling as a result of physical pain as
described, which is more recognizable to the average person, and we apply it to the mental pain that he is
suffering. This allows the readers to grasp a better concept of what is being
felt. This author uses figurative language, a metaphor comparing his mental
pain, his veins being eaten effectively. We as readers can now relate to the
pain of what he is suffering through the authors’s ability to use figurative
language effectively.
Figurative Language is a tool that an author employs to help the reader
visualize what is happening in a story or poem. The use of multiple types of elements
adds to the strength, depth, and quality of figurative language through a
literary work. Here are some types of
figurative language i.e…Aliteration, Hyperbole, Simile, Personificatin,
Allusion, Imagery, Symbolisim.
Metaphor:-
A comparison between two seemingly unlike things.
From John Donne’s poem “ The Sun Rising”
“she is all states, and all princes,
I”
John Donne, a metaphysical poet was well known for his
abundant use of metaphors throughout his poetical works. In his famous work “
the sun rising” the speaker scolds the sun for waking up him and his lover.
Among the most evocative metaphors in literature. This above line demonstrates
the speaker’s belief that he and his lover are richer than all states,
kingdoms, and rulers in all the world because of the love that they share.
Simile:- A
comparison between two seemingly unlike things using like or as.
From Robert Burns poem “ my love is like a red red rose.”
“o my love is like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in june,’
O my love is like the melodie,
That sweetly play in tune
As fair art thou my bonie lass,”
burns compares his love to not
just a rose to not just a red rose, to not just a red red rose, but a newly
sprung red red rose. He compares his love not to just a melody nor to a sweetly
played melody in tune. He finishes by claming his love as equal to her beauty.
Personification;- giving
human characteristics to inanimate object.
From Wordworth’s poem “ I wandered lonely as a cloud”
“ I wandered lonely as a cloud”
Wordsworth reflects upon an
experience he has with nature and embodies it with human characteristics. To
the poet nature is alive and full of joy. The poem compares nature to the
universe and the need for one to be one with it.
Allusion:- A reference to a famous persons, events or
other literary work.
From Edger Alan Poe’s poem “ The
Raven”
“ Perched upon a bust of Pallas
just above my chamber door,
Is there is there balm in gilead
tell me tell me I implore”
Here are two allusion one to
pallas to show the burst of wisdom as pallas is the greek goddess of wisdom.
The other is more obscure “ balm in giled” is an old statement that was used to
ask if there was comfort in the world.
Apostrophe:- A speech given to
inanimate objects. An idea or someone who is dead.
“ Death be not proud, through some
have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art
not so,
For, those whom thou think’st, thou
dost overthrow,
Die not, poor death, nor yet cant
thou kill me.”
The poet talks to death an abstract idea as if it were a
person capabale of comprehending his
feelings.
Hyperbole:- A deliberate exaggeration.
From W.H. Auden’s poem “as I walked one evening”
“ I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love
you
Till China
and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the
mountain
And the salmon sing in the street,
I’ll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry”
The use of
hyperbole can be noticed in the above lines. The meeting of China and Africa,
the jumping of the river over the mountain, singing, of salmon in the street
and the ocean being folded and hung up to be dried are exaggerations not possible in real life.
Pun:- when a word or phrase is used with two
different meanings.
From John Donne’s poem “ The Flea”
“ It sucks me first and now sucks
thee
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be”
The two individual’s blood mixed in the flea who has bitten
them both. The phrase also refers to intercourse, a common event in the lives of newlyweds.
A poet writes to communicate and language is the means of
that communication. Language is made of words and hence a study of words is all
important if we are to understand the meaning of a work of art. According to
I.A.Richards words carry four kinds of meaning or to be more precise the total
meaning of a word depends upon four factors, i.e sense, feeling, tone and
intention.
1. Sense is what is said or the ‘items’ referred to by a
writer.
2. Feeling refers to emotions, emotional attitudes will,
desire, pleasure, displeasure and the rest.
3. Tone is the writer’s attitude to his readers or audience.
The use of language is determined by the writer’s recognition of his reaction
to his readers.
4.Intention is the writer’s aim which may be conscious or
unconscious. It refers to the effect that he tries to produce. This purpose
modifies the expression.
A proper
understanding of figurative language requires close reading. Its literal sense must be carefully followed but
such literal reading must not come in the way of imaginative appreciation of
it. As Richards puts that, “ the chemist must not require that the poet
writes like a chemist nor a moralist not the man of affairs nor the logician ,
nor the professors that he writers as they
would the whole trouble of literalism is that reader forgets that the
aim of the poem come first and is the soul justification of its means. We
cannot legitimately judge its means by external standards which may have no
relevance to its success in doing what is set out to do.”
Multiple literary devices and elements are commonly used in
the category of figurative language. Applying the right elements in making
specific points in writing is necessary to make figurative language work.
Regardless of the tool, figurative language strengthes or makes a point more
compelling and effective. Some figurative language is used to expand beyond the
literal narrative in the story hyperbole, symbolism, personification, allusion
are the example of it. In creative writing , some figurative language tools
simply increase the creativity of the writing and imagery is the best example
of it. This series will explore the basic types of figurative language that you
are likely to encounter in high school and every university settings without knowledge of these getting good
grades is not a likely outcome and succeeding in upper level literature courses
will simply not happen.
Figurative language uses words deviating from their proper
meanings in order to achieve a more complicated understanding or heightened
effect. Figurative language is often achieved by presenting words in order for
them to be equated, compared, or associated with other normally unrelated words
or meanings. Literal usage gives words their proper meaning they have by
themselves outside any figure of speech. It maintains a consistence meaning
regardless of the context with the intended meaning corresponding exactly to
the meaning of the individuals words. Figurative use of language is the use of
words or phrases that implies a non- literal meaning which does make sense or
that could be true.
Aristotle and later the Roman Quintilian were among the
early analysts of rhetoric who expounded on the differences between literal and
figurative language.
Conclusion;
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very well written...
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