apostrophe figure of speech definition and examples

Literary Devices

Literary devices, terms, and elements, definition of apostrophe.

More commonly known as a punctuation mark, apostrophe can also refer to an exclamatory figure of speech. The definition of apostrophe as a literary device is when a speaker breaks off from addressing one party and instead addresses a third party. This third party may be an individual, either present or absent in the scene. It can also be an inanimate object, like a dagger, or an abstract concept, such as death or the sun. Because there is a clear speaker and change of addressee, apostrophe is most commonly found in plays. It does, however, sometimes occur in poetry and prose.

The word apostrophe comes from the Greek for “turning back.” It was common in Greek drama and works like Homer’s Odyssey . In cases such as Homer’s Odyssey , apostrophe usually occurs when the otherwise impersonal narrator intrudes in the storyline to provide information or commentary. This use of apostrophe—where a narrator interrupts the action to provide commentary—was also popular in works of literature in the nineteenth- to mid-twentieth centuries. Examples of apostrophe in these cases occur in works with an omniscient third-person point of view.

Difference Between Apostrophe as a Literary Device and Apostrophe as a Punctuation Mark

Both senses of the word “apostrophe” come from the original Greek meaning “turning back” or “turning away.” Apostrophe as a punctuation mark took on the meaning of “elision” and therefore is used when letters are omitted and sounds are elided. In English, for example, we use apostrophes when contracted “I am” to “I’m,” “we have” to “we’ve,” “do not” to “don’t,” and so on.

The apostrophe definition as a literary device, on the other hand, evolved to the turning from one addressee to another. Therefore, though the terms have similar origins, their meanings are very different.

Common Examples of Apostrophe

Many of us are familiar with using apostrophe without realizing it. Apostrophe occurs we address our car on a cold day, either pleading with it to start or yelling at it when it doesn’t. Or perhaps we get an email from someone and start responding out loud, knowing that the person won’t hear the message. In this way, though apostrophe may seem unnatural in the context of plays and omniscient narrators addressing the audience, it is, in fact, perfectly natural in our daily lives. Apostrophe is also found in popular songs and other media. For example:

• “Ugh, cell phone, why won’t you load my messages?”
• (While speaking on the phone with someone) “Hold, on, my kid’s going crazy— Jim, come back here, stop running with scissors. ”
• “Oh, Starbucks, how I love you! Your medium dark roast allowed me to survive that meeting!”
• “Oh what a world it seems we live in.” –Rufus Wainwright (song)
• “O holy night! The stars are brightly shining!” (Christmas carol)

Significance of Apostrophe in Literature

Apostrophe has been a part of storytelling since Greek drama, and perhaps before. It provides a way for the storyteller to switch gears, add his or her own commentary, or state feelings inspired by abstract concepts. Many examples of apostrophe in English begin with the exclamatory sound “O,” to signify a change in the addressee. By addressing a person who is not present or an inanimate object that cannot feel or express emotions, a character is instead showing their own inner state.

Examples of Apostrophe in Literature

JULIET: Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die.

( Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)

Near the very end of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , the tragic heroine Juliet awakes from her sleeping draught to find Romeo dead. In this apostrophe example, Juliet takes Romeo’s dagger and addresses it. It is ironically “happy”—it will take her to her death to be joined once again with Romeo. The drama of this scene is that Juliet can no longer address her love, who is dead, and must instead consult an inanimate object in her final moment.

HAMLET: Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath bore me on his back a thousand times, and now how abhorr’d in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it.

( Hamlet by William Shakespeare)

In this famous line from Hamlet by Shakespeare, the main character Hamlet happens to be strolling through a graveyard with his friend Horatio when two clowns dig up the skull of Hamlet’s former acquaintance Yorick, a court jester. Hamlet picks up the skull and addresses it—“Alas, poor Yorick!”—then turns back to address his friend Horatio. Addressing the skull makes Hamlet contemplate, once again, the concept of death and decay.

ANTONY: O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! Thou art the ruins of the noblest man That ever livèd in the tide of times.

( Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare)

Antony is addressing the bloody corpse of Julius Caesar and apologizing to it than he is not being more forceful with the men (“these butchers” who led to Caesar’s murder. Antony calls Caesar “thou bleeding piece of earth,” acknowledging that Caesar no longer has any power to respond. Yet Antony, overcome with remorse and grief, feels the need to both apologize to Caesar and praise Caesar’s virtues even after death.

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

(“Holy Sonnet 10” by John Dunne)

John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet 10” addresses Death as a concept and inspired a famous novel of the same name by John Gunther. Donne’s point is that, while some are awed and in fear of death, the personified Death has nothing to be proud of. Inspiring awe and fear in others is not something that anyone should strive for, in Donne’s opinion.

Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down; The voice I hear this passing night was heard In ancient days by emperor and clown…

(“Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats)

The ode form of poetry was a favorite of John Keats, who wrote six major odes in the year 1819. Odes are usually directed to an inanimate object or person who is not present, reciting their positive characteristics. Thus, odes usually have some form of apostrophe. In this case, Keats declares to the nightingale, “Thou wast not born for death.” He notes that the song of the nightingale has been heard for generations and should never cease.

And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.

( East of Eden by John Steinbeck)

The narrator in John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden often turns away from the action and addresses the audience directly with his own opinions of the action. The narrator also often makes sweeping statements about the truth of human nature, which often occur at the beginning of chapters to introduce them thematically. In this example of apostrophe, the narrator discusses his beliefs about freedom or the mind and free will.

Test Your Knowledge of Apostrophe

1. Choose the correct definition of apostrophe as a literary device: A. A punctuation mark that stands in place of omitted letters. B. An exclamatory figure of speech when a character turns from addressing one party to another party or inanimate object. C. The act of omitting information necessary to the plot to keep readers guessing. [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #1″] Answer: B is the correct answer.[/spoiler]

2. Why is the following excerpt from Shakespeare’s Macbeth an example of apostrophe as a literary device?

Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?

A. Macbeth is talking to a friend named Dagger. B. Macbeth is gripping a real dagger and telling a friend about its qualities. C. Macbeth is addressing an imaginary dagger and assigning it qualities. [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #2″] Answer: C is the best answer.[/spoiler]

3. Which of the following quotes from Herman Melville’s story “Bartleby, the Scrivener” is an example of apostrophe? A. Ah Bartleby! Ah Humanity! B. I would prefer not to. C. Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance. [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #3″] Answer: A is an example of apostrophe. B is the most famous line from the story, yet Bartleby addresses it to a person directing commands at him, and thus it is not apostrophe.[/spoiler]

Figures of Speech: The Apostrophe as a Literary Device

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In addition to being a punctuation mark, an apostrophe is a  figure of speech in which some absent or nonexistent person or thing is addressed as if present and capable of understanding. Also known as a turne tale , aversio , and aversion , apostrophes are more often found in poetry than in  prose .

An apostrophe is a form of personification  that essayist Brendan McGuigan describes in "Rhetorical Devices" as "a forceful, emotional device" most ideally used in "creative writing and  persuasive  essays that lean heavily on emotional strength." However, McGuigan goes on to say that "in  formal  persuasive and informative essays, using apostrophe might seem a bit melodramatic and distracting."

To provide a bit of context, look no further than the famous poem by Jane Taylor turned modern-day nursery rhyme "The Star," written in 1806, which calls out to the celestial body of a star saying, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star,/How I wonder what you are." In this case, the apostrophe speaks directly to an inanimate star "up above the world so high," personifying it and pondering how it's doing.

The device is also used in the carol "Oh Christmas Tree" as people sing not only ​ about the cherished holiday topiary but to it.

Importance of Apostrophe in Poetry, Prose, and Song

As a form of  direct address  to an inanimate object, apostrophe serves to further poetic imagery and often emphasizes the emotional weight of objects in our everyday world. The figure of speech serves a vital function in everyone from Mary Shelley's works ( "Scoffing devil! Again do I vow vengeance" from "Frankenstein" to Simon & Garfunkel's hit smash "The Sound of Silence" ("Hello darkness, my old friend,/I’ve come to talk with you again").

Apostrophe happens in Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" as the narrator starts out speaking to an absent "thee": "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" It also appears in the play "Hamlet" when the title character is in a rage about his mother marrying Claudius. Hamlet calls out to the abstraction "frailty" in Act 1: "Frailty, thy name is woman!"

In Edgar Allen Poe's works, he distinctly speaks to a raven sitting "upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door as if it could understand him in the poem of the same name, and in the poem "To One in Paradise," he starts out addressing his love (absent from the scene) thus: "Thou wast all that to me, love."

Just as in poetry, the literary device comes up in song often, such as any time that the words are directed to someone not able to hear. Or in addressing the inanimate. In the smash #1 hit by the doo-wop group the Marcels from 1961, the "Blue Moon" is addressed: "Blue moon, you saw me standing alone/without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own." 

Categorically, apostrophe fits into the English vernacular as part of the  irony  family alongside aporia—a figure of speech in which the speaker expresses real or simulated doubt on a topic—wherein the speaker of an apostrophe obviously understands that the subject cannot truly understand the words but instead uses the speech to emphasize his or her description of that object.

More Examples From Pop Culture

Next time you're watching your favorite television show, take a moment to see if you can spot any clever usage of apostrophes from the characters—you might be shocked at how often this figure of speech is utilized to help actors convey their messages to audiences.

Even as early as Grecian times when Homer wrote "The Odyssey," apostrophes were used as literary devices to break from addressing the primary audience to instead speak to a third party, with the relatively impersonal narrator occasionally butting in to break the third wall and inform the audience members of some plot device they may have missed. 

In modern times, television shows—especially comedies—often use this feature to call out to their audiences. Such is the case when characters on "Battlestar Galactica" call out "Frakking toasters" every time something goes wrong on the spaceship, with the toasters in questions being the humanoid Cylons whose goal is to destroy the remaining human population on board. 

When "Star Trek"'s Captain James Kirk waves his fist in the air and yells "Khaaan!" at his absent nemesis, that's also a use of apostrophe .

In the movie "Cast Away," to keep from losing his mind, the character Chuck Noland, played by Tom Hanks, talks to a volleyball, Wilson. Fortunately, it doesn't talk back.

Although most commonly used in spoken rhetoric, apostrophes can also come into play in written forms; such is the case in a famous example of a cigarette advertisement firm addressing young audiences in its ad—who couldn't buy the product—to appeal to older audiences who long to re-experience the proverbial "youth" the cigarette marketer was trying to sell.

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The Other Kind of 'Apostrophe'

What to Know As a literary device, apostrophe refers to a speech or address to a person who is not present or to a personified object, such as Yorick's skull in Hamlet. It comes from the Greek word apostrephein which means "to turn away."

You are already familiar with the punctuation mark known as the apostrophe . It’s used chiefly in tandem with an s to indicate possession (as in Joe’s car ) or in contractions to stand in for letters that are elided (as in couldn’t or you’ll ).

Apostrophe's Other Use

If you study drama or rhetoric, you will be familiar with an entirely different idea of apostrophe —that is, the making of a speech or address to an absent person or a thing that is personified (such as Death).

As Love’s play begins, she stands tense and exhausted on her front porch, surrounded by red, rolling sky, pulling on a cigarette and staring into the void. She speaks aloud a letter she’s writing to someone called Ruby, then falters, turns the paper over, and begins to write to God instead. (Love’s play features an epigraph from Alice Walker’s The Color Purple , and the novel’s influence is present throughout, especially in Olivia’s apostrophes to God.) — Sara Holdren, Vulture , 15 Oct. 2018

'Trophe or not 'trophe

A commonly cited instance of apostrophe occurs in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet , when Hamlet comes across the skull of the jester Yorick, which has been exhumed. “Alas, poor Yorick!” he says, calling his old friend “a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.” He then turns back to address Yorick by way of the skull:

Ham. Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? — William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Apostrophe can consist of one speaking to an inanimate object—such as how Tom Hanks's character addresses the volleyball named Wilson in the film Cast Away (2000). It can occur as a figure of speech, as in the old advertising slogan "Calgon, take me away!"

Origin of 'Apostrophe'

The words for both the punctuation mark and the dramatic device come from a Greek verb, apostrephein , meaning “to turn away.” But they took slightly different paths en route to English, with the dramatic device passing through Latin and the punctuation through Late Latin and French.

The adjective apostrophic pertains to the dramatic device:

"Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Chicken" was, apparently, written with a total lack of irony. It includes a stanza full of apostrophic plea to meat substitutes: "Oh soy 'chicken,' where are your bones? / Where shall I get broth, rich in minerals? / Oh soy 'chicken,' where is your fat? / Without Jewish penicillin, how to cure my husband's cold?" — Kathleen Alcott, The New Yorker , 22 June 2015

The verb strephein , meaning “to turn” in Greek, is found in other words pertaining to the art of rhetoric. One is anastrophe (the inversion of the usual syntactical order of words for rhetorical effect), often referred to as Yoda-speak , for the sagacious Star Wars character known for speaking in object-subject-verb syntax. An example comes from Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield (1848): "Talent, Mr. Micawber has; capital, Mr. Micawber has not." Epistrophe is the repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses (such as Abraham Lincoln's "of the people, by the people, for the people"). And we would be remiss if we didn’t bring up catastrophe , which to most people means an utter failure or disaster, but in theater refers to the final action that completes the unraveling of a dramatic plot.

And while we’d hate to end our article on apostrophe on such a catastrophic turn, them’s the breaks.

Want more? Read our list of Common rhetorical devices !

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Apostrophe Literary Device — Definition and Examples

What is an apostrophe as a literary device?

An apostrophe is a literary device writers use to address someone or something that is not physically present. The subject may be dead, absent, inanimate, or abstract.

The literary device should not be confused with the punctuation mark. As a punctuation mark, the apostrophe forms contractions (e.g., cannot = can’t) or shows possession (e.g., Mike’s dog).

An apostrophe refers to an address to someone or something not physically present.

The subject being addressed can be dead, absent, inanimate, or abstract.

The literary device is used both in everyday language and literary works.

Apostrophe as a figure of speech does not relate to the apostrophe as a punctuation mark.

Functions of an apostrophe

The function of an apostrophe depends upon who or what is being addressed:

Apostrophe examples

The following examples illustrate the use of apostrophes in everyday speech, film, and music:

Apostrophe examples in poetry

Examples of apostrophes in poetry include the following:

Apostrophe examples in literature

Examples of apostrophes from literature include the following:

What is Apostrophe? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples

Apostrophe definition.

An  apostrophe  (uh-POSS-truh-fee) is when a writer or speaker addresses someone who isn’t present or isn’t alive, an inanimate object, an abstract idea, or an imaginary figure.

In  poetry  and  theatre , apostrophes may initiate with an exclamation from the speaker, such as “Oh!”, but this tendency isn’t as frequently used today. However, apostrophes are still present in literature, theatre, music, film, television, and everyday life.

The term  apostrophe  comes from the Greek  apostrophos , meaning “turning away” or “turning back.” This refers to the writer or speaker turning away from the present audience to begin this address.

Examples of Apostrophe

In daily life, an apostrophe may appear as follows:

• “Ugh, laptop, why won’t you turn on?”
• “Grandma, if you were still here today, I wonder what it would’ve been like to know you.”
• “Mom, thank God you’re out of town—otherwise, I’d have to explain how I managed to flood the house.”

In each instance, the speaker is addressing someone or something that can’t respond.

Why Writers Use Apostrophes

Writers tend to use apostrophe to express emotions, providing the audience with insight to a character’s mind or emotional state. With the addressee unable to hear what the character is saying, the latter can speak freely. Consequently, apostrophes allow the audience to relate to or connect with the character more strongly.

Apostrophe vs. Personification

Apostrophe and  personification  can seem rather similar because both literary devices handle inanimate objects. In apostrophe, speakers can address inanimate objects. However, personification goes further, attributing lifelike characteristics to these objects.

For example, “The old car’s engine wheezed and shuddered as I turned the key in the ignition” would be an example of personification because it attributes lifelike abilities like wheezing and shuddering to the car engine. On the other hand, someone saying “Ugh, car, why won’t you start?” is an example of apostrophe—the inanimate object is addressed as if it can understand, but it isn’t explicitly given lifelike abilities.

Apostrophes in Other Forms

Apostrophes in Poetry

Poetry , especially poetry dating prior to the mid-20th century, makes generous use of apostrophes, primarily for the same effect as in prose: conveying emotion more freely. Some poetic forms use apostrophes so commonly that the device has become an expected inclusion. These forms include elegies and  odes  and can include ballades and  sestinas  if they have a dedication to a particular person, abstraction, deity, or inanimate object.

Apostrophes Outside of Literature

Theatre, television, and film often use apostrophes to give the audience a sense of the character’s thoughts, such as when  Romeo and Juliet ’s Juliet says “O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die,” expressing her plan to join Romeo in death by stabbing herself.

However, apostrophe makes an appearance in another medium: music. One notable example is in Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence,” which opens with the apostrophe “Hello darkness, my old friend / I’ve come to talk with you again.” This sets the tone for the song, providing the listener with an insight into the speaker’s emotional state.

Examples of Apostrophe in Literature

1. Mary Shelley,  Frankenstein

This excerpt from Shelley’s classic novel depicts Victor Frankenstein’s emotional state after agreeing to make a companion for the Creature:

Night was far advanced when I came to the halfway resting-place and seated myself beside the fountain. The stars shone at intervals as the clouds passed from over them; the dark pines rose before me, and every here and there a broken tree lay on the ground; it was a scene of wonderful solemnity and stirred strange thoughts within me. I wept bitterly, and clasping my hands in agony, I exclaimed,  “Oh! Stars and clouds and winds, ye are all about to mock me; if ye really pity me, crush sensation and memory; let me become as nought; but if not, depart, depart, and leave me in darkness.”  [bold for emphasis]

Faced with the fact that he would need to create a female companion for the Creature, who would follow him until he completes this task, Victor breaks down in anguish.

2. William Shakespeare,  Hamlet

In this iconic scene, the titular character addresses a skull:

Alas, poor Yorick!  I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times, and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. — Where be your gibes now? Your gambols? Your songs? Your flashes of merriment that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now to mock your own grinning? Quite chapfallen? Now get you to my lady’s chamber and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favor she must come. Make her laugh at that.  [bold for emphasis]

By having Hamlet address Yorick’s skull,  Shakespeare  demonstrates two of the play’s central elements: mortality and Hamlet’s potential madness.

3. Emily Dickinson, Good Night! Which put the Candle out?

Dickinson’s apostrophe sets the scene for the  poem :

Good Night! Which put the Candle out?

A jealous Zephyr — not a doubt —

Ah, friend, you little knew

How long at that celestial wick

The Angels — labored diligent —

Extinguished — now — for you!

In the excerpt, the speaker addresses the night when asking how the candle blew out. The speaker then goes on to address the “zephyr,” or breeze that extinguished the light.

Further Resources on Apostrophe

KidsKonnect  has activities and worksheets available for this literary device.

Related Terms

• Figure of Speech
• Personification

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Definition & Examples of Apostrophe

Apostrophe (etymologically derived from the Greek word apostrophein, literally meaning “to turn away”), is a rhetorical device which consists when an orator interrupts the flow of the discourse; turning his attention from his immediate audience, to address some person or other objects different from that to which the discourse was at first directed.

This figure is seldom used; but when it is used, it is usually in a fashion of violent commotion, which the speaker turns himself on all sides, and appeals to the living and the dead, to angels and to men, to rocks, groves, and rivers, for the justice of his cause, or calls upon them to sympathize with his joy, grief, or resentment.

The tone of voice to be employed in pronouncing this figure is as various as the passions it assumes; but as these passions are generally very vehement, a higher and louder tone of voice is generally necessary in the apostrophe than in that part of the oration that precedes it. When we address inanimate things, especially if they are supposed to be distant, the voice must rise in height and loudness, as if the speaker were resolved to make them hear him.

Literary Works Featuring Apostrophe

In Shakespearean Opens in new window Julius Caesar Opens in new window , Mark Antony uses apostrophe when he turns from the assasins to address Caesar’s corpse:

— (Julius Caesar 3.1.194).

With the correlation of this illustration, apostrophe consists in amplifying a speech with heightened vocal tone. In the same manner, as observed above, we may presume that Cicero Opens in new window made a fine pronouncement of apostrophe in his Oration for Milo Opens in new window , when, speaking of the death of Clodius Opens in new window , as thus:

• O ye judges! It was not by human counsel, nor by any thing less than the immediate care of the immortal gods, that this event has taken place. The very divinities themselves, who beheld that monster fall, seemed to be moved, and to have inflicted their vengeance upon him. I appeal to, I call to witness, you, O ye hills and groves of Alba! you, the demolished Alban stars! ever accounted holy by the Romans, and coёval with our religion, but which Clodius, in his mad fury, having first cut down and deveiled the most sacred groves, had sunk under heaps of common buildings; I appeal to you, I call you to witness, whether your altars, your divinities, your powers, which he had polluted with all kinds of wickedness, did not avenge themselves when this wretch was extirpated? And thou, O holy Jupiter! from the height of thy sacred mount, whose lakes, groves, and boundaries, he had so often contaminated with his detestable impurities; - and you, the other deities, whom he had insulted, at length opened your eyes to punish this enormous offender. By you, by you, and in your sight, was the slow, but the righteous and merited vengeance executed upon him.

In pronouncing this passage, it is required that the speaker must raise his voice at I appeal, &c. and, with a force and rapidity bordering on enthusiasm, continue the voice in this pitch till the invocation of Jupiter Opens in new window , who, as the supreme being, is supposed to be present, and to be too sacred to be addressed with the same violence as inanimate objects; for which reason the speaker must lower his voice into a solemn monotone Opens in new window , and continue in his lower tone with increasing force to the end.

Other Examples of Apostrophe

— (Williams Wordsworth)

— (Austin Dobson)

An excerpt from Dryden’s All for Loce: Cleopatra’s address to the serpent, with which she was about to poison:

— (Dryden, All for Love)

In the tragedy of Douglas, Lady Randolph accounting for the loss of her son:

• “That very night in which my son was born, My nurse, the only confident I had, Set out with him to reach her sister’s house; But nurse nor infant have I ever seen, Nor heard of Anna since that fatal hour. My murder’d child! had thy fond mother feared The loss of thee, she had loud fame defied, Despised her father’s rage, her father’s grief, And wander’d with thee through the scorning world.”

Figures of Pathos

•  Dialogismus Opens in new window
•  Personification Opens in new window
• John Walker, A Rhetorical Grammar: In which Improprieties in Reading and Speaking are [...] Apostrophe Opens in new window
• Alexander Jamieson, A Grammar of Rhetoric and Polite Literature . Apostrophe Opens in new window
• Theresa Enos, Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition, Apostrophe Opens in new window

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What Is an Apostrophe? Definition & 20+ Examples

Ever wondered how we could breathe life into inanimate objects or distant concepts with language?

Welcome to the enchanting world of apostrophe in figure of speech. It’s not just a punctuation mark; it’s a powerful literary device where a speaker breaks off from addressing one party and instead addresses a third party. This party can be an inanimate object, an absent individual, or even an abstract concept.

Let’s explore this intriguing linguistic art form and discover how it illuminates human emotion in profound and unexpected ways.

Table of Contents

Apostrophe as a Figure of Speech

Definition and origin.

Apostrophe, as a figure of speech, is a fascinating and powerful rhetorical device that serves to lend expressive depth and emphasis to a speaker’s words.

This device involves a deliberate shift in the discourse, allowing a speaker or writer to address an individual, an abstract concept, an inanimate object, or even an absent or imaginary entity directly, as though it were capable of responding.

The term ‘apostrophe’ comes from the ancient Greek word ‘apostrophé’, which translates to “a turning away”. This describes the speaker’s act of diverting their discourse from the intended audience to address another, often non-present, entity.

Apostrophe should not be confused with the punctuation mark of the same name; they are different concepts despite sharing the same term.

Rhetorical Purpose

In the realm of rhetoric, apostrophe operates as a multidimensional device that can be used to create a profound impact on the audience. This figure of speech serves several purposes, with one of the most significant being its ability to evoke intense emotions within the audience.

When a speaker uses apostrophe to address an abstract idea or a non-human entity directly, they create an interactive dynamic that fosters a sense of connection between the audience and the subject matter. This conversational tone, created by a discourse directed at an entity that is not physically present or able to respond, paradoxically draws the audience in closer.

The audience becomes an active participant in the discourse as they grapple with the emotional depth and the implications of the speaker’s words.

Examples in Literature and Poetry

Apostrophe has been widely used by various writers and poets throughout the history of literature. This figure of speech can add depth and emotional resonance to their work, as well as provide a unique perspective on the themes being explored. Here are a few examples:

Shakespeare’s Works

William Shakespeare’s works provide many examples of the use of apostrophe. Here are a few:

• “Macbeth” (Act 1, Scene 5): Lady Macbeth, upon reading her husband’s letter about the witches’ prophecy, addresses an absent Macbeth:

Here, Lady Macbeth uses apostrophe to express her ambitions and desires for Macbeth’s future, even though he’s not present.

• “Romeo and Juliet” (Act 2, Scene 2): In this famous scene, Romeo addresses Juliet, who is physically present but unaware of his presence:

Though Juliet is not absent, the use of apostrophe here underlines Romeo’s feelings of love and admiration for her, as well as the distance between them.

• “Julius Caesar” (Act 3, Scene 1): Mark Antony addresses the body of the slain Julius Caesar:
• “Hamlet” (Act 1, Scene 2): Hamlet addresses his dead father in a monologue:

By addressing his father and God, Hamlet uses apostrophe to express his grief, despair, and thoughts of suicide following his father’s death.

• Sonnet 18 : In one of his most famous sonnets, Shakespeare speaks to the abstract concept of a summer’s day:

By addressing the summer’s day directly, Shakespeare uses apostrophe to highlight the beauty of the person to whom the sonnet is addressed, making a comparison with the loveliness of a summer’s day.

John Keats’ Works

John Keats, a renowned Romantic poet, often employed apostrophe in his poetry to enhance the emotional depth and lyrical beauty of his work. Here are some examples:

• “Ode to a Nightingale” : Keats addresses the nightingale directly throughout this ode:

In this piece, Keats employs apostrophe to convey his longing for the peace and oblivion that the song of the nightingale symbolizes.

• “Ode on a Grecian Urn” : This poem is an extended apostrophe where Keats addresses an ancient Greek urn:

Here, Keats uses the apostrophe to express his admiration for the timeless beauty and mystery of the urn and its depicted scenes.

• “To Autumn” : In this ode, Keats directly addresses the season of autumn:

By addressing autumn, Keats personifies the season, allowing him to express his deep appreciation for its richness and tranquility.

• “Ode to Psyche” : Keats addresses the Greek goddess Psyche:

Through this direct address, Keats elevates Psyche while also highlighting his own desire to worship and celebrate her.

John Donne’s Works

John Donne, a metaphysical poet known for his innovative and intense verse, made frequent use of the figure of speech apostrophe in his work. Here are several examples:

• “Death, be not proud” (Holy Sonnet 10) : The entire poem is an extended apostrophe, with Donne addressing Death as though it were a person:

Here, Donne defies Death’s perceived power, insisting it’s not as invincible and fearsome as it is often portrayed.

• “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” : Donne addresses his absent beloved:

This address to his absent beloved conveys the depth of their bond, expressing a sense of unity even in separation.

• “The Sun Rising” : Donne opens this poem by chastising the sun:

By addressing the sun directly, Donne personifies it, turning it into a disruptive character that disturbs the lovers’ peace.

• “Batter my heart, three-person’d God” (Holy Sonnet 14) : Donne addresses God directly:

Donne uses apostrophe to express his fervent desire for spiritual renewal and transformation.

• “A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy’s Day” : Donne addresses the abstract concept of the ‘end of love’:

By personifying the ‘end of love’ , Donne amplifies his feelings of loss and desolation.

Addressing Absent Entities and Inanimate Objects

Apostrophe, as a figure of speech, allows a speaker or writer to address entities that are absent or inanimate as if they were present, capable of understanding, or even responding.

This rhetorical device can be used to express strong emotions, elicit particular reactions from an audience, or personify non-human entities or concepts. Here are a few points of expansion on the topic:

Abstract Ideas and Qualities

The use of apostrophe to address abstract concepts, qualities, or ideas is a powerful literary device that allows poets and writers to bring intangible elements to life, enhancing the richness and depth of their work.

Personification of Abstract Entities

When addressing abstract entities, the speaker or writer often personifies them. Personification is the attribution of human characteristics or behaviors to a non-human entity or abstraction. This can involve giving the abstract concept emotions, desires, physical sensations, or the ability to perform human actions.

The personification can make the abstract concept more relatable and tangible to the audience, and it can deepen the audience’s understanding of the speaker’s relationship with the concept.

Exploring Complex Ideas

Apostrophe allows a speaker or writer to explore complex ideas in a direct and personal manner. By addressing an abstract concept, the speaker can discuss their thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to the concept, and can challenge or question the concept.

The direct address can help to clarify the speaker’s views or arguments, and it can provoke thought and engagement from the audience.

Eliciting Emotional Responses

The use of apostrophe to address abstract concepts can also serve to evoke emotional responses from the audience. The speaker’s direct address to the concept can create a sense of intimacy, urgency, or drama, and the personification of the concept can trigger empathy or identification from the audience.

Furthermore, the direct address can highlight the speaker’s emotional state and can serve to amplify the emotional intensity of the work.

Aversion and Turning Away

The use of apostrophe to signify a turning away or distancing from a subject indeed presents a powerful and dramatic tool in a poet’s repertoire. It can enable the poet to communicate a variety of emotions or attitudes, including aversion, repudiation, or even a form of emotional self-protection.

Expressing Aversion or Repudiation

In some cases, a poet might use apostrophe to express their distaste, disdain, or moral objection to a particular subject. They might address the object, being, or situation directly, outlining their reasons for rejection, or they might appeal to a higher power, seeking intervention or expressing despair.

This form of apostrophe can create a sense of tension or conflict in the work, highlighting the poet’s personal struggle with the subject matter.

Creating Dramatic Effect

The act of turning away in an apostrophe can create a profound dramatic effect in poetry. The speaker’s rejection or distancing can introduce an element of tension, conflict, or emotional turmoil, adding depth and complexity to the poem.

The act of turning away can also highlight the emotional intensity or significance of the subject matter, drawing the reader’s attention and empathy.

Symbolizing Emotional Self-Protection

At times, the turning away in an apostrophe can symbolize a form of emotional self-protection. The poet may choose to distance themselves from a painful memory, a challenging situation, or a harmful entity. This distancing serves as a protective mechanism, helping to buffer the poet (or the persona they’ve adopted in the poem) from emotional harm.

Narrators and Soliloquies

The act of turning away in an apostrophe can create a profound dramatic effect in poetry. The speaker’s rejection or distancing can introduce an element of tension, conflict, or emotional turmoil, adding depth and complexity to the poem. The act of turning away can also highlight the emotional intensity or significance of the subject matter, drawing the reader’s attention and empathy.

Apostrophe in Popular Culture

The use of apostrophe is not confined to classic literature or poetry. It also makes frequent appearances in popular culture, including music, film, television, and even comic books. Here are some examples:

Movies and Television

In movies and television, the use of apostrophe as a figure of speech can be seen to add depth and emotional resonance to a scene. For example, in the movie Cast Away , Tom Hanks, who portrays a character named Chuck, is stranded on a deserted island. He uses an inanimate object, a volleyball named “Wilson,” to talk to and confide in. Through this apostrophe, Hanks’ character not only forms a bond with Wilson but also provides the audience with an insight into his emotional state and loneliness.

The use of apostrophe in music is quite common, especially in genres that tend to be heavily narrative or emotionally expressive, such as folk, country, rock, and pop music.

Songwriters often use apostrophe to address someone or something directly, thereby conveying deep emotion, establishing a conversational tone, or creating a dramatic effect. Here are a few examples:

Hello by Adele

In Adele’s song “Hello,” the entire song can be seen as an example of an apostrophe. The song is addressed to an old lover who is not present, and Adele speaks to this person as though they were in conversation.

Here, Adele is directly addressing her old lover, voicing her regrets and the desire to reconnect. Yet, the individual she is speaking to isn’t present and cannot answer her call, hence establishing a poignant apostrophe.

The apostrophe enhances the emotional intensity of the song and enables Adele to express her feelings in a deeply personal and direct manner.

Be Kind by Marshmello and Halsey

“Be Kind” is a song by Marshmello and Halsey. The song lyrics feature Halsey addressing an individual directly, and based on the song’s context, this person is not present during the song’s narration. Here are some lyrics from the song:

This is an example of apostrophe as Halsey expresses her feelings and frustrations directly to this person, though they are not physically there to respond. The use of apostrophe here helps to intensify the emotional weight of the song and provides listeners with a more profound understanding of the inner turmoil the singer is experiencing.

Mean by Taylor Swift

“Mean” is a song by Taylor Swift from her album “Speak Now.” In the song, Swift uses apostrophe to address a person who has been cruel and critical to her. Here are some lyrics from the song:

In these lines, Swift directly addresses a person who isn’t present. She vividly describes the person’s harsh words and their impact on her. This is an example of apostrophe, as she is speaking to someone who is absent, confronting them through her lyrics.

You and I by One Direction

“You and I” is a song by One Direction from their album “Midnight Memories.” Throughout the song, the band employs apostrophe as they address an absent romantic interest. Here are some lyrics from the song:

In these lines, One Direction is speaking directly to a person who is not present. They’re expressing their belief in the strength and uniqueness of their relationship, and their determination to not let anything come between them.

This is a clear example of apostrophe, as the band is directly addressing someone who is absent, expressing their feelings and hopes for the relationship.

The One That Got Away by Katy Perry

“The One That Got Away” is a song by Katy Perry from her album “Teenage Dream.” In this song, Perry uses apostrophe to address a past lover who is no longer in her life. Here are some lyrics from the song:

In these lines, Perry is speaking directly to a person who is not present, expressing regret and longing for a past relationship. This is an example of apostrophe as she is addressing someone who is absent, confronting the loss and what could have been.

Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhymes often use the literary device of apostrophe, addressing inanimate objects, animals, or abstract ideas as though they were capable of responding. This lends a sense of whimsy and delight that is characteristic of many children’s songs and poems. Here are a few examples:

• “Hey Diddle Diddle” : This nursery rhyme features a cat, a cow, and a dish all being addressed as if they were human:
• “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” : This beloved nursery rhyme features an apostrophe to a star. The speaker wonders about the star and its place in the universe:
• “Humpty Dumpty” : This rhyme features a direct address to an anthropomorphic egg, Humpty Dumpty:

In each of these examples, the use of apostrophe brings the nursery rhyme to life, creating a world where animals, objects, and celestial bodies can be interacted with as though they were human. This not only delights children but also stimulates their imagination and creativity.

Apostrophe versus Punctuation Mark

Apostrophe as a figure of speech and apostrophe as a punctuation mark are distinct concepts that serve different purposes, though they share the same name.

As discussed in the previous texts, an apostrophe as a rhetorical device is a figure of speech in which the speaker addresses an absent person, an inanimate object, or an abstract idea as if it were present and capable of responding.

This technique is widely used in literature, drama, music, and speeches to evoke emotion, create a connection with the audience, or add dramatic effect.

Apostrophe as a Punctuation Mark

An apostrophe as a punctuation mark (‘), on the other hand, serves a few different purposes in English grammar. It’s used to indicate possession, to form contractions, and sometimes to form plurals.

• Indicating Possession: John’s book (the book belongs to John).
• Forming Contractions: It’s raining (It is raining).
• Forming Plurals: Mind your p’s and q’s (Mind your manners).

While these two uses of ‘apostrophe’ share the same name, they are used in different contexts and serve very different purposes in communication. One is a literary and rhetorical device, and the other is a grammatical tool used in writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is apostrophe considered a form of dialogue.

Not quite. Apostrophe can look like dialogue because it involves direct address, but true dialogue involves a back-and-forth between two or more characters who can respond to one another.

Because the objects or concepts addressed in an apostrophe can’t actually respond, it doesn’t create a dialogue in the true sense of the word.

Is there a particular structure or form to an apostrophe?

While there’s no rigid form or structure to an apostrophe, it generally involves the speaker or writer breaking from the ongoing narrative or dialogue to address directly someone who is not present, an inanimate object, or an abstract idea.

This sudden shift or ‘turning away’ is what characterizes an apostrophe. Sometimes these addresses start with an “O” or “Oh,” but this isn’t a necessary feature.

Can the apostrophe be addressed to oneself?

Yes, in some cases, speakers or writers might use apostrophe to address themselves, particularly a past or future version of themselves. This can serve to express internal conflict, self-reflection, or anticipation.

However, it’s important to note that while this might resemble a monologue or soliloquy, it’s still considered apostrophe because the addressed “self” is not present in the current moment to respond.

The apostrophe is a dynamic figure of speech that can add emotional resonance, dramatic flair, and a sense of immediacy to a narrative. It’s not confined to a particular genre, style, or form, making it a versatile tool in the hands of writers and speakers.

Whether it’s in the pages of a novel, the lines of a poem, the lyrics of a song, or the powerful rhetoric of a speech, the apostrophe serves to evoke deeper connections and a heightened sense of engagement for the audience. Truly, it’s a testament to the beauty and complexity of language.

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• English Grammar
• Punctuation

Apostrophe - Definition, Functions, Rules, Uses & Examples

Learning grammar is my sister’s favourite thing to do. Are you someone who enjoys learning grammar too? Well, even if you aren’t, here’s something you will have fun learning. Punctuation marks determine the clarity of your writing. In order to be able to convey your thoughts to your audience in a way that you want them to perceive and understand, it is important that you use the right punctuation marks in the right places. In this article, you will learn what an apostrophe is, how it functions and the different ways in which it can be used in the English language . Furthermore, you can analyse the examples given in the article for an in-depth understanding of the same.

Table of Contents

What is an apostrophe – meaning and definition, how to use an apostrophe – rules and points to remember, use of an apostrophe to show possession, use of an apostrophe to form contractions, use of an apostrophe to indicate missing letters and numbers, use of apostrophe with compound nouns or hyphenated nouns to show possession, use of apostrophes in literature, common verb contractions for everyday use, check your understanding of the usage of apostrophe, frequently asked questions on the usage of apostrophe.

An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that is mainly used to show possession or ownership of something or someone. It can also be used to form contractions and to indicate missing letters and numbers. It is indicated by the symbol ’ . According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, an apostrophe is defined as the mark ( ’ ) used to show that one or more letters or numbers have been left out, as in she’s for she is and ’63 for 1963.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines an apostrophe as “the symbol ’ used in writing to show when a letter or a number has been left out, as in I’m (= I am) or ’85 (= 1985), or that is used before or after s to show possession, as in Helen’s house or babies’ hands”.

An apostrophe, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as “a mark ‘ used to indicate the omission of letters or figures, the possessive case (as in “John’s book”), or the plural of letters or figures (as in ‘the 1960’s’)”. The Collins Dictionary defines an apostrophe as “the mark ‘ when it is written to indicate that one or more letters have been left out of a word, as in ‘isn’t’ and ‘we’ll’. It is also added to nouns to form possessives, as in ‘Mike’s car’.”

An apostrophe can be said to be multi-functional. The primary function of an apostrophe is to indicate the ownership of some object or some person by another. Other functions include indicating the plural form of letters and numbers; denoting a missing number or letter and also to form contractions.

There are just a few points you need to keep in mind when using an apostrophe to perform the various functions. Take a look at the following points to learn what they are.

• The apostrophe, when used to show possession or ownership, should be placed just immediately after the noun or pronoun which is the owner of the mentioned object or person, followed by an ‘s’.
• If the noun or pronoun already has ‘s’ as its last letter, the apostrophe comes after the letter ‘s’. Also, in this case, you need not add another ‘s’ after the apostrophe as it is already understood.
• Another rule of using the apostrophe to show possession is that you should add an apostrophe and an ‘s’ only to the second word in a hyphenated compound word .
• Also, if two or more nouns show separate ownership, you can use apostrophes for both the nouns. On the other hand, if both the nouns or pronouns own the same thing, use an apostrophe and an ‘s’ at the end of the latter noun or pronoun.
• When using an apostrophe to indicate a missing letter or a number, the apostrophe is placed exactly in the space where the letter is missing. Also, remember that even if more than one letter or number is missing, you should add only one apostrophe and not as many apostrophes as the missing numbers or letters.
• An apostrophe can be used to form contractions like can’t, I’m, don’t , etc. In these contractions too, the apostrophe is placed in between the letters where the letters are missing.

Examples of Words and Sentences Using an Apostrophe

Apostrophes can be seen to perform different functions. Take a look at the examples given below and analyse how an apostrophe performs its various functions.

• Everyone keeps telling me that I am my mom’s daughter in every way.
• Rincy’s dog went missing yesterday.
• Did you find his bike’s keys ?
• Susan’s father got a job in the United Arab Emirates.
• Are you the teacher’s pet ?
• Don’t you think you can finish it by next week?
• They weren’t at the hotel.
• I’m willing to help you out with your project if you wish.
• Shouldn’t they be here by now?
• She kept saying that it wasn’t her fault.
• We did it a li’l differently.
• She was definitely o’er the top when the results were announced.
• The kids of the ‘90s are different from every other generation.
• From ‘89 – ‘93 , I was studying in Delhi.
• I could not make it to the event ‘cause I was not keeping well.
• My mother-in-law’s brother came home today.
• The fifteen-year-old’s parents were asked to meet the Principal.
• Yesterday was my great-grandfather’s 100th birthday.
• Everybody loved my great-grandmother’s recipe of chocolate brownies.
• My would-be’s plan to come meet me changed because of the rains.

William Wordsworth, in his poem, ‘Daffodils’ , uses an apostrophe in the word o’er to denote the missing letter ‘v’.

“I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,”

William Shakespeare, in his famous play, uses the apostrophe to show possession by referring to Brutus as ‘Caesar’s angel’.

“For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel:”

We do not often realise that we use a lot of contractions in everyday language. Even in our written language, we use a lot of verb contractions. Check out the table given below for the most commonly used contractions in everyday conversation.

Go through the following sentences and use an apostrophe wherever necessary.

1. Tinas sister is a doctor.

2. All the 1s move to the right and all the 2s move to the left.

3. It felt as if we were flying oer the rainbow.

4. Cant you try it out once more?

5. They didnt appreciate the help.

6. How do you decide if you want to read a book or not? By the books cover or title?

7. The number 13s influence on my life is unlike what people usually say.

8. My moms face was glowing from the happiness within her heart.

9. The final teams performance moved my heart.

10. It was nobodys fault that the tap broke.

Check out if you used the apostrophe in the right places from the sentences given below.

1. Tina’s sister is a doctor.

3. It felt as if we were flying o’er the rainbow.

4. Can’t you try it out once more?

5. They didn’t appreciate the help.

6. How do you decide if you want to read a book or not? By the book’s cover or title?

7. The number 13’s influence on my life is unlike what people usually say.

8. My mom’s face was glowing from the happiness within her heart.

9. The final team’s performance moved my heart.

10. It was nobody’s fault that the tap broke.

What is an apostrophe?

An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that is mainly used to show possession or ownership of something or someone. It can also be used to form contractions and to indicate missing letters and numbers. It is indicated by the symbol ’.

What is the definition of an apostrophe?

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, an apostrophe is defined as the mark ( ’ ) used to show that one or more letters or numbers have been left out, as in she’s for she is and ’63 for 1963.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines an apostrophe as “the symbol ’ used in writing to show when a letter or a number has been left out, as in I’m (= I am) or ’85 (= 1985), or that is used before or after s to show possession, as in Helen’s house or babies’ hands”.

Give some examples of the usage of apostrophes.

Here are a few examples to show you how an apostrophe can be used.

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Figurative Language

Figurative Language Definition

What is figurative language? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Figurative language is language that contains or uses figures of speech . When people use the term "figurative language," however, they often do so in a slightly narrower way. In this narrower definition, figurative language refers to language that uses words in ways that deviate from their literal interpretation to achieve a more complex or powerful effect. This view of figurative language focuses on the use of figures of speech that play with the meaning of words, such as metaphor , simile , personification , and hyperbole .

Some additional key details about figurative language:

• Figurative language is common in all sorts of writing, as well as in spoken language.
• Figurative language refers to language that contains figures of speech, while figures of speech are the particular techniques. If figurative speech is like a dance routine, figures of speech are like the various moves that make up the routine.
• It's a common misconception that imagery, or vivid descriptive language, is a kind of figurative language. In fact, writers can use figurative language as one tool to help create imagery, but imagery does not have to use figurative language.

Figurative Language Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce figurative language: fig -yer-uh-tiv lang -gwij

Figures of Speech and Figurative Language

To fully understand figurative language, it's helpful to have a basic understanding of figures of speech. More specifically, it's helpful to understand the two main types of figures of speech: tropes and schemes .

• Tropes are figures of speech that play with and shift the expected and literal meaning of words.
• Schemes are figures of speech that involve a change from the typical mechanics of a sentence, such as the order, pattern, or arrangement of words.

Put even more simply: tropes play with the meaning of words, while schemes play with the structure of words, phrases, and sentences.

The Different Things People Mean When They Say Figurative Language

When people say figurative language, they don't always mean the precise same thing. Here are the three different ways people usually talk about figurative language:

• Dictionary definition of figurative language: According to the dictionary, figurative language is simply any language that contains or uses figures of speech. This definition would mean that figurative language includes the use of both tropes and schemes.
• Much more common real world use of figurative language: However, when people (including teachers) refer to figurative language, they usually mean language that plays with the literal meaning of words. This definition sees figurative language as language that primarily involves the use of tropes.
• Another common real world use of figurative language: Some people define figurative language as including figures of speech that play with meaning as well as a few other common schemes that affect the rhythm and sound of text, such as alliteration and assonance .

What does all that boil down to for you? If you hear someone talking about figurative language, you can usually safely assume they are referring to language that uses figures of speech to play with the meaning of words and, perhaps, with the way that language sounds or feels.

Common Types of Figurative Language

There are many, many types of figures of speech that can be involved in figurative language. Some of the most common are:

• Metaphor : A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another thing, even though this isn't literally true. For example, the phrase "her lips are a blooming rose" obviously doesn't literally mean what it says—it's a metaphor that makes a comparison between the red beauty and promise of a blooming rose with that of the lips of the woman being described.
• Simile : A simile, like a metaphor, makes a comparison between two unrelated things. However, instead of stating that one thing is another thing (as in metaphor), a simile states that one thing is like another thing. An example of a simile would be to say "they fought like cats and dogs."
• Oxymoron : An oxymoron pairs contradictory words in order to express new or complex meanings. In the phrase "parting is such sweet sorrow" from Romeo and Juliet , "sweet sorrow" is an oxymoron that captures the complex and simultaneous feelings of pain and pleasure associated with passionate love.
• Hyperbole : Hyperbole is an intentional exaggeration of the truth, used to emphasize the importance of something or to create a comic effect. An example of a hyperbole is to say that a backpack "weighs a ton." No backpack literally weighs a ton, but to say "my backpack weighs ten pounds" doesn't effectively communicate how burdensome a heavy backpack feels.
• Personification : In personification, non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent to their plans." Describing the rain as "indifferent" is an example of personification, because rain can't be "indifferent," nor can it feel any other human emotion.
• Idiom : An idiom is a phrase that, through general usage within a particular group or society, has gained a meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the words. The phrase "it's raining cats and dogs" is known to most Americans to mean that it's raining hard, but an English-speaking foreigner in the United States might find the phrase totally confusing.
• Onomatopoeia : Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech in which words evoke the actual sound of the thing they refer to or describe. The “boom” of a firework exploding, the “tick tock” of a clock, and the “ding dong” of a doorbell are all examples of onomatopoeia.
• Synecdoche : In synecdoche, a part of something is used to refer to its whole . For example, "The captain commands one hundred sails" is a synecdoche that uses "sails" to refer to ships—ships being the thing of which a sail is a part.
• Metonymy : Metonymy is a figure of speech in which an object or concept is referred to not by its own name, but instead by the name of something closely associated with it. For example, in "Wall Street prefers lower taxes," the New York City street that was the original home of the New York Stock Exchange stands in for (or is a "metonym" for) the entire American financial industry.
• Alliteration : In alliteration, the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “ b ” sound in: “ B ob b rought the b ox of b ricks to the b asement.” Alliteration uses repetition to create a musical effect that helps phrases to stand out from the language around them.
• Assonance : The repetition of vowel sounds repeat in nearby words, such as the " ee " sound: "the squ ea ky wh ee l gets the gr ea se." Like alliteration, assonance uses repeated sounds to create a musical effect in which words echo one another.

Figurative Language vs. Imagery

Many people (and websites) argue that imagery is a type of figurative language. That is actually incorrect. Imagery refers to a writers use of vivid and descriptive language to appeal to the reader's senses and more deeply evoke places, things, emotions, and more. The following sentence uses imagery to give the reader a sense of how what is being described looks, feels, smells, and sounds:

The night was dark and humid, the scent of rotting vegetation hung in the air, and only the sound of mosquitoes broke the quiet of the swamp.

This sentence uses no figurative language. Every word means exactly what it says, and the sentence is still an example of the use of imagery. That said, imagery can use figurative language, often to powerful effect:

The night was dark and humid, heavy with a scent of rotting vegetation like a great-aunt's heavy and inescapable perfume, and only the whining buzz of mosquitoes broke the silence of the swamp.

In this sentence, the description has been made more powerful through the use of a simile ("like a great-aunt's..."), onomatopoeia ("whining buzz," which not only describes but actually sounds like the noise made by mosquitoes), and even a bit of alliteration in the " s ilence of the s wamp."

To sum up: imagery is not a form of figurative language. But a writer can enhance his or her effort to write imagery through the use of figurative language.

Figurative Language Examples

Figurative language is more interesting, lively, beautiful, and memorable than language that's purely literal. Figurative language is found in all sorts of writing, from poetry to prose to speeches to song lyrics, and is also a common part of spoken speech. The examples below show a variety of different types of figures of speech. You can see many more examples of each type at their own specific LitChart entries.

Figurative Language Example: Metaphor

Metaphor in shakespeare's romeo and juliet.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , Romeo uses the following metaphor in Act 2 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet , after sneaking into Juliet's garden and catching a glimpse of her on her balcony:

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Romeo compares Juliet to the sun not only to describe how radiantly beautiful she is, but also to convey the full extent of her power over him. He's so taken with Juliet that her appearances and disappearances affect him like those of the sun. His life "revolves" around Juliet like the earth orbits the sun.

Figurative Language Example: Simile

In this example of a simile from Slaughterhouse-Five , Billy Pilgrim emerges from an underground slaughterhouse where he has been held prisoner by the Germans during the deadly World War II firebombing of Dresden:

It wasn't safe to come out of the shelter until noon the next day. When the Americans and their guards did come out, the sky was black with smoke. The sun was an angry little pinhead. Dresden was like the moon now , nothing but minerals. The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighborhood was dead.

Vonnegut uses simile to compare the bombed city of Dresden to the moon in order to capture the totality of the devastation—the city is so lifeless that it is like the barren moon.

Figurative Language Example: Oxymoron

These lines from Chapter 7 of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls describe an encounter between Robert Jordan, a young American soldier fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and his lover María.

She held herself tight to him and her lips looked for his and then found them and were against them and he felt her, fresh, new and smooth and young and lovely with the warm, scalding coolness and unbelievable to be there in the robe that was as familiar as his clothes, or his shoes, or his duty and then she said, frightenedly, “And now let us do quickly what it is we do so that the other is all gone.”

The couple's relationship becomes a bright spot for both of them in the midst of war, but ultimately also a source of pain and confusion for Jordan, as he struggles to balance his obligation to fight with his desire to live happily by Maria's side. The contradiction contained within the oxymoron "scalding coolness" emphasizes the couple's conflicting emotions and impossible situation.

Figurative Language Example: Hyperbole

Elizabeth Bennet, the most free-spirited character in Pride and Prejudice , refuses Mr. Darcy's first marriage proposal with a string of hyperbole :

From the very beginning, from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that ground-work of disapprobation, on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.

Elizabeth's closing statement, that Darcy is the "last man in the world" whom she would ever marry, is an obvious hyperbole. It's hard to believe that Elizabeth would rather marry, say, an axe murderer or a diseased pirate than Mr. Darcy. Even beyond the obvious exaggeration, Austen's use of hyperbole in this exchange hints at the fact that Elizabeth's feelings for Darcy are more complicated than she admits, even to herself. Austen drops various hints throughout the beginning of the novel that Elizabeth feels something beyond mere dislike for Darcy. Taken together with these hints, Elizabeth's hyperbolic statements seem designed to convince not only Darcy, but also herself, that their relationship has no future.

Figurative Language Example: Personification

In Chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter , Nathaniel Hawthorne describes a wild rose bush that grows in front of Salem's gloomy wooden jail:

But, on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him.

In the context of the novel's setting in 17th century Boston, this rose bush, which grows wild in front of an establishment dedicated to enforcing harsh puritan values, symbolizes those elements of human nature that cannot be repressed, no matter how strict a community's moral code may be: desire, fertility, and a love of beauty. By personifying the rosebush as "offering" its blossoms to reflect Nature's pity (Nature is also personified here as having a "heart"), Hawthorne turns the passive coincidence of the rosebush's location into an image of human nature actively resisting its constraints.

Figurative Language Example: Idiom

Figurative language example: onomatopoeia.

In Act 3, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's The Tempest , Caliban uses onomatopoeia to convey the noises of the island.

Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, Sounds, and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices...

The use of onomatopoeia makes the audience feel the sounds on the island, rather than just have to take Caliban's word about there being noises.

Figurative Language Example: Synecdoche

In Act 4, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's Macbeth , an angry Macbeth kicks out a servant by saying:

Take thy face hence.

Here, "thy face" stands in for "you." Macbeth is simply telling the servant to leave, but his use of synecdoche makes the tone of his command more harsh and insulting because he uses synecdoche to treat the servant not as a person but as an object, a body part.

Figurative Language Example: Metonymy

In his song "Juicy," Notorious B.I.G. raps:

Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight

Here he's using "limelight" as a metonymy for fame (a "limelight" was a kind of spotlight used in old theaters, and so it came to be associated with the fame of being in the spotlight). Biggie's use of metonymy here also sets him up for a sweet rhyme.

Figurative Language Example: Alliteration

In his song "Rap God," Eminem shows his incredible lyrical dexterity by loading up the alliteration :

S o I wanna make sure, s omewhere in this chicken s cratch I S cribble and doodle enough rhymes T o maybe t ry t o help get s ome people through t ough t imes But I gotta k eep a few punchlines Just in c ase, ‘ c ause even you un s igned Rappers are hungry l ooking at me l ike it's l unchtime…

Why Do Writers Use Figurative Language?

The term figurative language refers to a whole host of different figures of speech, so it's difficult to provide a single definitive answer to why writers use figurative language. That said, writers use figurative language for a wide variety of reasons:

• Interest and beauty: Figurative language allows writes to express descriptions, ideas, and more in ways that are unique and beautiful.
• Complexity and power: Because figurative language can create meanings that go beyond the literal, it can capture complex ideas, feelings, descriptions, or truths that cause readers to see things in a new way, or more closely mirror the complex reality of the world.
• Visceral affect: Because figurative language can both impact the rhythm and sound of language, and also connect the abstract (say, love) with the concrete (say, a rose), it can help language make an almost physical impact on a reader.
• Humor: By allowing a writer to layer additional meanings over literal meanings, or even to imply intended meanings that are the opposite of the literal meaning, figurative language gives writers all sorts of options for creating humor in their writing.
• Realism: People speak and even think in terms of the sorts of comparisons that underlie so much figurative language. Rather than being flowery, figurative language allows writers to describe things in ways that match how people really think about them, and to create characters who themselves feel real.

In general, figurative language often makes writing feel at once more accessible and powerful, more colorful, surprising, and deep.

Other Helpful Figurative Language Resources

• The dictionary definition of figurative : Touches on figurative language, as well as some other meanings of the word.
• Figurative and Frost : Examples of figurative language in the context of the poetry of Robert Frost.
• Figurative YouTube : A video identifying various forms of figurative language from movies and television shows.
• Wikipedia on literal and figurative language : A bit technical, but with a good list of examples.

• PDFs for all 136 Lit Terms we cover
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• Explanations and citation info for 40,762 quotes across 1934 books
• Downloadable (PDF) line-by-line translations of every Shakespeare play
• Alliteration
• Figure of Speech
• Onomatopoeia
• Personification
• Verbal Irony
• Climax (Plot)
• Characterization
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Anadiplosis
• Formal Verse
• Connotation
• Climax (Figure of Speech)
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Figure of Speech

Definition of figure of speech.

A figure of speech is a word or phrase that is used in a non-literal way to create an effect. This effect may be rhetorical as in the deliberate arrangement of words to achieve something poetic, or imagery as in the use of language to suggest a visual picture or make an idea more vivid. Overall, figures of speech function as literary devices because of their expressive use of language. Words are used in other ways than their literal meanings or typical manner of application.

For example, Margaret Atwood utilizes figures of speech in her poem “ you fit into me ” as a means of achieving poetic meaning and creating a vivid picture for the reader.

you fit into me like a hook into an eye a fish hook an open eye

The simile in the first two lines sets forth a comparison between the way “you” fits into the poet like a hook and eye closure for perhaps a garment. This is an example of rhetorical effect in that the wording carefully achieves the idea of two things meant to connect to each other. In the second two lines, the wording is clarified by adding “fish” to “hook” and “open” to “eye,” which calls forth an unpleasant and even violent image. The poet’s descriptions of hooks and eyes are not meant literally in the poem. Yet the use of figurative language allows the poet to express two very different meanings and images that enhance the interpretation of the poem through contrast .

Types of Figures of Speech

The term  figure of speech covers a wide range of literary devices, techniques, and other forms of figurative language, a few of which include:

Personification

Understatement.

• Alliteration
• Onomatopoeia
• Circumlocution

Common Examples of Figures of Speech Used in Conversation

Many people use figures of speech in conversation as a way of clarifying or emphasizing what they mean. Here are some common examples of conversational figures of speech:

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that utilizes extreme exaggeration to emphasize a certain quality or feature.

• I have a million things to do.
• This suitcase weighs a ton.
• This room is an ice-box.
• I’ll die if he doesn’t ask me on a date.
• I’m too poor to pay attention.

Understatement is a figure of speech that invokes less emotion than would be expected in reaction to something. This downplaying of reaction is a surprise for the reader and generally has the effect of showing irony .

• I heard she has cancer, but it’s not a big deal.
• Joe got his dream job, so that’s not too bad.
• Sue won the lottery, so she’s a bit excited.
• That condemned house just needs a coat of paint.
• The hurricane brought a couple of rain showers with it.

A paradox is a figure of speech that appears to be self-contradictory but actually reveals something truthful.

• You have to spend money to save it.
• What I’ve learned is that I know nothing.
• You have to be cruel to be kind.
• Things get worse before they get better.
• The only rule is to ignore all rules.

A pun is a figure of speech that contains a “ play ” on words, such as using words that mean one thing to mean something else or words that sound alike in as a means of changing meaning.

• A sleeping bull is called a bull-dozer.
• Baseball players eat on home plates.
• Polar bears vote at the North Poll.
• Fish are smart because they travel in schools.
• One bear told another that life without them would be grizzly.

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that connects two opposing ideas, usually in two-word phrases, to create a contradictory effect.

• open secret
• Alone together
• controlled chaos
• pretty ugly

Common Examples of Figure of Speech in Writing

Writers also use figures of speech in their work as a means of description or developing meaning. Here are some common examples of figures of speech used in writing:

Simile is a figure of speech in which two dissimilar things are compared to each other using the terms “like” or “as.”

• She’s as pretty as a picture.
• I’m pleased as punch.
• He’s strong like an ox.
• You are sly like a fox.
• I’m happy as a clam.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things without the use of the terms “like” or “as.”

• He is a fish out of water.
• She is a star in the sky.
• My grandchildren are the flowers of my garden.
• That story is music to my ears.
• Your words are a broken record.

Euphemism is a figure of speech that refers to figurative language designed to replace words or phrases that would otherwise be considered harsh, impolite, or unpleasant.

• Last night , Joe’s grandfather passed away (died).
• She was starting to feel over the hill (old).
• Young adults are curious about the birds and bees (sex).
• I need to powder my nose (go to the bathroom).
• Our company has decided to let you go (fire you).

Personification is a figure of speech that attributes human characteristics to something that is not human.

• I heard the wind whistling.
• The water danced across my window.
• My dog is telling me to start dinner.
• The moon is smiling at me.
• Her alarm hummed in the background.

Writing Figure of Speech

As a literary device, figures of speech enhance the meaning of written and spoken words. In oral communication, figures of speech can clarify, enhance description, and create interesting use of language. In writing, when figures of speech are used effectively, these devices enhance the writer’s ability for description and expression so that readers have a better understanding of what is being conveyed.

It’s important that writers construct effective figures of speech so that the meaning is not lost for the reader. In other words, simple rearrangement or juxtaposition of words is not effective in the way that deliberate wording and phrasing are. For example, the hyperbole “I could eat a horse” is effective in showing great hunger by using figurative language. If a writer tried the hyperbole “I could eat a barn made of licorice,” the figurative language is ineffective and the meaning would be lost for most readers.

Here are some ways that writers benefit from incorporating figures of speech into their work:

Figure of Speech as Artistic Use of Language

Effective use of figures of speech is one of the greatest demonstrations of artistic use of language. Being able to create poetic meaning, comparisons, and expressions with these literary devices is how writers form art with words.

Figure of Speech as Entertainment for Reader

Effective figures of speech often elevate the entertainment value of a literary work for the reader. Many figures of speech invoke humor or provide a sense of irony in ways that literal expressions do not. This can create a greater sense of engagement for the reader when it comes to a literary work.

Figure of Speech as Memorable Experience for Reader

By using effective figures of speech to enhance description and meaning, writers make their works more memorable for readers as an experience. Writers can often share a difficult truth or convey a particular concept through figurative language so that the reader has a greater understanding of the material and one that lasts in memory.

Examples of Figure of Speech in Literature

Works of literature feature innumerable figures of speech that are used as literary devices. These figures of speech add meaning to literature and showcase the power and beauty of figurative language. Here are some examples of figures of speech in well-known literary works:

Example 1:  The Great Gatsby  (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.

Fitzgerald makes use of simile here as a figure of speech to compare Gatsby’s party guests to moths. The imagery used by Fitzgerald is one of delicacy and beauty, and creates an ephemeral atmosphere . However, the likening of Gatsby’s guests to moths also reinforces the idea that they are only attracted to the sensation of the parties and that they will depart without having made any true impact or connection. This simile, as a figure of speech, underscores the themes of superficiality and transience in the novel .

Example 2:  One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

Both described at the same time how it was always March there and always Monday, and then they understood that José Arcadio Buendía was not as crazy as the family said, but that he was the only one who had enough lucidity to sense the truth of the fact that time also stumbled and had accidents and could therefore splinter and leave an eternalized fragment in a room.

In this passage, Garcia Marquez utilizes personification as a figure of speech. Time is personified as an entity that “stumbled” and “had accidents.” This is an effective use of figurative language in that this personification of time indicates a level of human frailty that is rarely associated with something so measured. In addition, this is effective in the novel as a figure of speech because time has a great deal of influence on the plot and characters of the story. Personified in this way, the meaning of time in the novel is enhanced to the point that it is a character in and of itself.

Example 3:  Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

A book is a loaded gun in the house next door…Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?

In this passage, Bradbury utilizes metaphor as a figure of speech to compare a book to a loaded gun. This is an effective literary device for this novel because, in the story, books are considered weapons of free thought and possession of them is illegal. Of course, Bradbury is only stating that a book is a loaded gun as a means of figurative, not literal meaning. This metaphor is particularly powerful because the comparison is so unlikely; books are generally not considered to be dangerous weapons. However, the comparison does have a level of logic in the context of the story in which the pursuit of knowledge is weaponized and criminalized.

Related posts:

• Speech: “Is this a dagger which I see before me
• Speech: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

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• Literary Terms
• Figures of Speech
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Use Figures of Speech

I. What are Figures of Speech?

A figure of speech is a word or phrase using figurative language—language that has other meaning than its normal definition. In other words, figures of speeches rely on implied or suggested meaning, rather than a dictionary definition.  We express and develop them through hundreds of different rhetorical techniques, from specific types like metaphors and similes , to more general forms like sarcasm and slang.

Figures of speech make up a huge portion of the English language, making it more creative, more expressive, and just more interesting! Many have been around for hundreds of years—some even thousands—and more are added to our language essentially every day. This article will focus on a few key forms of figures of speech, but remember, the types are nearly endless!

III. Types of Figure of Speech

There are countless figures of speech in every language, and they fall into hundreds of categories. Here, though, is a short list of some of the most common types of figure of speech:

A. Metaphor

Many common figures of speech are metaphors. That is, they use words in a manner other than their literal meaning. However, metaphors use figurative language to make comparisons between unrelated things or ideas. The “peak of her career,” for example, is a metaphor, since a career is not a literal mountain with a peak , but the metaphor represents the idea of arriving at the highest point of one’s career.

An idiom is a common phrase with a figurative meaning. Idioms are different from other figures of speech in that their figurative meanings are mostly known within a particular language, culture, or group of people. In fact, the English language alone has about 25,000 idioms. Some examples include “it’s raining cats and dogs” when it is raining hard, or “break a leg” when wishing someone good luck.

This sentence uses an idiom to make it more interesting:

There’s a supermarket and a pharmacy in the mall, so if we go there, we can kill two birds with one stone.

The idiom is a common way of saying that two tasks can be completed in the same amount of time or same place.

A proverb is a short, commonplace saying that is universally understood in today’s language and used to express general truths. “Don’t cry over spilt milk” is a popular example. Most proverbs employ metaphors (e.g. the proverb about milk isn’t  literally  about milk).

This example uses a proverb to emphasize the situation:

I know you think you’re going to sell all of those cookies, but don’t count your chickens before they hatch!

Here, “don’t count your chickens before they hatch” means that you shouldn’t act like something has happened before it actually does.

A simile is a very common figure of speech that uses the words “like” and “as” to compare two things that are not related by definition. For example, “he is as tall as a mountain,” doesn’t mean he was actually 1,000 feet tall, it just means he was really tall.

This example uses a simile for comparison:

The internet is like a window to the world —you can learn about everything online!

The common phrase “window to the world” refers to a hypothetical window that lets you see the whole world from it. So, saying the internet is like a window to the world implies that it lets you see anything and everything.

E. Oxymoron

An oxymoron is when you use two words together that have contradictory meanings. Some common examples include s mall crowd, definitely possible, old news, little giant , and so on.

A metonym is a word or phrase that is used to represent something related to bigger meaning. For example, fleets are sometimes described as being “thirty sails strong,” meaning thirty (curiously, this metonym survives in some places, even when the ships in question are not sail-powered!) Similarly, the crew on board those ships may be described as “hands” rather than people.

Irony is when a word or phrase’s literal meaning is the opposite of its figurative meaning. Many times (but not always), irony is expressed with sarcasm (see Related Terms). For example, maybe you eat a really bad cookie, and then say “Wow, that was the best cookie I ever had”—of course, what you really mean is that it’s the worst cookie you ever had, but being ironic actually emphasizes just how bad it was!

IV. The Importance of Figures of Speech

In general, the purpose of a figure of speech is to lend texture and color to your writing. (This is itself a figure of speech, since figures of speech don’t actually change the colors or textures on the page!) For instance, metaphors allow you to add key details that make the writing more lively and relatable. Slang and verbal irony, on the other hand, make the writing seem much more informal and youthful (although they can have the opposite effect when misused!) Finally, other figures of speech, like idioms and proverbs, allows a writer to draw on a rich cultural tradition and express complex ideas in a short space.

V. Examples of Figures of Speech in Literature

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” (William Shakespeare, As You Like It)

This is one of the most famous metaphors ever crafted in the English language. Shakespeare uses his extended metaphor to persuade the audience of the similarities between the stage and real life. But rather than making his play seem more like life, he suggests that life is more like a play. His metaphor calls attention to the performative, creative, and fictional aspects of human life.

“Our words are b ut crumbs that fall down from the feast o f the mind.” (Khalil Gibran, Sand & Foam )

Gibran’s timeless metaphor succeeds for a number of reasons. For one thing, it is not a cliché – had Gibran said “words are just the tip of the iceberg ,” he would have been making roughly the same point, but in a much more clichéd way. But the feast of the mind is a highly original metaphor. In addition, it’s a successful double metaphor. The crumbs and the feast are two parts of the same image, but they work together rather than being “mixed” (see How to Use Figures of Speech ).

“If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both.” (Russian Proverb)

Like many proverbs, this one draws on a simple metaphor of chasing rabbits. The rabbits can stand in for all sorts of objectives, from jobs to relationships, but the coded message is quite clear – focus your energy on a single objective, or you will likely fail. This literal statement, though, is quite dry and not terribly memorable, which shows the power of figures of speech.

VI. Examples of Figures of Speech in Pop Culture

The chorus to Sean Kingston’s Fire Burning contains a couple of figures of speech. First of all, there’s the word “shorty” used as a slang term (see Related Terms ) for a young woman. She may or may not be literally short, but the figure of speech applies either way (though it could easily be taken as belittling and derogatory). Second, Kingston sings the metaphor: “she’s fire, burning on the dance floor.” Hopefully this is a figure of speech and not a literal statement; otherwise, Kingston and everyone else in the club are in mortal danger!

“Oh, thanks! This is much better!” (Townspeople, South Park )

This is an example of irony. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, South Park satirized the government’s response to the disaster by writing about a similar disaster in South Park. In a bumbling effort to rescue people from the floods, the authorities accidentally spill oil on the flood waters and set it on fire, making the situation far more dangerous. In response, they ironically “thank” the people responsible—their meaning is obviously the opposite of their words!

Years of talks between Washington and Havana resulted in Obama’s historic visit to Cuba on March 21st. (Patreon 2016)

This is a common form of metonym in foreign policy and news media. The capital city of a country is used as a metonym for the national government. The talks, of course, are not literally between these two cities, but between the leaders and government officials of the two countries (US and Cuba).

VII. Related Terms

Literal and figurative language.

Language is generally divided into two categories: literal, and figurative. Literal language relies on the real definition of words and phrases, or their literal meanings. Figurative language, on the other hand, relies on implied meanings, which can be understood differently depending on the location or who is using it. For example, “the sky is blue” relies on the literal definition of the word “blue,” while “I am feeling blue” relies on the figurative definition. All figures of speech rely on the use of figurative language for their meaning.

Sarcasm is mocking or bitter language that we use to express different meaning than what we say; often the exact opposite. When your intended meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning, that’s irony (another type of figure of speech), which includes common phrases like “Oh, great…” when you really mean something is bad.

Slang is language that uses atypical words and phrases to express specific meanings. It varies greatly by region, demographic, and language—for example, you would find different slang in the U.S. and in the U.K. even though they are both English speaking countries. Likewise, teenagers and the elderly will use different slang terms, as would Spanish and English. Many slang terms are figures of speech. For example, “bro” could be used to describe a friend rather than an actual brother; this would be using the word as a figure of speech.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

Figure of Speech

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Figures of speech are linguistic tools that enhance writing and speech by adding emphasis, clarity, or flair. They involve the use of words in non-literal ways to create vivid imagery and express complex ideas more effectively. By employing techniques like metaphor , simile , and hyperbole , figures of speech enrich communication, making it more engaging and memorable for the audience. These devices are essential in both literature and everyday language.

What is a Figure of Speech?

A figure of speech is a rhetorical device that enhances language by deviating from ordinary usage to create emphasis, clarity, or creativity. Common examples include metaphors, similes, personification , and hyperbole. These devices make writing more engaging, vivid, and memorable, allowing for imaginative and impactful expression of ideas.

Types of Figures of Speech

A simile compares two different things using “like” or “as” to highlight a similarity.

• Her smile is as bright as the sun.
• He is as brave as a lion.
• The water is as clear as crystal.
• She sings like an angel.
• His explanation was as clear as mud.

2. Metaphor

A metaphor directly compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as”.

• Time is a thief.
• He has a heart of stone.
• The classroom was a zoo.
• Her voice is music to my ears.
• The world is a stage.

3. Personification

Personification gives human qualities to animals, objects, or ideas.

• The wind whispered through the trees.
• The flowers danced in the breeze.
• The car groaned as it climbed the hill.
• Time flies when you’re having fun.
• The moon smiled down on us.

4. Hyperbole

Hyperbole involves exaggerated statements for emphasis or effect.

• I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
• She has a million pairs of shoes.
• This bag weighs a ton.
• I’ve told you a thousand times.
• He runs faster than the wind.

5. Understatement

An understatement makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is.

• “It’s just a scratch,” he said about the deep wound.
• Winning the lottery wasn’t a big deal to him.
• “I did okay,” she said after scoring the highest.
• The storm brought a little rain, he said about the hurricane.
• The test was somewhat challenging, said about a very difficult exam.

Irony involves saying one thing but meaning the opposite, often for humorous or emphatic effect.

• A fire station burns down.
• A plumber’s house has leaking pipes.
• A pilot has a fear of heights.
• Saying “Great!” after failing a test.
• The police station gets robbed.

7. Oxymoron

An oxymoron combines two contradictory terms.

• Deafening silence
• Jumbo shrimp
• Bitter sweet
• Living dead
• Act naturally

8. Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant sounds in closely connected words.

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
• She sells seashells by the seashore.
• Timmy’s tiny turtle.
• Big brown bear.
• Friendly firefly.

9. Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia uses words that imitate the sound they describe.

• The bees buzzed.
• The cat meowed.
• The clock ticked.
• The car honked.
• The rain pitter-pattered on the roof.

A pun is a play on words, often for a humorous effect.

• I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough.
• Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
• A bicycle can’t stand on its own because it is two-tired.
• I’ve been to the dentist many times, so I know the drill.
• Reading while sunbathing makes you well-red.

11. Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.

• “I have a dream” in Martin Luther King’s speech.
• Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better.
• We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds.
• It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
• With malice toward none; with charity for all.

12. Euphemism

A euphemism is a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered too harsh or blunt.

• Passed away instead of died.
• Let go instead of fired.
• Correctional facility instead of jail.
• Economical with the truth instead of lying.
• Between jobs instead of unemployed.

13. Metonymy

Metonymy replaces the name of something with something else closely related to it.

• The pen is mightier than the sword (pen refers to writing, sword to fighting).
• The White House issued a statement (White House refers to the President or staff).
• The crown will find an heir (crown refers to monarchy).
• Hollywood is obsessed with sequels (Hollywood refers to the film industry).
• The suits on Wall Street walked off with most of our savings (suits refers to business people).

14. Synecdoche

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa.

• All hands on deck (hands refer to sailors).
• Nice wheels (wheels refer to the car).
• The hired hands (hands refer to workers).
• The White House (referring to the President or staff).
• New faces (referring to new people).

15. Antithesis

Antithesis juxtaposes two contrasting ideas in a balanced way.

• Speech is silver, but silence is gold.
• Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing.
• That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
• To err is human; to forgive, divine.

16. Litotes

Litotes is an understatement in which a positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite.

• Not bad (meaning good).
• She’s not unkind (meaning kind).
• He’s no fool (meaning smart).
• It’s not impossible (meaning possible).
• I’m not unhappy (meaning happy).

17. Apostrophe

Apostrophe addresses someone absent, dead, or something non-human as if it were alive and present.

• O Death, where is thy sting?
• Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.
• Hello darkness, my old friend.
• Is this a dagger which I see before me?
• O, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

18. Allusion

Allusion is an indirect reference to a person, event, or piece of literature.

• He was a real Romeo with the ladies.
• She had a Cinderella story.
• He’s a Scrooge when it comes to money.
• This place is like a Garden of Eden.
• Don’t act like a Judas.

19. Paradox

A paradox is a statement that appears contradictory but reveals a truth.

• Less is more.
• I know one thing: that I know nothing.
• The beginning of the end.
• I am nobody.
• This is the beginning of the end.

20. Chiasmus

Chiasmus is a rhetorical device in which two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures.

• Never let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You.
• Do I love you because you’re beautiful? Or are you beautiful because I love you?
• You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.
• Fair is foul, and foul is fair.
• It’s not the men in my life, it’s the life in my men.

Importance of Figure of Speech

Figures of speech play a crucial role in enhancing the beauty and effectiveness of language. Here are some key reasons why they are important:

1. Enhances Expressiveness

Figures of speech add depth and emotion to writing and speech, making communication more engaging and memorable. They help convey feelings and ideas in a more impactful way.

2. Creates Vivid Imagery

By using metaphors, similes, and other devices, figures of speech create vivid mental images for the reader or listener. This helps in visualizing the concepts and scenarios being described, making the content more relatable and interesting.

3. Adds Emphasis

Figures of speech, such as hyperbole and alliteration, emphasize certain points or ideas, drawing attention to important aspects of the message. This helps in reinforcing the intended message effectively.

4. Enhances Creativity

Using figures of speech allows writers and speakers to be more creative with their language. It encourages thinking outside the box and using language in unique ways to express ideas.

5. Improves Clarity

Paradoxically, figures of speech can make complex ideas easier to understand by comparing them to more familiar concepts. Analogies and metaphors, for example, simplify abstract ideas and make them more comprehensible.

6. Engages the Audience

Figures of speech make language more engaging and enjoyable. They capture the audience’s attention and hold their interest, making the communication more effective.

7. Adds Humor

Devices like puns and irony introduce humor into language, making the content more enjoyable and entertaining. This can make the message more memorable and easier to digest.

8. Reflects Cultural Context

Figures of speech often reflect cultural and societal norms, values, and beliefs. They can provide insights into the culture and context of the language being used, enriching the communication experience.

9. Encourages Critical Thinking

Interpreting figures of speech often requires critical thinking and interpretation. This encourages the audience to think more deeply about the language and the ideas being presented.

10. Enhances Persuasiveness

In rhetoric, figures of speech are powerful tools for persuasion. They help in building arguments, appealing to emotions, and convincing the audience of a particular viewpoint.

Figure of Speech Examples:

Figure of speech examples in literature.

Figures of speech are rhetorical devices used to convey meaning or create effects in writing. Here are examples of various figures of speech in literature:

• Example : “Her smile was as bright as the sun.” (John Steinbeck, East of Eden )
• Example : “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” (William Shakespeare, As You Like It )
• Example : “The wind whispered through the trees.” (Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter )
• Example : “I had to wait an eternity for the bus.” (Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude )
• Example : “It’s just a scratch,” he said, as blood gushed from the wound. (J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye )
• Example : “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet )
• Example : “I must be cruel to be kind.” (William Shakespeare, Hamlet )
• Example : “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” (Traditional Tongue Twister)
• Example : “The bees buzzed, and the brook gurgled.” (Alfred Lord Tennyson, The Brook )
• Synecdoche : A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole.
• Example : “All hands on deck.” (Herman Melville, Moby Dick )
• Metonymy : Substituting the name of one thing with something closely related to it.
• Example : “The pen is mightier than the sword.” (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy )
• Irony : A contrast between expectation and reality.
• Example : “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice )
• Apostrophe : Addressing an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction.
• Example : “O Death, where is thy sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55, The Bible)
• Anaphora : The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
• 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 Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities )
• Pun : A play on words with humorous effect.
• Example : “A bicycle can’t stand on its own because it is two-tired.” (Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe )

Figure of Speech Examples Sentences

ere are sentences exemplifying various figures of speech:

• Simile : “Her laughter was like music to his ears.”
• Metaphor : “Time is a thief that steals our moments.”
• Personification : “The old house groaned in the wind.”
• Hyperbole : “I’ve told you a million times to clean your room!”
• Understatement : “It’s just a small scratch,” he said, looking at the dented car.
• Oxymoron : “The silence was deafening.”
• Paradox : “Less is more.”
• Alliteration : “Sally sells seashells by the seashore.”
• Onomatopoeia : “The bees buzzed angrily around the hive.”
• Synecdoche : “Check out my new wheels,” he said, referring to his car.
• Metonymy : “The White House issued a statement today.”
• Irony : “A fire station burned down.”
• Apostrophe : “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.”
• Anaphora : “Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.”
• Pun : “I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough.”

Figure of Speech Examples for Kids

Here are examples of figures of speech that are easy for kids to understand, with sentences:

• Example : “Her smile was as bright as the sun.”
• Example : “He was a lion in the fight.”
• Example : “The wind whispered through the trees.”
• Example : “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
• Example : “It’s just a little rain,” she said during the storm.
• Example : “The jumbo shrimp was delicious.”
• Example : “You have to be cruel to be kind.”
• Example : “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
• Example : “The bees buzzed around the flowers.”
• Example : “All hands on deck.”
• Example : “The crown announced a new law.”
• Example : “A plumber’s house always has leaky pipes.”
• Example : “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.”
• Example : “Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.”
• Example : “I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough.”

Metaphor Figure of Speech Examples

Here are examples of metaphors, a figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable:

• Meaning: Life is like a play; people are actors with roles to play.
• Meaning: Time takes away moments of our lives, just as a thief takes possessions.
• Meaning: He is very unemotional or unfeeling.
• Meaning: The classroom was noisy and chaotic.
• Meaning: She is very cheerful and lively.
• Meaning: Life is full of experiences and changes, similar to traveling.
• Meaning: The assignment was very easy to complete.
• Meaning: Her voice is very pleasing to hear.
• Meaning: He stays up late and is active at night.
• Meaning: The snow covers everything like a blanket covers a bed.
• Meaning: His words were very hurtful.
• Meaning: Life has many challenges and difficult times.
• Meaning: She brings joy and happiness into my life.
• Meaning: The stars were bright and sparkly like diamonds.
• Meaning: The test was very easy.

Hyperbole Figure of Speech Examples

Here are examples of hyperbole, a figure of speech that involves exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally:

• Meaning: I am extremely hungry.
• Meaning: I’ve told you many times to clean your room.
• Meaning: This bag is very heavy.
• Meaning: I have a lot of homework.
• Meaning: It will take a very long time to get there.
• Meaning: He’s running very fast.
• Meaning: I am laughing very hard.
• Meaning: She cried a lot.
• Meaning: This day is very bad.
• Meaning: My backpack is very heavy.
• Meaning: I have a lot of things to do today.
• Meaning: He is not very intelligent.
• Meaning: I waited in line for a very long time.
• Meaning: He is very tall.
• Meaning: I am very tired and need a lot of sleep.

Apostrophe Figure of Speech Examples

Here are examples of apostrophe, a figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or a personified abstraction:

• Juliet is addressing Romeo, who is not present.
• The speaker is addressing a star.
• The speaker is addressing death and the grave.
• The speaker is addressing the deceased captain.
• Lady Macbeth is addressing spirits.
• Macbeth is addressing an imagined dagger.
• Mark Antony is addressing Caesar’s dead body.
• The speaker is addressing the ocean.
• Satan is addressing the sun.
• King Lear is addressing the winds.

Repetition Figure of Speech Examples

Repetition is a figure of speech where words or phrases are repeated to emphasize a point or create a rhythm. Here are examples of different types of repetition:

• Example : “Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.” (Emile Coué)
• Example : “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
• Example : “The truth is not this, the truth is not that, the truth is unchangeable.”
• Example : “The horror, the horror!” (Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness )
• Example : “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” (Yoda, Star Wars )
• Example : “Do I love you because you are beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?” (Oscar Hammerstein II, Cinderella )
• Example : “To be, or not to be!” (William Shakespeare, Hamlet )
• Example : “We have ships and men and money and stores.”
• Example : “I came, I saw, I conquered.” (Julius Caesar)
• Example : “The king is dead; long live the king!”

How to Use a Figure of Speech in English?

Figures of speech are powerful tools that can enhance your writing and speech. Here’s a guide on how to effectively use various figures of speech:

1. Metaphor

Usage: Use metaphors to draw direct comparisons between two unrelated things, highlighting their similarities. Example: “The classroom was a zoo.” Explanation: This metaphor compares the classroom to a zoo, emphasizing chaos and activity.

Usage: Use similes to compare two different things using “like” or “as” to make descriptions more vivid. Example: “Her smile was as bright as the sun.” Explanation: This simile compares the brightness of her smile to the sun, emphasizing its radiance.

Usage: Use personification to give human qualities to non-human objects or abstract ideas, making them more relatable. Example: “The wind whispered through the trees.” Explanation: This personification gives the wind the human ability to whisper, creating a more engaging image.

Usage: Use hyperbole for exaggeration to emphasize a point or evoke strong feelings. Example: “I’ve told you a million times.” Explanation: This hyperbole exaggerates the number of times something has been said, emphasizing frustration.

5. Alliteration

Usage: Use alliteration to repeat the same initial consonant sound in a series of words, adding rhythm and musicality. Example: “She sells seashells by the seashore.” Explanation: The repetition of the ‘s’ sound creates a pleasing rhythm and enhances memorability.

6. Onomatopoeia

Usage: Use onomatopoeia to mimic natural sounds, enhancing the sensory experience of the reader or listener. Example: “The bees buzzed in the garden.” Explanation: The word “buzzed” imitates the sound of bees, making the description more vivid.

Usage: Use oxymorons to combine contradictory terms, revealing deeper meanings or creating dramatic effects. Example: “Bittersweet memories.” Explanation: The combination of “bitter” and “sweet” suggests complex emotions associated with the memories.

Usage: Use irony to convey a meaning opposite to the literal meaning, often highlighting discrepancies or unexpected outcomes. Example: “A pilot afraid of heights.” Explanation: The irony lies in the unexpected and contradictory fear of a pilot.

9. Euphemism

Usage: Use euphemisms to replace harsh or blunt terms with milder or more indirect expressions. Example: “He passed away.” Explanation: This euphemism is used instead of saying “he died,” making the statement softer.

Usage: Use puns to play on words with multiple meanings or similar sounds for humorous or rhetorical effect. Example: “Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.” Explanation: This pun plays on the dual meanings of “flies” and “like,” creating a humorous effect.

11. Synecdoche

Usage: Use synecdoche to refer to a part of something to represent the whole, or vice versa. Example: “All hands on deck.” Explanation: “Hands” represents the sailors, using a part to refer to the whole group.

12. Metonymy

Usage: Use metonymy to replace the name of something with the name of something else closely associated with it. Example: “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Explanation: “Pen” represents writing or diplomacy, while “sword” represents military force.

13. Apostrophe

Usage: Use apostrophe to address a person or entity not present, often to express deep emotion. Example: “O Death, where is thy sting?” Explanation: The speaker directly addresses Death, personifying and dramatizing the concept.

14. Anaphora

Usage: Use anaphora to repeat words or phrases at the beginning of successive clauses for emphasis and rhythm. Example: “Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better.” Explanation: The repetition of “every” emphasizes the ongoing process of improvement.

Usage: Use antithesis to juxtapose contrasting ideas, highlighting differences and creating tension. Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Explanation: The contrast between “best” and “worst” emphasizes the extremes of the situation.

What is a figure of speech?

A figure of speech is a rhetorical device that uses language in a non-literal or unusual way to create a particular effect or meaning.

Why are figures of speech important?

Figures of speech enhance expressiveness, add vivid imagery, emphasize points, and engage the audience, making communication more effective and memorable.

What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

A simile uses “like” or “as” to compare two things, while a metaphor directly states that one thing is another.

Can you give an example of personification?

Sure! “The wind whispered through the trees” gives human traits (whispering) to the wind, making it more relatable and vivid.

What is hyperbole?

Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect, such as “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

How does alliteration enhance writing?

Alliteration, the repetition of initial consonant sounds, adds rhythm, musicality, and emphasis to writing, making it more engaging and memorable.

What is the purpose of using irony?

Irony highlights discrepancies between expectations and reality, often to create humor or emphasize a point, adding depth to the message.

How do puns work in language?

Puns play on words with multiple meanings or similar sounds to create humor or a rhetorical effect, making language playful and engaging.

What is the effect of using an oxymoron?

An oxymoron combines contradictory terms to reveal deeper truths, create dramatic effects, or highlight complex emotions, such as “bittersweet.”

How can figures of speech improve my writing?

Figures of speech add expressiveness, clarity, and creativity to your writing, making it more engaging, memorable, and impactful for the audience.

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