Figure of speech

Make your Writing Colorful

1. Figures of Speech
Make your writing colorful
Asst. Prof. Vishal Kamble
S.N.T. College of Education, Bhor, Pune

2. Figures of Speech
Figures of speech are words or phrases that depart from
straight forward literal meaning. Figures of speech are often used
and crafted for emphasis, expression, clarity or heighten effect.


There are many types of figures of speech. Here are a
few of them with detailed descriptions:

3. 8) Hyperbole

9) Tautology

10) Pun

11) Alliteration

12) Onomatopoeia

13) Inversion

14) Repetition
1)Simile

2)Metaphor

3)Personification

4)Apostrophe

5)Antithesis

6)Interrogation

7)Exclamation
Figures of Speech

4. When a direct comparison is made between two different objects of different
kinds, which are alike at least in one point, it is called Simile.
In this figure of speech the words like, as, as….as, so, like are always used.

किभान एिा फाफतीत वाधर्ममय (वायखेऩणा) अवरेल्मा ऩयंतु ऩयस्ऩयांशून भबन्न अवणाऱ्मा दोन
लस्तू, व्मक्ती, ठििाण मांची तुरना ‘ उऩभा ’ अरंिायात शोते.
Example
i) Shivaji Maharaj was like a lion.
Ans: Simile :- Shivaji Maharaj is compared to lion using the word ‘like’.

ii) Her lips are red as a rose.
Ans: Simile :- Color of lips is compared to color of rose using the word ‘as’.

iii) He is as strong as Tiger.
Ans: Simile :- strongness of He is compared to strongness of tiger using the
word ‘as….as’.

5. When an indirect comparison is made without the words like, as,
as….as, so, like, it is called metaphor.

as, as….as, so, like अळा तुरनादळयि ळबदांचा लाऩय न ियता एिा लस्तूची
तुरना दुवऱ्मा लास्तूळी ियणाया अरंिाय र्मशणजे ‘ �ऩि ’ अरंिाय शोम.

Examples
i. Children are pillar of nation.
Ans: Metaphor:-The Children are indirectly compared to the pillar
of nation.

ii. Life is dream.
Ans: Metaphor:- Life is indirectly compared to a dream.

iii. Shivaji Maharaj was a lion.
Ans: Metaphor:- Shivaji Maharaj is indirectly compared to a lion.

6. It refers to the practice of attaching human traits and characteristics
with inanimate objects, plants and animals.
(Giving human qualities to things that are not human)

ननजील लस्तू वजील आशेत अळी िल्ऩना ि�न त्मा भानलाप्रभाणे लागतात किला
िृती ियतात अवे जेथे लणयन अवते तेथे ‘ चेतनागुणोक्ती ’ शा अरंिाय अवतो.

Examples

i. The Moon is laughing.
Ans: Personification:- The Moon is given the human quality of Laughing.

ii. The rose was smiling.
Ans: Personification:- The rose is given the human quality of Smiling.

iii. The city goes on growing.
Ans: Personification:- The city is given the human quality of growing.

7. When a speaker directly addresses to the dead, the absent,
inanimate or personified object or idea as it is present, it is called
Apostrophe.

अस्स्तत्लात नवरेल्मा किला प्रत्मष वभोय नवरेल्मा फाफींफाफत ती वभोय आशे अवे
िल्ऩून तीव फोरणे मावािी ‘ ऩयोष वंफोधन अरंिाय ’ लाऩयतात.

Examples

i. Oh heaven! Take me towards you.
Ans: Apostrophe: The heaven is personified and addressed. OR
Heaven is directly addressed as it were a living being.

ii. Life I know what you are, but know that you and I must part.
Ans: Apostrophe: The life is personified and addressed.

iii. Please help, keep it safe, o god!
Ans: Apostrophe: god is directly addressed as it is present.

iv. O death! Come fast as you can.

8. Antithesis (ivaraoQaaBaasa)
When opposite ideas are placed side by side for emphasis,
it is called Antithesis.

‘ वलयोधाबाव ’ मा अरंिायात दोन ऩयस्ऩयवलयोधी िल्ऩना किला ळबदांचे एिाच
लाक्मात वादयीियण िेरेरे अवते.

Examples

i. With a smile on his lips and tear in his eyes.
Ans: Antithesis: Two opposite ideas smile and tear are placed together for
poetic effect. OR Opposite ideas are expressed in the same line.

ii. She comes and goes.
Ans: Antithesis: Two opposite ideas comes and goes are placed together
for poetic effect.

iii. And whether the game you lose or win.
Ans: Antithesis: Opposite ideas are expressed in the same line.

9. Interrogation is statement thrown into the form of a question for
rhetorical effect. No answer is expected to such a question.

अरंिारयि प्रश्नाच्मा �ऩात अवणाऱ्मा लाक्माव ‘ प्रश्नारंिाय ’ अवे र्मशणतात.
आऩरे र्मशणणे प्रबालीऩणे भांडण्मावािी मा अरंिायाचा लाऩय ियतात. मेथे उत्तय अऩेक्षषत
नवते. मा अरंिायात ठदरेल्मा प्रश्नातच त्माचे उत्तय वाभालरेरे अवते.

Examples
i. Who knows the cost of one dropped catch ?
Ans: Interrogation:- idea is expressed in the form of a question. OR
A question is asked instead of statement.

ii. Nobody knows who am I ?
Ans: Interrogation:- idea is expressed in the form of a question.

iii. Who is here so vile that will not love his country?
Ans: Interrogation:- idea is expressed in the form of a question.

10. Exclamation ( ]dgaarvaacak AlaMkar )

Exclamation is a figure of speech in which the exclamatory form is
used to draw greater attention to a point that a mere bold statement of it
could do.

ज्मा अरंिायात उत्स्पूतय बालना व्मक्त ियण्मावािी उद्गायलाचि लाक्माचा /
ळबदाचा लाऩय िे रेरा अवतो त्मा अरंिायाव ‘ उद्गायलाचि ’ अरंिाय अवे र्मशणतात.

Examples
i. How bravely he met his death!
Ans: Exclamation: strong feelings are expressed.

ii. Ah! You will miss us, right well we know.
Ans: Exclamation: strong feelings are expressed.

iii. Oh! how wonderful is the rain.
Ans: Exclamation: strong feelings are expressed.

11. In hyperbole, something is stated in an exaggerated manner used
mainly for effect. In it something is represented as greater or lesser than it
really is. (but not intended to be taken literally.)

िोणतीशी फाफ लस्तुस्स्थतीऩेषा खूऩ लाढलून, पुगलून वांगगतरी जाते तेव्शा
‘अनतळमोक्ती’ शा अरंिाय शोतो.

Examples

i. The ocean can't quench my thirst.
Ans: Hyperbole: The idea expressed is highly exaggerated.

ii. Revers of tears were flowing on her chicks.
Ans: Hyperbole: The idea expressed is highly exaggerated.

iii. Belinda smiled and all the world was gay. (Glad)
Ans: Hyperbole: The idea expressed is highly exaggerated.

12. Tautology is the use of extra unnecessary words to express
the same idea in the same statement.

एखादी िल्ऩना वांगण्मावािी गयज नवताना देखीर एिाच लाक्मात एिाच अथायचा
दुवया ळबद लाऩयणे र्मशणजे ‘ ऩुन�क्ती ’ अरंिाय शोम.

Examples

i. He dwelt in lonely isolation.
Ans: Tautology: The word ‘lonely’ and ‘isolation’ have the same meaning.

ii. I too want to hear fairy tales and stories from him.
Ans: Tautology: The word ‘tales’ and ‘stories’ have the same meaning.

iii. But we have feet to scale and climb.
Ans: Tautology: The word ‘scale ’ and ‘climb’ have the same meaning.

13. Pun (SlaoYa AlaMkar)
When there is more than one meaning in the same word, it
is called pun.

एिाच ळबद लाक्मात दोन अथाांनी लाऩयल्माभुऱे जेव्शा ळबदचभत्िृती वाधते
तेव्शा ‘ श्रेऴ ’ अरंिाय शोतो.

Examples

i. Leave me some of the grapes and you take rest.
Ans: Pun: here the word ‘rest’ has two meaning.

ii. A woman powders the face, while a soldier faces the powder.
Ans: Pun: here the word ‘face’ has two meaning.

iii. The boy who eats dates makes good use of time.
Ans: Pun: here the word ‘dates’ has two meaning.

14. When same sound or repetition of same letters or syllable are used to
produce poetic effect it is called Alliteration. ( Alliteration is the repetition of initial
consonant sounds of neighboring words.)

एखाद्मा लाक्मात किला िवलतेच्मा चयणात एिाच अषयाची ऩुनयालृत्ती शोऊन त्मातीर
नादाभुऱे जेव्शा त्मारा वौंदमय प्राप्त शोते, तेव्शा ‘ अनुप्राव ’ शा अरंिाय शोतो.

Examples
i. The lordly lion leaves his lonely lair.
Ans: Alliteration: The sound of ‘L’ is pleasingly repeated for poetic effect.

ii. I want to sow seeds of moon.
Ans: Alliteration: The sound of ‘S’ is pleasingly repeated for poetic effect.

iii) Great, wide, beautiful, wonderful world.
Ans: Alliteration: The sound of ‘W’ is pleasingly repeated for poetic effect.

iv) A lovely lotus lay floating in lonely lake.
Ans: Alliteration: The sound of ‘L’ is pleasingly repeated for poetic effect.

15. Onomatopoeia is the word that imitate the sound.

लेगलेगऱे आलाज किला ध्लनी दळयवलणाये ळबद लाऩ�न अथय प्रनतध्लननत ियणाया
अरंिाय र्मशणजे ‘ ध्लनी ’ अरंिाय शोम. (लाक्मात आलाज किला ध्लनीदळयि ळबद लाऩयरेरे
अवतात.)

Examples
i. And whoosh whoosh of the washing machine.
Ans: Onomatopoeia: sound is expressed in the word ‘Whoosh’.

ii. The murmur of a water fall a far….
Ans: Onomatopoeia: sound is expressed in the word ‘murmur’.

iii. The house tops clatter and clang.
Ans: Onomatopoeia: sound is expressed in the words ‘clatter’ and
‘clang’.

16. When the word order is changed for poetic effect it is called Inversion. (In
this figure of speech word order is not in proper order. )

‘ ळबद फदर ’ मा अरंिायाभध्मे ऩरयणाभिायि िाव्मयचनेवािी ळबदांचा क्रभ ननमभभत
गद्मक्रभानुवाय न िेलता तो उरट वुरट िेलरा जातो.

Examples
i. In vain is all word play. (All word play is in vain.)
Ans: Inversion: The words are not in the correct prose order.
The correct order is ‘All word play is in vain.’

ii. As we to higher levels rise. (As we rise to higher levels.)
Ans: Inversion: The words are not in the correct prose order.
The correct order is ‘As we rise to higher levels.’

iii. Down they came fluttering. (They came down fluttering.)
Ans: Inversion: The words are not in the correct prose order.
The correct order is ‘They came down fluttering.’

17. In this figure of speech worlds are repeated pleasingly.


‘ ऩुनयालृत्ती ’ मा अरंिायाभध्मे िाव्मात्भि प्रबालावािी एखाद्मा
ळबदाची ऩुनयालृत्ती िेरेरी अवते.

Examples
i. keep fit, little man, keep fit !
Ans: Repetition: The word ‘keep fit’ is repeated for poetic
effect.

ii. I want to go aboard my ship, and sail and sail away….
Ans: Repetition: The word ‘sail’ is repeated for poetic effect.

iii. With his bare hands the city climbs the bare mountain.
Ans: Repetition: The word ‘bare’ is repeated for poetic effect.