



You can think of it as talking in circles.Įxample: In the Harry Potter series, most characters don’t say Lord Voldemort’s name instead, they use this circumlocution: “He Who Must Not Be Named.” 5Īn epigram is a clever and memorable statement. The character might speak to someone deceased, an inanimate object, or a concept.Įxample: “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” -William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet 4Ĭircumlocution is the use of a purposely wordy description. ” -Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities 3Īpostrophe as a figure of speech is when a character addresses someone or something that isn’t present or cannot respond. 2Īntithesis is a literary technique that places opposite things or ideas next to one another in order to draw out their contrast.Įxample: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. 20 types of figures of speech 1Īlliteration is the repeating of consonant sounds right next to each other, which creates a memorable or melodic effect.Įxample: She sells seashells by the seashore. Literal language is the type of straightforward writing you’ll find on road signs, in office memos, and in research papers. The opposite of figurative language is literal language. You will find examples of figurative language in novels, poems, essays, and plays. Language that uses figures of speech is known collectively as figurative language. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly What is a figure of speech?
