Difference between revisions of "Figures of Speech course"

Revision as of 11:17, 1 June 2008

This is the first of a number of pages about Figures of speech. (For a definition, see Figures of speech.) It suggests one form of a systematic programme of learning about figurative language. Many other ways of finding out are possible, and the divisions of the subject in this Guide are not the same as in some textbooks. They have been found to work with some students, however. You may find it suits your style of learning to mix ideas from many different teachers and sources to help you make sense of the ideas.

The first section of this introduction to Figures of Speech gives an outline of the suggested course. I have grouped the basic functions of the different ways of using them into four main areas, as to do so helps me, at any rate, to clarify the thinking behind the figures.

• Figures of comparison – the largest group of all figurative uses of language. (For a list of the ones in this course, click here.)
• Figures of meaning: these are about structuring the ideas in a text, or influencing how the reader is to understand it. (List here.)

There follow two ways of patterning a text.

• Figures of construction, which mostly involve word order and the ways of presenting ideas; (List here and
• Figures of sound patterning. There are concerned with the sounds of words, and how they may be arranged for effect. (List here.)

Of these, the first (comparison) and the last (sound patterning) are probably the most important.

Other Miscellaneous Figures which do not fit into the four groups neatly can be found by name; there is also a List of these. There is one warning: do not waste your time with this course unless:

• you are curious about figures of speech, and want to know more than you do;
• you need to understand them, because you are studying literature or language;
• you want to understand why some teacher has marked your writing wrong; or
• some similar reason – i.e. one that seems good to you.

If you don’t want to learn, you won't learn well.

Be warned: many of the names for Figures listed will strike most users of English as entirely unnecessary – as they do me. (For an example, see Syllepsis - zeugma.) Except when I come across a context in which they are useful. Then I use them.