Difference between revisions of "Figures of Speech course"

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This is the first of a number of pages about [[Figures of Speech]] (a site which gives a definition of the meaning of the phrase).  It suggests one form of a systematic programme of learning about '''figurative language'''.  Many other ways of finding out are possible, and ther 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 leraning to mix ideas from many different teachers and other sourcews to help you make sense of the ideas.
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This is the first of a number of pages about [[Figures of Speech]] (a site which gives a definition of the meaning of the phrase).  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  into four main areas, as to do so helps me, at any rate, to clarify the thinking behind the figures.   
 
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  into four main areas, as to do so helps me, at any rate, to clarify the thinking behind the figures.   
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There follow two ways of patterning a text.
 
There follow two ways of patterning a text.
 
*[[Figures of construction]], which mostly involve word order and the ways of presenting ideas; and  
 
*[[Figures of construction]], which mostly involve word order and the ways of presenting ideas; and  
*[[Figures of sound patterning]].  As you might expect, there are concerned with the sounds of words, and how they may be arranged fro effect.
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*[[Figures of sound patterning]].  As you might expect, there are concerned with the sounds of words, and how they may be arranged for effect.
 
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• There is also the inevitable [[Miscellaneous Figures|Miscellaneous]] section, which contains the ones that do not fit into the four groups neatly.
 
• There is also the inevitable [[Miscellaneous Figures|Miscellaneous]] section, which contains the ones that do not fit into the four groups neatly.
 
There is one warning: do not waste your time with this leaflet unless:
 
There is one warning: do not waste your time with this leaflet unless:
 
 
*you are curious about figures of speech, and want to know more than you do;
 
*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 need to understand them, because you are studying literature or language;
 
*you want to understand why some teacher has marked your writing wrong; or
 
*you want to understand why some teacher has marked your writing wrong; or
 
*some similar reason – i.e. one that seems good to you.
 
*some similar reason – i.e. one that seems good to you.
 
 
If you don’t have a good motive for studying these things, you will not learn them well.  Be warned: however well motivated you are, to learn this topic well is not always easy, and may take some hard concentration.  Indeed, it is a branch of scholarship which some may find very academic, sterile and trivial.  It offers great scope to [[taxonomy|taxonomists]] – people who arrange things into classes, types or groups.  Richard A. Lanham published ''A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms'' in 1969  which has 105 pages listing figures of speech with their definitions, with over ten such terms per page - giving a total of more than 1,000 different figures of speech.  Most of these will strike most users of English as entirely unnecessary – as they do me.  Except when I come across a context in which they are useful.  Then I use them.
 
If you don’t have a good motive for studying these things, you will not learn them well.  Be warned: however well motivated you are, to learn this topic well is not always easy, and may take some hard concentration.  Indeed, it is a branch of scholarship which some may find very academic, sterile and trivial.  It offers great scope to [[taxonomy|taxonomists]] – people who arrange things into classes, types or groups.  Richard A. Lanham published ''A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms'' in 1969  which has 105 pages listing figures of speech with their definitions, with over ten such terms per page - giving a total of more than 1,000 different figures of speech.  Most of these will strike most users of English as entirely unnecessary – as they do me.  Except when I come across a context in which they are useful.  Then I use them.
 
[[category:figures]]
 
[[category:figures]]

Revision as of 17:47, 4 November 2006

This is the first of a number of pages about Figures of Speech (a site which gives a definition of the meaning of the phrase). 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 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.
  • Figures of meaning: in general, these are concerned with structuring the ideas in a text, or influencing how the reader is to understand it.

There follow two ways of patterning a text.

• There is also the inevitable Miscellaneous section, which contains the ones that do not fit into the four groups neatly. There is one warning: do not waste your time with this leaflet 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 have a good motive for studying these things, you will not learn them well. Be warned: however well motivated you are, to learn this topic well is not always easy, and may take some hard concentration. Indeed, it is a branch of scholarship which some may find very academic, sterile and trivial. It offers great scope to taxonomists – people who arrange things into classes, types or groups. Richard A. Lanham published A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms in 1969 which has 105 pages listing figures of speech with their definitions, with over ten such terms per page - giving a total of more than 1,000 different figures of speech. Most of these will strike most users of English as entirely unnecessary – as they do me. Except when I come across a context in which they are useful. Then I use them.