FIGURES OF SPEECH (CLASS 10 )

A simile is a literary device that compares two things in an interesting and vivid way. Words such as “like” and “as” are used to compare the two subjects. For example, “He was as quiet as a mouse” or “She smelled like a rose”. 

The Tale of Custard the Dragon

The phrases, 'sharp as Mustard', 'mouth like a fireplace', 'as brave as a barrel full of bears', 'brave as a tiger in a cage', 'snorting like an engine', and 'clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon' are examples of simile in the poem.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated, but which share some common characteristics. Metaphors have comparison which is indirect. For instance, the sentence, "Riya is like a tigress" is a simile and the sentence "Riya is a tigress" is a metaphor. While both the sentences mean the same

Metaphors used in the poem "The Tale of Custard the dragon" by Ogden Nash:

Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose - The poet compares the dragon breathing fire and the smoke being let out as a chimney emitting smoke.

Metaphors used in the poem “Animals” by Walt Whitman 

‘Sweat and whine’ – refer to the cries and complaints of human beings. 

‘tokens’ – The inner qualities of humans are referred to as ‘tokens’ 

Metaphors used in the poem “The Trees” by Adrienne Rich

There is a beautiful comparison of trees with women. This poem, “The trees” written by Adrienne Rich talks about the trees symbolically. Trees refer to women who have been healed and are ready to move out of their houses to renew the forest of mankind.

Metaphors used in the poem "For Anne Gregory": By those great honey-coloured / Ramparts at your ear - The poet indirectly compares Anne Gregory's hair with ramparts as they act like a protective frame for her face.

Personification is defined as “the attribution of human characteristics to things, abstract ideas, etc., as for literary or artistic effect”, and “the representation of an abstract quality or idea in the form of a person, creature, etc., as in art and literature.

In the poem Tiger in the Zoo by Leslie Norris, the tiger is referred to with the use of the pronoun ‘he’, implying that he can feel like humans do, that is, feeling helpless at being imprisoned and wanting to be free. Therefore, the tiger has been personified, that is, has been given human-like qualities in this poem.

In the poem The Trees by Adrienne Rich, the poet has personified the tree as a female. He refers it using the word “her” and also describes its beauty. e.g. its branches as described as hair and its leaves are described as breast. “the trees are moving”, “no sun bury its feet”, “all night the roots work” etc.

In “The Ball Poem” by John Berryman, the poet describes ball merrily bouncing down the street. Merry means happy. It is a human characteristic which is given to the ball.

Irony is the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning. A usually humorous sardonic or satirical literary style or form characterized by irony. Irony of the poem For Anne Gregory by William Butler Yeats.

Anne ridicules the idea of being loved for her yellow hair. She can dye her hair the way she likes — brown, black, carrot or yellow. But the irony of this world is that people will go on being tempted and dazzled by glamour, show and outwardly appearances. 

The irony in the title ''How to tell wild animals' by Carolyn Wells is the poet says if ever we go to jungle to see a wild animal from close quarters, we may be attacked by the wild animal. In that case we may not be alive to tell others about the wild animals.