Figurative Language, Study notes of Art

Download Figurative Language and more Study notes Art in PDF only on Docsity! Figurative Language Is the writing that is not meant to be taken literally (or exactly as the words are presented). The language is used to create vivid impressions by setting up comparisons between things that might be dissimilar. Alliteration Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words; it is used to create melody, establish mood, call attention to important words, or point out similarities and differences. Wide-eyed and wondering while we wait for others to waken. Allusion An allusion is a reference, within a literary work, to another work of fiction, a film, a piece of art, or even a real event. An allusion serves as a kind of shorthand, drawing on this outside work to provide greater context or meaning to the situation being written about. She stood as strong at the Statue of Liberty while holding 50 pound weights above her head. Cliché is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful or novel. The term is generally used in a negative context. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Hyperbole A bold, deliberate overstatement not intended to be taken literally; used as a means of emphasizing the truth of a statement. She said you crossed that line seven million times! Metaphor A figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two dissimilar things. The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it after a long day. Irony Verbal Irony – is used when an expression is the opposite of the thought in the speaker’s mind, thus conveying a meaning that contradicts the literal definition. Fathers fondly call their little boys “Big Fella” or I may call my hunking 6’6” friend “Tiny.” Dramatic Irony – is a literary or theatrical device of having a character utter words which the reader or audience understands to have a different meaning, but which the character himself is aware. Situational Irony – is when a situation occurs which is quite the reverse of what one might have expected. Two animal rights activists were protesting the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn. Suddenly the pigs, all two thousand of them, escaped through a broken fence and stampeded, trampling two hapless protesters to death. Onomatopoeia The use of words that mimic sound; they appeal to our sense of hearing and bring a description to life. Caarackle! Vrooooom! Oxymoron A figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms. Jumbo shrimp or friendly fire. Paradox A figure of speech in which a contradictory statement is nonetheless true. A seemingly absurd or self- contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true I thank God for unanswered prayers. Or I know one thing; that I know nothing. "I can resist anything but temptation." - Oscar Wilde Personification A highly styled type of metaphor in which distinct human qualities (e.g., honesty, emotion, volition, etc.) are attributed to an animal, object, or idea. “nature swept” or “the wind whispered many truths to me.” Pun A pun is a play on words: a humorous use of words that involves words or phrases that have more than one possible meaning. To write with a broken pencil is pointless.