Figures of Speech
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Figures Of Speech
The General English syllabus’s next topic is Figure speech from literature
portion. This part on English Literature is very important. The Figure of speech
will only takes place in the poem. In this article, we would like to discuss and
give simple explanation on Figure of speech. Before getting in –deeper, we like
to clarify what is ‘Figure of Speech’? It is a word or phrase that has a meaning
something different than its literal meaning.
The TNPSC GE Question Paper’s figure of speech will be taken from all poems
of 6th to 12th Samacheer books. The figure of speech is usually used by poem
writer to give the lines more expressive. The figure of speech can be asked
from Poem such as
Now let us check on different types of Figure of Speech. The Figure of Speech
and its example are given below.
1. Alliteration
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2. Simile
3. Metaphor
4. Idioms
5. Personification
6. Homophones
7. Allusion
8. Oxymoron
9. Onomatopoeia
10. Anaphora
11. Ellipsis
Alliteration:
In a same poetic line, the repetition of the same consonant sound in several
words is called as Alliteration. The Alliteration is the occurrence of the same
letter of the word in same line.
Example: So we must laugh and drink from the deep blue cup of the sky.
Here the alliteration are drink and deep, where it sounds “d”.
Simile:
The Simile can be found by those two words: “ as brave as “ a lion (or) Like
brave lion
Metaphor: The Metaphor that compares 2 subjects without the use of ‘like’
and ‘or’
Ex: 3 A notes as from a single place, a Slender tinkling fall that made.
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Idioms:
It is a group of words which has different meaning from the actual meaning
of it.
Homophones:
The words that sounds similar, but have different spelling and meaning.
Here desert means an uninhabited land and dessert means eatable at the
end of a meal.
Personification:
The Non- Human Objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they have
ability to act like human beings.
Example:
We would like to give another 5 more figure of speech in our next article. So
please stay withus for General English tips and explanation. The Question will
be asked as follows,
Choose the right answer. The Figure of speech in this line is _______.
Ans: Metaphor
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Ans: Alliteration. Here the alliteration is Welcome and Weary because it has
same letter in 2 different words in same line.
6. While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring
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Ans: Homophones. Because, the male and mail differs in spelling and also
has different meaning such as Male represents a Boy and Mail represents
a Electronic mail.
Hope this article is very informative. For GE figure of speech part II, please
make subscription by giving email address and bookmark our page for future
reference.
Allusion
“Don’t act like Romeo in front of her” – It refers a character named Romeo,
who loved Juliet in the Shakespeare play of “Romeo and Juliet” indirectly.
Onomatopoeia
Here the Onomatopoeia is burst into clamour; it means the loud noise made
by many people.
Oxymoron
Ex: Dark light, Living dead, Mad wisdom & Falsely True.
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Here the opposite of dark is light. Likewise, you can see opposite meaning of a
word to put together to give sense for the word.
Anaphora
Here these two lines looks repeated in same sense or format. Thus it is
Anaphora – Figure of Speech.
Ellipsis
The Ellipsis are mostly used to give signal confusion, disapproval, hesitation or
to show more to come on the way.
Mostly this figure of speech didn’t cover in our Poem syllabus. But chances are
there to ask in exams to confuse the aspirants. So please don’t ignore any
segment in General English. Knowing new concepts is not wrong. It is also
knowledge.
Repetition
From the word ‘ repetition’ itself, one can identify the repeated words in same
poetic line.
This is a poetic line from ‘The Snake’. Here hot is repeated twice in same line.
So “Hot” is repetition in the above poetic line.
Apostrophes
Hyperbola
Answer: c
Here You loved me... You gave me... those two lines are same in format. So it is
ticked as Anaphora.
Answer: c
Here the word ‘ young’ is repeated twice. So, the figure of speech is
repetition.
Answer: b
Here the success and failure are compared without the usage of ‘like’ and ‘as’.
So it is metaphor.
Answer: c
Here, the moon is personified. It is means; the actual ran is for water, but the
poet described as exaggerated as they ran for moon. So it is Hyperbole.
These lines were taken from the Poem “Be the Best”. Now here we are going
to learn about Rhyme scheme. The Rhyme Scheme is nothing but, each line of
the poem must end in rhyming manner.
Example: Here ‘Trail’ & ‘Fail’ and ‘Star’ & ‘are’ – Rhyming words.
Thus let’s consider trail & fail as “a & a”. Likewise star & are as “b & b”. So,
the answer is B.
B) Irony
C) Apostrophe
D) Litotes
Explanation:
Question may ask in this pattern too. So please go through the meaning of all
figure of speech terms. Now let’s see the meaning of all other 4 options. Here
the answer is B.
Paradox – A Statement appears to contradict itself.
Example: “You can save money by spending it”
Irony – The expression of one’s meaning that normally signifies the opposite.
Example: “Oh great! Now you have broken my new camera.”
4. “The reddest flower would look as pale as snow for, all day, we drag our
burden tiring”. Mention the figure of speech employed in the above lines.
A) Metaphor
B) Simile
C) Oxymoron
D) Personification
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Explanation:
This line was taken from the poem “The Cry of the Children”.
We have earlier discussed about the term Simile, if you look at the line, “as
pale as snow” was used. So obviously it is Simile and the answer is B.
5. ‘As humble plants by country hedgerows growing that treasure up the rain’.
The figure of speech employed here is ………….
A) Allusion
B) Metaphor
C) Simile
D) Personification
E) Personification
Explanation:
This line was taken from the poem “Women’s Right”. Here As humble plants
was compared to Women. Thus the answer is C. Also‘as’ was used to conclude
that it is Simile.
6. Identify the poetic line that differs in figure of speech from the other poetic
lines.
A) In solitary confinement as complete as any goal
B) In the bivouac of life
C) Speech that came like leech craft
D) Like a king in exile
Explanation:
The Figure of speech used in option A, C, D is Simile, where ‘as’, ‘like’ are used.
The direct simile is used, in such a way option B differs from other option.
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Explanation:
This line was taken from the poem “The Noiseless Patient Spider”. The Figure
of speech used in the above line is “Oxymoron”, which means using
contradictory terms i.e. opposite terms.
Here ‘Fling catch’ looks like Oxymoron because, fling means throw.
Thus throw and catch plays opposite terms. So, the answer is D.
Explanation:
This line was taken from the poem “Shilpi”. The Figure of speech used in the
above line is “Oxymoron”, which means using contradictory terms i.e.
opposite terms.
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Here ‘Harmonic Cacophony’ looks like Oxymoron because, the word harmonic
means special musical note or pleasant sound and cacophony means noise.
Thus harmonic cacophony plays opposite terms. So, the answer is D.
Explanation:
This line was taken from the poem “Going for Water”. The Figure of speech
employed in the above line is “Hyperbole”, which describes things in an
exaggerated way for the sake of emphasis.
Here the moon is personified, whereas the actual run is for the water, but the
poet described as exaggerated as they ran for moon. So the answer is A.
10. Identify the poetic line that differs in figure of speech, from the other lines.
A) In the world’s broad field of battle
B) Writhed like lightning and was gone
C) As humble plants by country hedgerows growing
D) In solitary confinement as complete as any goal
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Explanation:
Here all four option’s figure of speech is Simile. But option A differs from
other, whereas ‘as’, ‘like’ are used in option B, C & D. The direct simile is used,
in such a way option A differs from other option.
Explanation:
Can you identify the rhyme? Yes, look at the poem lines.
‘doing’ and ‘pursuing’ sounds same which can be written as ‘a a’. Likewise, ‘fate’
and ‘wait’ sounds same which can also be written as ‘b b’. Thus altogether the
rhyme scheme can be written as a b a b.
D) Simile
Explanation:
Here the figure of speech for the above line is Onomatopoeia, where it
denotes the words which produce sound by an act, object, etc.
Here the Onomatopoeia word is “tinkling”.
14. “On the day of Sicilian July, with Etna Smoking”. What type of allusion is
used here?
A) Cultural allusion
B) Biblical allusion
C) Geographical allusion
D) Political allusion
Explanation:
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Explanation:
This line was taken from the poem “Laugh and be Merry”. The figure of
speech involved in this line is Metaphor.
The comparison between two objects, no comparison words is used in
Metaphor.
The line says that, “Be happy and positive until the end of your days”.
Explanation:
It was taken from the poem “The Psalm of Life”. Repetition refers to
repeating words or phrases in consecutive lines or same line. In such manner,
‘Act – act’ was used consecutively. The word Act was repeated twice. So the
answer is option C.
The line is from the Poem “A Psalm of Life”. The Allusion applied here is from
Bible, Where Dust thou art is from the book of Genesis – God’s word to Adam
& Eve were casted from the dust of Eden garden. Likewise, the poet describes
that all human beings are the dust. In such a way, the poet refer indirectly to
an event.
19. Find out the figure of speech in the following poetic lines :
“O If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same”.
A) Personification
B) Simile
C) Metaphor
D) Oxymoron
Explanation:
The Answer is A. The Personification attributes life to non-living objects. Here
both Triumph and disaster are described as Human, which personify the
human qualities.
Triumph and disaster both are compared to imposters. Both success and
failure doesn’t long last. We often deceived in thinking them to be permanent.
B) a b c b
C) a b b a
D) a c a b
Explanation:
The Rhyming words are ‘gaze’ and ‘ways’, which was denoted as ‘b b’. The
other two line are marked as a & c. Thus the rhyming scheme of the above
line is a b c b.
21. Identify the figure of speech used in the following poetic line :
And all day the iron wheels are droning
A) Oxymoron
B) Onomatopoeia
C) Assonance
D) Metaphor
Explanation:
The line is taken from the poem “The Cry of the Children”. Here the figure of
speech is Onomatopoeia, where droning is Onomatopoeia word. The term
‘droning’ means, low humming sound.
22. Find out the figure of speech used in this line from the options given
below:
“He lifted his head from his drinking as cattle do”
A) Alliteration
B) Metaphor
C) Simile
D) Allusion
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Explanation:
The figure of speech used in the above line is Simile from the poem “Snake”.
Here simile is identified by ‘as’ which was used in the above line. Here the
snake has been compared to cattle. Thus it was strongly answers as Simile.
24. Repetition of the same line at the end of each stanza is called
A) simile
B) refrain
C) alliteration
D) Metaphor
Explanation:
I do see the enjoy of morning,
Such a lovely beauty of flowers please me
I do see the enjoy of morning,
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The above lines is an example of refrain,whereas first & last line are same.
Please focus on definition of all figure of speech. Likewise, u can see refrain
in the poem “O Captain! My Caption!” by Walt Whitman.
26. Identify the figure of speech used in the following poetic line.
‘That hung like clustered stars’
A) Metaphor
B) simile
C) Alliteration
D) Assonance
Explanation:
The word “like” was used in the poem English words. Thus it is clear that, the
answer is Simile. The collection of English words was compared to the cluster
of stars. So this comparison tells that, it belongs to Simile.
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30. “In the beginning was the word And the word was God” What is the
allusion made here?
A) Literary Allusion
B) Geographical Allusion
C) Biblical Allusion
D) Linguistic Allusion
Explanation:
This line was taken from the Bible – John 1:1 which says through Him all things
was made. So the answer is C.
D) Metaphor
Explanation:
Here the figure of speech is Alliteration, whereas mistaught & misfed starts
with the letter “M”. Thus it was concluded as Alliteration. The poet says that,
charity starts by loving fellowmen.
34. Choose the best answer given below. “The reddest flower would look as
pale as snow”: The figure of speech used is
A) Personification
B) Metaphor
C) Oxymoron
D) Simile
36. Pick out the words in alliteration in “The barren boughs without the
leaves”. Find out the correct answer from the following options :
A) without leaves
B) bough with leaves
C) Barren leaves
D) barren boughs
Explanation:
Alliteration is repeating intial consonant sound in several words in same line.
Here “Barren boughs” is apt answer.
37. “I spread my wings through all the din ; Through fears and fright I fly my
flight”. Identify the group of words which has alliteration in them – Find out
the correct answer from the options given below :
A) through all the din
B) spread my wings
C) through fears
D) through fears and fright I fly my flight
Explanation:
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Here the alliteration is fears, fright & flight. The option D has repeated initial
consonant in 3 words of the poetic line from “Migrant Bird”. So the answer is
D.
38. ‘O ye wheels’ (breaking out in a mad moaning) ‘Stop ! be silent for today !’
The figure of speech used here is——-
A) Simile
B) Personification
C) Metaphor
D) Repetition
39. Which figure of speech suits for the underlined word in the given
sentence?
The crow caws
A) Simile
B) Metaphor
C) Oxymoron
D) Onomatoepia
Explanation:
The answer is option D, because the harsh cry of cow is said to be caws. Thus
the word denotes sound is called Onomatoepia.
40. “And underneath our heavy eyelids drooping, The reddest flower would
look as pale as snow”. The figure of speech employed in the above lines is ——
Choose the correct answer from the choices given below
A) Simile
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B) Metaphor
C) Oxymoron
D) personification
41. Identify the poetic line which is not having Simile as the figure of speech
from the following options:
A) As humble plants by country hedgerows growing
B) Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld
C) Be not like dumb, driven cattle
D) O tongues of fire ! you came devouring
Explanation:
The Option A, B & C are simile. But the question is to find which option is NOT
SIMILE, obviously the answer is option D.
The figure of speech of option D is Metaphor, whereas the line was taken
from the poem
“ English Words”
42. Complete the given Simile with the apt name of the animal from the given
options :
as fast as——-.
A) Cheetah
B) Lion
C) Lamb
D) Fox
Explanation:
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Here the animal was compared in terms of speed i.e fast. We all know that
Cheetah’s speed is 70-75 mph and it is called the fastest land animal. Also the
term as was used. So it is Simile and the answer is option A
43. There won’t be any calendar, there won’t be any clock ; The alliterated
words here are——-: Pick out the correct answer from the options given below
:
A) Calendar – Clock
B) Won’t be – Calendar
C) There be a clock
D) There be a calendar
Explanation:
The repetition initial consonant of the words calendar and clock is C. Thus the
answer is option A.
44. Identify the poetic line that differs in figure of speech from the other
poetic lines; from the options given below :
A) O Winged seeds ! you crossed the furrowed seas
B) Like a golden swarm of fire flies you came
C) He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do
D) And our hearts though stout and brave, Still like muffled drums are beating
Explanation:
The Option B, C & D are simile. But the option A is NOT SIMILE. It is
Personification. Here it personifies the English word had crossed the seas to
settle comfortably in India. Obviously the answer is option A.
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47. Identify the figure of speech in “And flickered his tongue like a forked night
on the air, so black”.
A) simile
B) Metaphor
C) Alliteration
D) Oxymoron
Explanation:
Here the term “like” is used. So the answer is Simile.
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48. ‘Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds’ – What is the figure
of speech presented in these lines?
A) Personification
B) Alliteration
C) Simile
D) Oxymoron
Explanation:
Alliteration from words:
Love – Love
Which – When
Alters – Alteration
Repetition in initial consonant letters.
49 “And, underneath our heavy eyelids drooping, I The reddest ! lower would
look as pale as snow”. The figure of speech used here is
A) Simile
B) Metaphor
C) personification
D) Allusion
D) Personification
Explanation:
Here the Ship symbolizes the United States of America and the Captain
represents Abraham Lincoln.
So the answer is option A. Metaphor