修辞法(figures of speech)

A

figure of speech

, sometimes termed a

rhetoric

, or locution, is a word or phrase that

departs

from

straightforward,

literal

language.

Figures

of

speech

are

often

used

and

crafted for emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. However, clarity may also suffer

from

their

use.

Note

that

all

theories

of

meaning

necessarily

have

a

concept

of

language

(see

literal

and

figurative

language

).

Under

theories

that

do

not,

figure

of

speech

is not an entirely

coherent

concept

.

Review Quiz: Top 20 Figures of Speech

By

Richard Nordquist

This quiz should help you to understand and remember the terms and concepts introduced in the

Top 20

Figures

of

Speech

.

For

each

question

below,

choose

the

one

figure

of

speech

that

is

most

clearly

illustrated

by

the

short

passage.

(To

review

a

definition,

simply

click

on

the

term

to

visit

the

glossary

entry.) When you're done, compare your answers with those at the bottom of the page.

1

2

TIP:

To view this exercise without ads, click on

1.

Well, son, I'll tell you:

Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

It's had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor--

Bare.

(Langston Highes,

(a)

synecdoche

(b)

metaphor

(c)

irony

(d)

pun

2.

Why should white people be running all the stores in our community? Why should white people

be running the banks of our community? Why should the economy of our community be in the

hands of the white man? Why?

(Malcolm X)

(a)

antithesis

(b)

litotes

(c)

anaphora

(d)

understatement

3.

substituting the word “euthanasia” for “mercy killing

(a)

hyperbole

(b)

euphemism

1

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

(c)

assonance

(d)

oxymoron

4.

I had so much homework last night that I needed a pickup truck to carry all my books home!

(a)

synechdoche

(b)

onomatopoeia

(c)

pun

(d)

hyperbole

5.

Let's just say that Ms. Hilton is not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree.

(a)

paradox

(b)

litotes

(c)

apostrophe

(d)

chiasmus

6.

The chug-a, chug-a, chug-a of the train echoed down the hill, while a cloud of smoke rose up to

the blue western sky.

(a)

simile

(b)

metonymy

(c)

anaphora

d)

onomatopoeia

7.

But the prisoner would not answer, he only lay with wide,

dark, bright

, eyes, like a bound animal.

(D. H. Lawrence,

England, My England

)

(a)

oxymoron

(b)

euphemism

(c)

anaphora

(d)

personification

8.

You have a lot of work to do, so I'll lend you a hand.

(a)

assonance

(b)

apostrophe

(c)

irony

(d)

synechdoche

9.

The

wind

had

blown

off,

leaving

a

loud,

bright

night,

with

wings

beating

in

the

trees

and

a

persistent organ sound as the full bellows of the earth blew the frogs full of life.

(F. Scott Fitzgerald,

The Great Gatsby

)

(a)

chiasmus

(b)

alliteration

(c)

pun

(d)

oxymoron

10.

O Western wind, when wilt thou blow

That the small rain down can rain?

Christ, that my love were in my arms,

And I in my bed again!

(Anonymous,

(a)

litotes

(b)

paradox

(c)

apostrophe

(d)

anaphora

41

42

40

39

38

37

36

35

34

33

32

31

30

29

28

27

25

26

24

23

22

21

20

19

18

17

16

15