Figurative Speech
Contents
Tropes (Tropen)
any expression which implies a transference of meaning
Simile
explicit/overt comparison, ‘as’, ‘like’.
Example: I wandered lonely as a cloud (Wordsworth).
Metaphor
implicit/covert comparison without the usage of 'as' or 'like'.
Example: But ye lovers, that bathen in gladnesse (Chaucer, T&C)
Metonymy
replaces one expression by another, which has a spatial, temporal, or logical connection with it.
Example: I'll have a glass or two.
Synecdoche
a part stands for the whole, or vice versa.
Example: The Vatican has commented on recent events.
Allegory
a set of analogies.
Example: 'Justice' as a woman with sword, balance and eye patch.
Symbol
an object which is assigned an underlying meaning.
Example: It was the nightingale, and not the lark (Shakespeare, R&J).
Analysing Metaphors
- Step 1: Separate literal from figurative use
| L: | But | ye | lovers, | that | ———— | gladnesse |
| F: | " | " | " | " | bathen in | ———— |
- Step 2: Construct tenor and vehicle, by postulating semantic elements to fill in the gaps of the literal and figurative interpretations
| TEN: | But | ye | lovers, | that | [feel] | gladnesse |
| VEH: | " | " | " | " | bathen in | [water, etc] |
- Step 3: State the ground of the metaphor
Gladness is the lovers' element which they enjoy as a simple natural pleasure
Analysing Interplay
Interplay: tension between the verse metre and the actual rhythm
- Step 1: Identify the metre (maximization principle)
- Step 2: Identify realized accentuation
- Step 3: Identify the points of deviation when comparing the outcome of step 1 and step 2
- Step 4: Describe the points of deviation in historic context
