in broad definition, a figure of speech is language that is substituted for the literal meaning in order to create a style.
Due to creating remarkable style in language, the creators apply many types of figures of speech. According to Perrine 1977: 60-121, there are some
types of figures of speech under the discussion of stylistics which are divided into
three categories. This includes figures of speech by comparison which consist of metaphor, simile, personification, and apostrophe, figures of speech by
association which consist of synecdoche, metonymy, allegory and symbol, and figures of speech by contrast which consist of paradox, irony, litotes, and
hyperbole.
a. Figure of Speech by Comparison
The first category of figures of speech is figure of speech by comparison. Figure of speech by comparison is used to compare one thing to another through
the use of some words or phrases Perrine, 1977: 61. He classifies it into four; metaphor, simile, personification, and apostrophe.
1 Metaphor
Metaphor is a type of figures of speech which is pervasive poetic creation to associate two different things that are essentially unlike. Gluksberg 2001: 4
states metaphor as a type of figures of speech in which a name or descriptive word or phrase is transferred to an object or action and its literally applicable meaning.
It can be seen as the process of transferring entities which are in actually different domain to belong to something else. Further, Simpson 2004: 41 defines
metaphor as the mapping process which applies two different conceptual domains.
It calls target domains which are the topic or concept of an object to describe through metaphor and source domain as the metaphorical construction.
Furthermore, Perrine 1977: 61 states that metaphor is the implicit version of comparison in which the comparison is implied to identify figurative term
. For
understanding metaphor, an example is taken from Paulo Coelho‘s novel By the
River PiedraI Sat Down and Wept is presented as follows. Love is a trap.
When it appears, we see only its light, Not its shadows.
Coelho, 1996: 39 In the above example, Coelho made a comparison between love and a trap.
As the fact, a love is an abstract feeling of humans to another but in his novel he compares a love with a trap where a trap is a trick that designed to catch
something and sometimes kill. The combination meaning of two domains shows a deeper meaning create an imagination in which love is resembled with a trap.
Furthermore, he creates an exact visualization of love by the combination meaning of love and a trap for certain purpose. By comparing two domains, he
creates and redefines the concept of ‗love‘ and ‗a trap‘ in which the result is ‗love is feelings that can kill humans. Like what Simpson stated 2004: 1, metaphor is
mapping process between target domain and source domain. Thus, it can be seen that the target domain is love and the source domain is a trap.
2 Simile
Simile is a type of figures of speech that is closely related with metaphor. It compares two different things to identify the significant resemblance
. According
to Perrine 1977: 61, simile is the explicit version of comparison which expressed
by the use of some words or phrases such as like, as, than, similar, so, or seems. In addition, Gluksberg 2001: 29 states that simile is a direct comparison while
metaphor is indirect comparison. It can be seen in example which is taken from Paulo Coelho‘s novel By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept as follows.
But love is much like a dam Coelho, 1996: 36
In the given example, Coelho compares a love to a dam in which a dam means a source of water that must be controlled due to its function and system.
He uses ‗like‘ to employ simile in order to deliver his thought and build the imaginative effects. Hence, simile is used to put his perspective about love to his
audiences in hope that the audiences understand what he wants to say about love; love must be controlled.
3 Personification
Personification is a type of figures of speech that deals with a parable term to a value of humans to inhuman. In other words, it makes an inhuman has
human‘s attribute. Perrine 1977: 64 clearly states personification is a type of figures of speech by giving attributes of human being to inhuman being, such as
an animal, an object, or a concept. For instance, the expressions of your eyes are
killing me slowly, your silence drives me crazy, your heart is staring at me, and the rain is singing beautifully give the attributes of humans to inhuman. In fact,
there is no eyes that is able to kill, no silence that is able to drive, no heart can stare, and no rain that is able to sing. Thus, those expressions are used to build
some effects and nuances by implying personification.
Moreover, Lakoff and Johnson 1984: 33 also state that personification is a process to comprehend a wide variety of experiences with inhuman entities in
terms of human motivations, characterizations, and activities. It motivates something inhuman as human being. Thus, personification is a device to visualize
the human‘s quality or attribute through the portrait of inhuman that certainly drives an imagination of the audiences.
4 Apostrophe
According to Perrine 1977: 65, apostrophe is a type of figures of speech which consists of addressing inhuman as it is alive or present and can reply to
what being said. Apostrophe is closely considered as personification or metaphor since it also compares two domains and gives the human‘s quality to inhuman.
Yet, apostrophe has a significant characteristic that makes it different from pers
onification and metaphor. Apostrophe is used to provide what the speaker‘s thought or when the speaker is able to address other entities without the entities
present or reply. For instance, the expression My starts Give me the kiss is an apostrophe since
the purpose is to articulate what the speaker‘s thought although the entities is not present or reply the speaker.
b. Figures of Speech by Association
