Simile (So sánh). A simile is a figure of speech that compares two separate concepts through the use of a clear connecting word such as “like” or “as.” Examples of simile are phrases such as “He was wily as a fox,” or “I slept like a log.”
Metaphor (Ẩn dụ) A metaphor is like a simile, but without connecting words. It simply posits that two separate things are the same. For example, “He was a wily fox,” or “She cried a river of tears.”
Metonymy (Hoán dụ) It is the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant. A famous example is, "The pen is mightier than the sword," from Edward Bulwer Lytton's play Cardinal Richelieu. This sentence has two metonyms: "Pen" stands for "the written word." "Sword" stands for "military aggression."
Personification (nhân cách hóa) Personification projects human qualities onto inanimate objects, or perhaps animals or natural elements. “The wind howled in the night.,” “The words leapt off the page,” and “Time marches on” are all examples of personification.
Hyperbole (Cường điệu hóa) Hyperbole is extravagant, intentional exaggeration. “I have a million things to do today” is a common example of hyperbole.
Allusion (phép ám chỉ) Allusion is when a text references another external text—or maybe a person, place or event. It can be either explicit or implicit. “We’ve entered a Garden of Eden” is an allusion to the biblical place, for instance.
Idiom(ca dao, tục ngữ) Idioms are non-literal turns of phrase so common that most people who speak the same language know them. English examples include, “He stole her thunder” and “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Pun (phép chơi chữ) A pun is a play on words. It exploits the different meanings of a word or its homonyms(từ đồng âm), usually to humorous effect. A well-worn example of a pun is: “Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.”
Onomatopoeia(Từ tượng thanh) In onomatopoeia, words sound like the thing they describe. Sound effects like “tick-tock” and “ding-dong” are everyday examples, as well as words like “zap” and “hiccup.” Sometimes individual words are not onomatopoeic, but they will become so in the context of the words around them, as in Edgar Allan Poe’s “suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.”
Alliteration (Phép điệp âm) Many experts also consider alliteration an example of figurative language, even though it does not involve figures of speech. Rather, alliteration is a sound device that layers some additional meaning on top of the literal language of the text. It occurs when a series of words start with the same letter sound, such as “wicked witch” or “from forth the fatal loins of these two foes.” This can help build imagery or mood, hence the connection to figurative language.
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