Figures of Speech-Literary Devices-Complete Study Guide

 Figures of Speech (Literary Devices) in Class 12 English Poetry – Complete Study Guide

 

Understanding Figures of Speech, also known as Literary Devices or Poetic Devices, is essential for scoring well in the Class 12 English examination. Questions based on these devices frequently appear in CBSE and other board exams, especially in the poetry section.

 

Many students find it difficult to remember the names, meanings, and examples of different poetic devices. This guide presents the most important figures of speech in simple language, along with examples from the prescribed Class 12 English Core poems.

 

What are Figures of Speech?

 

Figures of Speech are special ways of using language to make ideas more vivid, imaginative, and expressive. Instead of saying something directly, a poet often uses comparisons, exaggeration, symbolism, or sound patterns to create a deeper impact on the reader.

 

Important Figures of Speech

1. Simile

 

A Simile is a comparison between two unlike things using words such as like, as, as...as, or similar to.

 

Examples

·     He fought like a lion.

·     Her face was ashen like that of a corpse.

·     As bright as the sun.

 

Key Point: A simile always contains a word of comparison.

 

2. Metaphor

 

A Metaphor is also a comparison, but it is made without using words like like or as. One thing is spoken of as if it actually is another.

 

Examples

·     Life is a journey.

·     She was a lioness on the battlefield.

·     Time is money.

Difference between Simile and Metaphor

 

Simile: Sachin played like a warrior.

 

Metaphor: Sachin was a warrior on the field.

 

3. Personification

 

In Personification, human qualities are given to animals, objects, or ideas.

 

Examples

·     The trees sprinted past.

·     The roadside stand pleaded for customers.

·     The wind whispered through the leaves.

4. Apostrophe

 

An Apostrophe occurs when the poet directly addresses an absent person, an imaginary figure, an abstract idea, or an inanimate object as if it could hear and respond.

 

Examples

·     Death, where is thy sting?

·     Hello, little airplane!

·     Time, be kind to me.

5. Oxymoron

 

An Oxymoron combines two words or ideas that appear to contradict each other.

 

Examples

·     Sweet sorrow

·     Bitter sweet

·     Deafening silence

·     Greedy good-doers

6. Irony

 

Irony is a contrast between what appears to happen and what actually happens, or between what is expected and what is true.

 

Example

 

In Aunt Jennifer's Tigers, the tigers symbolize courage and freedom, while Aunt Jennifer herself remains timid and oppressed. This contrast creates irony.

 

7. Repetition

 

When a word, phrase, or expression is repeated deliberately for emphasis, the device is called Repetition.

 

Examples

·     Smile and smile and smile.

·     Never, never, never give up.

8. Alliteration

 

Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words.

 

Examples

·     Wild west wind

·     Silver silent sea

·     Peter Piper picked...

9. Hyperbole

 

Hyperbole is a deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis rather than literal meaning.

 

Examples

·     I have told you a million times.

·     He cried a river.

10. Refrain

 

A Refrain is a line or group of lines repeated at regular intervals in a poem.

 

Example

 

In The Tale of Custard the Dragon, the line:

 

"And your little, realio, trulio pet dragon."

appears repeatedly throughout the poem.

 

11. Imagery

 

Imagery refers to descriptive language that appeals to our senses and helps readers create mental pictures.

 

It may be:

·     Visual (sight)

·     Auditory (sound)

·     Tactile (touch)

·     Olfactory (smell)

·     Gustatory (taste)

 

Imagery often creates strong emotional and symbolic effects.

Figures of Speech in Class 12 English Core Poems

1. My Mother at Sixty-Six by Kamala Das

 

Simile

·     "Her face ashen like that of a corpse."

·     "As a late winter's moon."

·     Personification

·     "Trees sprinting."

Metaphor

"Merry children spilling out of their homes."

Repetition

"Smile and smile and smile."

2. An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum

 

Stephen Spender

 

Similes

·     Like rootless weeds

·     Like bottle bits

·     Shut upon their lives like catacombs

·     Metaphors

·     Paper-seeming boy

·     Rat's eyes

Imagery

 

The concluding lines create vivid visual images of freedom, light, and education.

 

3. Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda

 

This poem makes extensive use of symbolism and metaphor to advocate peace, self-reflection, and harmony.

Symbol

Count to twelve: Represents a brief pause for reflection. Twelve also reminds us of the hours on a clock and the months in a year.

Repetition

Let's: Repeated to create unity between the poet and readers.

Symbolic Imagery

Fishermen in the cold sea: Represents human exploitation of nature.

The salt gatherer's hurt hands: Suggest humanity's self-inflicted suffering.

Metaphor

 

Put on clean clothes : Symbolizes purification of the mind and rejection of violence.

Brothers: Represents all humanity.

In the shade: Suggests mutual protection, peace, and harmony.

Symbol: The Earth teaches that apparent stillness is not death but preparation for new life. Likewise, human beings should occasionally pause to renew themselves spiritually and emotionally.

4. A Thing of Beauty by  John Keats

 

Metaphors:

·     Bower quiet

·     Sweet dreams

·     Flowery band

·     Pall

·     Endless fountain of immortal drink

Alliteration:

·     Noble natures

·     Cooling covert

·     Band to bind

·     Imagery

Beautiful natural images include:

·     Flowery bands

·     Shady boon

·     Daffodils

·     Clear rills

·     Cooling covert

·     Endless fountain

These images emphasize nature's everlasting beauty and its healing power.

5. Aunt Jennifer's Tigers by Adrienne Rich

Alliteration:

·     Fingers fluttering

·     Prancing proud

·     Chivalric certainty

·     Weight of wedding band

·     Visual Imagery

·     Bright topaz denizens

·     World of green

Irony

The fearless tigers continue to move freely forever, while Aunt Jennifer remains emotionally burdened even after death. Her artistic creations enjoy the freedom that she herself never experiences.

Metaphor:

Ringed with ordeals: The wedding ring becomes a metaphor for lifelong oppression, suggesting that the burdens of marriage continue to define Aunt Jennifer's identity even beyond death.

 

Examination Tips

·     Learn the definition of each figure of speech before memorizing examples.

·     Always identify the exact words that create the literary device.

·     Read the poem carefully to understand why the poet has used a particular device.

·     Practice identifying figures of speech in unseen poems, as this improves analytical skills.

·     Revise these examples regularly, as they frequently appear in board examinations.

Final Revision Table

Figure of Speech            Simple Meaning

Simile:                 Comparison using like or as

Metaphor:      Direct comparison without like or as

Personification:       Giving human qualities to non-human things

Apostrophe       :     Addressing an absent person or object

Oxymoron:        Two opposite words used together

Irony:    Contrast between appearance and reality

Repetition: Repeating words for emphasis

Alliteration:       Repetition of initial consonant sounds

Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration

Refrain:       Repeated line in a poem

Imagery:      Language that creates vivid sensory pictures