Analysis of Figures of Speech and Prose Characteristics
Figures of Speech
Metaphor
The substitution of one thing for another, implying a comparison between fundamentally unlike things. Example: ‘The pearls of your mouth’
Simile
An explicit comparison of two different things using ‘as’ or ‘like’. Example: ‘My love is like a red, red rose’
Metonymy
Substituting a word with another closely associated one (Inventor->Invention, Possessor->Possessed thing, Container->Contained thing, Instrument->Person). Examples: ‘He hit the bottle after his wife died’, ‘I am reading Virgil these days’
Synecdoche
Substituting the part for the whole or the whole for the part. Example: ‘There were ten pairs of hands in the factory’
Personification
Presenting an idea or thing as a person.
Pleonasm
Using redundant words where one idea is already contained in the other. Example: ‘A round circle’
Tautology
A statement that is vacuous because it is self-evidently true. Example: ‘Philatelists collect stamps’
Oxymoron
Combining two semantically incompatible expressions. Examples: ‘This is a true lie’, ‘The living dead’, ‘Delicious torment’
Paradox
A statement that is absurd because it is self-evidently false. Example: ‘I can resist everything, except temptation’ – Oscar Wilde
Periphrasis
An unnecessarily lengthy expression where the meaning could be conveyed more concisely.
Hyperbole
An exaggerated statement.
Litotes
Expressing an idea by denying its opposite.
Irony
Stating the opposite of what is meant, creating a double meaning understood by the audience.
Climax
Arranging clauses, words, or phrases in increasing order of importance.
Anticlimax
An abrupt shift from a serious tone to a less exalted one.
Hypallage
Applying a modifier to a word in the sentence where it doesn’t belong. Example: ‘It was a happy morning’.
Pun
A play on words, exploiting different meanings or sounds for humorous effect. Example: ‘Atheism is a non-prophet institution’.
Text Analysis
Text 1
Characteristics: stream of consciousness, interior monologue, repetitions, emotional language and punctuation (exclamation and interrogation marks), minimal use of adjectives and adverbs, short sentences.
Text 2
Characteristics: fear, mystery, sorrow, and pain. Utilizes the “Martian technique” to describe things indirectly.
Text 3
Describes the Elite Café, creating a gloomy atmosphere through negative adjectives (dark, narrow, dingy) and conveying an unpleasant feeling.
Text 4
- Describes Sessue Matoe as a complex and intelligent individual beyond just being drunk.
- Depicts a typical soldier: firm, strict, and uninterested in pursuing women.
- Portrays Moshe, a masseur, highlighting his innocence and professionalism.
Text 5
Uses contextualization at the beginning, describing places, people, and actions.
Text 6
Focuses on Chinese immigrants in London, featuring characters like Lily, Chen, Man Kee, and Mui.
Text 7
Reflects the feelings and ideas during a summon from a professor, highlighting the strained dialogue and the professor’s ego and communication issues.
Text 8
Employs time shifts, recounting the protagonist’s arrest in 1944 and his current life as a retired immunologist, reflecting on his past in Therensienstadt.
Text 9
Blends facts and metafictional comments, suggesting a controlling force beyond life and exploring various possibilities.
Text 10
Presents a factual narration of a police station questioning, incorporating poetic touches for evocative power.
George Orwell’s Critique of English Prose
George Orwell criticizes the inaccurate and imprecise use of language in contemporary English prose, particularly in political writing. He argues that vague language stems from unclear thinking and that modern prose lacks vivid imagery and precise vocabulary. He advocates for clear and sincere writing, emphasizing the importance of choosing words based on their meaning rather than for superficial impressiveness.