HYPERBOLA AND METONYMY
20.26
HYPERBOLE
AND METONYMY
Hyperbole
Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word
meaning “over-casting” is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of
emphasis.
It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, “Ages have passed since I last saw you”.
You may not have met him for three or four hours or a day, but the use of the word “ages” exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation. Some other common Hyperbole examples are given below.
It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, “Ages have passed since I last saw you”.
You may not have met him for three or four hours or a day, but the use of the word “ages” exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation. Some other common Hyperbole examples are given below.
Common Examples of
Hyperbole
- My grandmother is as old as the hills.
- Your suitcase weighs a ton!
- She is as heavy as an elephant!
- I am dying of shame.
- I am trying to solve a million issues these days.
It is important not to confuse
hyperbole with simile and metaphor. It does make a comparison but unlike simile and metaphor, hyperbole has a humorous effect
created by an overstatement.
Hyperbole Examples from Literature
Example #
In
American folk lore, Paul Bunyan’s stories are full of hyperboles. In one
instance, he exaggerates winter by saying:
“Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.”
Freezing of the spoken words at night in winter and then warming up of the words in the warmth of the sun during the day are examples of hyperbole that have been effectively used by Paul Bunyan in this short excerpt.
references :
http://literarydevices.net/hyperbole/
https://www.google.com/search?q=hyperbole&client=firefox-beta&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjuqaPDhurMAhXJn5QKHVFlCxMQsAQIQw&biw=1366&bih=631#imgrc=jaQSRHaJHd31tM%3A
“Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.”
Freezing of the spoken words at night in winter and then warming up of the words in the warmth of the sun during the day are examples of hyperbole that have been effectively used by Paul Bunyan in this short excerpt.
references :
http://literarydevices.net/hyperbole/
https://www.google.com/search?q=hyperbole&client=firefox-beta&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjuqaPDhurMAhXJn5QKHVFlCxMQsAQIQw&biw=1366&bih=631#imgrc=jaQSRHaJHd31tM%3A
Metonymy
It is a figure of speech that
replaces the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is
closely associated. We can come across examples of metonymy both from
literature and in everyday life.
Metonymy, Synecdoche
Metonymy
is often confused with another figure of speech called synecdoche. They resemble each other but are
not the same. Synecdoche refers to a thing by the name of one of its parts. For
example, calling a car “a wheel” is a synecdoche. A part of a car i.e. “a
wheel” stands for the whole car. In a metonymy, on the other hand, the word we
use to describe another thing is closely linked to that particular thing, but
is not a part of it. For example, “Crown” which means power or authority is a
metonymy.
Metonymy is different from a metaphor. A metaphor draws resemblance between two different things as in “You are sunlight and I moon” – Sun And Moon from Miss Saigon. Sunlight (and moon) and human are two different things without any association but it attempts to describe one thing in terms of another based on a supposed similarity. Metonymy, however, develops relation on the grounds of close associations as in “The White House is concerned about terrorism.” The White House here represents the people who work in it.
Metonymy is different from a metaphor. A metaphor draws resemblance between two different things as in “You are sunlight and I moon” – Sun And Moon from Miss Saigon. Sunlight (and moon) and human are two different things without any association but it attempts to describe one thing in terms of another based on a supposed similarity. Metonymy, however, develops relation on the grounds of close associations as in “The White House is concerned about terrorism.” The White House here represents the people who work in it.
Examples of Metonymy in Everyday Life
We
use metonymy frequently in our everyday life. For a better understanding, let
us observe a few metonymy examples:
·
The pen is mightier than the
sword. (Pen refers to written words and sword to military force.)
·
Let me give you a hand. (Hand
means help.)
A Word Functioning as a Metonymy
Understanding
the context of a metonymy is important. For example, the word "pen"
is not always standing in for the written word; often, it just refers to the
physical object of a pen.
The examples below include both the metonymy and the possible words for which the metonymy would fill in:
The examples below include both the metonymy and the possible words for which the metonymy would fill in:
- Crown - in place of a royal person
- The White House - in place of the President or others who work there
- The suits - in place of business people
- Dish - for an entire plate of food
- Cup - for a mug
- The Pentagon - to refer to the staff
- The restaurant - to refer to the staff
- Ears - for giving attention ("Lend me your ears!" from Mark Antony in Julius Caesar)
- Eyes - for sight
Function of Metonymy
Generally,
metonymy is used in developing literary symbolism i.e. it gives more profound meanings
to otherwise common ideas and objects. By using metonymy, texts exhibit deeper
or hidden meanings and thus drawing readers’ attention. In addition, the
use of metonymy helps achieve conciseness. For instance, “Rifles were guarding
the gate” is more concise than “The guards with rifles in their hands were
guarding the gate.”
Furthermore, metonymy, like other literary devices, is employed to add a poetic color to words to make them come to life. The simple ordinary things are described in a creative way to insert this “life” factor to the literary works.
Furthermore, metonymy, like other literary devices, is employed to add a poetic color to words to make them come to life. The simple ordinary things are described in a creative way to insert this “life” factor to the literary works.
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