Function of Personification
Lexical expressive means and stylistic devices
Stylistics deals with the theory of functional styles, literary forms and figures of language.
In linguistics there are different terms to denote particular means by which utterances are made conspicuous, more effective and therefore imparting some additional information. They are called expressive means, stylistic means, stylistic markers, stylistic devices, tropes, figures of speech.
In fact, all language means contain meaning – some of them contain generally acknowledged grammatical and lexical meanings, other besides these contain specific meanings which may be called stylistic.
The expressive means of a language are those phonetic, morphological, word-building, lexical, phraseological and syntactical forms which exist in language as a system for the purpose of logical and/or emotional intensification of the utterance.
At the lexical level there are a great many words which due to their inner expressiveness constitute a special layer. There are words with emotive meaning only (interjections), words which have both referential and emotive meaning (epithets), words which still retain a twofold meaning: denotative and connotative (love, hate, sympathy), words belonging to the layers of slang and vulgar words, or to poetic or archaic layers.
1 Metaphors – compares two different things by speaking of one in terms of the other. Unlike a simile or analogy, metaphor asserts that one thing is another thing, not just that one is like another. Very frequently a metaphor is invoked by the to be verb:
Allegory is a figure of speech in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures and events.
It can be employed in prose and poetry to tell a story with a purpose of teaching an idea and a principle or explaining an idea or a principle. The objective of its use is to preach some kind of a moral lesson.
The dove is a symbol of peace.
A red rose or red color stands for love or romance.
Black is a symbol that represents evil or death.
A ladder may stand as a symbol for a connection between the heaven and the earth.
A broken mirror may symbolize separation
Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an animal is given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings.
The ship began to creak and protest as it struggled against the rising sea.
We bought this house instead of the one on Maple because this one is more friendly.
Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t it so?
The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.
Time and tide waits for none.
The fire swallowed the entire forest.
Function of Personification
Personification is not merely a decorative device but it serves the purpose of giving deeper meanings to literary texts. It adds vividness to expressions as we always look at the world from a human perspective. Writers and poets rely on personification to bring inanimate things to life, so that their nature and actions are understood in a better way. Because it is easier for us to relate to something that is human or that possesses human traits. Its use encourages us to develop a perspective that is new as well as creative.
A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things. Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the Our soldiers are as brave as lions.
Her cheeks are red like a rose.
He is as funny as a monkey.
The water well was as dry as a bone.
He is as cunning as a fox. help of the words “like” or “as”. Therefore, it is a direct com
Irony – mix of connotations: Cheating on test is humane
Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality.
In real life circumstances, irony may be comical, bitter or sometimes unbearably offensive.
Common Examples of Irony
I posted a video on YouTube about how boring and useless YouTube is.
The name of Britain’s biggest dog was “Tiny”.
You laugh at a person who slipped stepping on a banana peel and the next thing you know, you slipped too.
The butter is as soft as a marble piece.
“Oh great! Now you have broken my new camera.”
Function of Irony
Like all other figures of speech, Irony brings about some added meanings to a situation. Ironical statements and situations in literature develop readers’ interest. Irony makes a work of literature more intriguing and forces the readers to use their imagination and comprehend the underlying meanings of the texts. Moreover, real life is full of ironical expressions and situations. Therefore, the use of irony brings a work of literature closer to the life.
Metonymy – is another form of metaphor, very similar to synecdoche (and, in fact, some rhetoricians do not distinguish between the two), in which the thing chosen for the metaphorical image is closely associated with (but not an actual part of) the subject with which it is to be compared.
Epithet
Epithet is a descriptive literary device that describes a place, a thing or a person in such a way that it helps in making the characteristics of a person, thing or place more prominent than they actually are. Also, it is known as a by-name or descriptive title.
Epithet Examples from Literature
Example #1
“Here of a Sunday morning
My love and I would lie,
And see the coloured counties,
And hear the larks so high
About us in the sky.”
(Brendon Hills by A.E Housman)
Here, “coloured” is an epithet used to describe the pleasant and beautiful spring season in those countries where the poet wishes to enjoy his beloved’s company.
Example #2
“The earth is crying-sweet,
And scattering-bright the air,
Eddying, dizzying, closing round,
With soft and drunken laughter…”
(Beauty and Beauty by Rupert Brooke)
In this excerpt, the description of the air and earth is enhanced by the usage of epithets: crying-sweet, scattering-bright, and soft and drunken laughter. These epithets help in developing imagery in the minds of readers.
Example #3
“God! he said quietly. Isn’t the sea what Algy calls it: a great sweet mother? The snot-green sea. The scrotum-tightening sea! I must teach you. You must read them in the original. Thalatta! Thalatta! She is our great sweet mother.….”
(Ulysses by James Joyce)
In this passage, Joyce uses several epithets to describe the sea. These epithets include a great sweet mother, snot-green sea and scrotum-tightening sea.
Example #4
“My restless blood now lies a-quiver,
Knowing that always, exquisitely,
This April twilight on the river
Stirs anguish in the heart of me….”
(In Blue Evening by Rupert Brooke)
Brooke makes use of epithets (a-quiver and April twilight on the river) to describe the anguish and agitation he feels deep inside him.
Example #5
“I’ve come,
As you surmise, with comrades on a ship,
Sailing across the wine-dark sea to men
Whose style of speech is very different…”
(The Odyssey by Homer)
Function of Epithet
With the use of epithets, writers are able to describe the characters and settings more vividly in order to give richer meanings to the text. Since they are used as a literary tool, they help in making the description of someone or something broader and hence easier to understand. With the help of epithets, the writers and poets develop suitable images in fewer words. Besides, the metaphorical use of epithets helps in making the poetry and prose vibrant and strong.
Hyperbole Definition
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.
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.
Let us see some examples from Classical English literature in which hyperbole was used successfully.