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FIGURES OF SPEECH,
POETRY, SHORT STORY,
ESSAY, and DRAMA

SUBMITTED BY: GROUP 3 PRESENTORS:

CORTES, VINCE SIGMOND
DABALOS, LILEBETH
ESTERADO, JUWERA
ESTOMATA, GEDILYN
FUUDOLIG, JONA MAE
YECYEC, VIRGIE MAE

SUBMITTED TO: MS. MARIVIC SOLIJON, LPT

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FIGURE OF SPEECH
- Is a part of any language, which is used not only in our daily conversation but also in
written texts and oral literature. We use figures of speech to make a vivid description of a
thing in a different form, not its literal meaning.

1.) SIMILE
- Figure of speech, involving comparison of one thing with another thing of a different
kind, used to make description more emphatic or vivid. We can easily locate a simile
because it uses words “as” or “like”.
- FOR EXAMPLE: But I can love you with a love
As finite as the wave that dies
And dying holds from crest to crest
The blue of everlasting skies

2.) METAPHOR
- Figure of speech in which a word or phrase denoting one kind of object or action is
used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between things.
- FOR EXAMPLE: You are my earth and all the earth implies
The gravity that ballasts me in space

3.) HYPERBOLE
- A purposeful exaggeration not meant to be taken literally. It is used to emphasize or
draw attention to a certain element in a story.
- FOR EXAMPLE: You are the earth, whose orbit marks my way
And sets my North and South, my East and West

4.) PERSONIFICATION
- The act of giving a human quality or characteristic to something which is not human.
It is defined as the representation of a thing or abstraction as a person or by the
human form.
- FOR EXAMPLE: The land that stills my cries

5.) ONOMATOPOEIA
- Naming of a thing or action by imitation of natural sounds. It is the use of words
whose sound suggest the sense.
- FOR EXAMPLE: ding- dong: sound of the doorbell
- Beep-beep: sound of a carn horn

6.) IRONY
- Expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite
typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
- FOR EXAMPLE: The butter is as soft as a marble piece.

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All of us use different figures of speech in our everyday life, no matter which
language we speak. Being familiar with different types of figures of speech can not
only increase your vocabulary in a particular language but also help you in your
career. This is especially for those who want to pursue a career in translation, poetry
or writing. Also, having a solid idea of the different figures of speech can come in
handy for a wide range of exams, including both language proficiency exams for
studying abroad, and different competitive exams for work or study.
Figure of speech
Is an integral part of any language, which is used extensively not only in our day-to-
day speech but also in written texts and oral literature. These are words or phrases
used in a distinctive way to produce a rhetorical effect.
To say it in very simple terms, it is a phrase whose actual meaning is different from
its literal meaning.

7.Assonance
Internal vowels in nearby words that are the same or comparable in sound. Here are
a few examples of assonance in speech:
And sets my north and south, my east and west
How now, brown cow?
The light of the fire is a sight
Go slow over the road
Try as I might, the kite did not fly
8.Metonymy
Metonymy is a figure of speech when one term or phrase is used in place of another
with which it is closely related. It is also a rhetorical technique used to describe
something indirectly by making references to objects around it. Here are a few
instances of Metonym:
“You are my earth”
“That stuffed suit with the briefcase is a poor excuse for a salesman,” the manager
said angrily.
The pen is mightier than the sword”
I’m a Silicon Valley guy. I just think people from Silicon Valley can do anything.
Most of the successful people in Hollywood are failures as human beings
9.Anaphora
It is a repetition of a word or phrase at the start of several sentences of clauses.
Some of the examples of anaphora are as follows:

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I can not love you with a love

And dying holds from crest to crest
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “I Have a Dream” Speech
Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities
“Be bold. Be brief. Be gone.”
“Get busy living or get busy dying.”
10.Apostrophe
It addresses a subject that is not present in the work. In this case, the object is
absent or inanimate. Here are some examples of apostrophes.
You are the final, elemented clay
You who are earth, o never doubt that I
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are
Welcome, O life!
Alarm clock, please don’t fail me.
Seven, you are my lucky number!

11.Pun
Puns are among the most frequently used figures of speech in daily conversation.
They may be great conversation starters since they make you sound clever and
occasionally even humorous. A pun also known as paronomasia is a form of word
that play exploits multiple meanings of a term or similar- sounding word. Here are a
few instances of puns in speech:

Denial is a river in Egypt (referring to The Nile using the word Denial).
Her cat is near the computer to keep an eye on the mouse.
No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery.
Everyone thinks my runny nose is funny, but it’s snot.

12.Euphemism
Euphemism is the usage of a mild word in substitution of something that is more
explicit or harsh when referring to something unfavorable or unpleasant. Some
examples of its usage include:
I lift my keening thoughts to helicon.
This mall has good facilities for differently-abled people

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He passed away in his sleep

Passed away” instead of “died”
“Let go” instead of “fired”

POETRY- literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of

feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as
a genre of literature.
ELEMENTS OF POETRY:
•METER is the rhythmic pattern created in a line of verse.
•STANZAS : are series of lines grouped together and separated by an empty line
from stanzas.
• FORM refers to various sets of “rules” followed by poems of certain types.
•RHYME is the repetition of similar sounds
•VOICE
• IMAGERY: is the use of words to convey vivid, concrete sensory experiences:
•FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE is wording that makes explicit comparisons between
unlike things using figures of speech such as metaphors and similes Plum Download
How to Do Nothing THE ALICE
•SYMBOLISM symbols are objects, places, beings or actions that operate on two
separate levels of meaning
•SOUND: the vocal rhythms which we experience simply by using our own
•RHYTHM: flow of stressed and unstressed syllables to create oral patterns.
•THEME: Talks about the central idea, the thought behind what the poet wants to
convey
•DICTION refers to the poet’s choice of words in a poem

TECHNIQUES FOR READING POETRY:

Preview the poem- by reading the title and paying attention to the poem’s form:
shape on the page, stanzas, number of lines and ending punctuation.
Read poem aloud several times- to hear rhyme, rhythm, and the overall sound of
the poem. This makes it easier tounderstand the poem.
Visualize the images- by paying close attention to strong verbs, and comparisons in
poem. Do the images remind you of anything? Let the comparisons paint a picture in
your head.
Clarify words and phrases- by allowing yourself to find the meaning of words or
phrases that stand out, are repeated, or you do not understand the meaning. Use
dictionary, context clues, teacher or peer.
Evaluate the poem’s theme- by asking what message is the poet trying to send or
help you understand? Does it relate to your life in any way?
EXAMPLE OF LITERARY PIECE:
WHAT DOES A WOMAN OWN
BY:CIRILO BAUTISTA

Short Story – this is a narrative involving one or more characters, one plot and
one single impression. It can be read in one sitting. There is no maximum length,
but the average short story is 1,000 to 7,500 words, with some outliers reaching

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10,000 or 15,000 words. At around 10 to 25 pages, that makes short stories much
shorter than novels.
Elements of a Short Story
1. Setting - is when and where the story happens. It helps in creating the
atmosphere of the story.
2. Characters – is the person or animal that portrays in the story. They perform
actions and say dialogue to move the story.
Types of Characters
1. Protagonist – is the good character. It is often opposed, exploited, or
victimized.
2. Antagonist – is the bad character. It causes problems & sufferings to other
characters.
3. Static - is the character who does not change. Is consistently bad or good
from the beginning up to the end of the story.
4. Dynamic – is the character who changes. It transforms from being good to
bad or bad to good.
5. Round – is the character that is hard to describe & predict. It has many
qualities & emotions.
6. 6.Flat – is the character who is easy to describe & predict. Possesses &
displays few traits.
3. Conflict- is the problem which the main charactersneed to solve.
Types of Conflict
1. MAN VS. HIMSELF – a person is struggling because of himself.
2. MAN VS. MAN – a character is struggling because of other character’s
decision or action.
3. MAN VS. NATURE – a character is struggling because of unexpected event
in the environment.
4. MAN VS. SOCIETY – a character is struggling because of the beliefs and
rules of the society.
4.Plot – is the list and sequence of events in the story.
Parts of a Plot
1. Exposition – is the beginning part of the story. It introduces the characters,
setting & the background.
2. Rising Action – happens when the conflict is addressed by the main
characters in the story. Is the part when the protagonist faces “crisis “or
unstable state.
3. Climax – the highest point of the story. It presents the protagonist’s most
challenging moment.
4. Falling Action – it happens right after the climax where the story’s problem
begin to resolve.
5. Resolution – the final outcome of the story. It is part where the problem or
conflict is completely resolved.
5.Theme – is the central idea or main message the author wants his readers to
understand and to live by. Usually not stated. It must be guessed and must be
expressed in a complete sentence.

Sample Short Story :

My Father’s Tragedy by: Carlos Bulosan

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The story, written in first person, starts with a situation in which many people do not
have enough food to eat that drives farm-dependent families to poverty and hunger,
including that of the narrator, the son. His mother and his sister were the only ones
who find ways to put enough food on their table. His father was in a hopeless
situation because no matter how much he tried to retrieve their family from poverty,
series of unfortunate events would happen. After the locusts which destroyed their
field was gone, the whole plantation was burned and they felt that all the things
they’ve worked on was wasted.
His father focused his attention to his fighting cock hoping for some luck to save
them from poverty. He’s constantly exercising his fighting cock and dreaming his
time away. Once, he even teaches his son how to make it stronger and ready for the
fight. Then the father draws up a strategy that will put the family out of famine. Then
in the late afternoon the fight was arranged. The son and his father went home with
some hope. The mother was cooking something good. The whole family ate happily
because they haven’t eaten chicken for a very long time. The father ate more than
he usually eat then asked his wife where he got the white meat because the poultry
house in the village is empty. The wife answered, “Where do you think I got it?”.

Then the father walked out of the house with great agony.

Essay: Types and Elements

Essay - an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its
subject from a limited or personal point of view.
Types of Essay:
Descriptive Essay
• The aim of descriptive essays is to provide a vivid picture of a person,
location, object, event, or debate. It will offer details that will enable the
reader To imagine the item described.
Definition Essay
• The aim of a definition essay is to describe what a particular term means
using facts, terms and anecdotes that a reader will understand.
Narrative Essay
• The aim of a narrative essay is to describe a course of events from a
subjective vantage point, and may be written in first- person present or first
person past tense.
Compare and Contrast Essay
• The aim of a compare and contrast essay is to develop the relationship
between two or more things.
Persuasive Essay
• In a persuasive essay, the writer tries to persuade the reader to accept an
idea or agree with an opinion. The writer’s purpose is to convince the reader
that her or his point of view is a reasonable one.
Argumentative Essay
• Argumentative essays are most often used to address controversial issues –
i.e. serious issue over which there is some evident disagreement. An
argument is a position combined with its supporting reasons.

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Elements of Essay:
• Title – Name of the essay.
• Introduction – Introductory part of the essay.
• Thesis Statement – The main topic or argument in an essay.
• Body Paragraph – It supports the main idea.
• Conclusion – The last part of an essay that summarizes the entire work.

Drama
- a type of literature that is written for the purpose of being performed in front of an
audience.
- the word drama comes from Greek word “ dran “ meaning “ to act or to do”.
Techniques for reading:
1. Read the play silently. You need to know about the plot and characters before you
perform the play.
2. Figureoutwhatishappening.Bepatient,sometimesyouwillneed to read a few pages
before you figure out what is happening
3. Read the stage directions carefully. When you read drama you have to imagine
both the action and the scenery. The stage directions tell exactly where and when
each scene is happening.
4. Get to know the characters. In drama, you need to know the characters through
dialogue. Analyze the character words carefully and discover the actions and feeling
behind them.
5. Keep track of the plot. Look for the conflict and let yourself become involved in the
story.
6. Read the play aloud with others. When drama is performed, it takes on a whole
new aspect; it becomes almost like real life. Become the character with feelings and
actions:
Classification of drama:
Comedy – a type of drama that is written to be entertaining or amusing for the audience.

Tragedy – a type of drama that can be described as serious in nature and often includes a catastrophic ending

Farce – a subcategory of comedy. These low comedies includes ridiculous and slapstick comedic situations i

Melodrama – a dramatic work in which events, plot and characteristics are sensationalized to elicit strong em

Musical drama – refer to plays in which characters engage in dialogue but also include scenes in which the p

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Elements of drama:
1. Character – identification and portrayal of a person’s, values, attitudes, intensions
and action as imagined relationship, situations, and ideas in dramatic actions.
2. Setting -can be introduced by directly stating the place and the time, the drama
where the story takes place.
3. Theme- is a central idea or a hidden meaning of the story can conveyed by the
characterization, plot, setting, and other elements of the drama.
4. Director – is responsible for shaping every aspects of the final performance.
5. Conflict – it is the main challenge to the characters.
6. Plot - the logical order or sequence of the event, situation, or conflict that must be
resolved causes tension among character.
7. Music- sound creates mood; and believe what we see because of what we hear.
8. Cinematography – lighting , positioning, special effects.
9. Value – the moral , social, psychological value beyond entertainment.
References :
https://writingexplained.org/grammar-dictionary/drama
https://studylib.net/doc/15963893/strategies-for-reading-drama--1.--read-the-play-
silently. https://study.com/learn/lesson/elements-of-drama-characters-setting-
symbolism-
parts-of-a-play.html
https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/teaching/curriculum-browser/the-arts/visual-
arts2/arts-overview/glossary/elements-of-drama
https://www.scribd.com/document/434679869/By-Alberto-S-the-Dancers