Figurative Language versus Literal Language Essay - 22

Figurative Language versus Literal Language - Essay Example According to the paper examples of idioms are â€Å"it is raining cats and dogs† meaning heavy rain, and â€Å"he is on the wagon† meaning that the person is not partaking of alcoholic drinks. This kind of language should be used with care when addressing non-native speakers of English. An analogy is a comparison of one idea with another. It usually finds a simple idea and uses it to explain the meaning of a more complex idea. An example of an analogy is the statement that â€Å"punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language†. By likening commas and full stops to traffic signs, the writer illuminates the concept of writing in terms of an extended comparison with driving along a street. A metaphor also compares two things or ideas, but it does so in such a way that they are merged into the one concept. An example is seen in the phrase â€Å"he is a pig†. If this phrase refers to the farmyard animal then it is a literal statement. If it refers to a hu man being then it is a rather insulting metaphor which suggests the person has bad manners and is greedy or self-indulgent in other ways. From this study, it is clear that a simile is another way of comparing one thing with another in a piece of writing. It is not the same as a metaphor because in the case of a simile the two ideas are compared using the words â€Å"like† or â€Å"as.† An example of a simile can be found in the nursery rhyme phrase: â€Å"its fleece was white as snow.† The comparison of a sheep’s coat with snow emphasizes how pure and white it is and makes for a much more interesting description than just a statement of the white color on its own. The term clichà © is borrowed from the French. It refers to a phrase which may have originally been quite memorable, but which has been overused to the point where it has become almost meaningless.