Figures of Speech

The article is divided into three sections. The first section briefly introduces some general characteristics of traditional definitions of this notion and its relation to related phenomenon (e.g., figures of thought). The second section discusses the scope and some of the major functions of figures of speech. It is suggested that figures of speech are central to both poetic and nonpoetic discourse and fulfill a variety of functions, including embellishment of speakers' style, clarification of meaning, persuasion, and deep conceptualization of abstract and less accessible domains. The third section discusses some of the major observations made in the 'cognitive era' regarding some major issues relating to the use of figures of speech, such as how does the processing of literal language differ from the processing of figurative language, and the question of directionality. These issues are discussed and illustrated by a closer analysis of several major figurative types, such as simile, synesthetic metaphor, oxymoron, zeugma, metonymy, and irony.