Figures of Speech

Find below examples of oxymoron in English:

• Bittersweet
• Controlled chaos
• Awfully good
• Random order

An oxymoron is a figure of speech in English. It is a literary device where two contradictory words are paired together to form an unusual yet meaningful expression.

Examples for oxymoron:

• Clearly misunderstood
• Bittersweet
• Original copy

Yes, we often use transferred epithets in our daily conversation, knowingly or unknowingly. Though transferred epithets are more commonly used in poems and literature, they have become a natural part of our spoken and written English as they help give an emotional appeal to our thoughts.

Phrases like “Sleepless night”, “lucky pen”, “nervous cup of tea”, “lonely road” are some common examples of transferred epithets used in daily conversation.

Transferred Epithet Examples:

• She walked through the silent corridor.
• They shared a hopeful coffee before the interview.
• She clutched the guilty ticket as she snuck into the theater.
• I spent the afternoon under a melancholy tree.
• He stared at the troubled mirror, unsure of what he saw.

A transferred epithet is a figure of speech in which an adjective is shifted from the person it logically describes to an object or idea closely associated with them. It is a poetic device that cleverly gives a dramatic or poetic effect to the sentence.

Transferred Epithet Examples:

• “He clung to the hopeful letter, re-reading her words under a dim lamp.”
• “Let's go for a walk. This peaceful breeze is too good to miss.”
• “Wrap yourself in a lazy weekend with the cozy blankets.”
• “Say goodbye to tired skin with our refreshing face wash.”

Writers and poets use transferred epithets to make their writing more imaginative, poetic, expressive, and emotionally engaging to the readers. Use of transferred epithets give depth to a sentence by subtly shifting the focus and drawing attention to the emotional state of the character.

No, transferred epithet is used in storytelling, advertisements, prose, and everyday conversation also.

Example:

• “Taste the joyful crunch in every bite.” (Advertisement)
• “The soldier trudged through the weary battlefield, his thoughts heavier than his rifle.” (Storytelling)
• “She opened the impatient door and stepped into the quiet morning.” (Prose)
• “Ugh, it's been a crazy day at work.” (Daily Conversation)

In general it is not recommended to use a Hyperbole in formal context as it is meant to have an exaggeration and overstatement, which may not suit the formal tone or context. However, Hyperboles are not absolutely uncommon in formal setups as well. For example, I told you a million times to crosscheck the report before submitting.

While some idioms use Hyperbole, generally all Hyperboles are not idioms. Idioms are fixed expressions and have same meaning with varied usage, Hyperboles can be varied and the impact or intention may vary according to the situation.

Here are some Hyperbole which are commonly used in day to day conversation:

·       I am so hungry that I can eat everything in the fridge.

·       I am so late that by the time I reached there were cobwebs on my desk.

·       My heart did a backflip!

·       I cried so much watching the movie that there was a small pool in front of the couch.

Kids these days have such heavy school bags that am sure they carry stones instead of books.