Epithets, metaphors, personifications, comparisons in poetic and oral speech

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The Russian language is particularly colorful and expressive. It is especially pronounced in works of art, but we pronounce many epithets, metaphors, personifications, comparisons in everyday life, sometimes without even noticing it.

Where the expressiveness of speech hides

In fact, almost any word in the Russian language that has an independent meaning can become a means of representation. After all, any figurativeness is based on the use of the word in a figurative sense. Transfer may vary. In everyday speech, metonyms and metaphors are most often used. People who strive for colorfulness in their speech often resort to epithets.

Polysemy - the source of pictoriality

There are a lot of adjectives and nouns in Russian, which initially contain several meanings. Some of them are direct and some are portable. For example, consider the adjective "iron". It is a relative adjective that refers to the quality of an item in terms of material, literally "made of iron". However, the wise Russian people know that iron is metal.durable, and therefore epithets appeared that are most often attached to people (for example, Margaret Thatcher - the Iron Lady). In a figurative sense, this word means a strong, persistent, strong character. If a person is ready to move forward and does not stop before fears, then he has an iron will. If, for example, an athlete-boxer has a strong blow, then he has an iron fist. Thus, even the most ordinary-looking words can easily turn into epithets, metaphors, personifications, comparisons.

Invisible metaphors

Russian metaphors don't always look colorful and bright. Sometimes we don't even know we're using them in speech.

In general, a metaphor is a lexical means of expressiveness based on the transfer of the meaning of a word by similarity. It is very common in literary texts. For example, we read from Yesenin: "A fire of red mountain ash is burning in the garden …". Rowan in autumn has a very bright color. It has red leaves and berries like a fire.

Many words in Russian were formed through metaphorization. For example, door handle, table leg.

It's all about the function and purpose of things. The handle is to take it, and the leg so that the table is removed. We call the larva of a butterfly a caterpillar, and the wheels of a tractor - caterpillars. It's all about external resemblance. The same can be said about chanterelle mushrooms, their red color resembles that of the cunning animal fox.

We don't always notice that we use epithets, metaphors, personifications, comparisons. For example, we say that we have a bunchproblems. Although problems are something that exists only as a concept in the mind of a person, which means that they cannot be measured in heaps. When we see something tangled, we call it a tangle. And smoke, for example, can be compared to a cloud.

Personification as a means of expression

Incarnation is a means of expression based on endowing an inanimate object with the properties of a living one. In poetic speech, it is used very often, especially when describing nature. Streams whisper in verse, the sky is crying, the field is agitated, and the trees easily communicate with each other. Personification allows you to express one very important idea: man and nature are inextricably linked with each other.

In everyday speech, we also often resort to personifications. For example, when we say that the river is running, and the volcano has fallen asleep. Personifications should not be confused with epithets. Let's say "gloomy sky" is an epithet. Since in this case the adjective is figurative. But "the sky frowns" is the personification.

Comparison

Just like epithets, metaphors, personifications, comparisons, they help to make speech more vivid and expressive. Comparison, as a rule, is formed due to comparative conjunctions like, as if, exactly, as if, as if, etc. Sometimes it is expressed using a noun in the instrumental case. For example, he soared like a kite. Such a combination can easily be converted into a classic comparative turnover - soared like a kite.

Manyphraseological combinations in Russian: white as snow, everything is like in a fog, like in a dream, like it was blown away by the wind, like in the spirit, etc.

Epithets

The most frequent means of expression. It is very easy to find epithets in a poem or prose. Without them, it is almost impossible to describe the subject. In addition, they allow you to express the author's assessment, create the desired emotional mood.

How to find epithets, metaphors, personifications, comparisons in texts

First, you need to know the definition of each remedy. Secondly, you need to develop your vigilance. Try to select from the text all the "beautiful" words that give brightness, allow you to make the text more emotional. And already from all the words you need to choose the usual emotionally colored words and definitions, and then the means of expression. An example is Lermontov's poem "When the yellowing field is agitated." It is small in volume, but replete with figures of speech.

Epithets in the poem: "sweet shadow", "fragrant dew", "silver lily of the valley", "rosy evening".

Metaphor: "plunging the thought into some kind of vague dream".

Avatars: the field is worried, the lily of the valley nods its head.