Figures of Speech
Figures of speech are literary devices that enhance language by conveying meaning in more imaginative or vivid ways, often beyond the literal interpretation of words. Edgar Allan Poe uses them in his stories to create intense atmospheres, deepen the emotional impact, and reveal the psychological states of his characters. By using these devices, Poe amplifies the themes of horror, madness, and guilt, drawing readers into the eerie worlds he constructs. These figures also help evoke strong emotional responses and add a lyrical, rhythmic quality to his writing. This table defines all of the figures of speech used in his short stories, and an example taken from his works.
| Figure of Speech | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Onomatopoeia | Words that imitate sounds. | "rattled as I strode" -Fall Of House Usher |
| Foreshadowing | Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story. | "It was then that I became distinctly aware of a gentle footfall upon the carpet..." - Ligeia |
| Symbolism | The use of symbols to represent ideas or concepts. | "I had become a bounden slave in the trammels of opium..." - Ligeia |
| Irony | A contrast between expectation and reality. | "The painter had grown wild with the ardor of his work..." - The Oval Portrait |
| Alliteration | Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words. | "commingled gloom and grandeur" - The Oval Portrait |
| Hyperbole | Exaggeration for emphasis or effect. | "the magnificent turn of the short upper lip" - Ligeia |
| A direct comparison between two unrelated things. | "The wretchedness of earth is multiform." - Berenice | |
| Simile | A comparison using "like" or "as". | "I was awakened from a slumber, like the slumber of death" - Eleonora |
| Personification | Giving human qualities to non-human things. | "the hairs of my head erect themselves on end" - Berenice |
| Imagery | Language that appeals to the senses and creates a mental image. | "To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window..." - The Masque of the Red Death |
This graph shows how much of each figure of speech Poe uses in all of his short stories. As shown in the graph, Poe uses imagery the most out of all the figures of speech.
