FIGURES OF SPEECH
OXYMORON: This is a figure of speech which places two contradictory words side by side to create an effect.
Examples:
The fight for freedom is a bitter sweet experience
Bitter contradicts Sweet as both are opposites. Placing them side by side means that the fight has its good and bad sides.
Baba Fakunle is a blind seer from Ile Ife
Blind contradicts with seer as both are opposites. The effect of this statement is that although Baba Fakunle is blind, he sees with the inner eyes especially what does who have physical eyes do not see. This underscores metaphysical ability.
PARADOX: This is a figure of speech that place opposing ideas or contradictory ideas in the same statement. Unlike oxymoron which focuses on words, paradox focuses on an idea which contradicts itself.
Example:
“The egg is the father of the cock.”
It is the cock that fathers the egg but to say otherwise is contradictory. However if this idea is subjected to deep thoughts, you will discover that it is true. If an egg hatches and becomes a cock, it will mate with a hen, which will in turn hatch another egg that may turn out to the a cock. So the egg at one time has become the father of another egg which has later become a cock.
“If women go unclad, men will not stare.”
This is absurd or contradictory. Men tend stare at women whose dressing reveal some sensitive parts of their bodies. It is contradictory to say if women go naked, men will stop looking. But when you subject this statement to critical thoughts, you will discover the veracity of the statement. If women go naked, men will stare and get tired of staring because it will no longer be new and thus they will refrain from staring and find something else which excites them to do.
I am for everybody. I am for nobody
The speaker meant he is a selfless leader who represent the interest of every person and on the other hand will not place anyone above the interest of all.
SYNECDOCHE: This is a figure of speech which uses a part of a thing to represent the whole or vice versa. It makes a small or large percentage of an idea or character to represent the whole idea.
Examples:
“Many hands make light the work”
The hands there means people. It shows that when much people are introduced into the work, it makes the work easier or faster
“The grey hair should recognize their roles in the society”
The grey hair represents the old or experienced people in the society. Grey hair is associated with wisdom of the old generation. Thus, the statement suggests that the old people should recognize their roles in the society.
METONYMY: This is a figure of speech which uses a word associated with a group of objects or idea to represent the character, idea or object. The object represented has something in common with the idea, phrase or word used.
Examples:
“The guns has not made a good leader in this country”
The statement used the word, “gun” to represent the soldiers. The statement refers to the era of military rule in the country since it is only the military that are authorized to use the gun.
“The pulpit will not be spared when it takes undue advantage of the pew”
The pulpit represents the clergy, pastors and religious leaders because they are the ones accustomed to use the platform to address and influence the people who in this statement are referred to as the pew. The pew is a place where the congregation sits to hear out their leaders. So the statement invariably means the pastors will not be spared for taking undue advantage of the congregation or their followers.
Unprecedented 