реферат "Сравнение и метафора как стилистические приемы в английском языке"
творческая работа учащихся по английскому языку (9 класс) по теме

РЕФЕРАТ:

«Сравнение и метафора как стилистические приёмы в английском языке»

Выполнила:

 Ревякина Ангелина,

 9 «Г» класс

   Руководитель:

Жаркова Сауле Сатвалдиевна,

 учитель иностранного языка

 МОУ «СОШ р.п. Озинки»

Contents

1. Introduction _______________________________________________________________ p.3
2. Simile         _____________________________________________________________ pp. 3-5
3. Metaphor ______________________________________________________________ pp. 5-7
4. Simile vs metaphor _________________________________________________________ p. 7
5. Similes and metaphors in poetry ___________________________________________ pp. 8-9
6. Conclusion   _______________________________________________________________  p.9
7. The list of the used sources __________________________________________________ p.10

Introduction

    The examples of similes and metaphors are often used by people to sometimes compare or exactly mean some object or person. Understand the difference between the two and take a look at some examples in my report...You must have heard people around you using similes and metaphors to describe things in their vicinity. They are so common that we end up using them all the time, in any circumstance. I have chosen this theme for a detailed studying for many reasons:

Firstly, I am interested in the English language and this subject seems interesting for me;

Secondly, I always wanted to enrich my English speech;

And, thirdly, this material will help me to better understand the English themselves.

At last, this knowledge will allow me to better learn the Russian language.

    What are similes and metaphors? Is there a difference between the two figures of speech? The answer is, "Yes, there is a noticeable contrast between similes and metaphors." To understand in plain and simple terms, a simile is any word or phrase used to describe something or someone as similar to another. These similarities are often not related to one another. As for the other figure of speech, a metaphor is any word or phrase which states that one thing or person is another.

     With this little contradiction in their definitions, let's take a look at some of their examples. This way, you can get a better idea about what similes and metaphors are. But before that, always remember these main points about similes and metaphors:

      Similes constantly make comparisons using the words "like" and "as".

      Metaphors constantly make symbolic and direct comparisons between two objects.

     A metaphor is commonly known as an analogy between two objects or ideas, described by using another word. Other figures of speech like hyperbole, simile, and antithesis are all similar types of analogy, which also achieve their effects through the same way. There are four specialized types of metaphors, and they are allegory, catachresis, parable, and pun. However, broadly speaking, there are only two major types of metaphors - extended metaphors and mixed metaphors. Extended metaphors are those that not only claim similarity between two subjects, but also goes forth and compares the various aspects of both subjects as well. It can be considered as a metaphor within another metaphor. On the other hand, the mixed metaphor involves the joint appearance of unrelated metaphors or that of a metaphor and a simile.

     Both similes and metaphors can be used in English language, literature, poetry, and music.

Simile

    A simile is a word or phrase that compares something to something else. It uses the words like or as.

Examples of similes:

eat like a pig

sleep like a baby

as cute as a kitten

as white as snow

     The word "simile" comes from the Latin root similes, which means sameness or likeness. The word "similar" also uses the same root word.

 Similes are the most common type of figurative language in the English language.

Similes compare two different things that do not usually go together.

 Similes compare using the words "like" or "as."

How to form a simile

    There are two ways to form a simile.

1. as + adjective/adverb + as + noun

2. verb + like + noun

 This is a list of some common similes. Add a subject to the beginning of each simile to make the sentence complete. There are some examples below.

Pattern 1: as + adjective/adverb + as + noun

as cold as ice.

as white as snow

as gentle as a lamb

as funny as a clown

as light as a feather

as colorful as a rainbow

The crayons are as colorful as a rainbow.

The sheep was as fluffy as cotton candy.

as wise as an owl

as hungry as a bear

as tough as nails

Pattern 2: verb + like + noun

smells like a rose

eats like a pig

sings like an angel

runs like a cheetah

slept like a baby

I slept like a baby last night.

crying like a baby

jumps like a frog

howls like a dog

sparkles like a diamond

roared like a lion

Metaphor

     A metaphor is a comparison of two different things, without "like" or "as." It makes a description more interesting or powerful.

    The word "metaphor" comes from the Latin word metaphoria and the Greek word metapherin. Both of these words mean "to transfer." A metaphor gives (transfers) qualities from one noun to another noun.

Examples of metaphors:

wooden face (= a face as stiff as wood)

army of letters (= letters as great in amount and as powerful as an army)

sea of sadness (= sadness as huge and endless as the sea)

My plan was a house of cards (= as fragile and unstable as a house of cards)

Metaphors are like similes, but they do not use the words "like" or "as."

A metaphor compares things by stating something IS something else.

How to form a metaphor

    There are a few ways to make a metaphor.

The simplest way to make a metaphor is to use this pattern:

First noun + to be verb + a/an + second noun

She is an angel.

 (She is a nice.)

My hands are ice.

 (My hands feel very cold.)

He is a pig.

 (He is messy.)

Her eyes were diamonds.

 (Her eyes were beautiful.)

The shark's teeth are daggers.

 (The shark's teeth are sharp.)

The stars were a blanket over the earth.

 (The stars filled the night sky above the earth.)

The wind was a piercing arrow.

 (It was windy and very cold.)

The jet was a bolt of lightning shooting across the sky.

 (The jet flew fast across the sky.)

The classroom was a zoo.

(The classroom was noisy and the kids are not in their seats.)

    Not all metaphors are written in the simple pattern like those above.

Here are a few more examples of metaphors. Even though they are not written in the same pattern, they do compare two different nouns.

My boss fired the snake.

 (The employee is being compared to a snake. The boss fired an employee who was sneaky and not trustworthy.)

He has a heart of stone.

 (His heart is being compared to a stone. He is angry and mean.)

The bride wore a dress of snow.

 (The dress is being compared to snow. The dress is soft and white.)

    In addition, you can form a metaphor with verbs and adjectives.

A flock of children went to the circus.

 (A flock is a group of birds. Children are being compared to birds.)

The investigator digs up evidence about the crime.

 (The investigator is looking for evidence. He is being compared to a dog who digs up bones.)

Simile vs metaphor

    People often confuse similes and metaphors. They are very similar because they both compare two different things.

 With similes, the comparison is easy to understand.

Sam eats like a pig.

 This simile compares the way Sam eats to the way a pig eats. Sam is very messy when he eats. He does not have good manners.

This simile compares Sam's home to a pigsty (where pigs live). It means that Sam's home is very messy. He probably does not clean often and leaves dirty clothes on the floor.

 A metaphor is not always as easy to understand and can sometimes be understood in different ways by different people or in different situations.

Sam is a pig.

 This metaphor does not mean Sam is actually a pig.

This sentence can have different meanings depending on the context. We can usually figure out the meaning based on a picture or context of the paragraph or story.

 In our example, "Sam is a pig" it could mean different things, since pigs can have different qualities. For example, they can be dirty or greedy (eating everything).

"Sam is a pig" could mean:

Sam is a messy eater. He does not have good manners.

Sam is a sloppy dresser. His clothes are dirty.

Sam has a messy house. He does not clean his house.

Sam acts very rude. He is not polite.

Sam is greedy. He takes everything.

Similes and metaphors in poetry

    Here is a great example of similes and metaphors being used in classic poetry. Read this short poem to see if you can spot the similes or metaphors. Then scroll past the picture for the answers.

New words:

flint = a very hard gray stone used to make fire

emerald = a beautiful green stone

ruby = a beautiful dark red stone

sapphire = a beautiful blue stone

heaven = sky

brilliant = very bright

opal = a beautiful stone that shows changing colors

hold = have or contain

fiery = of fire

Flint

(by Christina Rossetti)

An emerald is as green as grass,

A ruby red as blood;

A sapphire shines as blue as heaven;

A flint lies in the mud.

A diamond is a brilliant stone,

To catch the world's desire;

An opal holds a fiery spark;

But a flint holds a fire.

Similes and Metaphors

(answers)

An emerald is as green as grass,

(an emerald is green and grass is green)

A ruby red as blood;

(a ruby is red and blood is red)

A sapphire shines as blue as heaven;

(a sapphire is blue and the sky, or heaven, is blue)

A flint lies in the mud.

A diamond is a brilliant stone,

To catch the world's desire;

(the diamond is being compared to something that can catch something, such as a baseball glove)

An opal holds a fiery spark;

(the opal looks like a spark of fire)

But a flint holds a fire.

(the flint is being compared to an object that can contain something else)

Conclusion

    Learning a language is about learning the words, the grammar, but it is also learning about how people communicate. People do not use literal language a lot of the time, they use similes and metaphors, they use language creatively. Once you are familiar with the language, similes and metaphors can be enriching.

Similes are a figure of speech directly comparing two different things using words like ‘as’ and ‘like’ so you could say “learning English is like wading through toffee” when it is difficult or that it is “smooth as silk”, when it is easy. Similes can be used in all sorts of situations, they add colour to language and meaning.

With metaphors the comparison is implicit, rather than explicit so the listener or reader has to work more to find the meaning, for example:

“Her hair is black as jet.”

 “Jet black tendrils encased her face.”

Creative writing often uses a lot of metaphors. For example, “Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket, “ according to George Orwell, while on a more positive note, Proust says, “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy they are charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

Some metaphors are so successful that they become commonplace, such as: “All the world’s a stage,” “You are the sunshine of my life”, “Time is a thief.” If a metaphor or simile is over used though it can become cliched like, “She is as old as the hills” or “Every cloud has a silver lining.”

But while you are learning English it is good to learn a few common similes and metaphors as they will help you sound familiar with the language so have a look at the following examples and see if you can use them in a sentence.

“I am rushed for time today.”

 “ is the best thing since sliced bread.”

 “I try to look on the bright side.”

 “It’s the bees’ knees.”

The sources used in this report:

1. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/similes-and-metaphors-examples.html
2. http://www.really-learn-english.com/simile-and-metaphor.html
3. http://www.englishtown.com/blog/english-grammar-explained-similes-metaphors/