Your English Crash Course - The Taylor Swift Edition
Learn 14 figures of speech through these lyrics by Taylor Swift. A Thread:
1. ALLITERATION - Repetition of the beginning sounds of neighbouring words.
Everyday example: “I’m busy as a bee!”
Taylor Swift example:
2. ASSONANCE - Repetition of vowel sounds that are close together
Everyday example: “fish and chips” (the -i sound)
Taylor Swift example:
3. ANAPHORA - Repetition of words at the beginning of new, consecutive sentences.
Everyday example: “Go big or go home”
Taylor Swift example:
4. EUPHEMISM - An agreeable word or phrase that is used as a replacement for something offensive/ harsh
Everyday example: “I’m between jobs…” (instead of saying “unemployed”)
Taylor Swift example:
5. SIMILE - A comparison between two unlike things using the words “like” or “as”
Everyday example: “She is as tall as a giraffe!”
Taylor Swift example:
6. METAPHOR - A comparison between two unlike things without using the words “like” or “as”
Everyday example: “She’s a giraffe!”
Taylor Swift example:
7. PERSONIFICATION - Giving human-like qualities to non-living things
Everyday example: “My phone died”
Taylor Swift example:
8. HYPERBOLE - Exaggerating something for emphasis.
Everyday example: “I’ve already said this a thousand times!”
Taylor Swift example:
9. ONOMATOPOEIA - Words that imitate the sound they refer to
Everyday example: “The spices are sizzling already”
Taylor Swift example:
10. IDIOM - A widely-used phrase that represents a non-literal meaning
Everyday example: “I’m under the weather” (I am sick)
Taylor Swift example:
11. OXYMORON - Two contradictory words used together
Everyday example: “That video was seriously funny!”
Taylor Swift example:
12. ALLUSION - An implied or indirect reference
Everyday example: “That boy is the Einstein of the class” (a reference to Albert Einstein)
Taylor Swift example:
13. IMAGERY - Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses
Everyday example: You ranting to a friend about your crush and how perfect they are…
Taylor Swift example:
14. LITOTES - Expressing an affirmative by using a double negative
Everyday example: “It wasn’t too bad” (= it was good)
Taylor Swift example:
That's all for this one. What better day to finally write this thread than in honour of Taylor's new album #Midnights!
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