Thread by @ShreyaPattar

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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