The sun had long since in the lap
Of Thetis taken out his nap;
And, like a lobster boiled, the morn
From black to red began to turn.
—Butler’s Hudibras.
Principal Figures—The common figures are metaphor, simile, allegory, personification, apostrophe, euphemism, hyperbole, antithesis, epigram, irony, climax, onomatopœia (ŏn-ŏm-a-tō-pœ´-ĭ-a), and alliteration.
Simile.—A simile is a comparison between objects that are not of the same class, and usually expressed by either like or as.
Examples:—The warrior fought like a lion.
Examples:—His spear was like the mast of a ship.
Examples:—His wrath was as the storm.
Metaphor.—A metaphor is a comparison which is implied between two objects that are not of the same class. Unlike the simile, it does not state the resemblance, it takes that for granted and proceeds as if the two things were one—we no longer say, “He fought like a lion,” but, “He was a lion in the fight.”
Allegory.—Under which head fall Fables and Parables, is an extended Metaphor generally accompanied by Personification.
Example:—Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress; Spenser’s Faerie Queene.
Personification.—Attributes life to inanimate objects. It speaks of “The childhood of a nation,” of “a learned age” of “the thirsty ground,” of “eager darts,” of “winged words.”