FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE VS. LITERAL LANGUAGE

Randy Powell

Doctor Dan Davis
Strayer University Internet Campus

Philosophy 210: Critical Thinking
Strayer University
February 3, 2013 It is often believed that the English language is one of the most difficult languages to learn. The phonetic system employed by the English language leaves open a vast majority of issues for any individual attempting to master the language. For instance, the English language is the only language which uses multiple spellings for similar-sounding words. Take for example “threw” and “through;” “led” and “lead;” or “accept” and “except.” “The fact is, although it’s possible to make rough guesses at English spellings using phonetics, in order to really know English spelling, you have to memorize the spelling of every word” (Alexander, 2009). Additionally, the English language features words which are spelled the same, but possess different definitions and uses. For example, “wound” and “wound.” Unless these words are seen in the form of a sentence or heard the terms in which they are referenced, recognizing the difference is impossible; sometimes even for one brought up speaking the English language. Not only do individual words offer different meanings, the method, or “tone” in which one speaks also offer a level of confusion. While there are different methods in which to ‘stress’ key words within a sentence or ‘emphasize’ the importance of what is being said, two common types of language, which are complete opposites, often result in frequent misinterpretations that no other language is able to easily comprehend. These two are literal and figurative language. In deciphering what the true meaning behind one’s words, English speaking natives recognize that the primary method in doing just this is by using common sense; but unless one is fully aware of the uses and meanings behind literal and figurative languages, the concept of utilizing ‘common sense’ may not be that easy.
Both figurative and literal languages signify whether or not language used is compliant with its accepted dictionary definition or whether it deviates by means of exaggeration or symbolism. While striving for a clear-cut meaning, “Literal language refers to a phrase or sentence that is to be taken [sic] to mean exactly what it says,” (Figurative Language, 2012). This means, for example, if someone were to say “Go fly a kite,” the individual being spoken to would, in fact, go fly a kite. With figurative language, however, which seeks the use of a literary device in order to add multiple layers of meaning, which require a certain interpretation. By using literary devices such as metaphors, similes, personification, etc. in figurative language, the phrase “Go fly a kite” would take on a completely different meaning. The combination of words or expressions which may possess a literal meaning, allows for communication or expression of an idea or concept in a non-literal way. With figurative language, recognizing the correct use of connotation, the context placed would imply that “go fly a kite” means “go away” or “get lost.” Moreover, telling a person “jump the gun” or “break a leg” does not for a person to physically jump over or on a gun or physically go break a leg. Utilizing figurative language, one can use such expressions to say "to do/get something [done] early” and to wish someone “good luck.” The literary devices which aid in the identification of figurative language are idioms, analogy, metaphor, simile, amphiboly, hyperbole, flame word, euphemisms, and colloquialism. Each of these devices is used to develop one’s vocabulary and to convey ideas, concepts, and opinions; however, if used incorrectly, figurative language can have a large impact on the effectiveness of communication. At the same time, “[Figurative language] can evoke emotion and imagery [sic]…that literal language just cannot provide” (Figurative Language, 2012). Keeping this in mind, a clear understanding of what constitutes either literal or figurative language is necessary in order to apply it appropriately.

Idioms are defined as an “expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either grammatically or in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements" (Merriam-Webster, 2013) and are used in order to enrich a language “…to convey subtle shades of meaning or intention” (Brenner, 2003). From this, the expression conveyed is unlike the expression received when read in a literal sense. For example, to “let sleeping dogs lie” is the same as saying “don’t cause problems;” or, “it is raining cats and dogs” is the same as saying “it is raining very hard.”
Analogies are figurative language device defined as “a comparison of two different things in order to highlight some point of similarity” (Nordquist, What is an Analogy?, 2013). They are frequently used in writings in order to facilitate the understanding of the author’s ideas to the reader; consequently "they compare an unfamiliar concept with something familiar to bring out the meaning of a concept so that it can be easily understood" (Singha, 2011). For example, “What a painting is to a painter as water is to a plant,” thus figuratively comparing a ‘need’ as a sense. The metaphor is the most commonly used device of figurative language. It is defined as “a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something in common” (Nordquist, 2013). For example, “Your insincere apology just adds fuel to the fire” is a metaphor for “Saying you’re sorry when you’re not makes the situation worse” (LinguaLinks Library, 1987).
A simile is considered to be a subset of the metaphor. It is defined as "a figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as” (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2013). With this, the difference between similes and metaphors is visible. The simile is two ideas being side-by-side, whereas the metaphor superimposes two ideas. An example of a simile can be the comparison of a long winter with a sad story. Take for instance, "The winter was as long as a sad story.” The simile in this sentence may be confusing in that the idea of a long winter being compared to a sad story features no relevant similarities, thereby causing the reader to question the validity when, in fact, the author is merely portraying the emphasis of ‘long’ and ‘sad.’ Clichés are most commonly known to most as words or phrases which are overused. Common examples are the phrases, "hold your horses," “time will tell,” “fit as a fiddle,” or “opposites attract,” just to name a few. Like similes and metaphors, clichés and idioms are closely related and can often become confused with one another. In truth, an idiom can become a cliché if used often enough; however, a cliché cannot become an idiom. Clichés can be true or false in both figurative and literal terms, whereas idioms can only be taken figuratively. Amphiboly is “ambiguity of speech, especially from uncertainty of grammatical construction rather than the meaning of the words” (Ambush, 2012). Amphibolies occur when a receiver misinterprets a statement which is considered grammatically ambiguous that takes the receiver to draw a conclusion based on false interpretations. For example, “The doctor wanted to operate on the patient, but he died before surgery” such statement could mean that the doctor died before he could perform the surgery or that the patient died before the doctor could operate on him. In this case, the use of "he" as an ambiguous pronoun obscures the meaning of a statement. A’ flame word’ is a word or ‘tone’ used in order to insult. For example, when a comment like “How can you be such a jerk;” using the word “jerk” as an intended insult toward another. Hyperboles are “exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally,” (Dictionary.com, LLC, (n.d.). For example, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.” Unless the individual lives within a society which eating a horse is considered to be socially acceptable, this statement means “I’m so hungry, I could eat a lot.”
Euphemisms are the substitution of offensive words with those to be seen as more agreeable (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2013). A euphemism for the word “kill,” would be “eliminate” or “pass away” and “chubby” or “fat” with “well fed.” Euphemisms can add a certain level of humor to an unpleasant situation and tend to make truthful statements easier to accept.
Colloquialisms are “an informal expression that is more often used in casual conversation than in formal speech or writing” (Nordquist, colloquialism, 2013). Simply put, the use of colloquialisms depends on the local or regional dialect or expressions. This can include words like “y’all” for “you all;” “gonna” for “going to;” or “wanna” for “want to.” A regionally-direct example is how residents of southern U.S. states say “howdy” in place of “hello.” With each literary device utilized in figurative language, English has become more amusing, easier to accept, and more expressive. Within today’s English-speaking society, literal language is commonly misused in order to place direct emphasis on something that is being implied rather than the obvious or non-figurative sense. For example, to state “I literally laughed my head off” obviously does not mean the speaker’s head was laughed off his body (for he is still standing there talking); it merely implies that something was so funny the speaker laughed really hard; to one learning to speak English, literal language, this statement would cause an incredibly unsightly or traumatic vision. They would not understand that the speaker was adding emphasis to the discussed situation. Those native to speaking English are utilizing more and more each of the literary devices; most, not even realizing it. This, in turn, will continue to cause confusion and an increased level of misunderstanding to any individual learning to speak English. In addition to the different phonetics, multiple meanings, similar sounds, and multiple spellings, the common misuse of the types of language will only verify that the English language is the most difficult language to learn.

Works Cited

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LinguaLinks Library. (1987). What is a metaphor? In G. Lakoff, Women, fire, and dangerous things: What categories reveal about the Mind (p. 388). Chicago: University of Chicago.
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