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LECTURE VI
INTENSIFICATION OF A CERTAIN FEATURE OF A THING OR PHENOMENON.

Problems for discussion:

1. 
   Simile.
   
2. 
   Periphrasis.
   
3. 
   Euphemism.
   
4. 
   Hyperbole.
   

Sometimes for a special reason one of the features of the thing is made the most essential, it is elevated to the greatest importance.Such stylistic devices as simile, periphrasis, euphemism are included into this group.

The intensification of some feature of the concept in question is realized in a device called simile.

The simile is a stylistic dvice expressing likeness between different objects.The formal elements of the simile are the following conjunctions and adverbs: as, like, as like, such as, as if, seem ets.

The simile is based on the comparison of objects belonging to different spheres.Eg.:

Mr.Dombey took it (the hand)as if it were a fish.

Metaphors and similes are found in many languages. They are comparison

He ran like the wind. The moon is like blood. Benjamin is like a wolf.

In English a simile has the words “like” and “as”. Metaphors don’t have the word “like” or “as”. The comparison is always that of some likeness. We find the similarity of two objects in metaphors.

the child is a greedy little pig

he is an ox

he is a rock

These could just as well be said as similes:

that child is like a greedy little pig

he is like an ox

he is like a rock

Metaphors and similes represent two propositions in the semantic structure. A proposition consists of a topic and the comment about that topic.

“John is tall” consists of the topic “John” and the comment “is tall.”

The comparison comes in the comment part of the propositions.

John is as tall as a bean pole.

The topic of the first proposition is compared to the topic of the second.

1. John is tall 2 a bean pole is tall.

The sentence “that animal is a tiger” is not metaphorical, but the sentence “John is a tiger” is a metaphor. John is being compared to a “tiger” because of some point of similarity.We must not confuse ordinary comparison and simile as a stylistic device which represent two diverse processeses. Comparison implies estimation of two objects which belong to one class of objects with the purpose of establishing the sameness or difference. Comparison takes ihto consideration all the properties of the two objects. Eg.: “The boy seems to be as clever as his mother” is ordinary comparison. Boy and mother belong to the same class of objects – human beings.The nature of simile is to compare two (or several) objects which belong to different class of objects. Simile finds one or several features, which are common to the objects compared. Eg:

He felt like an old book: spine defective, covers dull, slight foxing, rather shaken copy. (K. Amiss).

Different features may be compared in simile: the state, actions, manners.
e.g.: My heart is like a singing bird;

The body was tensed as a strong leaf of spring

A simile consists of three components:

She’s happy as a lark.

She’s- subject

happy-basis

a lark- object
Similes enrich English phraseology: like a squirell in a cage, to sleep like a log, busy as a bee, blind as a bat. These phraseological units are trite similes and have become clishes. Besides the original similes created by writers there are agreat number of sj-called traditional similes in the language, which must be regarded as phraseological units. The image suggested by such similes is trite.

In these traditional similes the names of animals, plants, natural phenomenon are frequently used.

Strong like a lion, hard as arock, to twinkle like a star, busy as a bee, to work like a horse, to fly like a bird, thirsty as a camel, slow as a tortoise.

These combinations ceased to be genuine similes and have become clichés in which the second component has become merely an intensifier.

The simile usually serves as a means to clearer meaning. By comparing the object the writer makes his description clearer and more picturesque.

Eg: A nice old man, hairless as a boiled onion.