Lesson 5: The Speaker’s LanguageThe Power of LanguageThere are many tools in the English language that we can use to make our speeches more powerful. Several of these tools fall under the category of “figures of speech.” By using figures of speech, you can better explain an idea, make a comparison, increase the impact of a statement, personalize your message, and best of all, capture the attention of your listeners. The following are some of the most common figures of speech, along with definitions and examples. Figures of SpeechA simile is a comparison made between two things using the words “like” or “as.” Example: Getting through college is like navigating a complex highway system. You create a metaphor when you compare one thing with another without using “like” or “as.” Example: Harry was a diplomat at family gatherings; he was always protecting relatives from getting their feelings hurt. An extended metaphor or extended simile is created when you expand your comparison to several sentences or more. In the speech that I gave at the NACADA conference, I drew an extended metaphor comparing college with a highway. You utilize irony when your actual words say the opposite of what you mean. Example: I was thrilled to find another pile of bills in the mail today. Personification endows inanimate objects, animals, or ideas with human characteristics. Example: The pen in my hand stood still and stubbornly refused to write my essay. Narratives and stories are also important tools at your disposal. By describing events with vivid detail, you can create suspense and make your listeners laugh or cry. You can draw from personal experience, historical narratives, or any source that helps you get your point across with an interesting story. One thing you should avoid when selecting your language is clichés. A cliché is any phrase that has become overused and has therefore become meaningless. Common phrases like “lines of communication,” and “the foreseeable future,” and predictable metaphors or similes like “cute as a button,” and “like finding a needle in a haystack,” show a lack of creativity and make your audience feel that you are settling for prepackaged language instead of coming up with fresh ideas of your own. An extreme example of how clichés can really fall flat took place when my niece was in the hospital with a kidney stone and my father offered the comment, “Let’s not leave any stone unturned.” The following are a few more examples of clichés to avoid: Tough as nails Leave no stone unturned Last but not least In the final analysis Sweet as honey Goes without saying By leaps and bounds Lean over backward Equal to the occasion Slept like a log 1 |