At thought figures are linguistic resources that create meaning effects in the text, appealing to the logical interpretations and the interlocutor's imagination, so that he can understand the implied meaning. The figures of thought are:
irony;
hyperbole;
euphemism;
prosopopoeia;
antithesis;
paradox;
gradation;
apostrophe;
littore.
What are thought figures?
Thought figures are linguistic resources that serve to emphasize and/or create effects aesthetic and semantic, with the aim of impacting the reader/listener, generating greater convincing power or emotion. They are figures characterized as thinking, because appeal to the reader's mental and imaginary movements, being, therefore, more connected to the interpretation than to the materialization of the text.
These linguistic elements provoke reflections and creative readings, as demand from the reader/listener a misplaced interpretation. The effect of the figure of thought is not directly related to the words used or the structural organization of the text, but the ability to find a “hidden” or “new” meaning.
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Irony
Irony is the figure of thought responsible for saying the opposite of what one wants to express. She uses words and expressions that mean a different or opposite sense to what you want to say. The revelation of the opposition occurs, mainly, by markings in orality, such as voice intonation, facial expressions and others.
Example:
"Our! How you arrived on time!"
(when you want to say you are late)
To learn more about this figure of speech, read the text: IRony.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is the thought figure responsible for intensifying the meaning of the utterance, often at an impossible level, to express a condition with expressive force. It uses absurd words or comparisons to symbolize meaning.
Example:
"Our! There's a deluge out there!"
(when you want to say that it's raining a lot)
Learn more about this thinking figure and see more examples at: HIperbole.
Euphemism
O euphemismis the thought figure responsible for attenuating or softening information, through the replacement of terms considered strong or impactful by more formal and neutral expressions. It can be used to express something positive, to avoid frightening information or even to alleviate a gross situation.
Example:
"She's not horrible, she just has a strong personality."
("strong personality" softens "awful")
personification or prosopopeia
The personification or prosopopeia is the thought figure that attributes characteristics, aspects and functions considered human to non-human and/or non-living elements. When narratives Literary, for example, build characters that are objects, animals or elements of nature, the prosopopeia occurs.
Example:
"The Sun looked me in the eye and said I needed faith."
("The Sun", inanimate element, "looks" and "says" like humans)
To learn more about this figure of speech, read the text: Personification (prosopopeia).
Antithesis
The antithesis is the thought figure responsible for relating elements that have difference or opposition semantics in the same sentence, to produce an effect of meaning. There is no nullification of meaning, as the antithesis only relates apparently opposite elements in the same statement.
Example:
"Every day she goes neat and colorful, and also with that pale face of yours."
In this case, the antithesis occurs through the relationship between “tidy and colorful” and “pale face”, referring to the same subject. Learn more about this thought figure and read more examples at: Antithesis.
paradox or oxymoron
The paradox or oxymoron is the thought figure that unites opposing elements, which apparently contradict each other, in a new sense, in which they act together. Its difference in relation to the antithesis is that the paradox works with nullifying or impossible contradictions, but which, in the discourse, gain the symbolic possibility of coexisting.
Example:
"Every day I die so that I can be reborn."
In this case, the paradox occurs, as it is logically impossible for a person to die every day to be reborn. The terms are not only different, they also contradict each other in reality. Learn more about this thought figure by reading our text: Padoro.
gradation or climax
Gradation is the thought figure responsible for listing the ideas in an order that if drive in ascending or descending motion. The increasing gradation produces the climax, which is the apex of the enumeration. The decreasing gradation is directed towards the anticlimax, the deepest or most closed of the enumeration.
Examples:
- “I entered through the back door, entered the kitchen, headed to the living room and started up the steps. The view widened, I saw the floor, the foot of the sofa, the coffee table, the window and, suddenly, she.” (increasing gradation until the encounter with "she", climax moment)
- "First he was hospitalized, then he needed surgery, began to weaken, until he died." (descending gradation until the subject's death, anticlimax moment)
Apostrophe
THE apostrophe is the thought figure that indicates a call or invocation of the interlocutor or another subject for the speech. Syntactically, the apostrophe corresponds to the vocative.
Example:
"Attention everyone, I need to talk to you!"
The expression “Attention to all” is the apostrophe and serves to draw attention to the message that will be communicated.
Litote
Litote is the thought figure that occurs when the utterance presents a negation, but the sense presents an implicit affirmation. External text presents a message that internally carries another one.
Examples:
- "You don't seem to be doing well."
(when you want to say “you're sick”)
- "You're nothing silly."
(when you want to say “you're smart”)
- "You don't seem calm at all."
(when you want to say “you look nervous”)
solved exercises
Review the sentences of the questions below and identify the thought figure present in each one.
Question 1 - “It took me thirty days to go from Rocio Grande to Marcela's heart, no longer riding the steed of blind desire, but the ass of patience, both sly and stubborn.” (Machado de Assis)
A) Paradox
B) Prosopopeia
C) Antithesis
D) Apostrophe
Resolution
Alternative C. The antithesis occurs in the relationship between “steed of blind desire” and “ass of patience”.
Question 2 - “Jurema left this for the better”.
A) Antithesis
B) Paradox
C) Hyperbole
D) Euphemism
Resolution
Alternative D. The euphemism occurs in “got it for the better” rather than “died”.
Question 3 - “Love is a fire that burns without being seen, it is a wound that hurts and cannot be felt”. (Luís de Camões)
A) Antithesis
B) Paradox
C) Prosopopeia
D) Euphemism
Resolution
Alternative B. The paradox occurs in the “burns” and “without seeing” relationships; “hurts” and “doesn't feel”.
Question 4 – "The moon betrayed me."
A) Prosopopeia
B) Euphemism
C) Paradox
D) Antithesis
Resolution
Alternative A. The prosopopeia occurs through the attribution of the betrayal aspect, a human element, to the “Moon”, an element of nature.
Question 5 - "John, what are you doing in the living room?!"
A) Prosopopeia
B) Antithesis
C) Apostrophe
D) Euphemism
Resolution
Alternative C. The apostrophe occurs in the expression “John”, which serves to call the interlocutor's attention.
By Talliandre Matos
Writing Teacher
