In this, we personify or … Figure of speech, any intentional deviation from literal statement or common usage that emphasizes, clarifies, or embellishes both written and spoken language. However, puns should be used sparingly so as not to overwhelm or disengage a reader. Categories Pun of the Day Tags figures of speech, food and drink, relationships Leave a comment. William Shakespeare is known for his clever use of puns for comedic effect. Puns are generally intended to be humorous, but they often have a serious purpose as well in literary works. I would like to go to Holland someday. The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. "Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight", "Time flies like an arrow. FIGURES OF SPEECH ExamPlanning.Com 4 11. Shakespeare creates a play on the word grave that adds a level of tragedy and sense of irony to Mercutio’s death. Displaying top 8 worksheets found for - Pun Figure Of Speech. In this type of figurative speech, non-living objects are given human characteristics. Puns are figures of speech based on the inherent ambiguities of language. What brought the kindred spider to that height. This punchline “twist” is intended to induce laughter from an audience. For example, the structure of a joke is generally dependent upon a “set up” followed by a “punchline.” A punchline delivers the humor of a joke by relieving the tension of the narrative set up through an unlikely or incongruous resolution. Bungee jumping is an expensive sport. If you stand by the window, I’ll help you out. Here are some examples of puns in well-known literary works, along with how they add to interpretation: To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”. Like all figures of speech, puns represent artistic and clever use of language on the part of the writer. The pun is a play on words using words that sound similar or that have multiple meanings. Many figures of speech are not meant to be understood exactly as they are said: ... Antanaclasis is a common type of pun, and like other kinds of pun, it is often found in slogans. All Rights Reserved. This is a clever use of pun for a character name, as it is both a play on the word “seed” in relation to plants and a play on the legend of El Cid, a medieval Spanish knight and military warrior. The attendant looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger. Puns are figures of speech based on the inherent ambiguities of language. There’s no such thing as a free lunge. Here is an example of a well-known joke from the “Monty Python” series: The set up for this joke is that a person’s dog is without a nose, creating wonder in the second person (and the audience, vicariously) as to how the dog uses its sense of smell with no nose. A figure of speech is a deviation from the ordinary use of words in order to increase their effectiveness. What had the flower to do with being white. Example: She sells seashells by the seashore. Wooden shoe? litotes derived from a Greek word meaning "simple", is a figure of speech which employs an understatement by using double negatives or, in other words, positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite expressions. Roy Clifton, The Figure in Film. Puns that use words with the same spellings but different sounds are called Homographic Puns. Therefore, Mercutio’s pun is a play on words that enhances what has befallen him as well as the outcome. Those who agree with this sentiment justify it by pointing out that puns are often not genuinely funny and can be grimace inducing for readers. The idea that the speaker is poking fun at death also emphasizes the speaker’s lack of care, and therefore carelessness, with his words. Puns is a wordpaly wherein a person uses a word with a similar sound but means a little bit different from the word intended. The poet may also be questioning whether the poem is an artistic composition on its own or if he is the ultimate designer of the poem. A pun is a literary device that is also known as a “play on words.” Puns involve words with similar or identical sounds but with different meanings. Not only were they present as far back as the ancient Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations, but the writing systems of those civilizations, including Egyptian hieroglyphs, were in fact based on systems of punning. Romeo’s dear friend Mercutio is stabbed by Tybalt, and makes this statement during his death scene. These differences in meanings may originate from figurative language or use of homophone or homograph. Known in rhetoric as paronomasia. Pun A pun is a figure of speech that plays with words to give away obscured meanings. A man can’t be careful in the choice of his enemies. Pun Figure of Speech Pun Figure of Speech in Hindi This lecture is a part of TGT and PGT ENGLISH preparation course. Sourced from Reddit, Twitter, and beyond! A pun is a figure of speech which consists of a deliberate confusion of similar words or phrases for rhetorical effect, whether humorous or serious. A pun will often cause a reader to think about various meanings of a word or phrase. Poet Louis Untermeyer said that punning is like poetry: "something every person belittles and every person attempts." ", A vulture boards a plane, carrying two dead possums. The play on words is between “cents,” as in coins, and “sense,” as in awareness. When my algebra teacher retired, he wasn’t ready for the aftermath. In addition, it’s important for writers to understand that puns are often limited to a particular language and would not necessarily be effective in translation. There is layered humor provided by the pun in this line. One type of figure of speech is the pun. . Hand me that newspaper so we don’t have crosswords. Another very interesting figure of speech is personification. Two of them are now seen with tongs, lifting a glowing retort out of a furnace and pouring gold into molds of the Eiffel Tower. To understand the pun, you need to be looking at the quotation in context. If you want to learn more about puns, then read below. It is often used as a sarcastic way. (The punster, it has been said, is a person who enjoys hearing his friends groan. Now that I have graph paper, I guess it’s time to. This pun is also effective as a play on words of the phrase “common sense,” which is appropriate to the subject of managing finances. 2. Therefore, “halve” a nice day is a much more accurate, though ironic, end to the poem. Many writers and poets such as John Dryden, Samuel Johnson, and Ambrose Bierce have claimed that puns are the “lowest form” of humor and wit. Puns are figures of speech that rely on a form of word play, whereas jokes are narrative structures intended to create humor and laughter. The famous Roman playwright, Plautus, was known for the excessive use of puns in his work. The punchline is humorous in that the answer is unexpected. . Irony, Pun | Figures Of Speech. A pun makes use of words that have more than one meaning, or words that sound similar but have different meanings, to humorous effect. A pun can be an effective literary device. A pun is the use of a word that can mean two different things in the context in which it is used. Pun. Puns, when used effectively, can enhance interpretation of literary works. William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde are also 'masters of the pun'. The rhetorical term for punning is paronomasia, which literally means "to call a different name." Both puns and irony have a similar meaning. Puns are figures of speech that rely on a form of word play, whereas jokes are narrative structures intended to create humor and laughter. Cliff Hanger (adventure character from children’s television series “Between the Lions”), Gnomeo and Juliet (animated adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet”), Harley Quinn (fictional character in DC Comics), Truly Scrumptious (“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”), Kim Possible (heroic character from children’s television series of the same name), Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (“Some Like It Hot”), Paige Turner (librarian character from children’s television series “Arthur”), Alfredo Linguini (chef character in Disney’s “Ratatouille”), Holly Golightly (“Breakfast at Tiffany’s”), “The road to success is always under construction.” (Lily Tomlin), “Atheism is a non-prophet organization.” (George Carlin), “The cafeteria staff requests sidekicks stop ordering, “You can lead a horticulture, but you can’t make her think.” (, First, the reader must understand the “source material” of the pun in order for it to work. Making use of this form of speech in your daily language can make it seem more interesting and fun. Words used with same spellings and same sound but with different meanings are also used in puns and are called Homonymic Puns. Wilde was a master of word play, and this line from his play “The Importance of Being Earnest” reflects his dexterity when it comes to pun as a literary device. As we see the police raising a car from the Thames, the voice of a radio commentator expresses the confident opinion that the thieves who stole the gold bricks 'would find their loot too hot to handle.' Then steered the white moth thither in the night? For example, … In its second mention, lose is used in the context of misplacing something. (3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5) However, it’s quite challenging to create an effective pun when writing. When I told him they are too dangerous, he moped around the house. Although puns are commonly regarded as a childish form of humor, they are often found in advertisements and newspaper headlines. In the last stanza of this poem, Frost uses pun as a figure of speech through the word “design.” Rather than an attempt at humor, the pun in this poem causes the reader to think more deeply about the meaning of design and the meaning of the poem as well. Examples of alliteration. Here’s a quick and simple definition:Some additional key details about puns: 1. This figure of speech is used to expressed the opposite thought of the speaker ", "I saw a documentary on how ships are kept together. FIGURES OF SPEECH ExamPlanning.Com WHAT ARE THE FIGURES OF SPEECH? Puns are usually used to create humor, but can also be used in non-humorous ways. Here are some examples of alliteration being used in a sentence. Here are some other examples of puns as character names: It can be difficult for people to distinguish between puns and jokes. A pun is also known as paronomasia. However, the poet’s use of the word “halve” rather than “have” is a clever way of supporting the rest of the poem. 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