Figurative Language: 5 Tools to Spice Up Your Writing

A cardinal axiom of good writing, “show, don’t tell” reminds authors that language is infinitely more vivid and poignant when it appeals to the senses. Writing that does this has an amnesic effect on readers, ensconcing them so deeply in the story that they forget they’re reading a story at all. Perhaps the most apt tool to cast this spell on readers is figurative language, which employs various devices that imply meaning rather than plainly stating it. Here are five figurative devices that will breathe new life into your writing by compelling the reader to look beyond the obvious.

The Double Epithet

An epithet is an adjective or phrase that expresses attributes of a person or thing, such as “Alexander the Great.” Considered a device of poetic diction, epithets abound in famous poetry, especially Homer’s. For example, he coined phrases like “the rosy-fingered dawn” and “the wine-dark sea.” Epithets have even more figurative force in pairs, known as double epithets. Shakespeare was especially fond of this tool, penning classics like “mad mustachio purple-hued maltworms,” “beslubbering swag-bellied ratsbane,” and “roguish tickle-brained fustilarian.”

Anaphora

Used as both a rhetorical and poetic device, anaphora refers to parallelism created by successive lines or phrases beginning with the same words. Poetically, the recurring sounds produce a driving rhythm that can intensify the language’s emotionality. Rhetorically, anaphora lends emphasis to concepts. Anaphora appears frequently in the work of Charles Dickens (e.g., “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”) and also figures prominently in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech (King repeats the phrase “I have a dream” eight times in the closing paragraphs of the address).

Alliteration

This literary device repeats consonant sounds in a sentence or verse, typically, but not always, at the beginning of a word. Alliteration can give writing character and add an element of whimsy. Strategically, alliterative devices draw the reader’s attention to a particular passage, set a mood and rhythm, and can suggest certain connotations. For instance, a recurring “S” sound connotes a serpent-like quality, suggesting treachery and peril. Poe’s line “And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain” from The Raven uses alliteration, as does Beowulf‘s “Hot-hearted Beowulf was bent upon battle.”

Onomatopoeia

Appealing to the aural senses, onomatopoeia uses words imitative of sounds, such as quack, boom, whoosh, whir, hiss, crunch, crack, and swish. Paradoxically, onomatopoeia can add both frivolity and reality to writing, as it quirkily yet accurately mimics common sounds. The Alka Seltzer slogan “pop, pop, fizz, fizz, oh, what a relief it is” uses this device, as does Poe’s line from the poem The Bells “How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night!”

Hyperbole

When authors intentionally overstate for effect, they employ hyperbole. These exaggerations can be ludicrous or funny and help the author make a salient point. An excerpt from Monty Python’s “Four Yorkshiremen rel=”nofollow”” skit illustrates this device perfectly as used for comedic effect. In describing how poor he was, one of the characters says, “I had to get up in the morning at 10 o’clock at night, half an hour before I went to bed, eat a lump of cold poison, work 29 hours a day down mill, and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our dad would kill us, and dance about on our graves singing ‘Hallelujah’.”

If variety is the spice of life, figurative language is the cayenne pepper of prose, figuratively speaking. So what are your most clever or creative uses of figurative language?

How to Address Your Business Email or Letter to a Woman (Without Offending Her)

Let’s face it, formal letter-writing has gone the way of the pager. Once a necessary communication tool, it’s now a relic of an era before email, only to be used in specific, often similarly antiquated situations.

But what should you do if you have occasion to write a letter? And what if you have to write that letter to someone who isn’t a man?

via GIPHY

Never fear, fearless writer, you’ve got this.

The Titles, They Are A-Changin’

If titles confuse you, you’re not alone. A Google search for “how to address a letter” easily returns “to a woman,” and when you look at the recommendations for “how to address a letter to a woman,” the confusion only compounds:

Clearly, nobody knows how to address those darn women in their letters. So, as a representative of the female gender, let me clarify a few things.

via GIPHY

The Short Version: Just Use Her Name

When in doubt, it’s best to use the first and last name of any person you’re addressing a formal letter to. It’s both formal and conveniently gender neutral!

Dear Mrs. Jonathan Smith, Try our special new line of pens. Your husband will be thrilled that you are no longer laboring over your grocery list with a regular pen!

Dear Jane Smith,

Use whatever pens you want. You’re a human being.

Want more proof that this is the way of the future? Grammarly surveyed our audience on this topic, and found that the “Dear [First name] [Last name]” option was widely preferred. Want to voice your opinion? Vote in the poll below.

Here’s a tip: Need a more cohesive guide to addressing a letter to someone you don’t know? Check out this flowchart.

When You Should Use “Ms.”

Of course, this discussion of writing letters to ladies would be incomplete without a discussion of “Ms.” Although this title has a 100+ year history, its use has been varied over the years. Some writers default to “Miss” or “Mrs.” based on their assumptions about a woman’s marital status, or because that’s how they were taught in school. In the twenty-first century, I’d assert that it’s time to put this system of cringe-inducing honorifics behind us and stick with “Ms.” for all female-facing correspondence.

How did “Ms.” come to be? According to The New York Times Magazine the title was first proposed by an unnamed writer in a 1901 Massachusetts newspaper.

via GIPHY

Yes, you read that date right: 1901.

Although this first usage made a little buzz, it was quickly forgotten, and the title stayed out of the public eye for the next forty-eight years, until it appeared as a note in Mario Pei’s The Story of Language. Throughout the 1950s, “Ms.” was mentioned timidly as an expedient time-saver, without much public acclaim. Then, during the women’s movement of the ’60s and ’70s, “Ms.” took on a new, political life. This era heralded the title. Activists began to use it, Ms. magazine published its first issue, and people began to discuss the honorific as an equalizing force between men and women.

The abbreviation Ms. is simple. It is easy to write, and the person concerned can translate it properly according to circumstances. For oral use it might be rendered as Mizz, which would be a close parallel to the practice long universal in many bucolic regions, where a slurred Mis’ does duty for Miss and Mrs. alike. —Anonymous

With its rich history, it’s safe to say that “Ms.” is preferred by many women of the twenty-first century. However, there are a few times when you should definitely avoid this title.

Don’t Use “Ms.” If She Has a Professional Title

First of all, if a woman has a professional title, use it! Women who are doctors, lawyers, professors, judges, officers, etc., should be addressed just like their male counterparts. Your recipient worked hard for her MD, JD, PhD, judgeship, etc., so don’t overlook the importance of the accolade and the opportunity to make a solid first impression.

Some common professional titles include:

• Dr.—In English, this can indicate either a medical doctor (MD) or someone with a doctorate in a subject (PhD). Note: there is some debate about whether lawyers (JD) can use this title.
• Prof.—Used for professors at universities.
• Esq. (American) or Adv. (British)—A suffix used for lawyers.
• Hon. (American)—Used for judges and justices.
• Officer—Used for police officers and other types of law enforcement.

Please note that there are many more titles used in both the UK and the US to denote clergy, politicians, military members, and noble persons. You can refer to this guide from Project Gutenberg if you need help navigating the wide world of English honorifics.

Don’t Use “Ms.” If She Asks You Not to

One great thing about lady-humans is we’re all different. We have different wants, hopes, dreams, favorite bacon-enhanced foods, and even (you guessed) preferred titles. If a woman specifically asks you to use another title to address her (or uses it to describe herself), use her preference. “Ms.” may be handy, but each woman is an individual human being with different views on this topic, and since “honorifics” are meant to “honor” a person, you should respect their wishes.

Also, if you mess up someone’s title in a letter or email, don’t worry! The relative obscurity of letter-writing means most people will be more forgiving with formalities than they used to. After all, we live in a world of business emojis and work-appropriate textspeak.

Don’t Forget About “Mx.”

If you’re addressing someone who identifies as neither male nor female, or if you don’t know the gender of your recipient, “Mx.” is a great option! You can read more about how to use gender-neutral language in my blog post on the subject.

What do you think about “Ms.” as a catch-all title? Tell me in the comments below!

Monday Motivation Hack: Treat Yourself

Mondays are hard.

But they don’t have to be.

In our Monday Motivation series, we’re set on helping you make the start of your week—and maybe the entire week—something you look forward to. This week we’re diving into something that might seem pretty obvious, but is often overlooked:

Give yourself something to look forward to, something that will make you feel successful.

Rather than wallow in the misery of Monday, why not make Monday a special day? Not only does this strategy make good common sense, but it’s also scientifically shown to help you be more caring, more productive, and happier. Here’s how.

How Taking Care of Yourself Makes You a Better Person

No. Taking time for yourself is not selfish.

If your personal needs are not met often or consistently enough, bad things start happening—you feel tired, stressed, annoyed, abused, or something else—eek! In this state, you just can’t perform at the top of your game. Your reserve of awesomeness gets drained and willpower suffers.

If you’re feeling low, how are you going to find the patience, joy, and passion to invest in other people, problems, and projects?

With difficulty.

Self-care means you fill your own cup. Your needs are met and you become less dependent on external satisfaction and more able to invest in others.

Cheryl Richardson, author of The Art of Extreme Self Care, explains it this way:

“. . .when we care for ourselves deeply and deliberately, we naturally begin to care for others—our families, our friends, and the world—in a healthier and more effective way.”

Sounds good, right?

How Taking Care of Yourself Makes You More Productive

It can be easy to think of self-care as an incentive for good behavior—if I get up early, I can have a fancy latte. Unfortunately, if you want to really make progress on your goals, incentives don’t work. They work well for short-term changes, but for consistent behavioral improvement, they don’t cut it.

In order for self-care to help boost your productivity, it has to be part of the goal itself. You want to tap into the progress principle—this idea that you have made meaningful progress toward a goal. For example, if you aim to be alert and active in your afternoon meetings, and you understand that you feel better and more energized after a walk, the walk shouldn’t serve as a reward but rather part of your strategy for success. (Incidentally, this helps to take away some of the feelings of guilt associated with self-care.)

Here’s a tip: Don’t think about self-care as an incentive. Thinking of it as progress on changing attitudes and behaviors that will bring you closer to your goals.

So how does this shift in thinking work? Here are some examples:

• “I’ll get the latte because I woke up early” becomes “I’ll get a latte because it makes me happy and starts my day off positively.”
• “I got that project done so I can go out with friends after work” becomes “Going out with friends is important for me to clear my mind and complete my work with fresh eyes.”
• “I didn’t eat sweets all week so I can have this cake now” becomes “Having some cake once in a while makes me happy and reminds me how much better I have become at balancing food choices.”

In each case, you shift the focus from treating yourself because of your good behavior toward how the behavior marks progress toward your objectives. This shift not only frames self-care itself as a kind of productivity, but it also actually helps restore motivation and determination, which have direct effects on your success. Just be careful that this doesn’t become a form of veiled procrastination.

How Taking Care of Yourself Makes You Happier

In the Harvard Business Review, Teresa Amabile and Steven J. Kramer discuss how happiness at work (and generally) is at the heart of productivity and success.

. . .[I]n the realm of knowledge work, people are more creative and productive when their inner work lives are positive—when they feel happy, are intrinsically motivated by the work itself, and have positive perceptions of their colleagues and the organization.

In her research, Amabile has found that happy moods are most highly correlated with “steps forward.” In fact, on 73 percent of good days, people reported making progress.

But why is progress so important to happiness?

Amabile’s “small wins” are basically a kind of positive feedback on a given goal. Regular useful feedback toward a goal can inspire states of flow, which, through the research of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, have been linked to greater levels of happiness.

Although self-care itself may not induce flow—unless it’s a particular kind of activity that gives continuous feedback, like writing or sport—it does improve your outlook and emotional bandwidth, which can contribute to these states in other areas of life, such as work.

Building self-care into your definition of progress immediately gives you the kind of positive feedback that improves your level of happiness.

Simple Tips for Self-Care and How to Treat Yourself

The key to getting the “treat yourself” mentality to work for you is to understand a few key guidelines.

Self-care is highly personal. Taking a generic out-of-the-box activity and trying to adopt it as your own doesn’t often work well. If you pick something that doesn’t work well for your needs and preferences, treating yourself starts to feel like a chore.

1. Self-care is the fun stuff.There is a lot of playfulness surrounding taking care of yourself (#treatyoself). This is largely because self-care should be fun. Effective activities are going to be those things that are a delight to you and recharge you. If it’s not fun, look for something else.
2. Don’t over analyze it.This is particularly true for you control-lovers out there. Don’t over-organize it or over-plan, otherwise you’ll kill it. For example, self-care doesn’t work as well if you commit to practicing it once every two hours for sixty to ninety seconds and once every four hours for ten minutes and again once a week for three hours. . . the schedule itself becomes burdensome.

Here’s a tip: Listen to your needs, take a timeout when you need it, and do something genuinely enjoyable.

If you are not sure what kinds of activities you might want to try, Greatist put together a helpful list that accommodates various time investments.

It’s time to make Monday a day of progress and happiness, and it starts with you.

What are you going to do to “treat yourself” today?

7 Novels to Read for a Better Vocabulary

People read for a variety of reasons: entertainment, knowledge, understanding. There’s no better way to gain a larger vocabulary than by reading novels of all types and genres. Your high school teachers might have considered the classics the only true literature with educational value, but there are plenty of modern tales that can help you pick up new words to fling around at cocktail parties.

Here are seven novels, both classic and modern, that will grant you a bigger vocabulary. You may want to keep a dictionary on hand while reading!

The Count of Monte Cristo

Alexandre Dumas’ famous adventure novel explores the classic, timeless themes of betrayal, hope, and vengeance, as well as the consequences of those actions. It’s also a great novel for vocabulary purposes — tossing around words like ardent, prodigious, cosmopolite, and apoplexy. Despite this, it’s not a difficult read, making the tale a great place to start for someone working to expand their vocabulary.

Shakespearean Plays

Okay, maybe this is cheating a bit. If you only read one of Shakespeare’s plays, read Hamlet. Many of the references in modern literature are based off the works of the Bard, and the English language, itself, owes much to Shakespeare.

Did you know he invented quite a few of the words used in everyday language?

Love in the Time of Cholera

This modern love story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez was originally written in Spanish, but loses none of its beauty in translation. Telling the story of two lovers separated by distance and circumstance, the book includes words admirable for their sheer beauty — as well as phrases reminiscent of the liquidity of Spanish.

Game of Thrones

The series’ growing popularity is mainly due to the television adaptation. However, the written Game of Thrones far surpasses the silver screen version – not only is the tale more than 1,000 pages long, but George R.R. Martin’s talent with language is something to be admired. Besides using terms that hark back to Middle English, Martin describes the world of Westeros in such detail that all authors can learn a bit about the use of adjectives and adverbs.

Gulliver’s Travels

Jonathan Swift’s scathing satirical work about elitist culture and the Catholic church is one of the greatest novels ever written. Learn for yourself who the Lilliputians and Yahoos are, as well as the meaning of such words as lingua franca, inure, demesne, and declivity.

Ulysses

One of James Joyce’s greatest works, Ulysses is a massive tome. Clocking in at 265,000 words in length, with 30,030 unique words, it is considered one of the most difficult novels in existence to read. However, it is also ranked in the topic 100 of the greatest English novels of all time. Joyce takes great pleasure in using words such as bedraggle, omphalos, and ineluctable. The length of the novel is compounded by the fact readers must keep a dictionary and a notebook beside them. Perhaps the best choice for vocabulary expansion of any novel on this list, Ulysses will challenge even the most veteran of readers.

Slaughterhouse Five

“Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.” The most famous line from Vonnegut’s ultimate work succinctly wraps up the mood and theme of the novel. A tragic examination of the life of a soldier in World War II, Slaughterhouse Five challenges readers to deeply examine their preconceptions of war and life. Using words such as unmitigated, grotesque, and magnanimity, the vocabulary of Slaughterhouse Five is of a more modern in origin.

If you want to gain a bigger vocabulary, whether for GRE study or simply for conversational usage, there’s no better way than to read. There are so many novels that can help you; don’t feel like you have to only read the classics!

What is your favorite word, and where did you learn it?

11 Adorable Canine Readers

It’s the cutest day of the year—March 21, National Puppy Day! We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to look at dog pictures and wanted to share our favorites. These adorable reading buddies will make your heart melt.

Potato plans to pick up reading habit now!

A photo posted by Abhilash KV (@abhilash_kv) on Mar 3, 2016 at 1:32am PST

just planning out our meals for the week ?#ChickenWithBacon #Bacon #AndMoreBacon #Muwahahaha

A photo posted by Rambo the Puppy (@rambothepuppy) on Jan 17, 2016 at 5:50pm PST

“Just one more chapter I promise!” #petsandpaperbacks ? to @pooch_books_and_more #terriers #terrier #blackdogs #fluffydogs #dogsandbooks #petsandbooks #booksandpets #cairnterrier #cairnsofinstagram #thebest #cozy #bookreads #paperbacks #love #dogsreading #adorable #literature #adventure #cuddle #excited #words #gray

A photo posted by @petsandpaperbacks on Mar 7, 2016 at 5:30am PST

{Happy Birthday to my beautiful girl, Tessa!} ? #iheartbooks #bookstagram #bookstagramfeature #books #reading #write #igreads #read #literature #booklove #writer #bibliophile #booksandbeans #booksofinstagram #booknerdigans #BookPost #bookporn #instabooks #bookshelves #booknerd #quotes #photooftheday #bookphotography #bookaholic #mebeforeyou #dogsandbooks

A photo posted by Lisa (@lblovesbooks) on Mar 1, 2016 at 5:02pm PST

#pitbulls #permapuppy #pittbullsofinstagram #pitbullpointer #pocketpittie #pocketpitbull #dogsandbooks #sittomi #tomithebanshee

A photo posted by Tomi The Banshee (@kisskisstomi) on Mar 2, 2016 at 4:56pm PST

‘Books and Dogs’??❤️ |? @abundleofbooks__ #womenwhoread #ilovebooks #dogsandbooks #booksanddogs #idratherbereading #bookclub #booknerd #read #reading

A photo posted by Women Who Read™ (@womenwhoread) on Aug 7, 2015 at 10:14am PDT

Trying to finish #asylum by #madeleineroux, and this happens…. Someone needs attention NOW! #dogsofinstagram #dogsandbooks #instabook #instaread #dogs

A photo posted by The Geekery Book Review (@thegeekerybookreview) on Feb 15, 2016 at 3:55pm PST

It’s a good night. #dog #weinerdog #dogsofinstagram #dachshund #dachshundsofinstagram #amreading #bookworm #dogsandbooks #booksanddogs #book

A photo posted by Clara Blanche Lystrom (@ironblanche) on Jan 4, 2016 at 7:06pm PST

Zipper is diggin’ the Reading Rocket being at @denver_flea all weekend! Our #librarian made sure to give him an excellent recommendation. #dogsandbooks #denverflea #bookmobile #shopsmall #shoplocal #denver #library #holidayflea

A photo posted by Denver Public Library (@denverlibrary) on Dec 5, 2015 at 11:22am PST

This pup is keeping my company while I’m feeling under the weather #dogdayafternoon #dogsandbooks #dogsofinstagram #ridgebackmix

A photo posted by Kristen (@kristenlea5) on Nov 12, 2015 at 4:39pm PST

Perfect fall weather to catch up on a bit of reading ???? #harrypotter #dogsandbooks #hpforlife #nerdydog #miagrace #instagramdogs #dogsofcanada #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #instadog #bestwoof #ilovemydog #gsd #gsdmalinoislove #muttnation #germanshepherdsofinstagram #germanshepherd #shepherdmix #husky #huskiesofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #muttskickbutt #mydogiscutest #weeklyfluff #adoptdontshop #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookworm #books

A photo posted by Mia Grace (@livingthelifeofmia) on Nov 1, 2015 at 4:56pm PST

Looking for more book buddies? Check out #dogsandbooks on Instagram.