Figures of Speech

• Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things. Example: “Let the great world spin forever down the ringing grooves of change.” The "world" is given the power to "spin" and move like a living being.
• Metaphor: A direct comparison without using like or as. Example: “Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers, and I linger on the shore.” Waiting for wisdom is compared to standing on the shore, watching the sea.
• Simile: A comparison using "like" or "as." Example: “As moonlight unto sunlight, and as water unto wine.”  The speaker compares a woman’s passion to moonlight and his own to sunlight.
• Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to our senses. Example: “I saw the Pleiads, rising thro’ the mellow shade, / Glitter like a swarm of fire-flies tangled in a silver braid.” Creates pictures of stars sparkling like fireflies.
• Symbols

• Locksley Hall Itself: Symbolizes childhood memories, lost happiness, and the pain of remembering the past
• Amy: Represents lost love, heartbreak, and the consequences of social expectations.
• The Sea and Stars: Symbolize hope, dreams, the journey of life, and the endless nature of change.
• Spring Season: Symbolizes new beginnings, love, and the natural cycle of emotions.
• The “ringing grooves of change”: Symbolizes unstoppable progress, the rise of technology, and the movement toward the future.