Figures of Speech Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 is a book full of examples of different figures of speech, metaphors, personifications, anaphoras, similes, alliterations, etc. 
Below you'll find some of these examples taken directly from the book. 

Example 1: “They read the long afternoon through, while the cold November rain fell from the sky upon the quiet house” Page 67 The Sieve and the Sand.

-          Personification is used in this sentence because it gives human qualities to the house, like being quiet, which non-living things can’t do.

-          As readers we feel peaceful because the silence from the house transmits calm and makes the reader feel relaxed. The moment described in this sentence is a rainy night, which can be traduced to a peaceful night. 

    Example 2: “Why should I read? What for? What for! Why!” Page 69 The Sieve and the Sand.

-          Anaphora is used in the sentence above because it uses a repetition of words (What and why) in the beginning of each sentence.

-          As readers, we feel rage, because the character in this sentence is expressing anger and stress.

    Example 3: “The people who had been sitting a moment before, tapping their feet to the rhythm of Denham’s Dentifrice, Denham’s Dandy Dental Detergent, Denham’s Dentifrice Dentifrice Dentifrice…” Page 75 The Sieve and the Sand.

-          Alliteration is used in this sentence because in it the beginning sounds are repeated.

-          As readers, this makes us feel confused and a little desperate. Because the repetition of sounds makes it hard to read and understand.

      Example 4: “… and Mildred ran from the parlor like a native fleeing an eruption of Vesuvius” Page 93 The Sieve and the Sand.

-          A Simile is shown in the sentence by comparing two unlike things, such as Mildred running from the parlor and a native running from an eruption. 

-          This makes the reader feel thoughtful, because, in our case, we wouldn’t have thought of comparing those two situations, which are in some ways very different. 

     Example 5: “You’ll be fine. This is a special case. Come on, jump for it!” Page 109 The Sieve and the Sand.

-          In this phrase an Understatement is used, because Beatty is making Montag’s appearance less important by pushing him to keep playing cards.

-          This phrase makes us feel worried about Montag’s health, because him appearance could be showing he’s very sick, yet he’s not paying any attention to it. 

   Example 6: “Montag stood fixing his raw eyes to the cold bright rail under his clenched fingers.” Page 106 The Sieve and the Sand.

-          This phrase has a Metaphor because it’s stating how eyes can be raw when that’s no how it is, he instead is referring to his anger shown in how he stares.

-          We feel scared because as you read raw eyes, you imagine things that are not right. 

Note: For more examples of figures of speech you can check the book.