4. This is an example of microcosmic synecdoche, as a part signifies a whole. T.S. The word “suit” refers to a businessman. The phrase “gray beard” refers to an old man. Comparative Examples of Metonymy, Synecdoche, and Metaphor. There are two key types of synecdoche: microcosm and macrocosm. The Department of Education announced new plans for the education reform. Remember, synecdoche is a type of metonymy. Both metonymy and synecdoche can be used to give a compliment: This compliment is considered metonymy because one rides a motorcycle. Here are examples of these literary devices that illustrate the subtle differences: “Life is a climb, but the view is great.” This is an example of Metaphor. Referring to a car as "wheels". In this example, Beyonce is singing about marriage NOT jewelry. The word synecdoche is derived from the Greek phrases synekdochē and ekdechesthai, meaning “to sense” and “to understand.”. There are two key types of synecdoche: microcosm and macrocosm.Microcosm is the phrase for synecdoche in which a smaller part signifies a larger whole.Macrocosm, on the other hand, is the phrase for synecdoche in which a larger whole signifies a smaller collection of parts. Referring to people according to a single characteristic: "the gray beard" for an older man or "the long hair" for a, Describing a complete vehicle as "wheels", "The city posted a sign," which means that an employee of the local government (but not the geographic location or all of its residents) posted a sign, "Capitol Hill," when referring to the US Legislature, "truck" for any four-wheel drive vehicle (as well as long-haul trailers, etc. Synecdoches allow speakers to emphasize certain parts of a whole, highlighting their importance by substituting them for the whole. Synecdoche is a common element in literature from the poet who speaks of his lover in terms of her eyes and lips to the writer who provides an entire town with the mood and personality of an individual. “A good example of synecdoche,” Mr. Bernstein said in a telephone interview, “is to speak of so many ‘head’ of cattle. Thus, the RING is an examples of metonymy. When the captain of a ship calls, “All hands on deck!” certainly no hands can be seen running across the ship. Synecdoche (from Greek synekdoche (συνεκδοχή), meaning "simultaneous understanding") is a figure of speech in which a term is used in one of the following ways: Synecdoche is closely related to metonymy (the figure of speech in which a term denoting one thing is used to refer to a related thing); indeed, synecdoche is sometimes considered a subclass of metonymy. The use of synecdoche is a common way to emphasize an important aspect of a fictional character; for example, a character might be consistently described by a single body part, such as the eyes, which come to represent the character. Jasper, J. This is often used when the main character does not know or care about the names of the characters that he is referring to. While metonymy replaces a concept or object entirely with a related term, synecdoche takes an element of the object and uses it to refer to the whole, and metaphor uses unlike things to draw an interesting comparison. Let's use our example relating to the car again. So the sentence would be interpreted as "He's a good person. Referring to the alphabet as the "ABCs." These microcosmic synecdoches highlight the fun of always wanting to be with one’s lover in a budding relationship. It is very common to refer to a thing by the name of its parts. ), He's good people. For example, "ABCs" is a synecdoche, because A, B, and C are parts of the alphabet, but the term "ABCs" stands in for the entire alphabet. It can be used for simplification and brevity or poeticism and elaboration. The boy is not literally being taken care of by two hands. A synecdoche (pronounced si-nek-duh-kee) is a figure of speech which allows a part to stand for a whole or for a whole to stand for a part. arrangement created some little dissatisfaction. 2. An example is Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s line in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” “The western wave was all aflame,” in which “wave” substitutes for “sea.” a person. When we’re on the phone and you talk real slow, 2. In this example, Beyonce is singing about marriage NOT jewelry. Rather than listing the various aspects of an idea, it captures the essence. Rather, an individual or set of individuals puts together the announcement. 3. 3. Synecdoche is important in its wide variety of uses. Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed. They also draw attention to the power of associative and referential thinking, as readers automatically understand that a part can stand for the whole and vice versa.