Aiming to illuminate the difference between a sentence that's merely correct and one that's dramatic, evocative, memorable or funny, this is an introduction to the figure of speech - a means of putting words together to create a vivid picture in the reader's or listener's mind. The American author explains the simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, alliteration, hyperbole and personification, and provides examples from the work of great writers, together with his own humorous originals. The text is accompanied by whimsical line drawings.