To the Lighthouse : literary devices

Figures of Speech and Literary Devices into the Lighthouse

Stream of Consciousness: Virginia Woolf is well known for her narrative style, the stream-of-consciousness. It refers to interior monologue. It is used to describe the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters to understand real situations. In the novel, we find Mrs. Ramsay’s thoughts and feelings. She is the great paradigm of the transitory nature of life and the passing of time.

Imagery: The novel is replete with vivid imagery. Pictures of the characters, The sky, and the sea are examples of imagery in the novel.

Symbolism: Various objects in the novel, such as the lighthouses, symbolize impossible goals and the passage of time. It represents the characters’ desires and aspirations throughout the novel. Besides the sea, Ramsay’s summer house is another symbol that bears deeper meanings in the novel.

Metaphor: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things. Here, Woolf uses metaphors to convey complex ideas and emotions. In the novel, the passage of time means the unstoppable nature of time, which is the best example of Metaphor.

Irony: The novel has dramatic and situational irony elements, where the expected outcome differs from what happens. In the novel, Mrs. Ramsay’s promise of going to the lighthouse, which is never fulfilled during her life, is an example of dramatic irony.

Allusion: It means a reference to a well-known person, place, or event. In the novel, Woolf mentions Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” to discuss the character of Mr Ramsay.

Metonymy: Metonymy is a figure of speech where one word or phrase is used to represent a more general concept or event. In the novel “To the Lighthouse,” dinner party” is an example of metonymy. It represents the entire social gathering and socializing, including dinner.