What are some examples of figurative language in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Figurative language is a general term which covers the use of metaphor, simile, and other literary techniques that help the reader to picture the events and mood of a story better through the use of imagery. In O. Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi," there are several instances of figurative language being used to good effect.

For example, early in the story, O. Henry makes it clear that Della's hair is her pride and joy. He explains this by presenting the image of Della, in some fictional world, living in a flat opposite the Queen of Sheba. The Queen of Sheba is an allusion to a figure known as a by-word for extreme wealth, elegance, and luxury. The image of Della, then, hypothetically letting her hair hang out of the window to dry draws a direct comparison between this hair and the "jewels and gifts" of the Queen. It is an image which enables the reader to recognize the true value and beauty of Della's hair, which is worth more to her than the jewels are worth to the Queen.

O. Henry continues to make this point by describing Della's hair as "rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters." This is a simile, which is then compounded by the description of the hair appearing almost as "a garment" to Della. This gives the impression that Della's hair is not only beautiful, but valued because it is part of her daily attire.

An excellent example of O. Henry's figurative language in "The Gift of the Magi" can be found in the paragraph in which the author describes Della's pride in her beautiful hair and Jim's pride in his pocket watch.

Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

This is wild exaggeration, of course, but O. Henry often uses exaggeration for humor and other effects. Imagine bringing the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon into that humble neighborhood! Imagine making King Solomon the janitor in their own building!

Here is a more conventional simile:

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters.

Here is an example of a metaphor, which O. Henry describes as a "hashed metaphor."

Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present.

It is a hashed metaphor, or what grammarians would call a mixed metaphor because the hours could fly on rosy wings but would trip by on nimble feet.

Here is an simile which conveys both Della's feelings and an impression of how she looks after sacrificing her hair to buy her husband a platinum watch fob.

“If Jim doesn't kill me,” she said to herself, “before he takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl.

We don't know what Coney Island chorus girls' hair looked like, but we can imagine. They must have been among the first American women to start cutting their hair short. In the 1920s it would become the fashion and would be commemorated by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his short story "Bernice Bobs Her Hair." 

Finally, O. Henry uses extreme metaphorical language when he calls Della and Jim the magi, that is the three biblical kings who brought rich gifts to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem.

 But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

"The Gift of the Magi" is O. Henry's best known, best loved story. This is largely because of the kindly, affectionate hyperbole in his figurative language. He makes these poor people seem rich and even distinguished because of their touching love for each other. Della is rich in having such a husband, and Jim is rich in having such a wife. 

Does "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry contain any metaphors, similes, or personification?

O. Henry uses several intriguing metaphors and similes in "The Gift of the Magi," and he uses a little personification. With two intriguing metaphors he compares Della's long hair to the Queen of Sheba's "jewels and gifts" and Jim's watch to all King Solomon's treasures. In this section: "Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher," he compares Della's wheedling to a bulldozer via his choice of verb. The sentence "Down rippled the brown cascade" compares her hair to a waterfall. Of course, the central metaphor of the story compares Della and Jim's selfless love to that of the Magi who brought gifts to the Christ-child.

Here are some of the similes O. Henry weaves into the narrative:

• "curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant schoolboy"
• "he'll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl"
• "as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail"
• "It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both."

One example of personification O. Henry uses is in this sentence: "It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad." It's a humorous way of saying their apartment is poor--the word "beggar" is watching out for the police who pick up beggars off the street. Thus the word "beggar" is personified.

In this story O. Henry uses figurative language to spice up the story and express thoughts in fresh and interesting ways.

O. Henry's delightful story of two loving, unselfish, "foolish" young people who sacrifice their most valuable possessions in order to buy something that the other will enjoy has delightful language that abounds in allusions, irony, and other literary devices.  Among these are metaphor and simile.  In the tenth paragraph, for instance, after Della pulls out the pins holding her hair and it falls to its full length, it is described as "rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters," a phrase that is a simile.  And, with humor, O. Henry points to his own metaphor:  "Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings."

After Jim arrives home and opens the door only to see Della with her short hair, he stops as immovable as a setter [simile] at the scent of quail.  For, he has noticed that her hair is short.  He reaches in his pocket and lays the combs down.  Stella hugs them and then says, "My hair grows so fast, Jim!"

And then Della leaped up like a little singed cat [simile] and cried, "Oh, oh!"

Then, when Jim receives his platimum watch fob, the "dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit."[metaphor]

One example of personification occurs in this line:

When Della reached home her intoxication gave way to a little to prudence and reason. 

What figures of speech are used in "The Gift of the Magi"?

There are many uses of figures of speech throughout O. Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi." Let's take a look at a few examples:

ALLUSION:

Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

O. Henry is making an allusion here, referencing two biblical figures: King Solomon, the King of Israel and son of David, and Queen Sheba, a royal foreigner who tested Solomon with a series of riddles. O. Henry is establishing the tremendous value of Jim's watch and Della's hair through this allusion to these wealthy people and their hypothetical responses to the couple's "treasures."

SIMILES:

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters.

O. Henry uses a simile here (a comparison using "like" or "as") to compare the fluid movement of Della's hair being let down and the movement of water. 

Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail.

This simile compares Jim's positioning and expression in the doorway to a type of dog used for hunting small game, suggesting that he is attentively looking at Della.

UNDERSTATEMENT:

"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present."

I would argue that Jim is making a huge understatement here, one that glazes over the fact that it isn't that the gifts are too nice to use just at present--rather, they are utterly useless at present with Della's hair chopped off and Jim's watch sold! 

It would be difficult to list them all in a single answer because this story is full of them, but here are a couple more examples. 

O Henry uses in allusion in refering to the riches of King Solomon (this is also humor as O Henry chooses to make King Solomon a janitor during this reference!)

Jim is similed to a hunting dog in the line, "Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a sett at the scent of quail."

And of course, the big one, lots of irony in this story.  Della sells her hair for the watch chain, and Jim sells his watch for the set of combs.

What is the main problem and figures of speech in "The Gift of the Magi"?

The major problem in this story is brought on by money.  The young couple (Jim and Della) want to give each other nice Christmas presents, but only have very little money ($1.87).  The problem in the story revolves around what they do to try to get money to buy presents.

There are a number of literary devices used in this story.  They include:

• Alliteration.   For example, the author says that life consists of "sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating."
• Hyperbole, which means exaggeration.  O. Henry uses this a lot.  For example, he claims that Della is skinny enough and agile enough to look at herself in the "pier glass."  This seems to be implying that they can't afford a mirror.