The term you're looking for to describe speech or writing that departs from literal meaning to achieve a special effect is figurative language. This encompasses various techniques, including:
- Personification: Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities.
- Simile: A comparison between two different things using "like" or "as."
- Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally.
- Metaphor: A direct comparison between two unlike things, suggesting they are alike in some way.
- Idiom: A phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning.
In contrast, literal language refers to words being used in their most basic sense, without any metaphorical meaning.