Figurative Language – Dealing in Comparisons that Make Images
Question / Answer / ExamplesWhat is figurative language?
/ Words that create images by making unusual comparisons. / · He was a bull in a china shop.· Lars squirreled away his leftover change.
· You are a flute, singing in the night when all the lights are out.
· It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.
· I took the road less traveled by, . . .
Why do writers use figurative language? / Figurative language makes the point w/out long, tedious descriptions.
They work in figures or images which is how most of us think. / · The Farmer’s Market can be a zoo on Saturdays.
· O’Hare Airport hums with activity.
What types of figurative language do writers use? / Metaphor; Simile; Personification
Each of these tries to give us an improved understanding of something because it tells us how it’s similar to something completely unlike it – something it’s not likely to be compared to.
What is a simile? / A simile comes right out and says, using like or as, how one is comparable to the other.
It makes a direct comparison between two unlike things. / · Her fingers were like sausages spreading grease across the screen.
· Your attitude is as appreciated as a bee sting at a picnic.
What is a metaphor? / A metaphor is more sneaky than a simile because it does not point out the comparison.
A metaphor suggests one thing is the other.
It is a comparison between two unlike things. / · I am a rock. I am an island.
· Life’s but a walking shadow.
· It was then I felt the cold needles of the alpine springs at my fingertips.
· He was a bull in a china shop.
What is personification? / Personification gives life to the lifeless.
It’s a comparison in which an animal, object, or idea is given human characteristics. / · The moon watched over the neighborhood embracing the yards in the warmth of its glow.
· The sun’s rays beckoned, cajoling me and tempting me to stop working.
What are other forms of figurative language? / ·
Application Figurative Language:
Directions:
1. Use 8 of the objects listed below.
2. Create a sentence describing each of the 8 objects using figures of
speech.
3. You must use simile in 2 sentences, metaphor in 2 sentences, and
personification in 2 sentences.
1. sunset or sunrise
2. silence
3. surf (at the beach)
4. the movement of a person, animal, or machine
5. an abandoned car, house, building
6. darkness
7. a voice
8. the ocean, a lake, a mountain, a forest…
9. a tree
10. a machine or tool
Caution: for each of the eight, use a specific object not the general --
example: a tree = birch, an animal = peacock etc.
Sentence Example:
The pounding surf pulverized the beach like a bomb blast.
Figurative Language
Key Concept: Good writers write concisely, precisely, and use figurative
language.
Figurative Language:
Definition: Language that says one thing but means something else.
Example: “Boy is this a great day; why didn’t I just stay in bed?”
Translation: “What a lousy day!”
Three types of Figurative Language:
· Metaphor: a comparison between two unlike things without
the use of "like" or "as".
Example:
t Farmers Market can be a zoo on Saturdays.
t Morning is a new sheet of paper for you to write on.
t The airport is a congested beehive of activity.
· Simile: a comparison between unlike things using connecting
words such as "like" or "as".
Example:
t The airport is like a congested beehive.
t That answer is as helpful as a computer without a outlet.
· Personification: a comparison in which an animal, object, or idea
is given human characteristics.
Example:
t On the lifeless rock island, a solitary lighthouse guarded the
coastline like a loyal sentry.
t The moon watched over the neighborhood embracing the yards in the warmth of its glow.
· Mixed Metaphors: When metaphors or similes are combined
illogically.
Example:
Life is a race in which you hitch your wagon to a star and step on
the gas pedal.
Application Figurative Language:
Directions:
1. Use 8 of the objects listed below.
2. Create a sentence describing each of the 8 objects using figures of
speech.
3. You must use simile in 2 sentences, metaphor in 2 sentences, and
personification in 2 sentences.
1. sunset or sunrise
2. silence
3. surf (at the beach)
4. the movement of a person, animal, or machine
5. an abandoned car, house, building
6. darkness
7. a voice
8. the ocean, a lake, a mountain, a forest…
9. a tree
10. a machine or tool
Caution: for each of the eight, use a specific object not the general --
example: a tree = birch, an animal = peacock etc.
Sentence Example:
The pounding surf pulverized the beach like a bomb blast.