- Why do we call it "figurative language" ?
- Because we get to figure out what it means.
***
So, what is figurative language?
***
Kinds of Figurative Language
Different types of figurative language have different names. Here are a few:
- simile
- metaphor
- personification
- hyperbole
Each type of figurative language creates a picture in the reader's mind.
Simile
A comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as."
Example:
Sue runs across the garden like a butterfly.
This compares Sue to a delicate, fluttering butterfly which moves from place to place. The simile creates a picture in your mind.
Metaphor
A metaphor compares two unlike things to suggest something they have in common.
It is like a simile, but a metaphor does not use "like" or "as."
Example:
Joe is a bear when he first wakes up.
This compares Joe to a grumpy bear. The reader gets a picture of Joe as being clumsy, awkward or growling.
Personification
Personification describes when an object is treated as though it is a human being or an animal.
Example:
The flowers danced easily in the wind.
This gives the flowers the ability to "dance" as though they were people.
Hyperbole
A hyperbole is an exaggeration.
Example:
I couldn't eat for a week after visiting the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet on 42nd Street.
The person in this example probably felt very full, but did actually eat during a week's time.
Practice
Read the first stanza from a poem titled "Almost Lunch" by Laura Purdie Salas and answer the question that follows.
Almost Lunch
I stare out the window, study the view.
The sky is electric popsicle blue.
The sun pours in like a lemonade stream.
Every cloud in the sky looks like fluffy whipped cream.
[...]
1. Which line(s) from the poem contains a simile?
[For this question choose all that apply.]
- "I stare out the window, study the view." (line 1)
- "The sky is electric popsicle blue." (line 2)
- "The sun pours in like a lemonade stream." (line 3)
- "Every cloud in the sky looks like fluffy whipped cream." (line 4)
2. What word from the poem in context best supports your answer to the question above?
A. study
B. is
C. like
D. every
***
Figurative language creates a picture in the reader's mind.
Writers use figurative language to make their writing more interesting.
Answer Key
1. Lines 3 and 4 contain similes.
2. C. The word "like" comparing two normally unlike things shows a simile
Image credits
bear image from http://wmsll.com/news-and-reviews/the-bears-are-waking-up.html
other images from pixabay
