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Figurative Language – Definition and Examples

3-minute read

• 13th April 2023

In this article, you’ll learn about figurative language: what it is, how to use it, and lots of examples to inspire your everyday speech and descriptive writing .

What is Figurative Language?

Figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. It is often used to create imagery, evoke emotion, or emphasize a point in a way that literal language cannot. Think of it as painting a picture with words in the minds of your audience – for example, “She was as light as a feather while dancing.”

5 Types of Figurative Language

Below, we’ll look at five types of figurative language – metaphor, idiom, simile, hyperbole, and personification – that you can use in an essay, poem , speech, or conversation.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things by stating that one thing is another, without using “like” or “as.” Metaphors are used to create imagery, evoke emotions, and help readers or listeners to understand an idea or concept in a new and interesting way.

Here are some examples of metaphors:

An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the words. Idioms are often used in informal or conversational language to add color or humor.

Here are some examples of idioms:

If you want to include idioms in your everyday speech or writing, make sure you fully understand the figurative meaning before using them. If used incorrectly, they can cause confusion for your audience.

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things using “like” or “as.” They are a great writing technique to create vivid imagery and a memorable comparison.

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Here are some examples of similes:

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves exaggeration for emphasis or effect. It is mostly used to emphasize a point in a funny or memorable way. Hyperbole is great to use in everyday language or writing, but it’s important to use it in moderation – otherwise, it can come across as insincere or unbelievable.

Here are some examples of hyperbole:

Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which an inanimate object or animal is given human-like qualities or characteristics. This technique is mostly used in poetry or descriptive writing to create vivid imagery.

Here are some examples of personification:

Figurative language is a great addition to your everyday speech and is frequently used in literature and poetry. It can add depth and richness to language, making it more interesting and expressive. However, it can also be confusing if the reader or listener does not understand the intended meaning of the figurative language. Therefore, it is important to have a basic understanding of figurative language in order to fully appreciate and understand written and spoken communication.

Interested in learning more about how use descriptive language and vivid imagery? Check out our Writing Tips blog to learn more.

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Figure of Speech

Figure of Speech Definition

What is a figure of speech? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

A figure of speech is a literary device in which language is used in an unusual—or "figured"—way in order to produce a stylistic effect. Figures of speech can be broken into two main groups: figures of speech that play with the ordinary meaning of words (such as metaphor , simile , and hyperbole ), and figures of speech that play with the ordinary arrangement or pattern in which words are written (such as alliteration , ellipsis , and antithesis ).

Some additional key details about figures of speech:

• The ancient Greeks and Romans exhaustively listed, defined, and categorized figures of speech in order to better understand how to effectively use language. The names of most figures of speech derive from the original Greek or Latin.
• Figures of speech that play with the literal meaning of words are called tropes , while figures of speech that play with the order or pattern of words are called schemes .
• Figures of speech can take many forms. A figure of speech can involve a single word, a phrase, an omission of a word or phrase, a repetition of words or sounds, or specific sentence structures.

Figure of Speech Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce figure of speech: fig -yer of speech

Figures of Speech vs. Figurative Language

There's a lot of confusion about the difference between the terms "figures of speech" and " figurative language ." Most of the confusion stems from the fact that different people often use "figurative language" to mean slightly different things. The two most common (and most acceptable) definitions of figurative language are:

• Figurative language refers to any language that contains figures of speech. According to this definition, figurative language and figures of speech are not quite the same thing, but it's pretty darn close. The only difference is that figures of speech refer to each specific type of a figure of speech, while figurative language refers more generally to any language that contains any kind of figures of speech.
• Figurative language refers to words or expressions that have non-literal meanings : This definition associates figurative language only with the category of figures of speech called tropes (which are figures of speech that play with the literal meaning of words). So according to this definition, figurative language would be any language that contains tropes, but not language that contains the figures of speech called schemes.

You might encounter people using figurative speech to mean either of the above, and it's not really possible to say which is correct. But if you know about these two different ways of relating figurative language and figures of speech, you'll be in pretty good shape.

Figures of Speech, Tropes, and Schemes

The oldest and still most common way to organize figures of speech is to split them into two main groups: tropes and schemes.

• Tropes are figures of speech that involve a deviation from the expected and literal meaning of words.
• Schemes are figures of speech that involve a deviation from the typical mechanics of a sentence, such as the order, pattern, or arrangement of words.

The scheme/trope classification system is by no means the only way to organize figures of speech (if you're interested, you can find all sorts of different categorization methods for figures of speech here ). But it is the most common method, and is both simple and structured enough to help you understand figures of speech.

Generally, a trope uses comparison, association, or wordplay to play with the literal meaning of words or to layer another meaning on top of a word's literal meaning. Some of the most commonly used tropes are explained briefly below, though you can get even more detail on each from its specific LitCharts entry.

• Metaphor : A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another thing, even though this isn't literally true. For example, if someone says "it's raining cats and dogs," this obviously doesn't literally mean what it says—it's a metaphor that makes a comparison between the weight of "cats and dogs" and heavy rain. Metaphors are tropes because their effect relies not on the mechanics of the sentence, but rather on the association created by the use of the phrase "cats and dogs" in a non-literal manner.
• Simile : A simile, like a metaphor, makes a comparison between two unrelated things. However, instead of stating that one thing is another thing (as in metaphor), a simile states that one thing is like another thing. To stick with cats and dogs, an example of a simile would be to say "they fought like cats and dogs."
• Oxymoron : An oxymoron pairs contradictory words in order to express new or complex meanings. In the phrase "parting is such sweet sorrow" from Romeo and Juliet , "sweet sorrow" is an oxymoron that captures the complex and simultaneous feelings of pain and pleasure associated with passionate love. Oxymorons are tropes because their effect comes from a combination of the two words that goes beyond the literal meanings of those words.
• Hyperbole : A hyperbole is an intentional exaggeration of the truth, used to emphasize the importance of something or to create a comic effect. An example of a hyperbole is to say that a backpack "weighs a ton." No backpack literally weighs a ton, but to say "my backpack weighs ten pounds" doesn't effectively communicate how burdensome a heavy backpack feels. Once again, this is a trope because its effect comes from understanding that the words mean something different from what they literally say.

Other Common Tropes

• Antanaclasis
• Onomatopoeia
• Personification
• Periphrasis
• Rhetorical Question

Schemes are mechanical—they're figures of speech that tinker with words, sounds, and structures (as opposed to meanings) in order to achieve an effect. Schemes can themselves be broken down in helpful ways that define the sort of tinkering they employ.

• Repetition: Repeating words, phrases, or even sounds in a particular way.
• Omission: Leaving out certain words or punctuation that would normally be expected.
• Changes of word order: Shifting around words or phrases in atypical ways.
• Balance: Creating sentences or phrases with equal parts, often through the use of identical grammatical structures.

Some of the most commonly used schemes are explained briefly below, though you can get even more detail on each from its specific LitCharts entry.

• Alliteration : In alliteration, the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “ B ob b rought the b ox of b ricks to the b asement.” Alliteration uses repetition to create a musical effect that helps phrases to stand out from the language around them.
• Assonance : A scheme in which vowel sounds repeat in nearby words, such as the "ee" sound in the proverb: "the squ ea ky wh ee l gets the gr ea se." Like alliteration, assonance uses repeated sounds to create a musical effect in which words echo one another—it's a scheme because this effect is achieved through repetition of words with certain sounds, not by playing with the meaning of words.
• Ellipsis : The deliberate omission of one or more words from a sentence because their meaning is already implied. In the example, "Should I call you, or you me?" the second clause uses ellipsis. While its implication is "or should you call me," the context of the sentence allows for the omission of "should" and "call." Ellipsis is a scheme because it involves an uncommon usage of language.
• Parallelism : The repetition of sentence structure for emphasis and balance. This can occur in a single sentence, such as "a penny saved is a penny earned," and it can also occur over the course of a speech, poem, or other text. Parallelism is a scheme because it creates emphasis through the mechanics of sentence structure, rather than by playing with the actual meanings of words.

Other Common Schemes

• Anadiplosis
• Antimetabole
• Brachylogia
• Epanalepsis
• Parenthesis
• Polysyndeton

Figure of Speech Examples

Figures of speech can make language more inventive, more beautiful, more rhythmic, more memorable, and more meaningful. It shouldn't be a surprise, then, that figures of speech are plentiful in all sorts of written language. The examples below show a variety of different types of figures of speech. You can see many more examples of each type at their own specific LitChart entries.

Figures of Speech Examples in Literature

Literature is riddled with figures of speech because figures of speech make language colorful and complex.

Metaphor in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca

On and on, now east now west, wound the poor thread that once had been our drive. Sometimes I thought it lost, but it appeared again, beneath a fallen tree perhaps, or struggling on the other side of a muddied ditch created by the winter rains.

In this quote from Rebecca , Daphne du Maurier refers to a washed-out road as "the poor thread." This is a metaphor —and a trope—because the writer indirectly compares the thread to the road and expects that readers will understand that "thread" is not used literally.

Parallelism in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.

In the famous opening line of A Tale of Two Cities , Dickens uses parallelism —a scheme in which parts of a sentence repeat—in order to emphasize the contradictions of the time in which the book is set. Dickens has manipulated his sentence structure so that the parallel clauses emphasize the oppositional nature of his words ("it was the best of times, it was the worst of times"). The figure of speech doesn't play with the meaning of words, it emphasizes them through structure and repetition, which is why it is a scheme.

Alliteration in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark"

In this manner, s electing it as the s ymbol of his wife's liability to s in, s orrow, d ecay, and d eath, Aylmer's s ombre imagination was not long in rendering the birthmark a frightful object, causing him more trouble and horror than ever Georgiana's beauty, whether of s oul or s ense, had given him delight.

This passage from " The Birthmark " uses alliteration to tie together all of the things that Georgiana's birthmark is supposed to symbolize. By using words that alliterate—"sin and sorrow" and "decay and death," for example—Hawthorne is making the reader feel that these ideas are connected, rather than simply stating that they are connected. Alliteration is a figure of speech—a scheme—because it uses the mechanics of language to emphasize meaning.

Verbal Irony in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

For Brutus is an honorable man; So are they all, all honorable men,

This quote from Julius Caesar comes from Marc Antony's speech at Caesar's funeral. Antony needs to hold Brutus and his conspirators accountable for Caesar's death without contradicting the crowd's positive impression of Brutus, so Antony uses verbal irony to simultaneously please and trouble the crowd. On the surface, Antony says what the audience wants to hear (that Brutus is honorable), but it becomes clear over the course of his speech that he means the opposite of what he says (and over time he convinces the audience to believe this opposite meaning as well). This is a figure of speech (a trope) because it's based on a play on the meaning of Antony's words.

Figures of Speech Examples in Music

Figures of speech are also common in music. Schemes fit naturally with songs because both schemes and songs manipulate sound and rhythm to enhance the meanings of words. Music also uses many tropes, because using words that have meanings beyond their literal ones makes language more interesting, and it allows songwriters to create music that uses just a few words to imply a complex meaning.

Assonance and Metaphor in Rihanna's "Diamonds"

So sh ine br igh t ton igh t, you and I We're beautiful l i ke d i amonds in the sk y Eye to eye , so al i ve We're beautiful l i ke d i amonds in the sk y

Rihanna uses assonance when she repeats the " eye " sound throughout the chorus of "Diamonds." This make the words echo one another, which emphasizes the similarity between the singer, the person she's talking about, and the "diamonds in the sky" to which she's comparing them both. Assonance is a scheme because it's using the sound of words—not their meaning—to draw a parallel between different things.

Rihanna also uses the phrase "Diamonds in the sky" as a metaphor for stars. This is a trope—a phrase that means something other than what it literally says—as Rihanna obviously doesn't think that there are actually diamonds in the sky. This verse is a good example of how figures of speech can often work together and overlap. In this case, the metaphor that allows her to use "diamonds" instead of "stars" also fits into her use of assonance (because "stars" lacks the "eye" sound).

Personification in Green Day's "Good Riddance"

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go

While the first line of this song uses "a fork stuck in the road" as a metaphor for a choice, the more arresting figure of speech at work here is the personification of time in the second line. By giving "time" human characteristics—the ability to grab a person and tell them where to go—Green Day is helping listeners to make sense of the power that time has over people. This is a trope because the line doesn't mean what it literally says; instead, it's asking listeners to make a comparison between the characteristics of time and the characteristics of a person.

Anastrophe in Public Enemy's "Fight the Power"

Straight up racist that sucker was Simple and plain

In the line "Straight up racist that sucker was," Public Enemy uses anastrophe (which is the inversion of typical word order) to preserve the rhythm of the verse. Instead of saying "That sucker was straight up racist," Public Enemy chooses an odd phrasing that has one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables— " ra cist that su cker was/ Sim ple and plain ." This way, the beat falls more regularly across those two lines, which allows the rapper to make his point (that Elvis was racist) without the flow sounding awkward. Since anastrophe manipulates the order of words in order to achieve a rhythmic effect, it's a scheme.

Why Do Writers Use Figures of Speech?

Figures of speech is a category that encompasses a broad variety of literary terms, so it's difficult to give one answer to this question. Writers use different figures of speech to achieve different effects.

Schemes (figures of speech that manipulate sound, syntax, and word order) can make language more beautiful, persuasive, or memorable. Writers can use schemes to draw attention to an important passage, to create a sound that mirrors (or contrasts with) the meaning of words, or to give language a rhythm that draws the reader in. As schemes tend to work through sound and rhythm, they generally produce a visceral effect, or an effect felt in the body—broadly speaking, schemes are more sensory than intellectual.

In contrast, writers use tropes to grab the reader intellectually by adding complexity or ambiguity to an otherwise simple word or phrase. Tropes can ask the reader to make a comparison between two unlike things, they can impose human qualities on nonhumans, and they can mean the opposite of what they say. Tropes engage the intellect because the reader has to be alert to the fact that tropes do not use language at face value—a trope never means what it literally says.

All figures of speech help a writer to communicate ideas that are difficult to say in words or that are more effectively communicated non-verbally. This could be by repeating harsh consonants to create a scary atmosphere, or by using a metaphor to impose the qualities of something concrete (say, a rose) onto something more difficult to define (say, love). In general, figures of speech attempt to bring out a reader's emotion and to capture their attention by making language more colorful, surprising, and complex.

Other Helpful Figure of Speech Resources

• Silva Rhetoricae on Figures of Speech : An excellent reference from BYU that explains the various ways that figures of speech have been categorized over history, including into schemes and tropes.
• Silva Rhetoricae on schemes and tropes :
• The Oxford Reference Page for Figure of Speech : A helpful definition of figures of speech in the context of the ancient study of rhetoric (did you know that the Roman rhetorician Quintillian defined "figure of speech" in 95 AD?)
• What Are Tropes in Language? Skip to the "Distinction Between Figures and Tropes" section and read to the end—full of informative and thought-provoking discussion about tropes.
• A YouTube video about tropes and schemes with pop culture examples.

• PDFs for all 136 Lit Terms we cover
• Downloads of 1924 LitCharts Lit Guides
• Teacher Editions for every Lit Guide
• Explanations and citation info for 40,556 quotes across 1924 books
• Downloadable (PDF) line-by-line translations of every Shakespeare play
• Alliteration
• Climax (Figure of Speech)
• Figurative Language
• Parallelism
• Verbal Irony
• Protagonist
• Understatement
• Foreshadowing
• Deus Ex Machina
• Tragic Hero
• Climax (Plot)
• Falling Action
• Slant Rhyme
• Anachronism

Figurative Language

Figurative language definition.

Figurative language uses figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive, and impactful.

Figures of speech such as metaphors , similes, and allusions go beyond the literal meanings of the words to give readers new insights. On the other hand, alliterations, imageries, or onomatopoeias are figurative devices that appeal to the senses of the readers.

Figurative language can appear in multiple forms with the use of different literary and rhetorical devices . According to Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia, the definition of figurative language has five different forms:

• Understatement or Emphasis
• Relationship or Resemblance
• Figures of Sound
• Verbal Games

Types of Figurative Language

The term figurative language covers a wide range of literary devices and techniques, a few of which include:

Personification

• Onomatopoeia

Alliteration

• Understatement

Short Examples of Figurative Language

• His friend is as black as coal.
• He has learned gymnastics, and is as agile as a monkey.
• When attacked in his home, he will fight like a caged tiger.
• Can you dance like a monkey?
• Even when he was told everything, he was acting like a donkey.
• My Friend is a Shakespeare when in English class.
• He was a roaring lion in anger, though now he is silent.
• They seem like jackals when running in fear.
• Kisses are roses in the spring .
• This world is a sea of anonymous faces.
• The house stood half-demolished and abandoned.
• He left with his haunted and spell-bound face.
• He did not like the odorless and colorless shape of water.
• His friend was looking at spooky glissando twangs.
• Zigzag fissures in the land made him look for snakes .
• The light on the site did not let him see the sight.
• He heard the sound of the fire, like wire striking the air.
• This artificial stream is going to flow to the downtown of the town.
• Please set the kite right.
• Might of the fright seems greater than the actual fear.
• He lets the pink ball fall with a tall man.
• They have not learned how to catch the cat.
• Get a seat with a treat in our local hall.
• Calling the cow an ox is like putting the cart before the horse.
• He saw the pink kite floating past the tall trees .
• He is dying with his untrustworthy belief.
• Sharply blunt razor cannot do anything to you.
• Kindly cruel treatment made him flabbergasted.
• Please, watch with closed eyes and you will see the heaven.
• Creatively dull person cannot do anything in his life.
• The Pentagon is located in Washington in the United States.
• The Hollywood is a home of English movies.
• 10 Downing Street is located in London .
• Buckingham Palace is world’s oldest symbol of democracy.
• The White House.
• He does not know how to behave with the special people.
• He is looking at his own grey hair and his agility.
• They saw a fleet of fifty.
• At this time, he owns nine head of cattle.
• The new generation is addicted to the use of plastic money.

Examples of Figurative Language from Literature

Example #1: the base stealer (by robert francis).

Poised between going on and back, pulled Both ways taut like a tight-rope walker, Now bouncing tiptoe like a dropped ball, Or a kid skipping rope, come on, come on! … Taunts them, hovers like an ecstatic bird, He’s only flirting, crowd him, crowd him,

The similes and word choice of this poem makes it a masterpiece. The poet use similes between the lines to depict his scattered thoughts before taking action, and makes comparison as, “ like a tight-rope ,” “ like a dropped ball ,” and “ hovers like an ecstatic bird .”

Example #2: I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings (By Maya Angelou)

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage Can seldom see through his bars of rage His wings are clipped and his feet are tied The caged bird sings with a fearful trill … And his tune is heard on the distant hill for The caged bird sings of freedom.

The entire poem is rich with metaphor as a bird in a cage represents a group of people who are oppressed and cannot get freedom. The cage represents physical barriers, fear, addiction, or society; while the song of the bird represents true self yearning for something greater in life.

Example #3: She Sweeps with Many-Colored Brooms (By Emily Dickinson)

She sweeps with many-colored Brooms And leaves the Shreds behind Oh Housewife in the Evening West Come back, and dust the Pond!

Dickinson uses personification of a housewife to describe the sunset in the very first line of this poem. She is using a sweeping housewife who does her daily work, likewise the rays of the setting sun sweep away beneath the horizon.

Example #4: The Raven (By Edgar Allen Poe)

O nce upon a midnight dreary w hile I pondered w eak and w eary ; r are and r adiant maiden; And the s ilken s ad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain … D eep into that d arkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, D oubting, d reaming d reams no mortal ever d ared to d ream before.

Poe uses alliteration by repeating the /w/ sound to emphasize the weariness of the narrator , and then /r/ and /s/ sounds in the second and third lines respectively. In the last two lines, the /d/ sound highlights the narrator’s hopelessness.

Example #5: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (By Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks Had I from old and young ! Instead of the cross , the Albatross About my neck was hung.

In these lines, the albatross symbolizes a big mistake, or a burden of sin, just like the cross on which Christ was crucified. Therefore, all people on the ship agreed to slay that bird.

Example #6: The Bluest Eyes (By Toni Morrison)

Personification, consonance, and simile.

She ran down the street, the green knee socks making her legs look like wild dandelion of stems that had somehow lost their heads. The weight of her remark stunned us.

This excerpt uses different devices that make language figurative. There is a good use of simile , “legs look like wild dandelion;” and personification, “lost their heads;” and use of consonance in “stunned us,” where the /s/ is a consonant sound.

Example #7: The Week of Diana (By Maya Angelou)

Metaphor, consonance, personification.

“The dark lantern of world sadness has cast its shadow upon the land. We stumble into our misery on leaden feet.”

in just these two lines, Maya Angelou has used a metaphor of the dark lantern, consonance of the /s/ sounds, and personification of misery.

Example #8: The Negro Speaks of River (By Langston Hughes)

Consonance, simile.

“I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers.”

This prince of the Harlem Renaissance has beautifully used a different type of consonance with the /l/ sound and a simile of “my soul.”

Example #9: Musée des Beaux Arts (By W. H. Auden)

Personification, consonance.

That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot Where the dogs go on with their doggy W. H. Auden life and the torturer’s horse Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.

W. H. Auden has used a personification of the “dreadful martyrdom,” and consonances of “some untidy spot,” with the /s/ sound, and “dogs go on with their doggy life,” with the /d/ and /g/ sounds.

Function of Figurative Language

The primary function of figurative language is to force readers to imagine what a writer wants to express. Figurative language is not meant to convey literal meanings, and often it compares one concept with another in order to make the first concept easier to understand. However, it links the two ideas or concepts with the goal of influencing the audience to understand the link, even if it does not exist.

Poets and prose writers use this technique to bring out emotions and help their readers form images in their minds. Thus, figurative language is a useful way of conveying an idea that readers cannot understand otherwise, due to its complex and abstract nature. In addition, it helps in analyzing a literary text.

Related posts:

•   Examples Of Figurative Language In Poetry
• Examples of Figurative Language in Rap Songs
• Examples Of Figurative Language In Popular Songs
• Examples Of Figurative Language In Children’s Poetry and Rhymes
• Sensory Language

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Figurative Language for Students and Teachers

A Complete guide to figurative language for students and teachers.

WHAT IS FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE? A DEFINITION     

We most often associate figurative language with poetry , but we find figurative language widely used in many other contexts too. We find it in use in everything from fiction and folk music to drama and our daily speech.

The term figurative language refers to any use of language that goes beyond the literal meaning of the words themselves. In many instances, the phrase also refers to instances where the use of sounds, syntax, and word order deviates from what is considered the normal patterns of use. It is this definition that we will explore in this guide to uncover different figurative language types.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE  is like  “SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR AUTHORS.”  It is a powerful tool to create  VIVID IMAGERY  through words. This  HUGE UNIT  guides you through completely understanding  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE .

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WHY DO WE USE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE?

In both regards mentioned above, figurative language represents a sophisticated, creative use of language to convey meaning and mood, among other effects. It represents an essential tool in the writer’s toolbox.

These creative applications of language help readers visualize the writer’s intended meaning and establish atmosphere, rhythm, and other stylistic effects. The use of these literary devices creates an effective and beautiful way to communicate through the written and spoken word.

Using figurative language helps speak to a reader’s emotions, as well as articulate more abstract and complex concepts in a relatable way. How a writer uses figurative language in their work constitutes a significant element of their style.

T YPES OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Figurative language is a broad category that encompasses all types of figures of speech, including sound devices and imagery.

There are lots of different types of figures of speech , but broadly speaking, these can helpfully be divided into two groups: tropes and schemes .

This article will look at various examples of figures of speech within these two categories. We will define them, provide an example of how they are used, and provide a straightforward activity that requires minimal preparation and will allow students to practice these in class.

FIGURES OF SPEECH: TROPES AND SCHEMES

A trope is a figure of speech that uses words or phrases in a way in which the intended meaning extends beyond the literal meaning of the words used. Some of the most commonly used tropes include metaphor, simile, and personification. But there are many others. We will take a look at some of the main ones below.

Definition: This figure of speech uses exaggeration for emphasis or other specific effects such as humour, for example. As with other figures of speech, it is not meant to be taken literally by the audience or the reader – they are usually in on it. We often use hyperbole in our daily speech.

Hyperbole Examples

• “I’ve told you a million times to clean your room!” – This is a common exaggeration parents use and can relate to teenagers.
• “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!” – This is a humorous exaggeration often used to express extreme hunger.
• “I’ve been waiting in line forever!” – This is a typical exaggeration to express frustration with long waits.
• “I’m dying of boredom!” – This exaggeration expresses extreme boredom or lack of interest.
• “I have a ton of homework to do tonight! ” – This is an exaggeration used to express a large amount of work or a heavy workload.
• I could have died of embarrassment. This hyperbolic phrase is often used by teens and, younger people to emphasise their feelings of anxiety, shame or humiliation.

Hyperbole Writing Tips for Students and Teachers :

Do not overuse it: While hyperbole can be a powerful tool, using it too often can make writing seem over-the-top and unrealistic. Therefore, students should use hyperbole sparingly and only when it truly adds value to their writing.

Use Hyperbole in a creative and original manner: When using hyperbole, students should aim to be creative and original in their language. Instead of relying on tired cliches, they should try to come up with new and interesting ways to exaggerate their points.

Never use Hyperbole to deceive, Use it for impact: It’s important for students to remember that hyperbole should never be used to deceive or mislead readers. Instead, it should be used to make a point or to add emphasis to a particular idea. Using hyperbole responsibly, students can make their writing more interesting and engaging without sacrificing accuracy or integrity.

We have a complete guide to hyperbole in literature, which can be found here

Hyperbole Teaching Task: Give students a list of comparative adjectives. You can differentiate these according to the students’ ages and abilities. Challenge students to compose hyperbole based on each of these adjectives. Use the model phrase ‘ brighter than the sun ’ to get the ball rolling.

Definition: An idiom is a figurative use of language that cannot be understood from a literal understanding of the words alone. Idioms are a part of the language, and each language develops its own unique idioms over time. Idioms are similar to other figures of speech except that while most other figures of speech can be the original conceptions of the writer, idioms already exist within the language. Many of Shakespeare’s figures of speech have become crystallized in the language as the idioms of today.

Idiom Examples:

• “Break a leg” is a common idiom used to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance or test.
• “Hang out” is an idiom that describes spending time with friends or relaxing with them.
• “Throw shade” – This is a modern idiom used to describe making a rude or disrespectful comment about someone.
• “Bite the bullet” – This is an idiom that describes facing a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage and determination.
• “Couch potato” is an idiom used to describe someone who spends a lot of time sitting on the couch, usually watching TV or playing video games.

Idiom Writing Tips for Students and Teachers

• Understand the meaning and context: Before using an idiom in your writing, understand its meaning and how it’s used in context. Misusing an idiom can be confusing or even change the meaning of what you’re trying to say.
• Know your audience: Some idioms may not be understood by all readers, particularly those who are not native speakers of your language or from different regions or cultures. Therefore, students should consider their audience when using idioms and avoid ones that may be unfamiliar or confusing.
• Use idioms sparingly: While idioms can add color and personality to writing, using too many can be distracting or overwhelming. Therefore, students should use idioms judiciously and only when they really add value to their writing. Additionally, they should try to use idioms that are appropriate for the tone and purpose of their writing.

Idiom Teaching Task: You can help students bridge the gap between their understanding of figures of speech and idioms through this activity. Provide students with a list of idioms on various themes. Discuss these and ensure they have a sense of their meaning. Challenge the students to compose their own figures of speech on each of these themes using the sample idiom as a starting point.

Definition: A metaphor makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating one thing is the other thing. This is usually done by highlighting or suggesting a shared quality or characteristic between the two distinct elements.

Metaphor Examples:

• “Life is a rollercoaster” – This metaphor compares the ups and downs of life to the twists and turns of a rollercoaster ride.
• “Love is a battlefield” – This metaphor compares the challenges and difficulties of love to the struggles of a battlefield.
• “The world is a stage” – This metaphor compares the events of the world to a theatrical performance, where individuals play their parts and have their moment in the spotlight.
• “He’s a rockstar” – This metaphor compares a person’s popularity, success, or charisma to a famous rockstar.
• “School is a prison” – This metaphor compares the experience of going to school to being imprisoned or confined, highlighting the perceived lack of freedom and control that students may feel.

Metaphor Writing Tips for Students and Teachers:

• Originality always impresses: Students should strive to be creative and original when using metaphors. Instead of relying on cliches or overused metaphors, they should try to create unique and interesting comparisons that genuinely enhance their writing.
• Be Consistent: Once a metaphor is introduced in your writing, it should be used consistently throughout your work. This helps to reinforce the connection between the two things being compared and creates a more cohesive and impactful piece of writing.
• Avoid mixed metaphors: A mixed metaphor is when two or more metaphors are used in the same sentence or paragraph, resulting in a confusing or illogical comparison. Students should avoid mixed metaphors and ensure that their comparisons make sense and are consistent throughout their writing. An example of a mixed metaphor is “I smell a rat, but we’ll nip it in the bud.”

In this sentence, “smell a rat” is a metaphor that means to sense that something is wrong or suspicious, while “nip it in the bud” is a different metaphor that means to stop something before it becomes a bigger problem. The two metaphors, however, are contradictory – if you’ve already smelled a rat, it’s too late to nip it in the bud. This creates confusion for the reader and makes the sentence less effective.

Metaphor Teaching Task: Metaphors are commonly used in speech, poetry, plays, songs, and stories. To give your students practice identifying metaphors in a range of contexts, organize them into groups and provide them with a range of the types of reading materials listed above. Have students read and listen to these materials and identify examples of metaphor in each, compiling a list as they go.

Definition: Oxymorons combine two opposing elements into a single phrase or sentence. They can be used to create a range of effects, comedic, dramatic, or thought-provoking.

Oxymoron Examples

• “ Jumbo shrimp” – This oxymoron combines two opposite words to create a humorous and memorable phrase.
• “Pretty ugly” – This oxymoron combines two contradictory words to describe something unattractive or not aesthetically pleasing.
• “Silent scream” – This oxymoron combines two words that are opposite in meaning to describe a scream expressed without sound.
• “Awfully good” – This oxymoron combines two words that are contradictory in meaning to describe something that is both good and bad at the same time.
• “Virtual reality” – This oxymoron combines two words that are opposite in meaning to describe a simulated environment that feels real, but is not actually physical.

Oxymoron Writing Tips for Students and Teachers

• Use oxymorons with purpose : Oxymorons should be used with a specific purpose, whether to create a humorous effect or to add a sense of contrast or contradiction. Students should avoid using oxymorons just for the sake of using them, as this can detract from the impact of their writing.
• Don’t overdo oxymorons: While oxymorons can be effective, using too many in a piece of writing can make it seem contrived or gimmicky. Therefore, students should use oxymorons judiciously and only when they add value to their writing.
• Oxymorons must make sense: An oxymoron combines two words with opposite meanings. However, students should ensure that the combined words make sense and create a clear and compelling contrast. Using a nonsensical oxymoron can confuse readers and undermine the effectiveness of the writing.

Oxymoron Teaching Task: Oxymorons are very common in our daily speech, for example, ‘seriously funny’, ‘random order’, and ‘pretty ugly’. Organise the students into groups and challenge them to come up with as many other common examples as they can. As an extension exercise, ask the students to compose some original oxymorons too.

PERSONIFICATION:

Definition: Personification is a special metaphor where human actions or feelings are ascribed to a non-human thing. When we talk about something that isn’t human as if it was, then we are personifying it – that is, making it into a person. This figurative use of language is most commonly associated with poetry and literary fiction, but we can often find it in our daily speech too.

Personification Examples:

• “ The stars danced in the sky .” – This personifies the stars by giving them human-like dancing qualities, which creates a vivid and engaging image in the reader’s mind.
• “ The wind whispered secrets to the trees .” – This personifies the wind by giving it the ability to whisper secrets, which creates a sense of mystery and intrigue.
• “ The sun smiled down on us .” – This personifies the sun by giving it the ability to smile, which creates a warm and positive image in the reader’s mind.
• “ The car coughed and sputtered to life .” – This personifies the car by giving it the human-like quality of coughing and sputtering, which creates a sense of character and personality.
• “ The waves crashed angrily against the shore .” – This personifies the waves by giving them the human-like quality of anger, which creates a sense of drama and tension in the scene.

Personification Writing Tips for Students and Teachers

• Use personification to create vivid imagery: Personification is a great tool for creating vivid, memorable images in the reader’s mind. Students should aim to use personification to describe things in a way that helps the reader visualize them more clearly and engage with the text on a deeper level.
• Be creative and original: While there are some common examples of personification (such as giving inanimate objects human-like qualities), students should aim to be creative and come up with original ways to personify things in their writing. This can make their writing stand out and be more memorable.
• Use personification intentionally: Personification should be used intentionally and purposefully to enhance the meaning of the writing. Students should consider why they are personifying something and how it adds to the overall effect of their writing. Overuse of personification can be distracting and detract from the impact of the writing.

Personification Teaching Task: Organize the students into pairs. Instruct Partner 1 to compile a list of 10 nouns, these can be inanimate objects such as a pencil , a chair etc or natural phenomenon such as moon , stars , sun etc. Have Partner 2 compile a list of 10 verbs associated with the actions of human beings, for example laugh , tell , sing etc.  When both partners have completed their lists they can use their nouns and verbs to write their own personification sentences.

Definition: Similes make comparisons between two seemingly unrelated elements by using ‘like’ or ‘as’ to highlight a common quality or characteristic both things share. Similes make a comparison by suggesting a similarity between two things, rather than making a comparison by stating that one thing is something else – such as we find with metaphors.

Simile Examples:

• “ He runs as fast as a cheetah .” – This simile compares the speed of a person to that of a cheetah, which creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind.
• “ She sings like an angel .” – This simile compares the quality of a person’s singing to that of an angel, which creates a sense of beauty and grace.
• “ The water was as cold as ice .” – This simile compares the temperature of the water to that of ice, which creates a sense of discomfort and coldness.
• “ The room was as dark as night .” – This simile compares the level of darkness in a room to that of nighttime, which creates a sense of foreboding or danger.
• “ His heart pounded like a drum .” – This simile compares the sound of a person’s heartbeat to that of a drum, which creates a sense of urgency or excitement.

Simile Writing Tips for Students and Teachers

• Choose effective comparisons: A simile is only effective if it makes a clear comparison that enhances the reader’s understanding or emotional response to the text. Students should choose comparisons that are relevant, impactful, and easy to understand.
• Be creative: While some similes are commonly used, students should strive to be original and creative with their comparisons. Using unique or unexpected similes can make their writing more engaging and memorable.
• Use similes with purpose: Similes should be used purposefully and intentionally to add meaning or emotion to the text. Students should consider why they are using a simile and how it contributes to the overall effect of the writing. Using similes can make the writing seem contrived or formulaic, so students should use them sparingly and only when they add value to the text.

Simile Teaching Task: Begin this activity by asking students to compile a list of say 10 nouns and 10 adjectives. Challenge the students to form original similes utilising the nouns and the adjectives on their list to set up a simile comparison. For example, if they choose the noun cat and the adjective smart they must generate the final element to complete their simile, for example, The cat is as smart as a computer . They should do this until they have completed a simile for all items on their lists. Encourage them to strike a balance between the similes that use like to make the comparison and those that use as .

SYNECDOCHE:

Definition: This figure of speech most often occurs when a part of a thing is used to represent the whole of a thing. However, it can also occur when the whole of a thing is used to stand for a part of a thing. The first type is called microcosm and the second, macrocosm . This trope is better conveyed through illustration than explanation.

Synedoche Examples:

• “ I need to hit the books .” – In this phrase, the word “books” represents studying or academic work as a whole.
• “ All eyes were on him. ” – In this phrase, the word “eyes” is used to represent the attention or focus of a group of people.
• “ Check out my new wheels. ” – In this phrase, the word “wheels” represents a car or other vehicle as a whole.
• “ The team needs some fresh legs. ” – In this phrase, the words “fresh legs” represent new or rested players who can contribute to the team’s success.
• “ Can you give me a hand? ” – In this phrase, the word “hand” represents physical help or general assistance.

Synedoche Writing Tips for Students and Teachers

• Use synecdoche purposefully : Synecdoche can be a powerful tool for creating memorable and impactful writing, but it should be used purposefully and with intention. Students should consider why they are using synecdoche and how it contributes to the overall meaning or effect of their writing.
• Choose practical parts to represent the whole: Synecdoche relies on a part of something to represent the whole. Students should choose relevant, recognizable, and effective parts conveying the larger concept or idea.
• Be clear and concise: Synecdoche can be confusing if not used clearly and concisely. Students should be careful to explain the larger concept or idea that is being represented by the part, and avoid using too many synecdochical phrases in a single piece of writing.

Synedoche Teaching Task: Organize students into groups and give out copies of old newspapers. Challenge the students to spot examples of synecdoche in the various articles and then highlight them. They may wish to use two separate colors for identifying the two different types mentioned above.

II. SCHEMES

Schemes are a figurative use of language that deviates from the usual mechanics of a sentence. This may be in terms of syntax, sound, or word order. Writers can use schemes to create rhythm, musicality, or to draw comparisons or contrasts within a text. They are particularly associated with poetry, as they often work on a rhythmic basis or through sound. Unlike tropes, schemes operate on a sense level more than an intellectual level.

ALLITERATION:

Definition: The repetition of the initial consonant sound of consecutive or near consecutive words for effect. Alliteration is also referred to as head rhyme or initial rhyme.

Alliteration Examples:

• “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
• “Sally sells seashells by the seashore.”
• “Billy the brave battled the big bad bear.”
• “The furious fireman fought the fiery flames.”
• “Dancing dolphins dive and dart through the deep blue sea.”

Task: Read some tongue twisters as a class and then challenge the students to produce their own examples.

Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds within a group of words. As with alliteration, the repeating sounds are important, not the letters.

Assonance Examples:

• “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.”
• “The cat sat on the mat and licked its paws.”
• “The bright light might blind my sight.”
• “I like to ride my bike by the side of the lake.”
• “I feel the beat and move my feet to the rhythm of the music.”
• Fleet feet sweep by sleeping geese ” by Pink Floyd

Task: Assonance can be used to convey different moods. For example, repetition of long, broad ‘ o ’ and ‘ a ’ sounds can express sadness or melancholy. Challenge your students to write a line that uses assonance to express a selected mood.

CONSONANCE:

Definition: The repetition of consonant sounds anywhere in words near each other. This should be distinguished from alliteration, where the repetition is limited to the sounds at the beginning of words. Alliteration is a particular type of consonance, so all alliteration is a form of consonance, but not all consonance is alliteration.

Consonance Examples:

• “Mike likes his new bike.”
• “The pitter-patter of little feet.”
• “The big, bad wolf blew down the house.”
• “Silly Sally sold seashells by the seashore.”
• “The ship has sailed away to a distant bay.”
• “I’m sure she sells sea-shore shells”

Task: Give out a worksheet with a mix of unmarked examples of alliteration, consonance, and assonance and have the students sort them into the correct categories. You may want the students to use a Venn diagram so they can more easily categorize those that fit into more than one category.

ONOMATOPOEIA:

Definition: Onomatopoeia refers to words that sound like the thing they describe. Onomatopoeia is most commonly seen in poetry, where its use is a powerful tool for the imagination as it imitates the sounds of the things described. A typical example of onomatopoeia can be seen in the names of the sounds various animals make.

Onomatopoeia Examples:

• “Sizzle” – the sound of something frying or grilling.
• “Crash” – the sound of something breaking or smashing.
• “Buzz” – the sound of a bee or an electrical device.
• “Whoosh” – the sound of something rushing past quickly.
• “Thud” – the sound of something heavy falling or hitting a surface.
• “Pop” – the sound of something bursting or exploding.
• “Splat” – the sound of something hitting a surface and spreading out.
• “Chirp” – the sound of a bird or a cricket.
• “Boom” – the sound of an explosion or loud impact.
• “Slurp” – the sound of someone or something drinking or eating noisily.

Task: To get your students thinking about onomatopoeia, give them a theme and challenge them to list as many onomatopoeic words as they can around that theme. This can easily be differentiated for various age groups. For example, younger kids can work on animal sounds like those above, while older students can work on a theme like water (drip, splish, splosh, splash, plop etc). For stronger students, provide them with a theme and task them with creating their own related and original onomatopoeic words.

PARALLELISM:

Definition: This scheme is also known as a parallel structure and applies to sentences or phrases that employ an identical or very similar structure. Parallelism is often used to bring clarity and emphasis and create a memorable rhythm. Some of history’s most memorable speeches and statements used parallelism to great effect and have stayed with us for many decades. Neil Armstrong’s reported words on the moon landing and Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech being prime examples.

Parallelism Examples:

• “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
• “She likes to dance, to sing, and to act.”
• “He spent the day fishing, hiking, and exploring.”
• “The movie was action-packed, suspenseful, and thrilling.”
• “She is talented, funny, and kind-hearted.”
• That’s one small step for a man. One giant leap for mankind. ” by Neil Armstrong.

Task: Provide students with sample sentences that do not use a parallel structure within them. Challenge the students to rewrite the sentences to incorporate a parallel structure into the new sentences. For example, give the students the following sentence:

Do you prefer spicy chicken, pork, or salty fish for the main course?

Students should work to recognize that the underlying structure involves an adjective preceding two of the food options and should rewrite the sentence to include one for the pork. Answers will, of course, vary, but all are valid as long as they conform to the pattern. For example:

Do you prefer spicy chicken, sweet pork, or salty fish for the main course?

These are just some of the various ways language is commonly used figuratively. There are many more, though some of these can be rarely used. It’s best to start with these more common ones before moving on to some more complex literary devices available.

Spending some time working on figurative language in isolation will help students to understand how to use the various figures of speech in their own writing.

But, using them in a confident and unselfconscious manner will require lots of reinforcement throughout the school year.

While early attempts to weave them into their own writing may seem stilted and unnatural, with time and practice, they will become part of a student’s personal style and help enable them to articulate and express their thoughts artistically and coherently.

A COMPLETE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE UNIT FOR STUDENTS

❤️The use of  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE  is like  “SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR AUTHORS.”  It is a powerful tool to create  VIVID IMAGERY  through words. This  HUGE 110 PAGE UNIT  guides you through a complete understanding of  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE  as both a  READER  and  WRITER covering.

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4.12: Figurative Language

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• Page ID 101078

• Heather Ringo & Athena Kashyap
• City College of San Francisco via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

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Figurative Language

Figurative language uses words or expressions not meant to be taken literally. Whether you realize it or not, we encounter them every day. When we exaggerate we use hyperbole : I’m so hungry I can eat a horse ; when Rhianna sings about stars like diamonds in the sky she uses simile ; when we say opportunity knocked on my door we are using personification . In addition to making our conversations interesting and capturing our intense feelings, figurative language is very important to the making of poetry. It is a tool that allows us to make connections, comparisons, and contrasts in ways that produce insight, raise questions, and add specificity. Earlier we worked to make words more specific. We changed apple , blue , and boat into golden delicious , turquoise , and sailboat . The changes made the images more immediate and sharper and offered the reader opportunities to understand the poem. Figures of speech are the next step to adding layers to your poems, to adding even more complexity and meaning.

Types of Figurative Language

Figurative language, often the comparison made between two seemingly unlike things, is almost all image-based and, therefore, a good friend of poetry. In fact, some, like Owen Barfield in his e ssay on metaphor in Poets.org, would go so far as to say that poetry is metaphor :

The most conspicuous point of contact between meaning and poetry is metaphor . For one of the first things that a students of etymology—even quite an amateur student—discovers for himself is that every language, with its thousands of abstract terms, and its nuances of meaning and association, is apparently nothing, from beginning to end, but an unconscionable tissue of dead, or petrified, metaphors. If we trace the meaning of a great many words—or those of the elements of which they are composed—about as far back as etymology can take us, we are at once made to realize that an overwhelming proportion, if not all, of them referred in earlier days to one of these two things—a solid, sensible object, or some animal (probably human) activity. Examples abound on every page of the dictionary. Thus, an apparently objective scientific term like elasticity, on the one hand, and the metaphysical abstract on the other, are both traceable to verbs meaning “draw” or “drag.” Centrifugal and centripetal are composed of a noun meaning “a goad” and verbs signifying “to flee” and “to seek” respectively; epithet, theme, thesis, anathema, hypothesis, etc., go back to a Greek verb, “to put,” and even right and wrong , it seems, once had the meaning “stretched” and so “straight” and “wringing” or “sour.” Some philologists, looking still further back into the past, have resolved these two classes into one, but this is immaterial to the point at issue.

(Owen Barfield, "Metaphor")

Image from Pixabay

“Nothing in the intellect that was not previously in the senses"

“Nothing in the intellect that was not previously in the senses,” wrote philosopher John Locke. In short, the way we know anything is through the senses — even abstract idea originates through experience gained through our bodies. And in the case of language’s origin, as explained above, it appears that all words, at their invention, referred to something concrete: an object or a specific action that evoked the senses. As we continue to use words, they evolve, for they live their own life. And when we use a word, we invite its history and permutations into its meaning. Of course, this is all way too much to think about at once in the writing process. But it is why writers revise and cross-examine their diction, thinking out what meanings the word may suggest. Language is naturally symbolic in origin, in its fabric. And an art that uses words cannot help but also have more meanings than just the literal. The following types of figurative language are used most often in poetry:

• Metaphor : A direct comparison between two unlike things, as in Hope is the thing with feathers (Emily Dickinson, “Hope”).
• Simile : A comparison that uses like or as, as in something inside m e / rising explosive as my parakeet bursting / from its cage (Bruce Snider, “Chemistry”)
• Personification : Human characteristics being applied to non-human things, as in irises, all / funnel & hood, papery tongues whispering little / rumors in their mouths (Laura Kasischke, “Hostess”).
• Metonymy : When one thing is represented by another thing associated with it, as in The pen is mightier than the sword (where pen stands in for writing, and sword stands in for warfare or violence).
• Synecdoche : When a part of something symbolizes the whole, or the whole of something symbolizes the part, as in All hands on deck (where hands stands in for men ), or The whole world loves you (where whole world represents only a small number of its human population).

When we read such literary devices, our mind lights up a new pathway between the two things and we discover new ways of thinking about the relationship between these two things. We wonder, how is his love a red, red rose? But before we wonder, our senses have already made a connection. As we look closer at the poem, we begin to explore the idea more.

The following is a poem by Laura Kasischke. Can you identify the numerous metaphors and similes?

Confections

Caramel is sugar burnt

to syrup in a pan. Chaos is a pinch of joy, a bit of screaming. An infant sleeping’s a milky sea. A star

is fire and flower. Divinity is beaten out of egg whites

into cool white peaks. Friendship

begins and ends in suspicion, unless it ends in death. Ignite

a glass of brandy in a pan, and you’ll

have cherries jubilee: sex without love’s sodden nightgown

before your house burns down. Music’s

a bomb of feathers in the air inthe moment before it explodes and settles itself whispering onto the sleeves of a child’s choir robe. And

a candied apple’s like a heartache—exactly

like a heartache—something sweet and red tortured to death

with something sweeter, and more red.

Laura Kasischke, “Confections” from Fire & Flower . Copyright © 1998 by Laura Kasischke. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, Inc., on behalf of Alice James Books, www.alicejamesbooks.org.

The poem begins with a sentence that mimics a metaphor — stating something is something else: carmel is sugar burnt / to syrup in a pan . It sounds like a metaphor, but it actually isn't. Carmel actually is sugar burnt to syrup. Rather than a metaphor, the first two lines function as a definition, which sets the stage (note my own figurative language) for understanding how metaphors work in our minds, for whether definition or metaphor, we use the same structure: x is y; our minds equate the one thing with the other. In the poem this happens with carmel to sugar burnt to syrup.

In “Confections,” the opening definition that looked like a metaphor is followed by a true metaphor (or is it?). Chaos is a pinch of joy, a bit of screaming. We take this as metaphor, but because we do, it brings us back to the first sentence. If sentence two is figurative, why isn’t sentence one? And if sentence one is literal, why isn't sentence two? Both are structured exactly the same. Kasischke’s poem exposes the slipperiness of language and syntax: how we use them and interpret them. The poem asks us to examine closely the line between imagination and reality and the role language plays in sorting them out, or not.

The next two metaphors are more imagistic that the previous: An infant sleeping’s / a milky sea. A star / is fire and flower . While we couldn’t "see" the abstraction joy and could only hear screaming , we certainly see a milky sea, and we certainly see a star flaring as fire, and flower. The parallel of fire and flower is interesting because they are so different. A flower would not survive if it were ablaze in flames. Yet, Kasischke’s comparison between the star and fire and flower makes sense to us. It plays not on the science of heat, but on the images associated with fire and flowers: they both spread outward. So, we equate the shape and motion of a star with both fire and flower. Of course, like the comparison of caramel to sugar burnt to syrup, a star actually is a fire. Again, the poem engages our ability to hold two things in the mind at once—just as a metaphor does—only with the poem as a whole, these two things are the literal and symbolic nature of language.

Read the poem "Confections" and continue to discuss the effect of the figurative language. Explore the comparisons deeper: how is an infant a milky sea? How is chaos a pinch of joy, a bit of screaming? Explore how figurative language allows us to use concrete language to relate abstract ideas.

Watch the video: The Art of the Metaphor by Jane Hirshfield, animation by Ben Pearce.

Video 6.10.1 : The Art of the Metaphor

Contributors and Attributions

• Adapted from Naming the Unnameable: An Approach to Poetry for New Generations by Michelle Bonczek Evory under the license CC BY-NC-SA

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7th grade reading & vocabulary

Course: 7th grade reading & vocabulary   >   unit 1.

• Using context clues to figure out new words | Reading

Figurative language | Reading

• Connotation | Reading
• Trailblazing Women: vocabulary; Katherine Johnson 7

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Top 20 Figures of Speech Quiz

Select the figure of speech most clearly illustrated by the short passage

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York
• understatement
• synechdoche
• onomatopoeia
• personification
• alliteration

The wind is being addressed as though it is capable of understanding, which makes this verse an example of apostrophe .

Using metonymy allows a writer to describe something indirectly by referring to other similar or associated elements.

Puns are also known as "Dad jokes."

In the opening of A Tale of Two Cities , Charles Dickens uses antithesis to contrast opposing ideas with balanced phrases.

Writers use assonance, the repetition of similar vowel sounds, for emphasis and to show relatedness or cohesion.

Irony, the opposite of what is expected.

Good start! You can use these resources to learn more about common figures of speech:

• Learn About Metaphors
• Learn About Similes
• Learn About Puns
• Learn About Irony

Nice job! Here are some resources on less common figures of speech that you might find interesting:

• Learn About Euphemisms
• Learn About Hyperbole
• Learn About Oxymorons
• Learn About Understatement

Terrific work! You're a star of the figure of speech world. Interested in learning more? Check out these articles:

• Smashing Examples of Onomatopeoia
• All About Alliteration
• The Best Hyperbole Definition Ever
• The Other Kind of Apostrophe

Wow! You are beyond awesome and that is an understatement . Interested in learning even more about figures of speech? Check out these articles:

• You say Antimetabole , I say Chiasmus
• Going to bed is an example of Metonymy .
• Figure of Speech: Definition and Examples
• Brief Introductions to Common Figures of Speech
• The Top 20 Figures of Speech
• What Is the Figure of Speech Antiphrasis?
• 20 Figures of Speech That We Never Heard About in School
• Homer Simpson's Figures of Speech
• Figures of Speech: The Apostrophe as a Literary Device
• Figure of Thought in Rhetoric
• Definition and Examples of Irony (Figure of Speech)
• What Does Anaphora Mean as a Figure of Speech?
• Hysteron Proteron (Rhetoric)
• Chiasmus Figure of Speech
• How Figurative Language Is Used Every Day
• Figure of Sound in Prose and Poetry

Teaching Figurative Language: 5 Engaging Ways to Teach Figurative Language

For many educators, trying to convince students that figurative language is what MAKES literature is like telling them there was life before TikTok. Teaching figurative language in such a literal world can be a challenging task, but it can also be fun. Here are five engaging ways to teach figurative language.

Many of them still insist that such claims must surely be urban myths.

In all of my time in the secondary ELA classroom, I admit that some of my most challenging lessons have been over figurative language. Students see that phrase and are immediately intimidated, and I don’t necessarily blame them. There’s so much more to it than your basic metaphors and similes. It’s a little intimidating!

When introducing my students to more complex literary concepts like allusions, personification, and more, I’ve discovered that it’s all about breaking it down into smaller “chunks” of information so they don’t get too overwhelmed. Of course, there’s a lot of modeling, whole-class discussion, and activities along the way as well.

I also think learning should be fun, which is why I’ve come up with these five engaging ideas for teaching figurative language. Feel free to take each concept and make it your own! I also like to incorporate the resources in this figurative language teaching unit when I teach students all about figurative language.

5 Engaging Ideas for Teaching Figurative Language

Middle school and high school ELA students will become more familiar with figurative language the more they encounter it, so why not make the journey fun and entertaining along the way?

Teaching Figurative Language: Extended Simile Love Letter Challenge

Love is like a traffic cone Sometimes it stops you from making unsafe turns Other times, you don’t see it coming, and it suddenly hits you You also might steal it because someone dares you to That never ends well

The outcomes of this activity are beautiful, hilarious, and everything in between. I usually give each student a heart-shaped piece of paper and another slip with a random word on it. Then, each student must compare “love” to that word and write an extended simile of at least five lines. However, you can modify the length, terms of the challenge, and more. It’s so much fun!

Teaching Figurative Language: Figurative Language Stations

If you’re looking for a hands-on ELA activity to use for unit review (and you have the space), try figurative language stations. They’re an excellent informal assessment option, and students can move around and engage their brains simultaneously! The best part is, you don’t need to create anything overly complicated for each station.

Pull real-life figurative language examples from previous lessons, post a page of text where students have to identify several different figures of speech, and make your kids do the work by challenging them to create their own allusions, metaphors, and more. Depending on the number of students in your class, I would recommend around five stations (especially when considering social distancing).

Teaching Figurative Language: Literary Scavenger Hunts

Literary scavenger hunts are another engaging ELA activity to teach figurative language, and I always like to add in some table group competitions to make the activity even more exciting.

You’d be amazed how fast a seventh-grader or even a tenth-grader will work when bragging rights are on the line!

You can create your own basic scavenger hunt that asks students to explain and identify the type of figurative language in the text you’re reading.

You can take advantage of the no-prep versions in my comprehensive figurative language unit .

Teaching Figurative Language: Task Cards

Task cards are another low-prep way to teach figurative language in the middle school or high school ELA classroom. Each card asks the student to demonstrate their knowledge with real-life comparisons, illustrations, emojis, and more. They’re also great for differentiated learning, and you can use them in a variety of ways:

• Give them to students for a Bell Ringer activity
• Assign them as an informal assessment
• Use them as part of a learning station activity
• Have students work on them in groups

Teaching Figurative Language: Short Skits

If you’re searching for a figurative language activity that’s more centered on the performing arts, give short skits a try. This is a great way to urge students to demonstrate their understanding creatively, and you can make it as involved or low-key as you want. For each skit, assign a type of figurative language to 2-3 students.

Let’s use metaphors, for example. Each group then has to write up a short scene where they use multiple metaphors in their speech. Once everyone has prepared their scripts, it’s time to act them out! Challenge the audience members to identify which type of figurative language is being used and give out informal awards to amp up the fun.

Figurative language is what breathes life into literature that would otherwise be akin to chewing on dry toast. I hope that these fun ELA activities will help your students learn to appreciate (and identify) a well-placed simile as much as I do. If you’re short on time and are looking for high-quality, low-prep lessons, check out my complete figurative language unit for the secondary ELA classroom!

Figurative Language Teaching Unit for Secondary ELA

This figures of speech bundle is designed for the secondary ELA classroom. It contains direct-instruction teaching materials, guided student sketch notes, student practice worksheets, and hands-on task cards.

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“ I already have short story resources which I really like and students find engaging. I used this resource to supplement certain elements of it though. After doing so, I will be incorporating more of this resource into my teaching portfolio.”

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What is figurative language?

Figurative language refers to words or phrases that are meaningful, but not literally true. If you say “that news hit me like a ton of bricks,” you are using figurative language; listeners understand the news you got was deeply moving, and also know that you were not actually hit by 2000 pounds of bricks (because if you had been you would be dead). Similarly, if you say “he begged me to reconsider, but I had a heart of stone, and I refused,” you are also using figurative language; listeners understand that you are describing yourself as inflexible or unforgiving, and know that your heart is not actually made of stone (because if it were you would be dead).

This fellow is literally swimming in money

There are many ways to use figurative language. Here are some of the more common types, and examples of their use.

An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a separate meaning of its own. Many (although not all) idioms are examples of figurative language.

“ Hold your horses ,” the teacher told the students as they were leaving school. (The teacher told the student to slow down, and did not mean that they should pick up their four-legged animals) He was up in the air about whether to go to the concert. (He was undecided, and was not suspended above the ground) The dog ate the muffins in a flash . (The dog ate the muffins quickly, and there was no sudden burst of light) The senator was renowned for throwing his colleagues under the bus in election season. (He was known for blaming others in order to gain an advantage, and was not actually pushing anyone under a moving vehicle)

Metaphors and similes are another category of figurative language use. A metaphor substitutes a word or phrase with one that makes an analogy or explanation with an image.

My desk had a mountain of paperwork on it. (There was no actual mountain, just a large amount of paper) My aunt is a walking encyclopedia , and everyone wanted her on their team on game night. (The aunt is a person with considerable knowledge, but is not actually a multi-volume set of books with legs) He sat quietly, letting her words  soak in . (This person is taking in information, but they are not actually soaking wet while doing so)

A simile is a phrase that uses the words  like  or  as  to describe someone or something by comparing it with someone or something else that is similar.

Fast as lightning , I picked up the paper and read it. (The paper was picked up very quickly; if the person picking it up had been as fast as lightning the paper would had been damaged) Traffic is moving as slow as molasses . (Traffic is moving very slowly, as molasses often does when one tries to pour it out) I am so tired I will sleep like a baby . (Saying you will sleep like a baby means you will sleep deeply, but we don’t know if that is how a baby will sleep; some babies sleep well, and others sleep poorly)

Figurative use of language also takes the form of extreme exaggeration, or hyperbole . This very often expresses an impossibility or near impossibility:

She literally was swimming in money. (The person described did not actually swim through a pool of currency, but merely had a lot of money) Tickets sold out at light speed. (The tickets sold very quickly; they did not move at 299,792,458 meters per second) The show went on forever. (The show lasted for a very long time)

Personification

Finally, if we give our words qualities or abilities that people have but that the things we are describing can’t logically possess, the result is a different kind of figurative language called personification .

We saw lights dance in the distance. (The lights are twinkling, but are not actually performing a waltz) The wind was howling all night. (The wind was making a noise, but was not using its vocal cords to cry out in grief) The words jumped off the page. (The words made a strong and immediate impression on the reader, but they remained in place on the page on which they had been printed)

In some cases it can be very simple to distinguish one type of figurative language from another: if you say ‘my love is like a flower’ you are using a simile, and if you say ‘my love is a flower’ you are using a metaphor. In other cases, however, you may not be able to easily say whether an example of figurative language is an idiom, hyperbole, or a metaphor (and it may be a combination of some or all of these things).

Using figurative language allows a writer to be both playful and to communicate information effectively to readers. It provides tools for a writer to paint a picture with words (the words are bringing images to the reader’s mind; we do not have groups of letters banding together and wielding paintbrushes and paint).

MORE RHETORICAL DEVICE EXAMPLES

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