Figurative Language

Ms. Wolf’s ClassLanguage Arts

Similes • Similes are comparisons

that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way. Similes are a way to describe something. Authors use them to make their writing more interesting or entertaining.

• Similes use the words “as” or “like” to make the connection between the two things that are being compared.

Simile Examples~1. Playing chess with Ashley is

like trying to outsmart a computer. The activity “playing chess with

Ashley” is being compared to “trying to outsmart a computer.” The point is that Ashley can think in a powerful manner that resembles the way a computer operates, not that she is like a computer in any other way.

• 2. His temper was as explosive as a volcano.– His temper is being compared

to a volcano in that it can be sudden and violent.

Metaphors• Metaphors are

comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way. Metaphors are a way to describe something.

• Unlike similes that use the words “as” or “like” to make a comparison, metaphors state that something is something else.

Examples of a Metaphor~ • 1. Joe was a wall, bouncing every tennis ball back over the

net.• This metaphor compares Joe to a wall because __________.• a. He was very strong.

b. He was very tall.c. He kept returning the balls.d. His body was made of cells.

 • 2. We would have had more pizza to eat if Nora hadn’t been

such a hog.• Nora was being compared to a hog because she __________.• a. looked like a hog

b. ate like a hogc. smelled like a hogd. was as smart as a hog

Personification

•Personification: is giving human qualities, feelings, actions, or characteristics to inanimate (non-living) objects.

•For example: The window winked at me. The verb, wink, is a human action. The window is an inanimate object.

Alliteration • Alliteration is the repetition of

the initial consonant. There should be at least two repetitions in a row.

• For example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. The first letter, p, is a consonant. It is repeated many times.

Imagery

• a. The use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas.

• b. The use of expressive or evocative images in art, literature, or music.

Onomatopoeia • The formation or use of words such as buzz or

murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.

• Onomatopoeic words are words which resemble the sound they refer to; for example words to describe animal sounds generally imitate the sounds themselves.  These words, also known as imitative and echoic words, are used by poets, comic-strip writers and authors of children's books among others.  Here is a partial list of onomatopoeic words.– Next slide…

Examples of Onomatopoeia • bang

beepburpchirpclashcrunchdripgrunthiccuphootknock

• plopquackrattlesizzlestompthudtootvaroomwhackwhirzapzoom  

Hyperbole

• A hyperbole can be defined as:– A statement that is obvious and shows

intentional exaggeration. OR– An extravagant statement or figure of

speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”

Apostrophe

• the sign ('), as used: to indicate the omission of one or more letters in a word, whether unpronounced, as in o'er for over, or pronounced, as in gov't for government; to indicate the possessive case, as in man's; or to indicate plurals of abbreviations and symbols, as in several M.D.'s, 3's.

Irony

1. humor based on opposites: humor based on using words to suggest the opposite of their literal meaning

2. something humorous based on contradiction: something said or written that uses humor based on words suggesting the opposite of their literal meaning

3. incongruity: incongruity between what actually happens and what might be expected to happen, especially when this disparity seems absurd or laughable

Rhyme

• Identity in sound of some part, esp. the end, of words or lines of verse.2.a word agreeing with another in terminal sound: Find is a rhyme for mind and womankind.3.verse or poetry having correspondence in the terminal sounds of the lines.

Symbol • A symbol is something such as an

object, picture, written word, sound, or particular mark that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention.

Oxymoron

•expression with contradictory words: a phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, e.g. "wise fool" or "legal murder"

Consonance

• "The repetition of final consonant sounds, as in 'First and last,' 'odds and ends,' 'short and sweet.’

• Broadly, the repetition of consonant sounds; more specifically, the repetition of the final consonant sounds of accented syllables or important words.

Assonance • Resemblance or similarity in sound between

vowels followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables. Assonance differs from RHYME in that RHYME is a similarity of vowel and consonant. "Lake" and "fake" demonstrate RHYME; "lake" and "fate" assonance.

• "The spider skins lie on their sides, translucent and ragged, their legs drying in knots."(Annie Dillard, Holy the Firm)

Pun

• play on words: a humorous use of words that involves a word or phrase that has more than one possible meaning.

Examples: – Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was

cut off? He's all right now. – He drove his expensive car into a tree and found out

how the Mercedes bends. – To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

Cliché •a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality.

•Example: burst your bubble

• At the wedding, Gloria graciously gave up the bouquet of gold gladiolis for her galpal, Gladys.

• ALLITERATION

• The excited children ran like the wind.

• SIMILE

• A sailboat danced gleefully on the waves.

• PERSONIFICATION

• As Derrick spoke, his teeth chattered and his breath made little clouds in the icy air.

• IMAGERY

• Life is like a box of chocolates.

• SIMILE

• Her heart grew three times its normal size with love.

• HYPERBOLE

• The telephone poles stood in a line carrying on a conversation.

• PERSONIFICATION

• His mind was a burning fire.

• METAPHOR

• The suitcase was as light as a feather.

• SIMILE

• Alex hit the volleyball with the force of a million tons of dynamite.

• HYPERBOLE

• The tulips poked their heads up and saw it was still winter.

• PERSONIFICATION

• The chandelier sprayed out sparks of light onto the pale blue wallpaper, which was patterned with diamonds.

• PERSONIFICATION

• At last! My love has come along, and life is like a song.

• SIMILE

• He is a snake in the grass.

• METAPHOR

• The low clouds bumped into the mountains.

• PERSONIFICATION

• If two witches were watching two watches, which witch would watch which watch?

• ALLITERATION

• The crackle and hiss of the fire was soothing.

• ONOMATOPOEIA

• My shoes are killing me.

• HYPERBOLE

• The ice was as smooth as glass before the skaters entered the rink.

• SIMILE

• Spring flowers stretched their slender necks toward the sun.

• PERSONIFICATION

• I screamed until my head exploded!

• They ran like greased lightning.

• SIMILE

• He’s got tons of money.

• HYPERBOLE

• Her brain is the size of a pea.

• HYPERBOLE

• He is older than the hills.

• HYPERBOLE

• I will die if he asks me to dance!

• HYPERBOLE

• She was as big as an elephant.

• HYPERBOLE

• Don’t delay dawn’s disarming display.

• ALLITERATION

• I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!

• HYPERBOLE

• I’ve told you a million times not to lie!

• HYPERBOLE

• Their taut tails thrashing, they twist in tribute to the titans.

• ALLITERATION

• “Ding! Dong! The bells are gonna chime/Pull out the stopper! Let’s have a whopper!/But get me to the church on time!”

• ONOMATOPOEIA

• “One of these days, Alice, POW! Right in the kisser!”

• ONOMATOPOEIA

• “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh, what a relief it is!”

• ONOMATOPOEIA

• “Bang! Went the pistol/Crash! Went the window/Ouch! Went the son-of-a-gun.”

• ONOMATOPOEIA

• The lonely train whistle cried out in the night.

• PERSONIFICATION

• The restless wind juggled the leaves.

• PERSONIFICATION

• The train went clickety clack, clickety clack as it raced toward its destination.

• ONOMATOPOEIA

• The tired school bus spit out the students

• PERSONIFICATION

• The snow lies on the ground like a blanket.

• SIMILE

• Large leaves fell lightly on the land.

• ALLITERATION

• My mother’s blood was boiling!

• HYPERBOLE

• Shopping, wrapping the presents, picking up the cake—I had a ton of things to do before two o-clock.

• HYPERBOLE

• The angry clouds marched across the sky.

• PERSONIFICATION