Elements of Figurative Language

Objective

• After this presentation, you will be able to successfully analyze elements of figurative language.

Elements of Figurative Language1. Simile2. Metaphor3. Hyperbole4. Personification5. Imagery6. Alliteration7. Oxymoron8. Foreshadow9. Flashback10. Irony (verbal, situational, dramatic)11. Symbolism12. Paradox13. Assonance14. Consonance

Simile

• Definition: – A figure of speech in which the words like or as

are used to compare two unlike things• Examples:– Her cheeks are red like a rose. – Our soldiers are as brave as a lion.

Simile Practice

Directions: Complete the following comparisons

1. He is as tall as ____________.2. She is as fast as ___________.3. My little brother is as funny as __________.4. Her eyes were _________ like ___________.

Metaphor

• Definition: – a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of

as though it were something else• Examples: – Her voice is music to his ears.– The assignment was a breeze.

Metaphor Practice

Directions: In the metaphors below, identify what is being compared.

1. My dad is a bear in the morning before he drinks his coffee.– ________ is being compared to ________

2. When it was her turn to dance, Melissa was as graceful as a butterfly.– ________ is being compared to ________

3. Steven’s angry words were bullets that hit Greg right in his heart.– ________ is being compared to ________

Hyperbole

• Definition:– A deliberate exaggeration or overstatement

• Examples:– Your suitcase weighs a ton!– My grandmother is old as dirt.– It’s raining cats and dogs.

Hyperbole Practice

Directions: Complete the following sentences by making it a hyperbole

1. I am so tired, I could sleep ___________.2. It is so hot, I could ___________.

Personification

• Definition:– A type of figurative language in which a

nonhuman subject is given human characteristics• Examples:– The wind whispered through the dry grass.– The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.

Personification Practice

Directions: Identify the object that is being personified; then identify what human trait/quality is being given.

1. As we walked through the scorching desert, the sun beat down on us.

2. Time crawled as Tim waited for detention to end.3. As Sheila walked home from school, the wind

gripped her.

Imagery

• Definition:– Descriptive language used in literature to create

word pictures for the reader; the pictures are created by details of sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, or movement

• Examples:– It was dark and dim in the forest. (sight)– The children were screaming and shouting in the

fields. (sound)

Imagery Practice

Directions: Identify the imagery details in the following sentences and the sense that it appeals to.

1. He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee.2. The girl ran her hands on a soft satin fabric.

Alliteration

• Definition:– The repetition of beginning consonant sounds

• Examples:– But a better butter makes a batter better– Shelly sells sea shells by the seashore

Alliteration Practice

Directions: Complete the following sentences by continuing the pattern.

1. Dirty dogs ________ in the dirt.2. ________ snakes slithering in the _______.

Oxymoron

• Definition:– A combination of words, or parts of words, that

contradict (go against) each other• Examples: – Open secret– Loud silence

Foreshadowing

• Definition:– The use of clues that suggest events that have yet

to happen• Example:– Fred left the house at eleven o’clock and drove

into town. He was meeting his father for lunch at Brown’s. Officially, they were just ‘catching up,’ but they both knew Fred needed money again- and not such a small amount this time, either.

Flashback

• Definition:– When an author presents material that occurred

earlier than the present tense of the narrative; the event can happen in a character’s memory, a dream, or an account of past events

• Example:– As she sat in the park, she felt a sense of joy as she

was reminded of her childhood.

Irony

• Definition:– The difference between appearance and reality, or

expectation and result• Types of Irony:– Verbal Irony: use of words to mean something opposite

than what is meant; sarcasm– Situational Irony: an event happens that directly

contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience

– Dramatic Irony: a contradiction between what the character thinks and what the audience knows to be true

Irony Examples

• Verbal Irony:– Stacy sighed, “Oh, great,” as she realized she left her

homework on her bed.• Situational Irony:– John has been a vegetarian for seven years. When he

arrived to the party he was starving. He devoured a slice of pepperoni pizza.

• Dramatic Irony:– Two people are engaged to be married but the audience

knows that the man is planning to run away with another woman.

Symbolism

• Definition:– Using an object to stand for something else

• Examples:– He gave her a rose to show that he loved her.– The veterans were honored to receive new flags

when they went to the memorial ceremony.

Symbolism Practice

Directions: Identify what each of the symbols stand for.

1. When the girl saw the flashing red light, she knew to turn around.

2. He gave a “thumbs up” to the children after their performance.

Paradox

• Definition:– A statement that seems contradictory but actually

may be true• Examples:– Nobody went to that restaurant because it’s too

crowded.– This is the beginning of the end.– Love is a disease.

Assonance

• Definition:– The repetition of vowel sounds followed by

different consonants in two or more stressed syllables

• Examples:– Row row row your boat– Try to light the fire.

Consonance

• Definition:– The repetition of the final consonant sounds in

stressed syllables with different vowel sounds• Examples:– Do you believe in love?– Tick, tock when the clock.