Figurative Language

1B

Part 1
Review of terms

Figurative Language
Writing that shows feelings or thoughts,
but it is not meant to be interpreted
literally.
Relies on the readers imagination.
Often used in poetry but can also be used
in prose.

Simile, Metaphor
Simile compares two unlike things by
using the words like or as.
Example

Metaphor compares two unlike things

without using like or as. (It is more direct.)
Example

Analogy
Is the use of a simile or metaphor that is
extended to show more ways that two
unlike things are similar.
Living in a dormitory is like a candy bar. The
freedom is sweet, but you can run into some
nuts.
The Internet is a superhighway because of its
speed and connections to so many
computers.

Personification, Hyperbole
Personification gives human
characteristics to a non-human thing.
Example

Hyperbole uses extravagant

exaggeration for emphasis.
Example

Oxymoron, Idiom
Oxymoron combines opposite and
contradictory words.
Example

Idiom is an expression that means

something different from the literal
meaning of the words.
Example

Hyperbole vs. Idiom vs. Clich

A hyperbole deals with inflating or
stretching the truth.
I have told you the answer a million times.
She could have cried a river.

Idioms have nothing to do with what they

mean.
She sang at the top of her lungs.
He dragged his feet to get finished.

A clich is overused, but it basically

means what it says.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Hyperbole Vs. Metaphor

Oxymoron Vs. Simile
His mother had warned him a million times
that he would be severely punished if she
caught him in a lie.
After studying all night, Charles walked
around like the living dead.
Remember OXYMORONS are two
CONTRADICTORY terms.

Symbol
A symbol is an object that represents
something else.
Popular symbols
fire in Fahrenheit 451
night or sleep may symbolize death

Irony
The use of words to express the opposite
of what one really means or the difference
between the actual result of events and the
expected result.
Situational exists when the outcome (tragic or
funny) is the opposite of expectations.
Verbal is a person saying the opposite of
what is meant. (This is often sarcastic.)
Dramatic occurs when the reader or audience
knows something important that a character
does not know.

Irony examples
Your teacher says to you, Well you really
worked hard! when all you turned in is
half the assignment.
John is summoned into his bosss office.
Since John has worked especially hard
this month and has broken sales record,
he is expecting a raise. When he goes
into the bosss office, he finds that he is
being fired.

Paradox
Contains ideas that seem to contradict or
go against logic.
Is different from irony because it contains
the truth but sounds totally impossible!!!
Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to
drink.
Putting your cell phone on the charger all night
will run down the battery.
Exercising will increase your energy level.

Allusions
Are an indirect reference to cultural
works, people, or events.
Can come from history, literature, sacred
texts, art, or current events.
Cause the reader to compare one thing
with the thing being alluded to.
He was a Scrooge around Christmas.
She threw us to the lions den.
When you spoke about uniforms, you opened
Pandoras box.

Imagery
A collection of word pictures that appeal
to the readers senses and is sometimes
referred to as sensory imagery.
Can include literary devices (simile,
metaphor, etc.)
Can create a picture in the readers mind
The young girl shivered on the icy stone bench as
she watched each breath appear in the frosty air.
The mournful sounds of the large ship horns were
her only company as she waited near the harbor.

Figurative Language and

Stylistic Devices

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Symbolism
Irony
Paradox
Allusion
Imagery
Oxymoron
Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Hyperbole
Analogy
Clich

These deal with the

meaning of the words,
the ideas themselves.

STYLISTIC DEVICES
Alliteration
Assonance
Onomatopoeia
Rhyme
Repetition
Rhythm
These deal with the
sound of the writing,
with the concrete
sense of sound that
you hear when the
writing is read.

Rhyme Vs. Assonance

Vs. Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of similar sounds
at the beginning of the words.
He was determined to doubt and dared me to
debate it.

Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel

sounds. (used for effect or sound)
I saw a life of blind kindness.

Rhyme is the same / similar sound at the end

of the words.
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds
and whey. Along came that spider and sat down
beside her

Onomatopoeia, Repetition
Onomatopoeia the use of a word that
imitates a sound, such as buzz and hiss.
The bang outside my window and the whirring
of the chainsaw could mean only one thing;
the men were still working to remove the fallen
tree.

Repetition the intentional use of the

same words or words over and over again.
Often used for emphasis
We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not
fail. George W. Bush

Terms

To convey
To exaggerate
To emphasize
To elaborate
To clarify
To rely
To entreat
To inspire
To express

To establish
To contrast
To portray
To compare
To reinforce
To underscore
To employ
To heighten
To invoke

PART 2
Going Further
with
Figurative Language

Going Further with

Figurative Language
You must know the specific type of figure
of speech or stylistic device.
You must decide what the figure of speech
really means.
You must tell what the purpose of using it
is (or what it affects).
You must do this with multiple texts.

Why use figurative language

and stylistic devices?
Writers use diction and figurative
language to affect these literary elements:
Setting
Mood
Tone
Atmosphere
Characterization

Setting
Is the time and place of a story, which
include the surroundings or the
environment.
Time may be specified or general
Place may be specified or general.
Often described using imagery.

As I entered the elaborate ballroom, my ears

met the lilting lyrics of softly sung music. The
dancers gracefully waltzed, and I was wooed
to watch.

Mood, Tone, Atmosphere

Mood the feeling created in the reader.
Tone the writers attitude toward the
subject or toward the characters.
Atmosphere the overall feeling that an
author creates by using mood, tone, and
setting.

Words to describe
mood and tone
MOOD
happy, contented,
uplifting, sad,
despairing,
depressing, shocking
suspenseful, scary,
horrific, dreadful

TONE
Serious, playful,
humorous, sarcastic,
sympathetic, mocking,
formal, casual, matterof-fact, bitter, critical,
optimistic, carefree,
hopeless

Characterization
Direct characterization when the author comes
right out and tells you what the characters are
like.
Jordan at five is a sweet but mischievous girl who
loves to dress up and play pretend games.

Indirect characterization when you have to

learn about the character through his actions.
This is most effective because the author is
showing, not telling.
The husband was angry with his wife. That bag of
lettuce is half empty. Why didnt you try to get one
that had more in it?

Here is what you must decide

What is the figure of speech or stylistic
device used?
What is the picture the author wants us to
get in our minds when he used it?
What literary element is affected by the
authors choice of words?

Possible questions
How does the use of figurative language by these two
authors contribute to the mood?
How does figurative language help reveal the
meaning of the above statements?
Justify the accuracy or inaccuracy of the analysis
by selecting the statement below that accurately
evaluates the analysis.
Which statement below accurately evaluates the use
of hyperbole and metaphor in the revised excerpt?
Justify the decision to include the personification in
the revised excerpt by selecting the statement below
that correctly evaluates the effect of the
personification on the poem.

Mississippi SATP English II Revised:

Multiple Choice
Student Review Guide for
Vocabulary/Reading