Week of 9/5 Mini- Lesson Summaries
Literal vs. Figurative Language
Both figurative and literal language can often be found side-by-side in a text and even on the same page.
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Literal language is text that means exactly what it says--it can be interpreted word for word.
Figurative language is language that doesn't have a literal meaning, but rather suggests something
with the use of creative language. Common forms of figurative language include metaphor, simile,
personification and hyperbole.
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Implied Metaphors
Figurative language is describing one thing in terms of another.
A metaphor is a type of figurative language that compares two things by asserting one thing is another.
Metaphors are used to make clearer descriptions and provide better understanding to the reader.
An implied metaphor is a metaphor that doesn't explicitly state the comparison.
Examples of implied metaphors:
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'Angrily, Bob barked commands at his child.' (compares Bob to a dog)
'Andy's wife asked him to fetch their dinner.' (compares Andy to a dog)
'Beth was drowning in love.' (compares Beth to someone drowning and compares love to water)
'Mary purred over the lavish present.' (compares Mary to a cat)
'The racecar crouched before the race, growling in anticipation.' (compares the racecar to a big cat)
Analysis of the poem “Lightning Bugs” by Ernest Slyman:
'In my backyard,
They burn peepholes in the night
And take snapshots of my house.'
There are 2 implied metaphors:
1. On the 2nd line, lightning bugs are said to 'burn peepholes in the night.' But, what actually causes
burns? Not lightning bugs… 'fire.' The metaphor here compares lightning bugs to fire through the
property of burning.
2. On the 3rd line, it states “And take snapshots of my house.” What device takes snapshots? A camera.
So lightning bugs are also being compared to a camera in how they flash and show one freeze-frame in
time
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Extended Metaphors:
An extended metaphor is a metaphor that extends through several lines or even an entire poem. An author
may use an extended metaphor to create stronger examples and to help an audience visualize the topic more
clearly.
Examples of extended metaphor can be found throughout poetry, but it was used quite often by William
Shakespeare.
A good example of an extended metaphor that carries throughout a poem is Emily Dickinson's 'Hope is a thing
with Feathers'. She compares hope to a feather and creates examples to make this image stronger.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops - at all And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard And sore must be the storm That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm I’ve heard it in the chillest land And on the strangest Sea Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.