FigurativeLanguage
Whatisfigurativelanguage?
Figurativelanguageislanguagethatdescribessomethingbycomparingittosomethingelse.
Figurativelanguagegoesbeyondtheliteralmeaningofwordstodescribeorexplainasubject.
Therearemanytypesoffigurativelanguage,includingsimiles,metaphors,alliteration,
onomatopoeia,imagery(seeimageryreview),personification,andhyperbole.
Authorsusefigurativelanguagetohelpthereaderseebeyondthewrittenwordsonthepageandto
visualizewhatisgoingoninthestoryorpoem.
Simile
Asimileisafigureofspeechthatcomparestwounlikethings,usuallyusingthewordslikeoras.
Examples:
Hisfeetwereasbigasboats. She’saslightasafeather.
Thesnowwaslikeablanket.
Sheatelikeabird.
Metaphor
Ametaphorcomparestwounlikethingswithoutusingthewordslikeoras.Thecomparisonis
insteadmadeusingsomeformofthe“be”verb.
Examples:
Herhairissilk.
Thefootballplayerisanox.
Myhandsareice.
Alliteration
Alliterationistherepetitionofaconsonantsoundatthebeginningoforwithinwords.Itisusedto
createamelody,setamood,highlightimportantwordsandlines,andpointoutsimilaritiesand
contrastsbetweenelementsofapoemortext.
Examples:
Sallysellsseashellsbytheseashore.
GretaGrubergrabbedagroupofgreengrapes.
Butsomeonestillwasyellingoutand
Andflound'ringlikeamaninfireorlime...
stumbling,
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeiaistheuseofwordsthatmimicsounds.Onomatopoeiaismeanttoreflecttheactual
soundofsomething,therebygivingthetextamorerealisticfeeling.
Examples:
Bang!
Pop!
Sizzle
Hiss
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Hyperbole
Ahyperboleisanexaggeratedstatementmeanttoheighteneffectandemphasizeapoint.
Examples:
Myphonerangamilliontimes.
Youcouldhaveknockedmeoverwithafeather.
It’ssocoldeventhepolarbearsarewearing
coats.
Personification
Personificationisafigureofspeechinwhichananimal,inanimateobject,orabstractconceptis
givenhumancharacteristics.
Examples:
asmilingmoon
therainkissedherface
artisajealousmistress
ajovialsun
thewindscreams
PersonificationWorksheet
Directions:
o Underlinetheexampleofpersonification.
o Belowthesentence,writewhatismeantbythatexampleofpersonification.
1.Thewindsanghermournfulsongthroughthefallingleaves.
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2.ThemicrowavetimertoldmeitwastimetoturnmyTVdinner.
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
3.Thevideocameraobservedthewholescene.
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
4.Thestrawberriesseemedtosing,"Eatmefirst!"
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
5.Therainkissedmycheeksasitfell.
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
6.Thedaffodilsnoddedtheiryellowheadsatthewalkers.
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
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HyperboleWorksheet#1
FridaynightIwentdiscodancing,andwhenIwokeuponSaturdaymyfeetwerekillingme!Mom
orderedmetocleanmyroom–orelse.AlldaylongIworkedmyfingerstothebonegettingthings
togethersoI’dbefreetogooutthatevening.IwasdyingtoseethenewmovieattheCenter
Cinema.WhenIfinished,however,IwassotiredIcouldn’tmove.
Whatdotheunderlinedphrasesreallymean?Canfeetkill?Isthedesiretoseeanewmoviea
symptomofsomestrangeandfataldisease?
Obviously,theauthorhasemphasizedcertainpointsbymeansofexaggeration.Amuch
exaggeratedstatementiscalledahyperbole.Hyperbolesareattention-getters,butcanbecome
clichésifoverused.
PartI:Createsomeattentiongetting,originalhyperbolesinresponsetothefollowinglinesof
dialogue.
1. Don’tyouthinktheTVistooloud?
TheTVissoloud___________________________________________________.
2. Areyoureallygoingtoeattheentirehotfudgebrowniesundae?
I’msohungry______________________________________________________.
3. Lookatthatincredibleamountofsnowpiledupoutside.
Thesnowissodeepthat_____________________________________________.
4. Doyoureallywanttogotothemovies?Imean,don’tyouhavetoomuchhomeworktodo?
Ihavesomuchhomework____________________________________________.
5. Lookatthatpoorolddog.Hecanhardlywalk.
Thatdogissoold___________________________________________________.
HyperboleWorksheet#2
Hyperboleisatypeoffigurativelanguagethatisusedinpoetryornonfictionwriting.
Comediansalsouseittomakejokes.Itisusingexaggerationstomakewritingmore
interesting.
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Directions:Inthefollowingsentences,underlinethehyperboleandwritewhatit
meansonthelineunderneath.
1.Mybrotherissotall,hehastoducktowalkunderthetelephonelines.
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2.Mysisterhassuchlonglegs,sheneedstositinthebackseattodrive.
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
3.Mydogissofast,thefleashavetousesupergluetostayon.
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
4.Mycatissofat,shehastousearollerskatetoholdherstomachoffthefloor.
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
5.Myfriendissocrazy,hethinksthemoonisreallymadeofcheese.
Meaning:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
AlliterationWorksheet
1. Definealliteration.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Identifythesoundbeingrepeatedinthefollowingexamples:
a. Thesummersunsliddownbehindtheridge. ______
b. Inthedistance,Horatioheardahornblow.
______
c. Bettyboughtthebaublesatthebeautyparlor. ______
d. RosaParksraisedarallyingcryforracialequality.
______
3. Createyourownalliteration!Youralliterativephraseshouldbeginwiththefirst
letterofyourfirstname.Justifywhyyoufeelyourexampledemonstrates
alliteration.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
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OnomatopoeiaActivityWorksheet
Fillintheblank:
1. Onomatopoeiaistheuseofwordswhose____________makeyouthinkoftheir
meanings.
2. Listoneexampleofonomatopoeia._______________
Matchthesoundwiththecorrectpicture:
______________ _______________ _______________
________________
______________ _______________ _______________
________________
SoundBank
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splishsplash buzzzz
meow clipclop
crunch
popppp
moooo
brrrring
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