Using Figurative Language
Using Figurative Language
When it was time for Amy to head off to college, she spread her wings and flew out into the great unknown.
Wait a second! I assumed Amy was a person, but the sentence above just said she spread her wings and flew. How can that be?
It's easy - the writer used figurative language.
There are two types of language: literal and figurative.
Literal language is when you say or write something and it means exactly what it says (Ex. The stove is hot.).
Figurative language is a way of saying something other than what is literally meant. Instead, you use a figure of speech (Ex. The stove is as hot as a raging fire.).
In this case, the writer doesn't mean Amy really had wings or that she flew away.
Instead of saying something like "Amy gained her independence and headed off to college," the writer uses a metaphor to compare Amy's heading off to college to a bird spreading its wings and flying away.
Writers often use figurative language to add a bit of excitement to their writing and to provide a more descriptive picture for the reader. Metaphors are just one type of figurative language.
Other types of figurative language include:
- Similies - making a comparison using like or as (Ex. She was as silent as a mouse.)
- Hyperbole - describing something in an exaggerated form (Ex. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.)
- Alliteration - writing a sentence that contains words with the same consonant sound (Ex. The slithering snake snuck around the corner.)
- Onomatopoeia - using sound words, such as "boom" or "bang" (Ex. Swish! The ball sunk right into the net.)
- Personification - giving a non-human object human characteristics (Ex. The sun smiled down on the Earth.)
- Idioms - using an expression or figure of speech that does not take the literal meaning (Ex. It's raining cats and dogs.)
Writers can use figurative language in fiction, poetry, and even in non-fiction pieces such as speeches and advertisements. The practice questions and video provide more information about the types of figurative language and how they are used.
Required Video:
Practice:
Practice what you have learned by completing the post-lesson worksheets.
Related Worksheets: