Figurative Language Notes Ms. T. D. James-Moss, Instructor

Simile Two or more THINGS are compared using “like” or “as.” The pillow was as hard as a rock. (simile) She laughed as she skipped. (No simile; no comparison) My money is like treasure. (simile) The girl ran like a gazelle. (simile) Why are similes used? Similes are used in order to share the author’s point of view. The author wants you to see something the same way that he sees it.

Personification A thing or idea is given the ability to behave like a person. That book spoke to me; it really hit home. I hear America singing. The night crawled on; it seemed like it would never end. He went to court several times but justice eluded him. Those jeans are screaming. Personification is NOT animorphism. Animorphism is when an ANIMAL is given human abilities.

Metaphor A comparison where two unlike things BECOME EQUAL to one another. Love IS a tornado. The light post WAS my bodyguard in the darkness. Shorty is a ten. She’s a brick house. His fist is a brick wall.

Hyperbole Obvious exaggeration Her breath is hotter than the sun. I’m hungry enough to eat a horse. His shoes are made of paper. The trash piled up to the ceiling. She fell off of the ugly tree. My shoes are bigger than my body.

Quiz Review Goal: Identify how words in figurative language sentences relate to each other. In a metaphor, one thing becomes another. The two things are EQUAL. In a simile, one thing behaves like another. In a hyperbole, words are used to add extreme depths (deepness or wideness or highness) to an idea (to exaggerate). In personification, words are used to reveal the qualities or ideas or things.

Figurative language Examples “He caught a fish as big as a whale.” Simile: Compares fish to whale “Yellow corn kernels were pieces of topaz on the cob.” Metaphor: Compares kernels to topaz Kernels BECOME topaz “A rabbit skated across the frozen pond.” Personification: Rabbit is given human ability to SKATE.

Quickwrite Journal Think about your previous understanding of metaphor. How is your current understanding of metaphor different from your previous understanding? Explain.

Figurative Language Visual Aid Project An actual example of this device (a sentence) A picture that communicates this device Device: Meaning How words relate to each other in this device Why authors use this device