Figurative Language

Simile - Compares two things that are not alike by using the words like or as. Examples: 1.) The town square was buzzing like a beehive. 2.) Life is like a box of chocolates. 3.) Annette is blind as a bat.

Metaphor – Compares two things that are not alike, but without using like or as. Usually uses a form of the verb “to be” Examples: 1.) The snow is a white blanket. 2.) The classroom was a zoo. 3.) Their home is a prison.

Practice: Write whether each sentence/expression is a simile or a metaphor. 1.) Time is money. 2.) Ronald is cool as a cucumber. 3.) The jug is dry as a bone. 4.) My kid’s room is a disaster area. 5.) Her angry words were bullets to him.

Hyperboles – when you use language to exaggerate what you mean or emphasize a point. It is often used to make something sound much bigger and better than it actually is or to make something sound much more dramatic. Examples: 1. He’s running faster than the wind! 2. This bag weighs a ton.

Practice: Write three examples of hyperboles in your notes. 1. 2. 3.

Alliteration – a poetic or literary technique where a series of words in a sentence have the same first consonant sound. In other words: alliteration is when the beginning sound of words are repeated in a close series. Examples: 1.) Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers. 2.) Barry brought a book to bring to the backyard barbeque.

Practice: Write three examples sentences that use alliteration. 1. 2. 3.

Personification – when non-human things are given human characteristics. When a writer brings a non-human object to life, it can help us understand better what they’re trying to say. Examples: 1.) Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name. 2.) My flowers were begging for water.

Onomatopoeia – a word that mimics the sound of the object or action it refers to. When you pronounce the word, it will mimic the sound of what it is describing. Examples: 1.) I ordered online proofreading services with the click of a mouse. 2.) The loud boom of the fireworks scared the dog.

Oxymoron – a phrase made of two or more words that actually have opposite meanings. When they are placed close together, they create an interesting contrasting effect. Examples: -alone together -clearly confused -living dead - almost exactly

Situational Irony: where actions or events have the opposite result from what is expected or what is intended Examples: 1.) There are roaches infesting the office of a pest control service. 2.) A plumber spends all day working on leaky faucets and comes home to find a pipe has burst in his home.

Verbal Irony: where someone says the opposite of what they really mean or intend; sarcasm is a form of verbal irony Examples: 1.) Looking at her son’s messy room, Mom says, “Wow, you could win an award for cleanliness!” 2.) On the way to school, the bus gets a flat tire and the driver says, “Excellent! This day couldn’t start off any better!”

Dramatic Irony: occurs when the audience or reader of a text knows something that the characters do not. Examples: 1.) The audience knows that a killer is hiding in the closet, but the girl in the horror movie does not. 2.) The reader knows that a storm is coming, but the children playing on the playground do not.