Figures of Speech Common in Literature P. Wall

All language is either LITERAL or FIGURATIVE.

LITERAL language means exactly what it says. The weather is nice today. For lunch, I had a burrito from my favorite taco truck.

However… we often use language that is NOT INTENDED to be taken literally.

Non-literal language is called FIGURATIVE.

Figures of speech common in literature: Simile Metaphor Personification Hyperbole Metonymy

Simile. A comparison between two unlike things.

I slept like a log.

He’s as American as apple pie.

2. Metaphor. A simile without “as” or “like.”

Life is a roller coaster.

He is a night owl.

3.

4. Hyperbole. Exaggeration to make a point.

5.

“Lend me your ears.”

Logos are a type of metonomy.