Figurative Language At Dusk

LITERAL LANGUAGE When a writer uses words according to their dictionary definition, he or she is using literal language.

LITERAL LANGUAGE The clouds were white against the blue sky. This sentence says exactly what it means.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE When a writer uses words in an imaginative way to express meanings beyond the literal meanings, he or she is using figurative language.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE Jenna’s fingers leapt across the piano like tiny dancers. Jenna’s fingers aren't dancers, but the description helps you picture her playing the piano.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE Figurative language often compares an object or person with something else. When reading figurative language, use your imagination to understand what the comparison means.

FIGURATIVE OR LITERAL? Decide whether each sentence is using figurative language or literal language. The stars were diamonds in the night sky.

FIGURATIVE OR LITERAL? The stars were diamonds in the night sky. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE The stars are not really diamonds, but they do shine just like diamonds.

FIGURATIVE OR LITERAL? Decide whether each sentence is using figurative language or literal language. The cat’s coat was soft to the touch.

FIGURATIVE OR LITERAL? The cat’s coat was soft to the touch. LITERAL LANGUAGE The cat’s coat is really soft. It is not being compared to anything.

FIGURATIVE OR LITERAL? Decide whether each sentence is using figurative language or literal language. The water in the pool was like ice against Jose’s skin.

FIGURATIVE OR LITERAL? The water in the pool was like ice against Jose’s skin. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE The water is compared to ice because both are cold. It is not actually ice.

IMAGERY Language that appeals to the senses. Most images are visual—that is, they create pictures in the reader’s mind by appealing to the sense of sight. Images can also appeal to the senses of hearing, touch, taste, and smell, or even to several senses at once.

IMAGERY It was dark and dim in the forest. The words “dark” and “dim” are visual images.

IMAGERY The children were screaming and shouting in the fields. “Screaming” and “shouting” appeal to our sense of hearing or auditory sense.

IMAGERY He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee. “whiff” and “aroma” evoke our sense of smell or olfactory sense

IMAGERY Imagery of light and darkness is repeated many times in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. Consider an example from Act I, Scene V:

IMAGERY “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear;” Romeo praises Juliet by saying that she appears more radiant than the brightly lit torches in the hall. He says that at night her face glows like a bright jewel shining against the dark skin of an African. Through the contrasting images of light and dark, Romeo portrays Juliet’s beauty.

TONE The attitude a writer takes toward his or her subject, characters, and audience. For example, a writer’s tone might be humorous or passionate and sincere. When people speak, their tone of voice gives added meaning to what they say. Writers use written language to create effects similar to those that people create with their voices.

TONE Holden Caulfield in J.D Salinger’s “Catching the Rye” unfolds his personality through the tone he adopts throughout the novel:

TONE “All morons hate it when you call them a moron.” “If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she’s late? Nobody.” “Goddamn money. It always ends up making you blue as hell.” “Catholics are always trying to find out if you’re Catholic.” Holden’s tone is bitterly sarcastic as he criticizes the nature of things in real life. His character may reveal the attitude of the writer towards life.

MOOD In literature, mood is a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions. Usually, mood is referred to as the atmosphere of a literary piece, as it creates an emotional situation that surrounds the readers. Mood is developed in a literary piece through various methods. It can be developed through setting, theme, tone and diction.

MOOD Charles Dickens creates a calm and peaceful mood in his novel “Pickwick Papers”: “The river, reflecting the clear blue of the sky, glistened and sparkled as it flowed noiselessly on.” The depiction of idyllic scenery imparts a serene and non-violent mood to the readers.