Figurative Langauge

Alliteration Repeated consonant sounds usually at the beginning of words. Examples: Dudley Dursley Martin the Minotaur mumbled menacingly.

Allusion A reference in one work of literature to another work of art Allusion A reference in one work of literature to another work of art. Examples: In an episode of The Simpsons, the mayor says, “Ich bin ein Springfielder.” This is an allusion to “Ich bin ein Berliner,” a line from a famous speech by President Kennedy when he was in Berlin, Germany. Taylor Swift’s song, “Love Story”, is filled with allusions to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, including the famous balcony scene: “I'm standing there / On a balcony in summer air…”

Hyperbole Exaggeration; overstatement to create an effect or to make a point. Examples: You’re going to finish your homework if it takes forever! There did not seem to be brains enough in the entire nursery, so to speak, to bait a fishhook with. —A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

Metaphor A direct comparison of two different kinds of things Metaphor A direct comparison of two different kinds of things. Examples: "The fog comes / on little cat feet. / It sits looking / over harbor and city / on silent haunches / and then moves on." —“The Fog” by Carl Sandburg All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players; / They have their exits and their entrances; — As You Like It by William Shakespeare

Onomatopoeia A word that is spelled in a way that imitates a sound Onomatopoeia A word that is spelled in a way that imitates a sound. Examples: Pop…boom…crash….psst. “Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool?” — Nursery rhyme.

Simile A comparison between two unlike things using like or as Simile A comparison between two unlike things using like or as. Examples: Death lies on her, like an untimely frost —from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare O, my love's like a red, red rose, That's newly sprung in June. —by Robert Burns