Figurative Language

1. Figurative Language

2. Literal vs. Figurative • Literal = actual • “I literally got hit by lightning” = someone actually got hit by lightning WRONG: • “I literally died from laughter” = someone actually died from laughing (but how would they live to tell the tale?) • Many people use the phrase incorrectly! Unless something actually happened, don’t say literally

3. Figurative Language Figurative language is used with a meaning that is different from the basic meaning and that expresses an idea in an interesting way by using language that usually describes something else --Merriam-Webster

4. Metaphor • a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar • Doesn’t use “like” or “as”

5. Examples of metaphor • You are a pig • Describes someone who is a slob • Juliet is the sun • Romeo compares Juliet’s beauty to the sun • He is my rock • This describes someone who is strong and stable

6. Simile • A comparison using “like” or “as” • Same idea as a metaphor, but it uses those specific words

7. Examples of simile • Life is like a box of chocolates • Life is unexpected, just like when you bite into a piece of chocolate because you don’t know what filling is inside! • He is as strong as an ox • Comparison to oxen, which are strong animals that are often used to haul heavy objects

8. Personification • Giving human qualities to non-human entities (e.g., animals, inanimate objects, etc.) • Again, like a metaphor because it is a comparison

9. Examples of Personification • The wind whispered • Comparing wind to a human voice • Time creeps up on you • Follow someone who doesn’t know you’re there, so time is slowly passing without your awareness • The frogs sang • Frogs can’t actually sing, but their croaking is being compared to singing

10. Alliteration • The repetition of beginning sounds of words • Remember: sometimes k makes the same sound as c • Most common is the repetition of the first letter of a word

11. Examples of alliteration • Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore • “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes” – Romeo and Juliet

12. Onomatopoeia • Words that imitate sounds • Ding! • Pop! • Crash • Don’t forget about more subtle sounds • Whisper (the s sounds like a whisper) • Murmur (the r sounds like someone is mumbling) • Giggle (the g sounds are upbeat and staccato like a giggle)

13. Hyperbole • An exaggeration • Describing something as better or worse than it really is

14. Examples of hyperbole • My homework took me a million years to complete! • Homework took a long time to do • Her eyes make the stars look like they’re not shining • Her eyes are luminous and pretty

15. Imagery • Language that creates a visual in the reader’s head using the senses • The reader can visualize what is being described through sensory description • Involves descriptions that affect the senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste

16. Examples of imagery • Rain fell softly on the red rose petals as the wind blew the branches of the trees • You are able to picture this scene in your head • The children were screaming and shouting in the fields • Though this has to do with sound, you can still imagine this experience

17. Irony • Expressing meaning using language that normally signifies the opposite • Situational irony • A situation that is strange or amusing because things happen in a way that seems to be the opposite of what you expected • Verbal irony • Sarcasm • Dramatic irony • The reader knows something that the characters don’t

18. Examples of irony • Situational: an ambulance running over the person it was supposed to help • Verbal: “Whoever thought of having school start at the crack of dawn was a genius!” • Dramatic: King Duncan not knowing that Macbeth is planning to murder him while the audience is aware of this • Some examples

19. Allusion • Making a reference to an outside text • Mentioning another book, film, painting, etc. • Biblical allusions are the most common: • Moses • The Garden of Eden • Satan • Revelations • Cain and Abel • Job

20. Examples of allusion • “When he calls to me, I am ready I'll wash his feet with my hair if he needs Forgive him when his tongue lies through his brain Even after three times, he betrays me” • Lady Gaga is alluding to the story of Judas betraying Jesus • Moves like Jagger • Allusion to Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones who is known for his unique dancing • “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood • Siren is a creature in Greek mythology

21. Rhetorical and Structural Devices

22. Structure • How an author orders information in a text Rhetoric • Language techniques that an author uses to persuade listeners or readers

23. Structural Techniques • In literature • Suspense / tension • Build up of anxiety and anticipation of what will happen next in a story • Flashbacks • When a story revisits the past • Pacing • How quickly or slowly a story progresses

24. Structural Techniques

25. Rhetorical Devices • Euphemism • A milder word that substitutes a harsh word • “passed away” instead of dead • Oxymoron • Contradictory words that appear together • The wisest fool ; seriously funny • Anecdote • A short account or story that appears in a larger text • Word choice

26. Rhetorical Devices • Satire • Humor or irony used to mock or ridicule • The Colbert Report ; “A Modest Proposal” • Repetition • Of ideas, words, or phrases for emphasis • Tone • An author’s attitude that establishes a reader’s mood