Figurative Language

Authors use figurative language to enrich their

poetry. They use it to compare unlike things in an interesting and surprising way. Figurative language can help you view

things differently.

SimilesA simile is a form of comparison in which

one thing is compared to another unlike thing by using specific words such as like and as..

Example: Don ate his food like a vacuum cleaner.

The two things underlined are being compared. What does this simile tell us about Don?

More Examples of Similes:Look at these examples. Can you name the

things being compared?

• Joey's arms were weak and felt like noodles.

• The thunder was as loud as fireworks.• My sister runs like a cheetah during her

competitions.

MetaphorsA metephor also compares unlike things.

Instead of saying that one thing is like something else, a metaphor actually makes one thing become something very different by renaming it. A metaphor never uses like or as to compare.

Example: The clouds were cotton balls in the sky.

The two things underlined are being compared. What does this metaphor tell you about the clouds?

Similes and Metaphors

Watch this BrainPOP video to learn more about similes

and metaphors.

Identifying Similes and MetaphorsIdentify

each comparison as a simile

or metaphor.

Then determine

what is being

compared and what point each sentence is trying to get

across.

Personification

PersonificationPersonification is the act of giving non-

living things human characteristics. Here is an example of a paragraph that

uses personification to describe a house.l

Our house is an old friend of ours. Although he creeks and groans with every gust of wind, he never fails to protect us from the elements. He wraps his arms of bricks and mortar around us to keep us safe. He's always been a good friend to us and we would never leave him.

Let’s find all the words that show us personification

How does the author feel about his house?

How do we know how he feels?

Examples of Personification

Read the following poem. Write down the examples of personification from the poem.

My Dinner Can DanceMy food loves to prance, to jump, to dance; I wait

for the time, I wait for the chance! As mommy goes in and out of the room;tables and chairs

become their ballroom! I flick my fingers; swing my wrist. Beans and turkey are doing the twist!

Peas, plumbs, apples or mangos; on to the walls, they're doing the tango!

Add Your Own Personification!Finish the sentences with examples of personification.

Remember to choose a word that would normally be a characteristic or an action of a human. The first one has been done for you.

1. The snow whispered as it fell to the ground.2. The baseball bat __________ as Casey hit the

ball.3. The printer _______ out the copies that I

printed.4. The floor ______ as the elephant walked across

it.5. The car ______ as the key was turned.

Now create your own sentence showing personification!

Understanding IdiomsIdioms are phrases which people use in

everyday language which do not make sense literally but we understand what they mean.

An idiom is an expression that has a meaning apart from the meanings of its individual words.

Examples of Common Idioms

It’s raining cats and dogs.

Its literal meaning suggests that cats and dogs are falling from the sky. We interpret it to mean that it

is raining hard.

Idiom Detectives!Can you figure out the meaning of these

idioms?

Can you figure out what each idiom is trying to say?

We tried to give Tommy a surprise party for his birthday but you let the cat out of the bag!

My brother started working 2 jobs while he was in college. Our mom thought he was biting off more than he could chew.

Naomi wasn’t at school today because she was feeling under the weather.