figurative language - elise minichiello...figurative language uses figures of speech to be more...
TRANSCRIPT
Figurative Language
What is Figurative Language?
– Literal vs. Figurative Language
– Literal Language – You say exactly what you mean. You make no comparison,
and you do not exaggerate or understate the situation.
– Figurative Language – You DON’T say exactly what you mean. You DO compare,
exaggerate, and understate the situation. You use similes, metaphors,
hyperboles, and other figures of speech to make your writing more exciting.
Figurative language uses figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive,
and impactful.
Simile
– A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities
between two different things. Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance
with the help of the words “like” or “as.” Therefore, it is a direct
comparison. We often hear comments like, “John is as slow as a snail.”
Metaphor
– Metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden
comparison between two things that are unrelated, but which share some
common characteristics. In other words, saying one thing is something else.
– Her voice is music to his ears. (This implies that her voice makes him feel
happy)
Personification
– Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing – an idea or an animal – is
given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way
that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings. For example, when
we say, “The sky weeps,” we are giving the sky the ability to cry, which is a
human quality.
Onomatopoeia
– Onomatopoeia is defined as a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a
thing. It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the
description more expressive and interesting. For instance, saying, “The gushing
stream flows in the forest” is a more meaningful description than just saying,
“The stream flows in the forest.”
Hyperbole
– Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting,” is a figure of
speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is a
device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a
friend after a long time, you say, “It’s been ages since I last saw you.”
Oxymoron
– Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create
an effect. The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective
preceded by a noun with contrasting meanings, such as “cruel kindness,” or
“living death”.
Imagery
– Imagery means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions, and
ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses. Usually it is thought
that imagery makes use of particular words that create visual representation of
ideas in our minds.
– It was dark and dim in the forest. (The words “dark” and “dim” are visual
images).
Assonance
– Assonance takes place when two or more words, close to one another repeat
the same vowel sound, but start with different consonant sounds.
– For instance, in the following sentence: “Men sell the wedding bells
Symbolism
– Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by giving them
symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. Symbolism can
take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another, to give an
entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant.
Sometimes, however, an action, an event or a word spoken by someone may
have a symbolic value. For instance, “smile” is a symbol of friendship.
Pun
– A pun is a play on words in which a humorous effect is produced by using a
word that suggests two or more meanings or by exploiting similar sounding
words having different meanings. For instance, in a sentence “A happy life
depends on a liver”, liver can refer to the organ liver or simply the person who
lives.
Alliteration
– Alliteration is a repetition of a sound at the beginning of two or more
neighboring words.
– Polly planted plenty of pretty pansies.