Figurative Language:
Authors use figurative language to create a special effect or feeling. Figurative language helps the reader understand the text better and better imagine the events and the characters.
Here are some examples of figurative language:
- Figure of Speech
- The meaning of each word separately does not tell the reader what the figure of speech means. An idiom is an example of a figure of speech.
Example: Birds of a feather flock together. (People who are similar hang out together.)
- Simile
- Compares two, unlike things by using the words “like” or “as.”
Example: Her hair was like a dark cloud. (Her hair was very dark.)
- Metaphor
- Compares two, unlike things to say one thing is another.
Example: The child was a butterfly. (The child was moving around lightly.)
- Personification
- Gives nonhuman things human characteristics.
Example: The leaf danced in the gentle breeze. (The way the leaf moved in the wind seemed like dancing.)
- Hyperbole
- An obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken seriously.
Example: He was so tired he could sleep for a century. (He could sleep for a long time.)
Sensory Language
Use sensory language that appeals to the reader’s sense of sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste where applicable. Sensory language helps the reader better imagine what he or she is reading about.
Examples:
The new puppy whimpered and restlessly moved about, his paws clicking on the wooden floor.
Avery hated the metallic taste of undercooked jackfruit.