Figurative Language
Grade 8 Literacy
Definition:
Figurative language is a tool that an author employs to help
the reader visualize what is happening in a story or a poem.
Some common types of figurative language are: simile,
metaphor, alliteration, onomatopoeia, idiom, puns, and
imagery.
Simile
A simile is a comparison using like or as. It usually compares two
dissimilar objects. For example: His feet were as big as boats.
Metaphor
A metaphor states that one thing is something else. It is a
comparison, but it does not use like or as to make the comparison.
For example: Her hair is silk.
Identifying Similes and
Metaphors
 Decide whether each sentence contains a simile or a
metaphor. Write the word simile if the sentence
contains a simile. Write the word metaphor if the
sentence contains a metaphor.
 Example: The baby was like an octopus, grabbing at
all the cans on the grocery store shelves. Simile
because it is a comparison using like or as.
SIMILES or METAPHORS?
1. As the teacher entered the room she muttered under her breath,
“This class is like a three-ring circus!”
2. The giant’s steps were thunder as he ran toward Jack.
3. The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it after a long day.
4. I feel like a limp dishrag.
5. Those girls are like two peas in a pod.
6. The fluorescent light was the sun during our exam.
7. Nobody invites Mr. H to parties because he is a wet blanket.
8. The bar of soap was a slippery eel during the dog’s bath.
9. Brennan was as nervous as a cat with a long tail in a room full of
rocking chairs.
A Dream Deferred
by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore – And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over – like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
The Base Stealer
by Robert Francis
Poised between going on and back, pulled Both ways taut like a
tightrope-walker, Fingertips pointing the opposites, Now bouncing
tiptoe like a dropped ball Or a kid skipping rope, come on, come
on, Running a scattering of steps sidewise, How he teeters, skitters,
tingles, teases, Taunts them, hovers like an ecstatic bird, He's only
flirting, crowd him, crowd him, Delicate, delicate, delicate, delicate –
now!
Similes:
The base stealer is pulled both ways like a tightrope-walker
bouncing tiptoe like a dropped ball or a kid skipping rope hovers
like an ecstatic bird
Analysis:
Francis' word choice--tightrope, tiptoe, taut, fingertips, teeters,
skitters, tingles, teases-captures the intensity of a speedy base runner
at first base during the late innings of a tight game.
It's the word choice along with the similes that makes this poem
masterful, not to mention the alliteration and consonance involving
the “t” sound.
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
The free bird leaps on the back of the win and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wings in the orange
sun rays and dares to claim the sky. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of
rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with fearful
trill of the things unknown but longed for still and is tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom The free bird thinks of another breeze an the trade winds soft through the sighing
trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own. But a caged bird stands on the
grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his
throat to sing The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on
the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.
Maya Angelou
Metaphor:
The entire poem is a metaphor, with the caged bird representing those who have not freedom. Let's
take a look at the second and third stanzas: But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage / Can
seldom see through his bars of rage / His wings are clipped and his feet are tied / So he opens his
throat to sing. / The caged bird sings with a fearful trill / Of things unknown but longed for still /
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for / The caged bird sings of freedom.
Analysis:
A caged bird is unable to enjoy the freedom of other birds due to its cage, clipped wings, and tied feet.
African-Americans during Angelou's time were restricted by unfair laws and societal oppression.
Freedom is symbolized by the caged bird's beautiful song. As long as the bird is in the cage, he will
not reach his true potential. Although the context of the poem is important, one shouldn't limit its
application to one group of people or one period of time. A caged bird could be any group of
oppressed people. It could mean individuals. The cage could represent society, physical barriers, fear,
addiction or any self-defeating behavior, with the bird's song representing the true self that longs for
something greater in life.
METAPHOR FOR A FAMILY
My family lives inside a medicine chest:
Dad is the super-sized band aid, strong and powerful
but not always effective in a crisis.
Mom is the middle-size tweezers,
which picks and pokes and pinches.
My little brother is the single small aspirin on the third shelf,
sometimes ignored.
Muffin, the sheep dog, is a round cotton ball, stained and dirty,
that pops off the shelf and bounces in my way as I open the door.
And I am the wood and glue which holds us all together with my love.
THE 2ND OF JULY
My family is an expired firecracker
set off by the blowtorch of divorce. We lay
scattered in many directions.
My father is the wick, badly burnt
but still glowing softly.
My mother is the blackened paper fluttering down,
blowing this way and that, unsure where to land.
My sister is the fallen, colourful parachute,
lying in a tangled knot, unable to see the beauty she
holds.
My brother is the fresh, untouched powder that was protected from the flame. And I,
I am the singed, outside papers, curled away
from everything, silently cursing
the blowtorch.
Personification
Personification is giving human qualities, feelings, actions, or
characteristics to inanimate (non-living) objects. For example:
The window winked at me.
Identifying Personification
 Write the object being personified and the meaning
of the personification.
 Example: The wind sang her mournful song
through the fallen leaves. Answer: The wind is being
personified. Sentence implies that it is a somber fall day
and that it is a swirling wind.
IDENTIFYING PERSONIFICATION
1. The microwave timer told me it was time to turn my TV dinner.
2. The video camera observed the whole scene.
3. The strawberries seemed to sing, “Eat me first!”
4. The rain kissed my cheeks as it fell.
5. The daffodils nodded their yellow heads at the walkers.
6. The water beckoned invitingly to the hot swimmers.
7. The snow whispered as it fell to the ground during the early
morning hours.
8. The china plates danced on the shelves during the earthquake.
9. The car engine coughed and sputtered when it started during the
blizzard.
Two Sunflowers Move in the Yellow Room.
"Ah, William, we're weary of weather," said the sunflowers, shining
with dew. "Our traveling habits have tired us. Can you give us a room
with a view?”
They arranged themselves at the window and counted the steps of the
sun, and they both took root in the carpet
where the topaz tortoises run
Personification:
"Ah, William, we're weary of weather," / said the sunflowers, shining
with dew. / "Our traveling habits have tired us. / Can you give us a
room with a view?”
Analysis:
Sunflowers can't speak...unless they're part of a William Blake poem.
These two jovial talking sunflowers contribute to the poem's mood.
They seem like jolly good sunflowers, don't they? This poet believed
human fulfillment comes from being one with nature and that nature is
a a living thing.
USING PERSONIFICATION #1
Personify the following sentences. Change the words in parentheses to
words that would describe a human’s actions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
My bedroom door (opened)…
The puppy (barked) when…
The leaf (fell)…
The flashlight (went on)…
The CD player (made a noise)…
The space shuttle (took off)…
The net (moves) when the basketball…
USING PERSONIFICATION #2
Choose a word from List A that names something in nature. Choose a
word from List B that names an action. Write this word to the word
from List A. For example: stone listens
LIST A
sun
moon
stars
sky
sea
stone
night
mountain
dawn
morning
rain
streams
LIST B
tells
shows
reminds
teaches
listens
remembers
brings
looks
dances
dreams
guides
takes
USING PERSONIFICATION #2
Choose a word from List A that names something in nature. Choose a
word from List B that names an action. Write this word to the word
from List A. For example: stone listens Then expand your words into a
sentence. Example: The stone listens carefully to the grass as it grows
around it. Write on one subject, or describe other objects in nature. Put
them into a poem.
Example:
Night, it reminds me of yesterday.
The sun listens to the messages from the clouds.
Moon, look for me on the field.
Sea, guide me to you.
Dawn, bring me to the new day.
USING PERSONIFICATION #3
WASH THOSE BLUES AWAY
I…guzzle gallons of soapy water,
Eat mounds of soiled and smelly clothes,
Get indigestion from socks and underwear,
Belch and burp and vibrate until someone pumps
my stomach and takes
everything out
except one
red
sock
USING PERSONIFICATION #3
THINGS TO DO IF YOU ARE A PAPER BAG
Tote a tasty lunch
Be a perky puppet
Hide a hideous face
Remember a phone number
Crouch under cooling cookies
Blow yourself up and
BURST!
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the initial sound in two or more
words. For example: fancy fish
USING ALLITERATION
Create a tongue-twister. Choose a letter (remember to stay consistent
with sound – candies and celery do not share the same initial sounds)
like p,s,t, or any other letter you like. Use a dictionary if necessary and
make a list of words beginning with the letter you have chosen.
Combine as many of your words as possible into a sentence.
Example
Sully serenaded his sweetheart, Sally Smith, by singing softly while she swung
sideways on the swing set.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is the official term for words that sound like what
they mean. For example: buzzed, crackled, hummed
Examples
Example:
The soda went clug, clug, clug down her throat as she
guzzled it.
Using Onomatopoeia
Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using onomatopoeia.
1. Beneath her feet, the crystal snow __________.
2. The mosquitoes __________at the window screen.
3. The child __________happily over her blocks and toys.
4. The sheep dog, its paw torn and bleeding, __________at the
door.
Idiom: Phrases that are not
literal
Example:
I can’t help you right now. I’m all tied
up!
Hyperbole : an exaggeration
Example:
He was huge. He had to be the most gigantic 6th grader
that ever lived!
Irony: sarcasm/ the opposite of an
expected outcome
Example:
I was just thrilled that there was a pop quiz. I didn’t
even do my homework!
Imagery: descriptive
language- sensory details
Example:
The sweet almond and pumpkin aroma of the tea brought
back memories of cool August evenings at home.
The sea is… The sea is…
a lion’s roar
a shiny blue sheet hugging the shore
a shark’s restaurant
a quilt of blue
a surfer’s paradise
a leaking ink cartridge
the eyes of a fair haired child
the sound of crashing waves
discovered
a blue lagoon
God’s tears
a mermaid’s kingdom
a flooded land
a fish’s home
a bowl of salty water
liquid against a velvet sky
blue nothingness
a deadly suffocating machine
water, alive
white horses riding on a blue carpet
fun, surfing on the waves
another world waiting to be
a giant puddle
a blue blanket in the distance
Which are your favourite images? Why?
The dark is… The dark is…
a swallowed night
scary and unknown
an icy blanket covering the world
a creeping black monster
a blanket of black
a deep dark hole
a sea of shadows seeping into every corner
the final sleep
a place where nightmares live
a mysterious cave
a sleeping potion carried around the world
a bottle of Coke
a place where light can’t show
the retreat of the sun
a place where horror draws you in
loneliness
black tights over your head
an oily sea
something black
a black cat at night
where nobody goes
the edge of the universe
a dark cupboard
cold, black, silence
a witch’s cauldron
death
black as black
the night sky
Which are your favourite images? Why?
Symbolism: something that
represents another thing or idea
Examples:
 An olive branch is a symbol of_________
 Red is often symbolic of ____________
Let’s Practice.
Name that literary device
 When Sara went swimming she was the fastest fish
in the water.
Name that literary device
In math class, John got the right answer and the
teacher said, “You sure hit the nail on the head.”
Name that literary device
Drip drop drip went the leaky water faucet.
On Your own
Name that literary device
1) The teacher gave us so much homework. This is
going to take forever to finish.
Name that literary device
2) Sam was like a broken record player in the way he
would repeat himself over and over.
Name that literary device
3) After three hours of questioning and the suspect
had still not given up any information, the detective
knew he would be a tough nut to crack.
Name that literary device
4) “Time to take out the trash,” said Billy’s mom.
“Oh great,” said Billy as he rolled his eyes.
“That sounds like a ton of fun.”
Name that literary device
5) Rebecca was a grasshopper when she jumped high
up into the air.
Name that literary device
6) As the door opened with a loud creak, the scent of
freshly baked muffins poured over me. My mouth
began to water and my stomach let out a low
rumble. I was certainly hungry.
Name that literary device
7) As Jacob stared up at the
Canadian flag flowing in
the wind, he could not help
but think about all the
things that flag stood for.
The flag was so much more
than just sewn cloth.
Name that literary device
8) The rain drops raced down the outside of the
window before they relaxed in a spreading puddle.
Name that literary device
9) Thump thump thump thump went my heart as the
doctor listened with a stethoscope.
Answers
1) Hyperbole
6) Imagery
2) Simile
7) Symbolism
3) Idiom
8) Personification
4) Irony
9) Onomatopoeia
5) Metaphor
To sum it all up…
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c610IA02SaI