Figurative Language
What is Literal Language?
Literal: it means exactly what
someone says.
Example: If I ask you to
walk in place, it means that
is exactly what I want you to
do.
What is Figurative Language?
• Figurative: it means to imply
something else.
• Example: “The teacher gave
us a ton of homework.” It is
not two thousand pounds of
HW, it just means a lot of HW.
Literal and Figurative
• Literal (It is real)
– “I’m getting very tired.”
• I actually mean that I am becoming tired.
• Figurative (Imaginary)
– “Let’s go chill out together.”
• Do I want us to go get cold? No, I want us to go
spend some time together.
Why Writers Use Figurative
Language
Also known as descriptive
language, or poetic language,
figurative language helps the
writer paint a picture in the
reader’s mind.
Seven Techniques of Figurative
Language
• onomatopoeia
• metaphor
• alliteration
• personification
• simile
• idiom
• hyperbole
What is an idiom?
• words, phrases, or expressions that are
not interpreted logically or literally
• unusual expressions that are either
grammatically incorrect or have a
meaning that cannot be comprehended
through contextual clues
Hyperbole
•Is when one
exaggerates.