Figurative Language—Language taken beyond its literal ordinary meaning.
Imagery—-Language that appeals to the five senses—sight, sound, taste, touch, and
smell.
Personification—-Giving human characteristics to non human things. For example:
Examples:
The tree cradled and gently rocked the baby birds to sleep.
Mother Nature took revenge on all who ventured out that day.
Connotation: The emotional, imaginative, cultural, or traditional associations
surrounding a word, as opposed to its strictly, literal dictionary definition.
Denotation: The strict dictionary definition of a word, presented objectively and without
emotional associations
Metaphor– a direct comparison between two unlike things. Ex-He is a pillar of strength.
Simile— a direct comparison between two unlike things using the words like or as. ExShe is a sweet as pie.-or– Her smile is like the sun.
Hyperbole-an extreme exaggeration.
Oxymoron-Contradiction of terms. Ex-jumbo shrimp, bitter sweet, sweet agony.
Onomatopoeia-word that imitate the sound. Ex-buzz, boom, bang, crash
Examples of beefing up writing with description
From this:
To this:
Her brown skin was sweaty.
Her velvety chocolate skin glistened like dew drops.
From this:
Her white face looked surprised.
To this:
Her chalky pale visage was stricken with fear as she looked on in utter
astonishment.
From this:
To this:
The sky is blue.
The azure sky is like a deep mysterious ocean above us