Figurative language

Figurative
Language

01

What Is
Figurative
Language?

What Is Figurative Language ?

Figurative language is phrasing that
goes beyond the literal meaning of words
to get a message or point across.

This def inition dates back to the mid-
nineteenth century and comes f rom the
Old French word “f iguratif ,” meaning
“met aphor ical.”

02

10 Types of
Figurative
Language

1.Simile

A simile is a f igure of speech that
compares two separate concepts
through the use of a clear
connecting word such as “like” or
“as.”

For examples:
-He was wily as a f ox.
-I slept like a log.
-The kitten looked like a skunk
with the stripe down his back.

2.Metaphor

A metaphor is like a simile,but
without connecting words.It
simply posits that two separate
things are the same.

For examples:
-He was a wily f ox.
-She cried a river of tears.
-Music is the doctor f or what ails
our soul.

3.Personification

Personif ication projects human
qualities onto inanimate objects,
or perhaps animals or natural
element s..

For examples:
-The wind howled.
-The words leapt of f the page.
-Time marches on.

4.Hyperbole

Hyperbole is extravagant,
intentional exaggeration.

For examples:
-I have a million things to do today.
-My dog is so smart he can leap
into a burning building and save a
baby.
-If I have told you once,I have told
you thousand times.

5.Idiom

Idioms are non-literal turns of
phrase so common that most
people who speak the same
language know them.

For examples:
-He stole her thunder.
-We’ll cross that bridge when we
come to it.
-Two heads are better than one.

6.Onomatopoeia

In onomatopoeia,words sound
like the thing they describe..
Sometimes individual words are
not onomatopoeic,but they will
become so in the context of the
words around them.

For examples:
-Ruf f ,ruf f went the dog.
-Crash went the waves on the
shore.
-Bang,bang went the gun.

7.Alliteration

Alliteration is a sound device that
layers some additional meaning on
top of the literal language of the
text.It occurs when a series of
words start with the same letter
sound.

For examples:
-Wicked witch.
-From f orth the f atal loins of these
two f oes.

8.Implied metaphor

Metaphor takes a f ew dif f erent
f orms.Sometimes the object of
comparison is purely implied
rather than directly ref erenced.

For examples:
-He barked commands at the
team.(Which implies comparison
to a dog).

9.Allusion

Allusion is when a text
ref erences another external
text—or maybe a person,place or
event.It can be either explicit or
implicit .

For examples:
- ”We’ve entered a Garden of Eden”
is an allusion to the biblical place,
f or instance.

10.Pun

A pun is a play on words.It
exploits the dif f erent meanings of
a word or its homonyms,usually
to humorous ef f ect.

For examples:
- “Time f lies like an arrow.Fruit
f lies like a banana.”

03

Function of
Figurative
Language

Function of Figurative Language.

1.The chief f unction of f igurative
language is to communicate the
writer’s message as clearly as
possible.

2.That might be by putting a
f oreign concept into f amiliar
terms that a reader or listener can
easily grasp,or it might be by
creating imagery that’s vivid and
visceral.

3.Some types of f igurative
language also have other uses
unrelated to their role in creating
imagery.For example,writers use
alliteration,consonance and
assonance alongside rhyme to
give words rhythm and musicality.

04

The Difference
Between
Figurative
Language and
Imagery.

The Difference Between Figurative
Language and Imagery.

1.Imagery and f igurative language
are related concepts in English
literature,but they are not the
same.

2.Writers use f igurative language
to create imagery,which is a
strong mental picture or
sensat ion.

3.It might help to think of
f igurative language as the tool
and imagery as the product it
builds.

REFERENCE

MasterClass. (2020,Oct 2). Figurative language. [Website] From
ht t ps://www.mast erclass.com/ar t icles/wr it ing- 101- what - is-
f igurative-language-learn-about-10-types-of -f igurative-
language-with-examples# what-is-f igurative-language