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• Figurative Language

Figurative Language Definition

What is figurative language? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Figurative language is language that contains or uses figures of speech . When people use the term "figurative language," however, they often do so in a slightly narrower way. In this narrower definition, figurative language refers to language that uses words in ways that deviate from their literal interpretation to achieve a more complex or powerful effect. This view of figurative language focuses on the use of figures of speech that play with the meaning of words, such as metaphor , simile , personification , and hyperbole .

Some additional key details about figurative language:

• Figurative language is common in all sorts of writing, as well as in spoken language.
• Figurative language refers to language that contains figures of speech, while figures of speech are the particular techniques. If figurative speech is like a dance routine, figures of speech are like the various moves that make up the routine.
• It's a common misconception that imagery, or vivid descriptive language, is a kind of figurative language. In fact, writers can use figurative language as one tool to help create imagery, but imagery does not have to use figurative language.

Figurative Language Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce figurative language: fig -yer-uh-tiv lang -gwij

Figures of Speech and Figurative Language

To fully understand figurative language, it's helpful to have a basic understanding of figures of speech. More specifically, it's helpful to understand the two main types of figures of speech: tropes and schemes .

• Tropes are figures of speech that play with and shift the expected and literal meaning of words.
• Schemes are figures of speech that involve a change from the typical mechanics of a sentence, such as the order, pattern, or arrangement of words.

Put even more simply: tropes play with the meaning of words, while schemes play with the structure of words, phrases, and sentences.

The Different Things People Mean When They Say Figurative Language

When people say figurative language, they don't always mean the precise same thing. Here are the three different ways people usually talk about figurative language:

• Dictionary definition of figurative language: According to the dictionary, figurative language is simply any language that contains or uses figures of speech. This definition would mean that figurative language includes the use of both tropes and schemes.
• Much more common real world use of figurative language: However, when people (including teachers) refer to figurative language, they usually mean language that plays with the literal meaning of words. This definition sees figurative language as language that primarily involves the use of tropes.
• Another common real world use of figurative language: Some people define figurative language as including figures of speech that play with meaning as well as a few other common schemes that affect the rhythm and sound of text, such as alliteration and assonance .

What does all that boil down to for you? If you hear someone talking about figurative language, you can usually safely assume they are referring to language that uses figures of speech to play with the meaning of words and, perhaps, with the way that language sounds or feels.

Common Types of Figurative Language

There are many, many types of figures of speech that can be involved in figurative language. Some of the most common are:

• Metaphor : A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another thing, even though this isn't literally true. For example, the phrase "her lips are a blooming rose" obviously doesn't literally mean what it says—it's a metaphor that makes a comparison between the red beauty and promise of a blooming rose with that of the lips of the woman being described.
• Simile : A simile, like a metaphor, makes a comparison between two unrelated things. However, instead of stating that one thing is another thing (as in metaphor), a simile states that one thing is like another thing. An example of a simile would be to say "they fought like cats and dogs."
• Oxymoron : An oxymoron pairs contradictory words in order to express new or complex meanings. In the phrase "parting is such sweet sorrow" from Romeo and Juliet , "sweet sorrow" is an oxymoron that captures the complex and simultaneous feelings of pain and pleasure associated with passionate love.
• Hyperbole : Hyperbole is an intentional exaggeration of the truth, used to emphasize the importance of something or to create a comic effect. An example of a hyperbole is to say that a backpack "weighs a ton." No backpack literally weighs a ton, but to say "my backpack weighs ten pounds" doesn't effectively communicate how burdensome a heavy backpack feels.
• Personification : In personification, non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent to their plans." Describing the rain as "indifferent" is an example of personification, because rain can't be "indifferent," nor can it feel any other human emotion.
• Idiom : An idiom is a phrase that, through general usage within a particular group or society, has gained a meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the words. The phrase "it's raining cats and dogs" is known to most Americans to mean that it's raining hard, but an English-speaking foreigner in the United States might find the phrase totally confusing.
• Onomatopoeia : Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech in which words evoke the actual sound of the thing they refer to or describe. The “boom” of a firework exploding, the “tick tock” of a clock, and the “ding dong” of a doorbell are all examples of onomatopoeia.
• Synecdoche : In synecdoche, a part of something is used to refer to its whole . For example, "The captain commands one hundred sails" is a synecdoche that uses "sails" to refer to ships—ships being the thing of which a sail is a part.
• Metonymy : Metonymy is a figure of speech in which an object or concept is referred to not by its own name, but instead by the name of something closely associated with it. For example, in "Wall Street prefers lower taxes," the New York City street that was the original home of the New York Stock Exchange stands in for (or is a "metonym" for) the entire American financial industry.
• Alliteration : In alliteration, the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “ b ” sound in: “ B ob b rought the b ox of b ricks to the b asement.” Alliteration uses repetition to create a musical effect that helps phrases to stand out from the language around them.
• Assonance : The repetition of vowel sounds repeat in nearby words, such as the " ee " sound: "the squ ea ky wh ee l gets the gr ea se." Like alliteration, assonance uses repeated sounds to create a musical effect in which words echo one another.

Figurative Language vs. Imagery

Many people (and websites) argue that imagery is a type of figurative language. That is actually incorrect. Imagery refers to a writers use of vivid and descriptive language to appeal to the reader's senses and more deeply evoke places, things, emotions, and more. The following sentence uses imagery to give the reader a sense of how what is being described looks, feels, smells, and sounds:

The night was dark and humid, the scent of rotting vegetation hung in the air, and only the sound of mosquitoes broke the quiet of the swamp.

This sentence uses no figurative language. Every word means exactly what it says, and the sentence is still an example of the use of imagery. That said, imagery can use figurative language, often to powerful effect:

The night was dark and humid, heavy with a scent of rotting vegetation like a great-aunt's heavy and inescapable perfume, and only the whining buzz of mosquitoes broke the silence of the swamp.

In this sentence, the description has been made more powerful through the use of a simile ("like a great-aunt's..."), onomatopoeia ("whining buzz," which not only describes but actually sounds like the noise made by mosquitoes), and even a bit of alliteration in the " s ilence of the s wamp."

To sum up: imagery is not a form of figurative language. But a writer can enhance his or her effort to write imagery through the use of figurative language.

Figurative Language Examples

Figurative language is more interesting, lively, beautiful, and memorable than language that's purely literal. Figurative language is found in all sorts of writing, from poetry to prose to speeches to song lyrics, and is also a common part of spoken speech. The examples below show a variety of different types of figures of speech. You can see many more examples of each type at their own specific LitChart entries.

Figurative Language Example: Metaphor

Metaphor in shakespeare's romeo and juliet.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , Romeo uses the following metaphor in Act 2 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet , after sneaking into Juliet's garden and catching a glimpse of her on her balcony:

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Romeo compares Juliet to the sun not only to describe how radiantly beautiful she is, but also to convey the full extent of her power over him. He's so taken with Juliet that her appearances and disappearances affect him like those of the sun. His life "revolves" around Juliet like the earth orbits the sun.

Figurative Language Example: Simile

In this example of a simile from Slaughterhouse-Five , Billy Pilgrim emerges from an underground slaughterhouse where he has been held prisoner by the Germans during the deadly World War II firebombing of Dresden:

It wasn't safe to come out of the shelter until noon the next day. When the Americans and their guards did come out, the sky was black with smoke. The sun was an angry little pinhead. Dresden was like the moon now , nothing but minerals. The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighborhood was dead.

Vonnegut uses simile to compare the bombed city of Dresden to the moon in order to capture the totality of the devastation—the city is so lifeless that it is like the barren moon.

Figurative Language Example: Oxymoron

These lines from Chapter 7 of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls describe an encounter between Robert Jordan, a young American soldier fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and his lover María.

She held herself tight to him and her lips looked for his and then found them and were against them and he felt her, fresh, new and smooth and young and lovely with the warm, scalding coolness and unbelievable to be there in the robe that was as familiar as his clothes, or his shoes, or his duty and then she said, frightenedly, “And now let us do quickly what it is we do so that the other is all gone.”

The couple's relationship becomes a bright spot for both of them in the midst of war, but ultimately also a source of pain and confusion for Jordan, as he struggles to balance his obligation to fight with his desire to live happily by Maria's side. The contradiction contained within the oxymoron "scalding coolness" emphasizes the couple's conflicting emotions and impossible situation.

Figurative Language Example: Hyperbole

Elizabeth Bennet, the most free-spirited character in Pride and Prejudice , refuses Mr. Darcy's first marriage proposal with a string of hyperbole :

From the very beginning, from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that ground-work of disapprobation, on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.

Elizabeth's closing statement, that Darcy is the "last man in the world" whom she would ever marry, is an obvious hyperbole. It's hard to believe that Elizabeth would rather marry, say, an axe murderer or a diseased pirate than Mr. Darcy. Even beyond the obvious exaggeration, Austen's use of hyperbole in this exchange hints at the fact that Elizabeth's feelings for Darcy are more complicated than she admits, even to herself. Austen drops various hints throughout the beginning of the novel that Elizabeth feels something beyond mere dislike for Darcy. Taken together with these hints, Elizabeth's hyperbolic statements seem designed to convince not only Darcy, but also herself, that their relationship has no future.

Figurative Language Example: Personification

In Chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter , Nathaniel Hawthorne describes a wild rose bush that grows in front of Salem's gloomy wooden jail:

But, on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him.

In the context of the novel's setting in 17th century Boston, this rose bush, which grows wild in front of an establishment dedicated to enforcing harsh puritan values, symbolizes those elements of human nature that cannot be repressed, no matter how strict a community's moral code may be: desire, fertility, and a love of beauty. By personifying the rosebush as "offering" its blossoms to reflect Nature's pity (Nature is also personified here as having a "heart"), Hawthorne turns the passive coincidence of the rosebush's location into an image of human nature actively resisting its constraints.

Figurative Language Example: Idiom

Figurative language example: onomatopoeia.

In Act 3, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's The Tempest , Caliban uses onomatopoeia to convey the noises of the island.

Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, Sounds, and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices...

The use of onomatopoeia makes the audience feel the sounds on the island, rather than just have to take Caliban's word about there being noises.

Figurative Language Example: Synecdoche

In Act 4, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's Macbeth , an angry Macbeth kicks out a servant by saying:

Take thy face hence.

Here, "thy face" stands in for "you." Macbeth is simply telling the servant to leave, but his use of synecdoche makes the tone of his command more harsh and insulting because he uses synecdoche to treat the servant not as a person but as an object, a body part.

Figurative Language Example: Metonymy

In his song "Juicy," Notorious B.I.G. raps:

Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight

Here he's using "limelight" as a metonymy for fame (a "limelight" was a kind of spotlight used in old theaters, and so it came to be associated with the fame of being in the spotlight). Biggie's use of metonymy here also sets him up for a sweet rhyme.

Figurative Language Example: Alliteration

In his song "Rap God," Eminem shows his incredible lyrical dexterity by loading up the alliteration :

S o I wanna make sure, s omewhere in this chicken s cratch I S cribble and doodle enough rhymes T o maybe t ry t o help get s ome people through t ough t imes But I gotta k eep a few punchlines Just in c ase, ‘ c ause even you un s igned Rappers are hungry l ooking at me l ike it's l unchtime…

Why Do Writers Use Figurative Language?

The term figurative language refers to a whole host of different figures of speech, so it's difficult to provide a single definitive answer to why writers use figurative language. That said, writers use figurative language for a wide variety of reasons:

• Interest and beauty: Figurative language allows writes to express descriptions, ideas, and more in ways that are unique and beautiful.
• Complexity and power: Because figurative language can create meanings that go beyond the literal, it can capture complex ideas, feelings, descriptions, or truths that cause readers to see things in a new way, or more closely mirror the complex reality of the world.
• Visceral affect: Because figurative language can both impact the rhythm and sound of language, and also connect the abstract (say, love) with the concrete (say, a rose), it can help language make an almost physical impact on a reader.
• Humor: By allowing a writer to layer additional meanings over literal meanings, or even to imply intended meanings that are the opposite of the literal meaning, figurative language gives writers all sorts of options for creating humor in their writing.
• Realism: People speak and even think in terms of the sorts of comparisons that underlie so much figurative language. Rather than being flowery, figurative language allows writers to describe things in ways that match how people really think about them, and to create characters who themselves feel real.

In general, figurative language often makes writing feel at once more accessible and powerful, more colorful, surprising, and deep.

Other Helpful Figurative Language Resources

• The dictionary definition of figurative : Touches on figurative language, as well as some other meanings of the word.
• Figurative and Frost : Examples of figurative language in the context of the poetry of Robert Frost.
• Figurative YouTube : A video identifying various forms of figurative language from movies and television shows.
• Wikipedia on literal and figurative language : A bit technical, but with a good list of examples.

• PDFs for all 136 Lit Terms we cover
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• Alliteration
• Figure of Speech
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Figurative Language

Figurative language definition.

Figurative language uses figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive, and impactful.

Figures of speech such as metaphors , similes, and allusions go beyond the literal meanings of the words to give readers new insights. On the other hand, alliterations, imageries, or onomatopoeias are figurative devices that appeal to the senses of the readers.

Figurative language can appear in multiple forms with the use of different literary and rhetorical devices . According to Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia, the definition of figurative language has five different forms:

• Understatement or Emphasis
• Relationship or Resemblance
• Figures of Sound
• Verbal Games

Types of Figurative Language

The term figurative language covers a wide range of literary devices and techniques, a few of which include:

Personification

• Onomatopoeia

Alliteration

• Understatement

Short Examples of Figurative Language

• His friend is as black as coal.
• He has learned gymnastics, and is as agile as a monkey.
• When attacked in his home, he will fight like a caged tiger.
• Can you dance like a monkey?
• Even when he was told everything, he was acting like a donkey.
• My Friend is a Shakespeare when in English class.
• He was a roaring lion in anger, though now he is silent.
• They seem like jackals when running in fear.
• Kisses are roses in the spring .
• This world is a sea of anonymous faces.
• The house stood half-demolished and abandoned.
• He left with his haunted and spell-bound face.
• He did not like the odorless and colorless shape of water.
• His friend was looking at spooky glissando twangs.
• Zigzag fissures in the land made him look for snakes .
• The light on the site did not let him see the sight.
• He heard the sound of the fire, like wire striking the air.
• This artificial stream is going to flow to the downtown of the town.
• Please set the kite right.
• Might of the fright seems greater than the actual fear.
• He lets the pink ball fall with a tall man.
• They have not learned how to catch the cat.
• Get a seat with a treat in our local hall.
• Calling the cow an ox is like putting the cart before the horse.
• He saw the pink kite floating past the tall trees .
• He is dying with his untrustworthy belief.
• Sharply blunt razor cannot do anything to you.
• Kindly cruel treatment made him flabbergasted.
• Please, watch with closed eyes and you will see the heaven.
• Creatively dull person cannot do anything in his life.
• The Pentagon is located in Washington in the United States.
• The Hollywood is a home of English movies.
• 10 Downing Street is located in London .
• Buckingham Palace is world’s oldest symbol of democracy.
• The White House.
• He does not know how to behave with the special people.
• He is looking at his own grey hair and his agility.
• They saw a fleet of fifty.
• At this time, he owns nine head of cattle.
• The new generation is addicted to the use of plastic money.

Examples of Figurative Language from Literature

Example #1: the base stealer (by robert francis).

Poised between going on and back, pulled Both ways taut like a tight-rope walker, Now bouncing tiptoe like a dropped ball, Or a kid skipping rope, come on, come on! … Taunts them, hovers like an ecstatic bird, He’s only flirting, crowd him, crowd him,

The similes and word choice of this poem makes it a masterpiece. The poet use similes between the lines to depict his scattered thoughts before taking action, and makes comparison as, “ like a tight-rope ,” “ like a dropped ball ,” and “ hovers like an ecstatic bird .”

Example #2: I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings (By Maya Angelou)

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 The caged bird sings with a fearful trill … And his tune is heard on the distant hill for The caged bird sings of freedom.

The entire poem is rich with metaphor as a bird in a cage represents a group of people who are oppressed and cannot get freedom. The cage represents physical barriers, fear, addiction, or society; while the song of the bird represents true self yearning for something greater in life.

Example #3: She Sweeps with Many-Colored Brooms (By Emily Dickinson)

She sweeps with many-colored Brooms And leaves the Shreds behind Oh Housewife in the Evening West Come back, and dust the Pond!

Dickinson uses personification of a housewife to describe the sunset in the very first line of this poem. She is using a sweeping housewife who does her daily work, likewise the rays of the setting sun sweep away beneath the horizon.

Example #4: The Raven (By Edgar Allen Poe)

O nce upon a midnight dreary w hile I pondered w eak and w eary ; r are and r adiant maiden; And the s ilken s ad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain … D eep into that d arkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, D oubting, d reaming d reams no mortal ever d ared to d ream before.

Poe uses alliteration by repeating the /w/ sound to emphasize the weariness of the narrator , and then /r/ and /s/ sounds in the second and third lines respectively. In the last two lines, the /d/ sound highlights the narrator’s hopelessness.

Example #5: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (By Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks Had I from old and young ! Instead of the cross , the Albatross About my neck was hung.

In these lines, the albatross symbolizes a big mistake, or a burden of sin, just like the cross on which Christ was crucified. Therefore, all people on the ship agreed to slay that bird.

Example #6: The Bluest Eyes (By Toni Morrison)

Personification, consonance, and simile.

She ran down the street, the green knee socks making her legs look like wild dandelion of stems that had somehow lost their heads. The weight of her remark stunned us.

This excerpt uses different devices that make language figurative. There is a good use of simile , “legs look like wild dandelion;” and personification, “lost their heads;” and use of consonance in “stunned us,” where the /s/ is a consonant sound.

Example #7: The Week of Diana (By Maya Angelou)

Metaphor, consonance, personification.

“The dark lantern of world sadness has cast its shadow upon the land. We stumble into our misery on leaden feet.”

in just these two lines, Maya Angelou has used a metaphor of the dark lantern, consonance of the /s/ sounds, and personification of misery.

Example #8: The Negro Speaks of River (By Langston Hughes)

Consonance, simile.

“I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers.”

This prince of the Harlem Renaissance has beautifully used a different type of consonance with the /l/ sound and a simile of “my soul.”

Example #9: Musée des Beaux Arts (By W. H. Auden)

Personification, consonance.

That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot Where the dogs go on with their doggy W. H. Auden life and the torturer’s horse Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.

W. H. Auden has used a personification of the “dreadful martyrdom,” and consonances of “some untidy spot,” with the /s/ sound, and “dogs go on with their doggy life,” with the /d/ and /g/ sounds.

Function of Figurative Language

The primary function of figurative language is to force readers to imagine what a writer wants to express. Figurative language is not meant to convey literal meanings, and often it compares one concept with another in order to make the first concept easier to understand. However, it links the two ideas or concepts with the goal of influencing the audience to understand the link, even if it does not exist.

Poets and prose writers use this technique to bring out emotions and help their readers form images in their minds. Thus, figurative language is a useful way of conveying an idea that readers cannot understand otherwise, due to its complex and abstract nature. In addition, it helps in analyzing a literary text.

Related posts:

•   Examples Of Figurative Language In Poetry
• Examples of Figurative Language in Rap Songs
• Examples Of Figurative Language In Popular Songs
• Examples Of Figurative Language In Children’s Poetry and Rhymes
• Sensory Language

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Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

Figurative Language

As a painter uses brushes and paint to create an image, a writer also has tools to create an effect. One of these tools is the use of figurative language , where the writer changes or enhances the normal meaning of words. This enhancement falls into a number of categories, called collectively “figures of speech.” These categories include metaphor , simile , personification , hyperbole , alliteration ,  onomatopoeia and more.

Figurative Language Worksheets - Printable for the Classroom!

Browse the collection of free, printable figurative language worksheets below from K12Reader! Be sure to check out all of our reading worksheets  for more useful tools to bring into the classroom. We proudly provide a myriad of resources to help improve your student’s writing!

Alliteration Worksheets

Hyperbole Worksheets

Idiom Worksheets

Irony Worksheets

Metaphor Worksheets

Onomatopoeia Worksheets

Oxymoron Worksheets

Paradox Worksheets

Personification Worksheets

Simile Worksheets

Pun Worksheets

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Teach Figurative Language With Our Brand-New Worksheet Bundle

Just in time for Poetry Month!

Figurative language adds depth, imagery, and nuance to communication. It helps writers express themselves more vividly and effectively. Understanding and using figurative language requires students to think creatively and critically. If you’re teaching figurative language to your 3rd- to 5th-grade students, make sure you grab this bundle of figurative language worksheets . (We think it pairs great with our poetry worksheet bundle!) . Here’s what our figurative language worksheets cover:

A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things. On our worksheet, students will read similes and identify the two things being compared. They’ll also have the opportunity to complete some similes with words of their choosing.

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which two things that are normally unrelated are compared to each other. Students will use a word bank to complete metaphors and write three of their own.

An idiom is an expression that has a meaning that isn’t immediately obvious from the words themselves. Students will match common idioms to their meanings and use three of them in a sentence.

Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration. Students will identify whether given sentences contain hyperbole or not and then rewrite several sentences to include hyperbole.

Personification

Personification is a type of figurative language that gives human traits to animals, plants, objects, and other non-human things. Students will identify the objects being personified in given sentences and write three sentences personifying given objects.

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words in a phrase or sentence. Students will take sets of words to write alliterative sentences.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a word that names a sound but also sounds like that sound. Students will find several examples of onomatopoeia in a word search and then use a handful of them in a sentence.

Finding Figurative Language

Finally, students will have the opportunity to put all their learning to use. On this record sheet, they can record instances of figurative language as they read. This worksheet includes spaces to write the title, author, example, and a checkbox for what kind of figurative language is demonstrated.

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Figurative Language for Students and Teachers

A Complete guide to figurative language for students and teachers.

WHAT IS FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE? A DEFINITION     

We most often associate figurative language with poetry , but we find figurative language widely used in many other contexts too. We find it in use in everything from fiction and folk music to drama and our daily speech.

The term figurative language refers to any use of language that goes beyond the literal meaning of the words themselves. In many instances, the phrase also refers to instances where the use of sounds, syntax, and word order deviates from what is considered the normal patterns of use. It is this definition that we will explore in this guide to uncover different figurative language types.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE  is like  “SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR AUTHORS.”  It is a powerful tool to create  VIVID IMAGERY  through words. This  HUGE UNIT  guides you through completely understanding  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE .

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WHY DO WE USE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE?

In both regards mentioned above, figurative language represents a sophisticated, creative use of language to convey meaning and mood, among other effects. It represents an essential tool in the writer’s toolbox.

These creative applications of language help readers visualize the writer’s intended meaning and establish atmosphere, rhythm, and other stylistic effects. The use of these literary devices creates an effective and beautiful way to communicate through the written and spoken word.

Using figurative language helps speak to a reader’s emotions, as well as articulate more abstract and complex concepts in a relatable way. How a writer uses figurative language in their work constitutes a significant element of their style.

T YPES OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Figurative language is a broad category that encompasses all types of figures of speech, including sound devices and imagery.

There are lots of different types of figures of speech , but broadly speaking, these can helpfully be divided into two groups: tropes and schemes .

This article will look at various examples of figures of speech within these two categories. We will define them, provide an example of how they are used, and provide a straightforward activity that requires minimal preparation and will allow students to practice these in class.

FIGURES OF SPEECH: TROPES AND SCHEMES

A trope is a figure of speech that uses words or phrases in a way in which the intended meaning extends beyond the literal meaning of the words used. Some of the most commonly used tropes include metaphor, simile, and personification. But there are many others. We will take a look at some of the main ones below.

Definition: This figure of speech uses exaggeration for emphasis or other specific effects such as humour, for example. As with other figures of speech, it is not meant to be taken literally by the audience or the reader – they are usually in on it. We often use hyperbole in our daily speech.

Hyperbole Examples

• “I’ve told you a million times to clean your room!” – This is a common exaggeration parents use and can relate to teenagers.
• “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!” – This is a humorous exaggeration often used to express extreme hunger.
• “I’ve been waiting in line forever!” – This is a typical exaggeration to express frustration with long waits.
• “I’m dying of boredom!” – This exaggeration expresses extreme boredom or lack of interest.
• “I have a ton of homework to do tonight! ” – This is an exaggeration used to express a large amount of work or a heavy workload.
• I could have died of embarrassment. This hyperbolic phrase is often used by teens and, younger people to emphasise their feelings of anxiety, shame or humiliation.

Hyperbole Writing Tips for Students and Teachers :

Do not overuse it: While hyperbole can be a powerful tool, using it too often can make writing seem over-the-top and unrealistic. Therefore, students should use hyperbole sparingly and only when it truly adds value to their writing.

Use Hyperbole in a creative and original manner: When using hyperbole, students should aim to be creative and original in their language. Instead of relying on tired cliches, they should try to come up with new and interesting ways to exaggerate their points.

Never use Hyperbole to deceive, Use it for impact: It’s important for students to remember that hyperbole should never be used to deceive or mislead readers. Instead, it should be used to make a point or to add emphasis to a particular idea. Using hyperbole responsibly, students can make their writing more interesting and engaging without sacrificing accuracy or integrity.

We have a complete guide to hyperbole in literature, which can be found here

Hyperbole Teaching Task: Give students a list of comparative adjectives. You can differentiate these according to the students’ ages and abilities. Challenge students to compose hyperbole based on each of these adjectives. Use the model phrase ‘ brighter than the sun ’ to get the ball rolling.

Definition: An idiom is a figurative use of language that cannot be understood from a literal understanding of the words alone. Idioms are a part of the language, and each language develops its own unique idioms over time. Idioms are similar to other figures of speech except that while most other figures of speech can be the original conceptions of the writer, idioms already exist within the language. Many of Shakespeare’s figures of speech have become crystallized in the language as the idioms of today.

Idiom Examples:

• “Break a leg” is a common idiom used to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance or test.
• “Hang out” is an idiom that describes spending time with friends or relaxing with them.
• “Throw shade” – This is a modern idiom used to describe making a rude or disrespectful comment about someone.
• “Bite the bullet” – This is an idiom that describes facing a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage and determination.
• “Couch potato” is an idiom used to describe someone who spends a lot of time sitting on the couch, usually watching TV or playing video games.

Idiom Writing Tips for Students and Teachers

• Understand the meaning and context: Before using an idiom in your writing, understand its meaning and how it’s used in context. Misusing an idiom can be confusing or even change the meaning of what you’re trying to say.
• Know your audience: Some idioms may not be understood by all readers, particularly those who are not native speakers of your language or from different regions or cultures. Therefore, students should consider their audience when using idioms and avoid ones that may be unfamiliar or confusing.
• Use idioms sparingly: While idioms can add color and personality to writing, using too many can be distracting or overwhelming. Therefore, students should use idioms judiciously and only when they really add value to their writing. Additionally, they should try to use idioms that are appropriate for the tone and purpose of their writing.

Idiom Teaching Task: You can help students bridge the gap between their understanding of figures of speech and idioms through this activity. Provide students with a list of idioms on various themes. Discuss these and ensure they have a sense of their meaning. Challenge the students to compose their own figures of speech on each of these themes using the sample idiom as a starting point.

Definition: A metaphor makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating one thing is the other thing. This is usually done by highlighting or suggesting a shared quality or characteristic between the two distinct elements.

Metaphor Examples:

• “Life is a rollercoaster” – This metaphor compares the ups and downs of life to the twists and turns of a rollercoaster ride.
• “Love is a battlefield” – This metaphor compares the challenges and difficulties of love to the struggles of a battlefield.
• “The world is a stage” – This metaphor compares the events of the world to a theatrical performance, where individuals play their parts and have their moment in the spotlight.
• “He’s a rockstar” – This metaphor compares a person’s popularity, success, or charisma to a famous rockstar.
• “School is a prison” – This metaphor compares the experience of going to school to being imprisoned or confined, highlighting the perceived lack of freedom and control that students may feel.

Metaphor Writing Tips for Students and Teachers:

• Originality always impresses: Students should strive to be creative and original when using metaphors. Instead of relying on cliches or overused metaphors, they should try to create unique and interesting comparisons that genuinely enhance their writing.
• Be Consistent: Once a metaphor is introduced in your writing, it should be used consistently throughout your work. This helps to reinforce the connection between the two things being compared and creates a more cohesive and impactful piece of writing.
• Avoid mixed metaphors: A mixed metaphor is when two or more metaphors are used in the same sentence or paragraph, resulting in a confusing or illogical comparison. Students should avoid mixed metaphors and ensure that their comparisons make sense and are consistent throughout their writing. An example of a mixed metaphor is “I smell a rat, but we’ll nip it in the bud.”

In this sentence, “smell a rat” is a metaphor that means to sense that something is wrong or suspicious, while “nip it in the bud” is a different metaphor that means to stop something before it becomes a bigger problem. The two metaphors, however, are contradictory – if you’ve already smelled a rat, it’s too late to nip it in the bud. This creates confusion for the reader and makes the sentence less effective.

Metaphor Teaching Task: Metaphors are commonly used in speech, poetry, plays, songs, and stories. To give your students practice identifying metaphors in a range of contexts, organize them into groups and provide them with a range of the types of reading materials listed above. Have students read and listen to these materials and identify examples of metaphor in each, compiling a list as they go.

Definition: Oxymorons combine two opposing elements into a single phrase or sentence. They can be used to create a range of effects, comedic, dramatic, or thought-provoking.

Oxymoron Examples

• “ Jumbo shrimp” – This oxymoron combines two opposite words to create a humorous and memorable phrase.
• “Pretty ugly” – This oxymoron combines two contradictory words to describe something unattractive or not aesthetically pleasing.
• “Silent scream” – This oxymoron combines two words that are opposite in meaning to describe a scream expressed without sound.
• “Awfully good” – This oxymoron combines two words that are contradictory in meaning to describe something that is both good and bad at the same time.
• “Virtual reality” – This oxymoron combines two words that are opposite in meaning to describe a simulated environment that feels real, but is not actually physical.

Oxymoron Writing Tips for Students and Teachers

• Use oxymorons with purpose : Oxymorons should be used with a specific purpose, whether to create a humorous effect or to add a sense of contrast or contradiction. Students should avoid using oxymorons just for the sake of using them, as this can detract from the impact of their writing.
• Don’t overdo oxymorons: While oxymorons can be effective, using too many in a piece of writing can make it seem contrived or gimmicky. Therefore, students should use oxymorons judiciously and only when they add value to their writing.
• Oxymorons must make sense: An oxymoron combines two words with opposite meanings. However, students should ensure that the combined words make sense and create a clear and compelling contrast. Using a nonsensical oxymoron can confuse readers and undermine the effectiveness of the writing.

Oxymoron Teaching Task: Oxymorons are very common in our daily speech, for example, ‘seriously funny’, ‘random order’, and ‘pretty ugly’. Organise the students into groups and challenge them to come up with as many other common examples as they can. As an extension exercise, ask the students to compose some original oxymorons too.

PERSONIFICATION:

Definition: Personification is a special metaphor where human actions or feelings are ascribed to a non-human thing. When we talk about something that isn’t human as if it was, then we are personifying it – that is, making it into a person. This figurative use of language is most commonly associated with poetry and literary fiction, but we can often find it in our daily speech too.

Personification Examples:

• “ The stars danced in the sky .” – This personifies the stars by giving them human-like dancing qualities, which creates a vivid and engaging image in the reader’s mind.
• “ The wind whispered secrets to the trees .” – This personifies the wind by giving it the ability to whisper secrets, which creates a sense of mystery and intrigue.
• “ The sun smiled down on us .” – This personifies the sun by giving it the ability to smile, which creates a warm and positive image in the reader’s mind.
• “ The car coughed and sputtered to life .” – This personifies the car by giving it the human-like quality of coughing and sputtering, which creates a sense of character and personality.
• “ The waves crashed angrily against the shore .” – This personifies the waves by giving them the human-like quality of anger, which creates a sense of drama and tension in the scene.

Personification Writing Tips for Students and Teachers

• Use personification to create vivid imagery: Personification is a great tool for creating vivid, memorable images in the reader’s mind. Students should aim to use personification to describe things in a way that helps the reader visualize them more clearly and engage with the text on a deeper level.
• Be creative and original: While there are some common examples of personification (such as giving inanimate objects human-like qualities), students should aim to be creative and come up with original ways to personify things in their writing. This can make their writing stand out and be more memorable.
• Use personification intentionally: Personification should be used intentionally and purposefully to enhance the meaning of the writing. Students should consider why they are personifying something and how it adds to the overall effect of their writing. Overuse of personification can be distracting and detract from the impact of the writing.

Personification Teaching Task: Organize the students into pairs. Instruct Partner 1 to compile a list of 10 nouns, these can be inanimate objects such as a pencil , a chair etc or natural phenomenon such as moon , stars , sun etc. Have Partner 2 compile a list of 10 verbs associated with the actions of human beings, for example laugh , tell , sing etc.  When both partners have completed their lists they can use their nouns and verbs to write their own personification sentences.

Definition: Similes make comparisons between two seemingly unrelated elements by using ‘like’ or ‘as’ to highlight a common quality or characteristic both things share. Similes make a comparison by suggesting a similarity between two things, rather than making a comparison by stating that one thing is something else – such as we find with metaphors.

Simile Examples:

• “ He runs as fast as a cheetah .” – This simile compares the speed of a person to that of a cheetah, which creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind.
• “ She sings like an angel .” – This simile compares the quality of a person’s singing to that of an angel, which creates a sense of beauty and grace.
• “ The water was as cold as ice .” – This simile compares the temperature of the water to that of ice, which creates a sense of discomfort and coldness.
• “ The room was as dark as night .” – This simile compares the level of darkness in a room to that of nighttime, which creates a sense of foreboding or danger.
• “ His heart pounded like a drum .” – This simile compares the sound of a person’s heartbeat to that of a drum, which creates a sense of urgency or excitement.

Simile Writing Tips for Students and Teachers

• Choose effective comparisons: A simile is only effective if it makes a clear comparison that enhances the reader’s understanding or emotional response to the text. Students should choose comparisons that are relevant, impactful, and easy to understand.
• Be creative: While some similes are commonly used, students should strive to be original and creative with their comparisons. Using unique or unexpected similes can make their writing more engaging and memorable.
• Use similes with purpose: Similes should be used purposefully and intentionally to add meaning or emotion to the text. Students should consider why they are using a simile and how it contributes to the overall effect of the writing. Using similes can make the writing seem contrived or formulaic, so students should use them sparingly and only when they add value to the text.

Simile Teaching Task: Begin this activity by asking students to compile a list of say 10 nouns and 10 adjectives. Challenge the students to form original similes utilising the nouns and the adjectives on their list to set up a simile comparison. For example, if they choose the noun cat and the adjective smart they must generate the final element to complete their simile, for example, The cat is as smart as a computer . They should do this until they have completed a simile for all items on their lists. Encourage them to strike a balance between the similes that use like to make the comparison and those that use as .

SYNECDOCHE:

Definition: This figure of speech most often occurs when a part of a thing is used to represent the whole of a thing. However, it can also occur when the whole of a thing is used to stand for a part of a thing. The first type is called microcosm and the second, macrocosm . This trope is better conveyed through illustration than explanation.

Synedoche Examples:

• “ I need to hit the books .” – In this phrase, the word “books” represents studying or academic work as a whole.
• “ All eyes were on him. ” – In this phrase, the word “eyes” is used to represent the attention or focus of a group of people.
• “ Check out my new wheels. ” – In this phrase, the word “wheels” represents a car or other vehicle as a whole.
• “ The team needs some fresh legs. ” – In this phrase, the words “fresh legs” represent new or rested players who can contribute to the team’s success.
• “ Can you give me a hand? ” – In this phrase, the word “hand” represents physical help or general assistance.

Synedoche Writing Tips for Students and Teachers

• Use synecdoche purposefully : Synecdoche can be a powerful tool for creating memorable and impactful writing, but it should be used purposefully and with intention. Students should consider why they are using synecdoche and how it contributes to the overall meaning or effect of their writing.
• Choose practical parts to represent the whole: Synecdoche relies on a part of something to represent the whole. Students should choose relevant, recognizable, and effective parts conveying the larger concept or idea.
• Be clear and concise: Synecdoche can be confusing if not used clearly and concisely. Students should be careful to explain the larger concept or idea that is being represented by the part, and avoid using too many synecdochical phrases in a single piece of writing.

Synedoche Teaching Task: Organize students into groups and give out copies of old newspapers. Challenge the students to spot examples of synecdoche in the various articles and then highlight them. They may wish to use two separate colors for identifying the two different types mentioned above.

II. SCHEMES

Schemes are a figurative use of language that deviates from the usual mechanics of a sentence. This may be in terms of syntax, sound, or word order. Writers can use schemes to create rhythm, musicality, or to draw comparisons or contrasts within a text. They are particularly associated with poetry, as they often work on a rhythmic basis or through sound. Unlike tropes, schemes operate on a sense level more than an intellectual level.

ALLITERATION:

Definition: The repetition of the initial consonant sound of consecutive or near consecutive words for effect. Alliteration is also referred to as head rhyme or initial rhyme.

Alliteration Examples:

• “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
• “Sally sells seashells by the seashore.”
• “Billy the brave battled the big bad bear.”
• “The furious fireman fought the fiery flames.”
• “Dancing dolphins dive and dart through the deep blue sea.”

Task: Read some tongue twisters as a class and then challenge the students to produce their own examples.

Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds within a group of words. As with alliteration, the repeating sounds are important, not the letters.

Assonance Examples:

• “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.”
• “The cat sat on the mat and licked its paws.”
• “The bright light might blind my sight.”
• “I like to ride my bike by the side of the lake.”
• “I feel the beat and move my feet to the rhythm of the music.”
• Fleet feet sweep by sleeping geese ” by Pink Floyd

Task: Assonance can be used to convey different moods. For example, repetition of long, broad ‘ o ’ and ‘ a ’ sounds can express sadness or melancholy. Challenge your students to write a line that uses assonance to express a selected mood.

CONSONANCE:

Definition: The repetition of consonant sounds anywhere in words near each other. This should be distinguished from alliteration, where the repetition is limited to the sounds at the beginning of words. Alliteration is a particular type of consonance, so all alliteration is a form of consonance, but not all consonance is alliteration.

Consonance Examples:

• “Mike likes his new bike.”
• “The pitter-patter of little feet.”
• “The big, bad wolf blew down the house.”
• “Silly Sally sold seashells by the seashore.”
• “The ship has sailed away to a distant bay.”
• “I’m sure she sells sea-shore shells”

Task: Give out a worksheet with a mix of unmarked examples of alliteration, consonance, and assonance and have the students sort them into the correct categories. You may want the students to use a Venn diagram so they can more easily categorize those that fit into more than one category.

ONOMATOPOEIA:

Definition: Onomatopoeia refers to words that sound like the thing they describe. Onomatopoeia is most commonly seen in poetry, where its use is a powerful tool for the imagination as it imitates the sounds of the things described. A typical example of onomatopoeia can be seen in the names of the sounds various animals make.

Onomatopoeia Examples:

• “Sizzle” – the sound of something frying or grilling.
• “Crash” – the sound of something breaking or smashing.
• “Buzz” – the sound of a bee or an electrical device.
• “Whoosh” – the sound of something rushing past quickly.
• “Thud” – the sound of something heavy falling or hitting a surface.
• “Pop” – the sound of something bursting or exploding.
• “Splat” – the sound of something hitting a surface and spreading out.
• “Chirp” – the sound of a bird or a cricket.
• “Boom” – the sound of an explosion or loud impact.
• “Slurp” – the sound of someone or something drinking or eating noisily.

Task: To get your students thinking about onomatopoeia, give them a theme and challenge them to list as many onomatopoeic words as they can around that theme. This can easily be differentiated for various age groups. For example, younger kids can work on animal sounds like those above, while older students can work on a theme like water (drip, splish, splosh, splash, plop etc). For stronger students, provide them with a theme and task them with creating their own related and original onomatopoeic words.

PARALLELISM:

Definition: This scheme is also known as a parallel structure and applies to sentences or phrases that employ an identical or very similar structure. Parallelism is often used to bring clarity and emphasis and create a memorable rhythm. Some of history’s most memorable speeches and statements used parallelism to great effect and have stayed with us for many decades. Neil Armstrong’s reported words on the moon landing and Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech being prime examples.

Parallelism Examples:

• “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
• “She likes to dance, to sing, and to act.”
• “He spent the day fishing, hiking, and exploring.”
• “The movie was action-packed, suspenseful, and thrilling.”
• “She is talented, funny, and kind-hearted.”
• That’s one small step for a man. One giant leap for mankind. ” by Neil Armstrong.

Task: Provide students with sample sentences that do not use a parallel structure within them. Challenge the students to rewrite the sentences to incorporate a parallel structure into the new sentences. For example, give the students the following sentence:

Do you prefer spicy chicken, pork, or salty fish for the main course?

Students should work to recognize that the underlying structure involves an adjective preceding two of the food options and should rewrite the sentence to include one for the pork. Answers will, of course, vary, but all are valid as long as they conform to the pattern. For example:

Do you prefer spicy chicken, sweet pork, or salty fish for the main course?

These are just some of the various ways language is commonly used figuratively. There are many more, though some of these can be rarely used. It’s best to start with these more common ones before moving on to some more complex literary devices available.

Spending some time working on figurative language in isolation will help students to understand how to use the various figures of speech in their own writing.

But, using them in a confident and unselfconscious manner will require lots of reinforcement throughout the school year.

While early attempts to weave them into their own writing may seem stilted and unnatural, with time and practice, they will become part of a student’s personal style and help enable them to articulate and express their thoughts artistically and coherently.

A COMPLETE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE UNIT FOR STUDENTS

❤️The use of  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE  is like  “SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR AUTHORS.”  It is a powerful tool to create  VIVID IMAGERY  through words. This  HUGE 110 PAGE UNIT  guides you through a complete understanding of  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE  as both a  READER  and  WRITER covering.

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Simile worksheets.

A simile is a comparison between two different things using the word "like" or "as." Common Core State Standards require students to be able to identify and analyze similes and other figurative language techniques at around the third or fourth grade level. Many of the simile worksheets that I've found online are very basic and intended for students at the early levels of figurative language study. My worksheets are a bit more rigorous in the language that is used (which draws from classic and modern poetry) as well as the performance task required: in these worksheets students are to identify the two things being compared in each simile and then explain what the speaker was attempting to express in literal language. This forces students to truly consider the meaning of the simile in addition to identifying it. If you find that the language used in these worksheets is too challenging for your students, feel free to download the .rtf files and modify them for your classroom.

Figurative Language Common Core State Standards

Dashiya robinson.

A simile is a sentence that uses like or as and combining the two sentences about any subject

Please don’t confuse a simile with a complex sentence. Similes make comparisons between two dissimilar things using the words like or as .

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Thank you. I hope to use this for my class.

Let me know how it goes if you do. Best wishes!

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Metaphor, simile and idiom worksheets

Figurative language makes descriptions more interesting.  A simile compares two things using the words like or as.   Metaphors compare things by saying one thing is another thing.  Idioms are common expressions which have figurative (not literal) meanings; they are often metaphors. These worksheets provide practice with figurative language.

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Free Printable Figurative Language Worksheets for 4th Grade

Figurative Language worksheets for Grade 4 Reading & Writing teachers! Discover a variety of free printable resources to enhance your students' understanding and creativity in language arts.

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• Onomatopoeia
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Explore printable Figurative Language worksheets for 4th Grade

Figurative Language worksheets for Grade 4 are an essential tool for teachers looking to enhance their students' reading and writing skills. These worksheets provide a comprehensive approach to teaching grammar, language, and vocabulary in a fun and engaging manner. By incorporating various figurative language techniques, such as similes, metaphors, and personification, these worksheets help students develop a deeper understanding of the nuances of language. As a result, students in Grade 4 can improve their overall language proficiency, enabling them to express themselves more effectively in both written and spoken communication.

In addition to Figurative Language worksheets for Grade 4, teachers can also utilize Quizizz as a supplementary resource to further enrich their students' learning experience. Quizizz offers a wide range of quizzes and interactive activities that cover various aspects of reading, writing, grammar, language, and vocabulary. By incorporating Quizizz into their lesson plans, teachers can create a more dynamic and engaging learning environment for their Grade 4 students. Furthermore, Quizizz allows teachers to track their students' progress and identify areas where they may need additional support or practice. With the combination of Figurative Language worksheets and Quizizz, teachers can provide a well-rounded and effective language education for their Grade 4 students.