Figurative Language

1B

Part 1 Review of terms

Figurative Language

• Writing that shows feelings or thoughts, but it is not meant to be interpreted literally.

• Relies on the reader’s imagination.

• Often used in poetry but can also be used in prose.

Simile, Metaphor

•

Simile

– compares two unlike things by using the words

like

or

as

.

– Example •

Metaphor

– compares two unlike things

without

using

like

or

as

. (It is more

direct

.) – Example

Analogy

• Is the use of a simile or metaphor that is

extended

to show

more ways

that two unlike things are similar.

– Living in a dormitory is like a candy bar. The freedom is sweet, but you can run into some nuts.

– The Internet is a superhighway because of its speed and connections to so many computers.

Personification, Hyperbole

• •

Personification

– gives

human

characteristics to a

non-human

thing.

– Example

Hyperbole

– uses extravagant

exaggeration

for

emphasis

.

– Example

Oxymoron, Idiom

• •

Oxymoron

– combines

opposite

contradictory words.

and – Example

Idiom

– is an

expression

something

different

that means from the literal

meaning

of the words.

– Example

Hyperbole vs. Idiom vs. Cliché

• A hyperbole deals with inflating or

stretching

the truth.

– I have told you the answer a million times.

– She could have cried a river.

• Idioms have

nothing

to do with what they mean.

– She sang at the top of her lungs.

– He dragged his feet to get finished.

• A cliché is

overused

means what it says.

, but it basically – An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Hyperbole Vs. Metaphor Oxymoron Vs. Simile

• His mother had warned him a million times that he would be severely punished if she caught him in a lie.

• After studying all night, Charles walked around like the living dead .

– Remember OXYMORONS are two CONTRADICTORY terms.

Symbol

• A

symbol

is an something else.

object

that represents • Popular symbols –

fire

in

Fahrenheit 451

–

night

or

sleep

may symbolize

death

Irony

• The use of

words

to express the

opposite

of what one really means or the

difference

between the

actual

result of events and the

expected

result.

–

Situational

– exists when the

outcome

or funny) is the

opposite

(tragic of expectations. –

Verbal

– is a person

saying

the

opposite

what is meant. (This is often sarcastic.) of –

Dramatic

– occurs when the

reader

or audience knows something important that a character

does not know

.

Irony examples

• Your teacher says to you, “Well you really worked hard!” when all you turned in is half the assignment.

• John is summoned into his boss’s office. Since John has worked especially hard this month and has broken sales record, he is expecting a raise. When he goes into the boss’s office, he finds that he is being fired.

Paradox

• Contains

ideas

go against logic.

that seem to

contradict

or • Is different from irony because it

contains the truth

but sounds

totally impossible

!!!

– “Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink.” – Putting your cell phone on the charger all night will run down the battery.

– Exercising will increase your energy level.

Allusions

• Are an

indirect reference

to cultural works, people, or events.

• Can come from

history

, literature, sacred

texts

, art, or current

events

.

• Cause the reader to

compare

one thing with the thing being

alluded

to.

– He was a Scrooge around Christmas.

– She threw us to the lion’s den.

– When you spoke about uniforms, you opened Pandora’s box.

Imagery

• A collection of

word pictures

to the reader’s

senses

that appeal and is sometimes referred to as

sensory imagery

.

– Can include

literary

devices (simile, metaphor, etc.) – Can create a

picture

in the reader’s mind • The young girl shivered on the icy stone bench as she watched each breath appear in the frosty air. The mournful sounds of the large ship horns were her only company as she waited near the harbor.

Figurative Language and Stylistic Devices

• FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE – Symbolism – Irony – Paradox – Allusion – Imagery – Oxymoron – Simile – Metaphor – Personification – Hyperbole – Analogy – Cliché These deal with the meaning of the words, the ideas themselves.

• STYLISTIC DEVICES – Alliteration – Assonance – Onomatopoeia – Rhyme – Repetition – Rhythm These deal with the sound of the writing, with the concrete sense of sound that you hear when the writing is read.

Rhyme Vs. Assonance Vs. Alliteration

• • •

Alliteration

is the repetition of

similar

sounds at the debate it.

beginning

of the words.

– He was determined to doubt and dared me to

Assonance

is the repetition of similar

vowel

sounds. (used for effect or sound) – I saw a life of blind kindness.

Rhyme

is the same / similar sound at the

end

of the words.

– Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and whey. Along came that spider and sat down beside her…

Onomatopoeia, Repetition

• • Onomatopoeia – the use of a word that

imitates

a sound, such as

buzz

and

hiss

.

– The bang outside my window and the whirring of the chainsaw could mean only one thing; the men were still working to remove the fallen tree.

Repetition

– the

intentional

use of the same words or words over and over again.

– Often used for

emphasis

• “We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.” – George W. Bush

• To convey • To exaggerate • To emphasize • To elaborate • To clarify • To rely • To entreat • To inspire • To express

Terms

• To establish • To contrast • To portray • To compare • To reinforce • To underscore • To employ • To heighten • To invoke

PART 2 Going Further with Figurative Language

Going Further with Figurative Language

• You must

know

the specific of speech or stylistic device.

type

of figure • You must decide what the figure of speech really

means

.

• You must tell what the

purpose

is (or what it affects).

of using it • You must do this with

multiple texts

.

Why use figurative language and stylistic devices?

• Writers use

diction

and

figurative language

to affect these literary elements: – Setting – Mood – Tone – Atmosphere – Characterization

Setting

• Is the

time

and

place

of a story, which include the surroundings or the environment.

– Time may be

specified

or general – Place may be specified or

general

.

• Often described using

imagery

.

– As I entered the elaborate ballroom, my ears met the lilting lyrics of softly sung music. The dancers gracefully waltzed, and I was wooed to watch.

Mood, Tone, Atmosphere

• Mood – the

feeling

created

in

the reader.

• Tone – the

writer’s attitude

toward the subject or toward the characters.

• Atmosphere – the

overall

feeling that an author creates by using mood, tone, and setting.

Words to describe mood and tone

MOOD

happy, contented, uplifting, sad, despairing, depressing, shocking suspenseful, scary, horrific, dreadful

TONE

Serious, playful, humorous, sarcastic, sympathetic, mocking, formal, casual, matter of-fact, bitter, critical, optimistic, carefree, hopeless

Characterization

• Direct characterization – when the author comes right out like.

and tells you what the characters are – Jordan at five is a sweet but mischievous girl who loves to dress up and play pretend games.

• Indirect characterization – when you have to learn about the character through his actions . This is most effective because the author is showing, not telling . – The husband was angry with his wife. “That bag of lettuce is half empty. Why didn’t you try to get one that had more in it?

Here is what you must decide

• What is the figure of speech or stylistic device used?

• What is the picture the author wants us to get in our minds when he used it?

• What literary element is affected by the author’s choice of words?

Possible questions

• • How does the

use

of figurative language by these two authors

contribute

to the

mood

?

• How does figurative language help

reveal meaning

of the above statements?

the

Justify

the

accuracy

or

inaccuracy

of the analysis by

selecting evaluates

the the

statement analysis

.

below that

accurately

• • Which statement below

accurately

evaluates the use of hyperbole and metaphor in the

revised

excerpt?

Justify

the decision to the

revised include

the personification in excerpt by selecting the statement below that

correctly

evaluates the

effect

personification on the poem.

of the

Mississippi SATP English II Revised: Multiple Choice Student Review Guide for Vocabulary/Reading