(TUD) Lesson Topic 1: Figurative Language Formation

Figurative language occurs when writers use certain methods to create images with their words. The key terms for this unit reveal multiple ways to create figurative language such as similes, metaphors, symbolism, etc. Imagery is a type of figurative language that plays on the five senses of the readers. Scroll through the following flashcards with the key terms and write down the definitions for you to study throughout the module. 

Breaking Down the Devices

In order to breathe life into a poem, the writer must make words come alive. Therefore, the use of poetic devices helps create the life of the poem. Personification gives human characteristics to nonhuman objects. For example, a writer might note that the flowers danced in the wind. The flowers are not literally dancing, but the image the writer puts in the reader's head shows the movement of the flowers.

• • Similes and metaphors both create comparisons to provide a mental picture. A writer might say that the light was as bright as the sun. The reader will immediately be able to picture how blinding the light was. Or, a writer might say that the boy is a clown; this indicates that he is very silly. The difference between similes and metaphors is that similes use like or as in comparing, and metaphors are just a direct comparison. Paradox also represents another type of comparison. A paradox includes terms that contradict each other but actually end up making sense. Jumbo shrimp is an example of a paradox. How can shrimp be jumbo? The phrase does not make sense at first glance, but on a deeper level, jumbo shrimp are larger than regular shrimp. 
  • Hyperbole appears in a text as extreme exaggerations. The expression "I'm so hungry that I could eat a horse" represents a hyperbole. A person would not really eat an entire horse, but the author exaggerates to explain the extreme hunger of the character. Similarly, in order to recreate a true sound within the text, an author might use onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia appears as words that look like the noise they make. Buzz, crash, and ding represent some examples of onomatopoeia.
  • Allusions appear in life and in literature; in literature, allusions provider a deeper connection and meaning in the text. You probably see allusions every day, but do not notice. Remember that illusion and allusion are not the same. An allusion is a casual reference to a person, place, event, or another passage of literature. Someone might say, "He is as mean as a snake!" The phrase might be an allusion to the book of Genesis that describes the devil as a snake. Also, a boy might be referred to as "a Romeo." Romeo is an allusion to the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.  
  • Like allusions, symbols also provide a deeper meaning. Symbols are words, places, characters, or objects that have a deeper meaning or represent another word, place, character, or object. For example, an apple has often been symbolic for a teacher. Also, a cross has often symbolized Christianity or Jesus Christ. Symbols add more to that text by adding these deeper meanings to the words within a poem.  

Poetic Device Practice

Match the following figurative language phrases and examples with the type of figurative language they represent.

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