WHY DO WE USE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE? Figurative Language

We use figurative language to achieve a vivid, expressive, and/or imaginative image.

Figurative language “shows” us, it doesn’t “tell” us. Instead of saying “Brent was angry.” Show how angry he was – “Stomp, stomp, stomp, BANG! Brent stomped up the steps to his room, slammed the door, and sat fuming at his desk.”

“Show” don’t “tell” Instead of telling us “It was a hot day…” Show us how hot it was. “It was so hot, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. You couldn’t go down the slide unless you wanted to get a third degree burn on your backside. Everyone in Mrs. Hopkins’ class ended up sitting under the trees in the shade.”

What is figurative language? Figurative language is not intended to be interpreted in a literal sense. In other words, it usually does not mean exactly what it says. For example: “It was so hot, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.

What is figurative language? Appealing to the imagination, figurative language provides new ways of looking at the world. It always makes use of a comparison between different things. Figurative language compares two things that are different in enough ways so that their similarities, when pointed out, are interesting, unique and/or surprising.

I am hungry as a horse. You run like a rabbit. He is sneaky as a snake. She is happy as a clam.

The girl was a fish in the water. The clown was a feather floating away.

The flowers danced in the wind. The Earth coughed and choked in all of the pollution. The friendly gates welcomed us.

Stan the strong surfer saved several swimmers on Saturday. Tiny Tommy Thomson takes toy trucks to Timmy’s on Tuesday. Click here to read more alliterations.

Princess Kitty will kiss Timmy T. Tippers’s lips The pain may drain Drake, but maybe the weight is fake.

Chug chug chug!! Swish swish swish Yeeeeee Ahhhhhhhh Glippp Gluppp Gluppp

Hyperbole Exaggerating to show strong feeling or effect.

* I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse! * You snore louder than a freight train. * He sleeps like a log.

Understatement Expression with less strength than expected. The opposite of hyperbole.

Saying "We've had a little rain," when the neighborhood is flooded. Saying "It's just a scratch," when there is a huge dent.