1. Understanding Figurative Language

2. Essential Questions What is figurative language?
How can I interpret figurative language?

3. What is figurative language?
Here are some examples. What do you think figurative language means?
The wind whispered softly through the trees.
The cafeteria pizza was a soggy, droopy piece of cardboard.
The teacher glared like a furious dragon.
Jeff stayed up all night to study for the test only to find out it isn’t until tomorrow.

4. What is figurative language?
The wind whispered through the trees
Can wind really whisper?
What is the author trying to tell us about wind?

5. What is figurative language?
The cafeteria pizza was a soggy, droopy piece of cardboard.
Is the pizza really cardboard?
What is the author trying to tell us about the pizza?

6. What is figurative language?
The teacher glared like a furious dragon.
Was the teacher really a dragon?
What is the author trying to tell us about the teacher?

7. What is figurative language?
Jeff stayed up all night to study for the test only to find out it isn’t until tomorrow.
Why did Jeff stay up all night?
What is the author trying to tell us about Jeff?

8. What is figurative language?
Figurative language expresses an idea that goes beyond the actual meaning of the words
Wind can’t whisper…but the expression gives you an idea of how the wind sounds

9. Kinds of figurative language
There are actually many kinds of figurative language. In this presentation, we’ll focus on four
Similes
Metaphors
Personification
Irony

10. How can I interpret figurative language?
To interpret figurative language means to understand what the author is trying to say
To interpret figurative language, it’s important to understand how different kinds of figurative language work

11. How can I interpret figurative language?
Personification is a kind of figurative language
Personification means to give human thoughts and qualities to nonhuman objects

12. How can I interpret figurative language?
The leaves danced as they fell from the trees
What are the leaves doing that leaves can’t really do?

13. How can I interpret figurative language?
The leaves danced as they fell from the trees
That’s right! Leaves can’t dance
This is an example of personification
What is the author trying to tell us about the leaves?

14. How can I interpret figurative language?
A simile is another kind of figurative language
A simile is a comparison between two unlike objects using “like” or “as”

15. How can I interpret figurative language?
The four students sat down at the cafeteria table and ate like pigs
What is being compared in this simile?

16. How can I interpret figurative language?
The four students sat down at the cafeteria table and ate like pigs
What is being compared in this simile?

17. How can I interpret figurative language?
The four students sat down at the cafeteria table and ate like pigs
That’s right! The author is comparing the students to pigs

18. How can I interpret figurative language?
The four students sat down at the cafeteria table and ate like pigs
What is the author trying to say about the way that the students are eating?

19. How can I interpret figurative language?
A metaphor is another kind of figurative language
A metaphor is a comparison that does not use “like” or “as”

20. How can I interpret figurative language?
The school was a maze of hallways and passages
What is being compared in this metaphor?

21. How can I interpret figurative language?
The school was a maze of hallways and passages
That’s right! The school is being compared to a maze

22. How can I interpret figurative language?
The school was a maze of hallways and passages
What idea is the author trying to express with this metaphor?

23. How can I interpret figurative language?
Irony is another type of figurative language.
Irony is a clash between what might be expected and what actually occurs.

24. How can I interpret figurative language?
The cat was found in the belly of a fish.
Why is this sentence ironic?

25. How can I interpret figurative language?
The cat was found in the belly of a fish.
That’s right! Fish are usually eaten by cats.

26. How can I interpret figurative language?
The cat was found in the belly of a fish.
What is the author trying to express with this irony?

27. Let’s Review
Which kind of figurative language makes a comparison using “like” or “as”?
Simile
Which kind of figurative language gives human thoughts and qualities to non-human objects?
Personification

28. Let’s Review
Which kind of figurative language makes a comparison without using “like” or “as”?
Metaphor

29. Let’s Review
Which kind of figurative language is a clash between what might be expected and what actually occurs?
Irony

30. Practice Read the examples on the next few slides
Which kind of figurative language do they show?
How can you interpret the figurative language?

31. Example #1 The airplane landed as gracefully as a ballerina
Personification
Simile
Metaphor
Irony

32. Example #1
The airplane landed as gracefully as a ballerina
Simile

33. Example #1 The airplane landed as gracefully as a ballerina
Interpret the simile
What is the author comparing?
What is the author trying to tell us?

34. Example #1 The airplane landed as gracefully as a ballerina
Interpret the simile
What is the author comparing?
What is the author trying to tell us?

35. Example #2 The water smashed angrily against the rocks Personification
Simile
Metaphor
Irony

36. Example #2
The water smashed angrily against the rocks
Personification

37. Example #2 The water smashed angrily against the rocks
Interpret the personification!
What is the water doing that water doesn’t really do?
What is the author trying to tell us about the water?

38. Example #3 My brother’s room was a dark, mysterious cave
Personification
Simile
Metaphor
Irony

39. Example #3
My brother’s room was a dark, mysterious cave
Metaphor

40. Example #3 My brother’s room was a dark, mysterious cave
Interpret the metaphor!
What is the author comparing?

41. Example #3 My brother’s room was a dark, mysterious cave
Interpret the metaphor!
Yes! The brother’s room and a cave.
What is the author trying to show about the brother’s room?

42. Example # 4 The Titanic was called unsinkable. Personification Simile
Metaphor
Irony

43. Example #4
The Titanic was called unsinkable.
Irony

44. Example #4 The Titanic was called unsinkable. Interpret the irony!
What is the author telling us about the fate of the titanic?

45. Essential Questions Can you answer these questions?
What is figurative language?
How can I interpret figurative language?

46. Work Cited
Kissner, Emily. "Understanding Figurative Language." Jan Microsoft       PowerPoint file.