Unleashing the Power of Figurative Language

1. Figurative Language

2. Simile • A simile is a comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as.” • The spider hung from its web. • The spider was suspended from its thread like an acrobat on a tightrope.

3. Personification • Personification gives human characteristics and traits to inanimate objects. • The wind was loud. • The wind whispered through my window, revealing night’s secrets.

4. Metaphor • A metaphor compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as.” • The toothpicks were next to the appetizers. • The toothpicks were toy soldiers, ready to spear the appetizers.

5. Hyperbole • Hyperbole is a gross exaggeration, something that could never happen. • If she lied to him one more time, he would be furious. • If she lied to him one more time, he knew his head would explode.

6. Alliteration • Alliteration is the repetition of two or more consonant sounds. • He said he loved her. • Silently sighing, he strongly swept her off her feet.

7. Onomatopoeia • Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates sound. • The soda can opened. • The soda can cracked open with a refreshing fizz.