Figurative Language in Literature
Figurative language uses words in non-literal ways to create vivid images, comparisons, and effects. Writers use it to make language more expressive, memorable, and emotionally powerful.
What You Need to Know
Key Concept Diagram
Simile: a direct comparison using "like" or "as" (the moon was like a silver coin)
Metaphor: a direct comparison without "like" or "as" (the moon was a silver coin)
Personification: giving human qualities to non-human things (the wind whispered through the trees)
Alliteration: repetition of initial consonant sounds (the cold, crisp, cruel winter)
Onomatopoeia: words that sound like what they describe (crash, sizzle, murmur)
Key Vocabulary
Simile
A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as"
Metaphor
A comparison that describes something as if it actually is something else, without using "like" or "as"
Personification
Giving human characteristics or emotions to non-human things or abstract ideas
Alliteration
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
Identify the figurative language in: "The old car groaned and wheezed up the hill."
Question 2
Which sentence contains a simile?
Question 3
What is the effect of using figurative language in a narrative?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Simile: a direct comparison using "like" or "as" (the moon was like a silver coin)
- ●Metaphor: a direct comparison without "like" or "as" (the moon was a silver coin)
- ●Personification: giving human qualities to non-human things (the wind whispered through the trees)
- ●Alliteration: repetition of initial consonant sounds (the cold, crisp, cruel winter)
- ●Onomatopoeia: words that sound like what they describe (crash, sizzle, murmur)