Types of Figurative Language

There are several types of figurative languages that are used in modern writing. They
include:

1. Simile

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things and uses the words “like”
or “as” and they are commonly used in everyday communication. A simile is used with
the aim of sparking an interesting connection in the reader’s mind.

An example of a simile is, “The cat sat in the chair like a king overlooking his kingdom.”
The cat’s sitting posture is compared to that of a king who relaxes in a special chair that
is reserved for him and not any other person in the kingdom.

Other examples of similes include:

 The boy was as brave as a lion in the jungle.

 The assistant was as busy as a bee when she was preparing the podium for the
presidential address.
 The new teacher is as tall as a giraffe.
 The new neighbor is as curious as a cat; nothing escapes her attention.
2. Metaphor

A metaphor is a statement that compares two things that are not alike. Unlike similes,
metaphors do not use the words “like” or “as.” Such statements only make sense when
the reader understands the connection between the two things being compared.

An example of a popular metaphor is “Time is money.” The statement compares time

and money, and it does not literally mean that the amount of time you have equals the
money that you have. Instead, it means that time is a valuable resource, and it should
be used effectively to earn money. Any time wasted means that a person loses the
chance to make more money.

Other examples of metaphors include:

 The warrior has a heart of stone.

 Love is a battlefield.
 Baby, you are my sunshine.
 Chaos is a friend of the legislator.
 I am drowning in a sea of grief.
 My roommate is going through a rollercoaster of emotions.
3. Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an exaggeration that is created to emphasize a point or bring out a sense

of humor. It is often used in everyday conversations without the speaker noticing it. The
exaggeration is so outrageous that no one would believe that it is true. It is used to add
depth and color to a statement.

An example of hyperbole is, “I would die for you.” The sentence does not necessarily
mean that one person is literally willing to die for the other, but it used to exaggerate the
amount of love that one person has for another person. Death is only used to show the
extent of affection.

Other examples of hyperbole:

 I have told you a million times to wash the dishes.

 You are so slender that the wind can carry you away.
 The afternoon is so bright that the sun would have to wear sunglasses.
 You snore like a freight train.
4. Personification

Personification is the attribution of human characteristics to non-living objects. Using

personification affects the way readers imagine things, and it sparks an interest in the
subject.

An example of personification is, “The sun greeted me when I woke up in the morning.”
The sun is a non-human object but has been given human characteristics since
greetings can only be performed by living creatures.

Other examples of personification include:

 April is the cruelest month of the year.

 The radio stared at me.
 The car brakes screamed all through the journey.
 The car stopped with a groaning complaint.
5. Synecdoche

Synecdoche is a type of figurative language that uses one part to refer to the whole, or
the whole to refer to the part. For example, a set of wheels can be used to refer to a
vehicle and a suit to refer to a businessman. When referring to a car as a set of wheels,
the wheels are only a part of the car and not the whole thing. Similarly, a typical
businessman wears a suit alongside other accessories such as a watch and a
briefcase.

Other examples of synecdoche include:

 Bread can be used to refer to food in general or money.

 Head can refer to counting cattle or people.
 Hired hands can be used to refer to workers.
6. Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a language that names something or an action by imitating the sound

associated with it. They add some reality to the writing. Examples of onomatopoeia
include:

 The fireplace heater hissed and cracked.

 The truck engine roared as it climbed the hill.
 The alarm clock buzzed at the time I was going to the bathroom.

7. Metonymy: a part for a part.

In this sense, metonymy is very similar to symbolism, because the pen represents the
idea of writing. The difference is, a pen is directly related to writing, whereas symbols
are not always related to the concepts they represent. A dove might symbolize peace,
but doves, in reality, have very little to do with peace.

8. Alliteration

Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of the words near words placed each
other usually on the same or adjacent lines. For examples,

 Roy ran in the raging rain.
 I slipped slyly into the slow, slippery sled.
 Her brown braid brushed the bridge of her brow.
 “Wait,” whispered Wendy, her gaze wandering wistfully.

9. Assonance

Repeated vowel sounds in words placed near each other usually on the same or
adjacent lines. For examples:

 Water falls across the autumn rocks.

 The green field gleams in the warm sunbeams.
 “Row more slowly,” bellowed the old, bony crone.
 A dismayed baby wailed nearly all day.
10. Consonance

Repeated consonant sounds at the ending of words placed near each other, usually on
the same or adjacent lines. These should be in sounds that are accented, or stressed,
rather than in vowel sounds that are unaccented. This produces a pleasing kind of near-
rhyme.

Example: boats into the past

cool soul.

11. Point of View

The author’s point of view concentrates on the vantage point of the speaker, or “teller”
of the story or poem. This may be considered the poem’s “voice” — the pervasive
presence behind the overall work. This is also sometimes referred to as the persona

. • 1st Person: the speaker is a character in the story or poem and tells it from his/her
perspective (uses “I”).

• 3rd Person limited: the speaker is not part of the story, but tells about the other
characters through the limited perceptions of one other person

. • 3rd Person omniscient: the speaker is not part of the story, but is able to “know” and
describe what all characters are thinking.