Figure Me Out: Analyzing

English Figures of Speech

John Mark F. Valencia
Faculty, English 8
Lesson Content

▪ Lesson Objectives
▪ Lesson Initialization
▪ Lesson Proper
▪ Performance Tasks
Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, students shall be able to:

1. Identify and understand various figures of speech: including
simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole.
2. Read and analyze figurative lines from text;
3. Create and compose simple poem using the four figures of
speech; and
4. Present their literary composition in class
Have you ever heard about this phrase?

What do these phrases mean?

 Figures of Speech
Let us watch a short video to know what are these phrases and how they are formed. (Click the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdr_jX0bQ3I)
What are figures of speech?

A figure of speech is an expression used to make a greater effect

on your reader or listener. It includes making comparisons,
contrasts, associations, exaggerations and constructions. It also
gives a much clearer picture of what you are trying to convey.
Let us look at how different dictionaries define a figure of speech
to have a much better idea of what it is.
What are figures of speech?

A figure of speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary,

is defined as “a word or phrase used in a different way from its
usual meaning in order to create a particular mental picture or
effect.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines a figure of speech as
“an expression that uses words to mean something different
from their ordinary meaning.” According to the Collins Dictionary,
a figure of speech is “an expression or word that is used with a
metaphorical rather than a literal meaning.”
What are figures of speech?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a figure of speech as “ a

form of expression (such as a simile or metaphor) used to convey
meaning or heighten effect often by comparing or identifying one
thing with another that has a meaning or connotation familiar to
the reader or listener.” According to the Macmillan Dictionary, a
figure of speech is defined as “an expression in which the words
are used figuratively, not in their normal literal meaning.”
What are figures of speech?

In English grammar, there are around fifteen to twenty figures of

speech. However, there are a few of them which are used more
often than the others. Let us look at the most commonly used
figures of speech.
Figures of Speech: Simile

A simile is a figure of speech that is mainly used to compare two

or more things that possess a similar quality. It uses words such
as ‘like’ or ‘as’ to make the comparison. Here are some examples:
▪ As slow as a sloth
▪ As busy as a bee
▪ As innocent as a lamb
▪ As proud as a peacock
Figures of Speech: Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison, but in a

way different from a simile. Instead, it makes the comparison as if it was
literally true. In other words, it can be said that a metaphor is an implied
comparison. It makes a comparison between things or ideas that are
generally unlike. Examples:
▪ My mom has a heart of gold.
▪ My friend’s sister, Sharon, is a night owl.
▪ My hands were icicles because of the cold weather.
▪ You just have to consider the world a stage and act accordingly.
▪ Dileep has a stone heart.
Figures of Speech: Personification

Personification is a figure of speech that is used to attribute human

characteristics to something that is not human. It can also be used to
personify an abstract quality. Here are the examples:
▪ Justice is blind and, at times, deaf.
▪ Money is the only friend that I can count on.
▪ The cactus saluted any visitor brave enough to travel the scorched land.
▪ Jan ate the hotdog despite the arguments it posed to her digestive system.
▪ The world does not care to hear your sad stories.
Figures of Speech: Hyperbole

A hyperbole is a rhetorical device that is mainly used to make

something look and sound a lot better than it actually is. In other
words, it can be said to be a form of exaggeration.
▪ Her brain is the size of a pea.
▪ He is older than the hills.
▪ I will die if she asks me to dance.
▪ She is as big as an elephant!
▪ I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.
Exercise: Identifying Figurative Lines

Now we know and understand what figures of speech are. Let us

now have short exercise. I will be showing some flashcards with
figurative phrases, and you will identify what type of figures of
speech was used in each. After you answered all, screenshot your
score and add it to your e-portfolio.
(Flashcards
(https://quizlet.com/770238419/english-6-analyzing-figures-of-s
peech-flash-cards/)
Learning Task No.1: Figure Me Out

Directions: Read the following sentences and identify the types of figures of speech used in
each.
1. Rachel is as bright as the sun.
2. The whole world is a stage.
3. The wind whispered in my ears.
4. I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
5. I will die if she asks me to dance.
6. She is as big as an elephant!
7. The wind howled in the night.
8. The car complained as the key was roughly turned in its ignition.
9. He is a shining star.
10. The snow is a white blanket.
 Task No. 2: Analyzing Figurative Lines
Directions: Read and analyze the poem
“Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare.
Identify at least five lines that have
figures of speech and classify them
according to its type. Provide the
meaning of the lines. Write your answer
in the table provided. Your template table
below to organize your answers and
upload it to your e-portfolio.
Sonnet 130: My Mistress' Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun
By William Shakespeare
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
Task No. 2: Analyzing Figurative Lines
Write the lines that have Classification them whether Write the perceive meaning of
written figuratively in the poem Simile, Metaphor, Hyperbole, each line
Personification
Task No. 3: Composing a Poem Using Figures
of Speech
Directions:
1. Read and follow the given guide/prompts in using the figures of speech.
2. Create figurative lines using the figures of speech given.
3. Fill out the graphic organizer with your ideas.
4. Then, arrange your figurative lines to form your short poem.
5. Use the template below to organize your answers and upload it to your
e-portfolio.
6. You also need to make a separate copy of your final composition and
include graphical designs.
7. Make a separate content/section for the poem for your e-portfolio.
Task No. 3: Composing a Poem Using Figures
of Speech
Prompts Figure of Speech Figurative Lines Your Figurative Lines
(Example)
Compare yourself with Metaphor I am an eagle soaring in
something. the heights of the sky.
Add more to your Simile My vision is as distant as
comparison of yourself. the horizon could be.
Think of something Personification The wind beneath my
inanimate which you wings lifts my dreams
would like to move along
with you.
Think of your strength - Hyperbole I could fly thousands of
something you imagine feet above lands and
you can do beyond your glide kilometers without
ability. flapping my hands.
 Task No. 3: Composing a Poem Using Figures
of Speech

Figurative Lines (Example) Sample Assembled Lines into a Poem

I am an eagle soaring in the heights of the sky. Soaring High

My vision is as distant as the horizon could be.
I am an eagle soaring
The wind beneath my wings lifts my dreams in the heights of sky.
I could fly thousands of feet above lands and glide My vision is as distant
kilometers without flapping my hands. as the horizon could be.
The wind beneath my wings lifts
my dreams from the reverie,
flying thousands of feet above lands
gliding kilometers without flapping my hands.
 Grading Mechanics for Poem Composition

Criteria Points Score Comments

Poetic Voice
15
• Consistently in first-person or third-person point of view.
• Follows a specific poetic form: sonnet, villanelle, concrete
Imagery
40
• Vivid images
• Uses senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, smell
• Shows does not tell
• Uses at least 4 different figures of speech (Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Hyperbole)
Word Choice
15
Specific nouns
Action verbs
Does not use unnecessary words: very, really, always, gotten
Punctuation
15
Correctly follows conventional rules
Punctuation enhances the images and thoughts
Format
15
Title Included
One white space between stanzas
Total Score
80
 Task No. 4: Delivering Your Poem
Directions:
1. After assembling your figurative lines into a poem in the previous activity, now let us try to deliver it in class.
Each group will be given 5 minutes to recite their poem and explain its meaning behind figurative lines.
2. You also need to cover a video of the poem recital and include it to your e-portfolio.
3. Make a separate page/section of these output in your e-portfolio.
 Task No. 4: Delivering Your Poem
Directions: After assembling your figurative lines into a poem in the previous activity, now let us try to deliver it
in class. Each group will be given 5 minutes to recite their poem and explain its meaning behind figurative lines.
Criteria Points Score Comments
Knows the Poem. The performers know the poem well and have obviously 20
practiced reciting the poem several times. There is no need for notes and the
performer speaks with confidence.
Speaks Clearly. Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time and 15
mispronounces no words.
Posture and Eye Contact. Uses posture appropriate for the poem, looks relaxed 10
and confident.
Establishes eye contact with all members of the audience during the presentation.
Volume/Voice. Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members 15
throughout the presentation. Performer speaks clearly and paces performance. Is
easily understood by all audience members all the time.

Acting/Dialogue. Performer uses consistent voice inflection, facial expressions, 20

and movement to make the poem more believable, more entertaining, and more
easily understood.
Total Score
80