Introducing…

Figures of Speech
 Introduction
Authors often use figures of speech in both
literature and poetry to enhance their writing.

Figures of speech present ordinary things in

new or unusual ways.
They communicate ideas that go beyond the
words’ usual, literal meanings.
 Objectives
By the end of this class, you should be able to:

• Recognize nine figures of speech

• Identify figures of speech in poems

 Imagery
Definition:
Descriptive writing that appeals to the senses
(sight, taste, touch, smell, and hearing)

Think of it this way:

When a writer uses imagery, the descriptive
writing helps create a picture or image in
your mind.

Imagery = Mental Image

Imagery
 Imagery
Example:
The hot July sun cast an orange glare over
the ocean waves.
Imagery
 Imagery
Another example:
The cool waves crashed over my feet as we
walked along the gritty sand.
Which of the following is another
example of imagery?

 There is a white bird in the sky.

 The delicate white bird flew gracefully through

the blue sky.

 I heard the birds and saw them flying.

Remember: When a writer uses imagery,
he or she chooses words that will appeal to
some or all of the reader’s five senses.

Think about which of the sentences most

appeals to your five senses.
 You’re Right!
“The delicate white bird flew gracefully through
the blue sky” is an example of imagery because
it gives the reader a mental image by appealing
to the senses.
 Simile
Definition:
Comparing two unlike things using like or as

Example:
She ran like the wind.

Explanation:
Running and the wind are unlike things.
When you compare the speed of running
to the speed of the wind, you are using
a simile.
 Simile
More examples:
The snow was as thick as a blanket.

She was as light as a feather.

You are acting like a baby.

He felt like a bug under a microscope.

His temper was as explosive as a volcano.

 Which of the following is NOT
another example of a simile?
He’s as messy as a pig when he eats.

He eats like a pig.

He is a pig. Read the question

carefully before
answering!
When a writer uses simile…

•Two unlike things are being compared

•The words like or as are being used to make

the comparison
 You’re Right!
“He is a pig” is NOT a simile because even
though it does compare two unlike things,
it does not use the words like or as.
 Metaphor
The definition of a metaphor is similar to the
definition of a simile but there is one important
difference between the two.

Remember the definition of simile has two parts:

•Two unlike things are being compared
•The words like or as are used to make the comparison

There will also be two parts to the definition of

a metaphor.
 Metaphor vs. Simile
Use the following examples to figure out the
definition of metaphor.
Simile: Fido is like a teddy bear.
Simile: Fido is as soft as a teddy bear.
 Metaphor vs. Simile
Use the following examples to figure out the
definition of metaphor.
Simile: Fido is like a teddy bear.
Simile: Fido is as soft as a teddy bear.
Metaphor: Fido is a teddy bear.
 Metaphor vs. Simile
Use the following examples to figure out the
definition of metaphor.
Simile: Fido is like a teddy bear.
Simile: Fido is as soft as a teddy bear.
Metaphor: Fido is a teddy bear.

Simile: That boy is like a pig.

Simile: That boy is as messy as a pig.
 Metaphor vs. Simile
Use the following examples to figure out the
definition of metaphor.
Simile: Fido is like a teddy bear.
Simile: Fido is as soft as a teddy bear.
Metaphor: Fido is a teddy bear.

Simile: That boy is like a pig.

Simile: That boy is as messy as a pig.
Metaphor: That boy is a pig.
 Which of the following is the
correct definition for metaphor?
Comparing two similar things by using like or as

Comparing two similar things without using like or

as

Comparing two unlike things by using like or as

Comparing two unlike things without using like or

as
 Take another look at these examples.
Simile: Fido is like a teddy bear.
Simile: Fido is as soft as a teddy bear.
Metaphor: Fido is a teddy bear.

Consider this…Are the two things being compared like

or unlike each other? Are there keywords that are
used in one figure of speech that are not used in the
other?
 You’re Right!
Although similes and metaphors both
compare unlike things, metaphor do not
use the words like or as.
 Alliteration
Take a look at the following examples of alliteration.
You will later select the best definition for this figure
of speech.
Brad wore his blue and brown blazer.
Hank held his head high.
Larry loves lemonade and lolly pops.
Six swans went swimming in the sea.
 Alliteration
Have you figured it out yet?
Here are more examples to help refine your
definition.
Alliteration  Sue shook her silky silver hair
as the sun was setting.
NOT Alliteration  Elizabeth easily eyed an
elephant Inthe elevator.
Which of the following is the best
definition for alliteration?
(Click on a definition to select your answer.)

Repetition of beginning consonant sounds

Repetition of beginning vowel sounds

Repetition of ending consonant sounds

Repetition of ending vowel sounds

Look at this example again.
Six swans went swimming in the sea.

Think about what is repeating.

Is it a consonant sound or a vowel sound?
Is it at the beginning or end of the words?
 You’re Right!
Alliteration is the repetition of beginning
consonant sounds, such as “Six silly swans
went swimming in the sea.”

It’s important to note that not every

word in the sentence has to begin
with the same letter in order for it
to be considered alliteration.

In the above example, only 5 out of

8 words begin with an “s”.
 Hyperbole
Think about the following examples of hyperbole.
You will later select the best definition for this figure
of speech.

My backpack weighs a ton.

 Hyperbole
Another example:
The wolf was 100 feet high.
 Hyperbole
More examples:

You could have knocked me

over with a feather.

I’ve told you a million times!

Which of the following is the best
definition for hyperbole?
A major understatement; the opposite of exaggeration
A true statement that accurately describes a person, plac

A major exaggeration or overstatement used for emphas

Think about the examples again.
The wolf was 100 feet high.
My backpack weighs a ton.

Are these true statements?

Does it understate or overstate the truth?
 You’re Right!
Hyperbole is a major exaggeration or
overstatement.

Authors use this figure of speech to emphasize

a point or add humor.

Think about many times in a day

you exaggerate what you say and
use hyperbole.
 Onomatopoeia
When you see this: You often hear this:

Buzz and ring are both examples of onomatopoeia.

Start thinking about what you think is best
definition for this figure of speech.
 Onomatopoeia
When you see this: You often hear this:
Which of the following is the best
definition for onomatopoeia?

A word that looks like its meaning

A word that sounds like its meaning

A word that only describes animal sounds

Think carefully about the words buzz, bang, and
moo.
Do these words look like their meanings?
Do these words sound like their meanings?

Do these words only describe sounds that

animals make?
 You’re Right!
Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like its
meaning.

It can also be described as the use of a word

which imitates a sound.

Other examp les include: screech, whirr, sizzle,

crunch, bang, pow, zap, roar, growl, click,
snap, crackle, and pop.
 Personification
Definition:
Giving human traits or characteristics to
something that isn’t human, such as animals,
objects or non-living things

Think of it this way:

When a writer uses personification, he or she
gives characteristics of a person to an
animal, object or thing.
 Personification
Example:
The willow tree shook her long hair.

Explanation:
The example is referring to the way that
the willow tree’s long branches sway in the
wind. By saying “shook her long hair”, the
tree is given characteristics of a human.
 Personification
More examples:
The car danced across the icy road.
The angry clouds marched across the sky.
The stars in the clear night sky winked at me.

The tulips nodded their heads in the breeze.

Which of the following sentences
contain personification?
The wind juggled the leaves.

The wind blew the leaves.

The wind moved the leaves.

Think carefully about the choices.
The wind juggled the leaves.

The wind blew the leaves.

The wind moved the leaves.

Which one of the verbs describes something that

only a human does?
 You’re Right!
“The wind juggled the leaves” is an example of
personification.
 Metonymy
 Definition:
– Something is named to replace something
closely related to it.

Example:
“Feathers in my hair”
“Applause”

The examples are used to replace social classes

(the rich and the famous)
 More examples:
 Thirty hands are employed in that factory.

 The hostess kept a good table.

 SYNECDOCHE
 Definition:
– The whole is replaced by the part or the part
by the whole.

Example:
50 heads of cattle

Explanation:
“head” is used to mean whole animals.
 More examples:

 “Best brains in the country”

 Definitions
Alliteration: Repetition of beginning consonant sounds

Hyperbole: A major exaggeration or overstatement

Imagery: Descriptive writing that appeals to the senses

Metaphor: Comparing two unlike things without using like or as

Onomatopoeia: A word that sounds like its meaning

Personification: Giving human traits or characteristics to

something that isn’t human

Simile: Comparing two unlike things using like or as

 QUIZ
Bang! The starter’s gun—
thin raindrops
sprint.

-Dorthi Charles
Knock at a Star

Which figure of speech is highlighted in the above poem?

Simile Alliteration
Metaphor Onomatopoeia
 You’re Right!
“Bang!” is an example of onomatopoeia because it is
a word that sounds like its meaning.
 “The Wind”
The wind stood up, and gave a shout;
He whistled on his fingers, and

Kicked the withered leaves about,

And thumped the branches with his hand,

And said he’ll kill, and kill, and kill;

And so he will! And so he will!
- James Stephens
Knock at a Star

Which figure of speech is highlighted in the above poem?

Alliteration Personification
Onomatopoeia Hyperbole
 You’re Right!
When James Stephens says, “The wind stood
up, and gave a shout / He whistled on his
fingers”, he is using personification.

He is giving human characteristics, such as

shouting and whistling on fingers, to the wind.
 “The Runner”
On a flat road runs the well-trained runner,
He is lean and sinewy with muscular legs,
He is thinly clothed, he leans forward as he runs,
With lightly closed fists and arms partially raised.

- Walt Whitman
Knock at a Star

Which figure of speech is highlighted in the above poem?

Metaphor Personification
Imagery Hyperbole
 You’re Right!
When Walt Whitman says, “As he runs / With
lightly closed fists and arms partially raised”,
he is using imagery.

He is using descriptive writing that appeals to

our sense of sight to help us create a mental
image of the runner.
 “Peach”
Touch it to your cheek and it’s soft
as a velvet newborn mouse
who has to strive to be alive.

Bite in. Runny

honey
blooms on your tongue-
as if you’ve bitten open
a whole hive.
And so he will! And so he will!
- Rose Rauter
Knock at a Star

Which figure of speech is highlighted in the above poem?

Onomatopoeia Simile
Hyperbole Metaphor
 You’re Right!
When Rose Rauter says, “It’s soft as a velvet
newborn mouse”, she is using a simile.
She uses the word as to compare two unlike
things (a peach and a mouse).
 Excerpt from “I’m Proud of My Preposterpus”
I’m proud of my Preposterpus,
so ponderous and pale,
I love the way it whistles
when it swizzles ginger ale.
It’s magnificent in stature,
fully twenty-four feet tall,
so it tends to draw attention
when I take it to the mall.
- Jack Pretulsky
A Pizza the Size of the Sun

Which figure of speech is highlighted in the above poem?

Hyperbole Alliteration

Onomatopoeia Metaphor
 You’re Right!
When Jack Prelutsky says, “I’m proud of my
Preposterpus / so ponderous and pale”, he is
using alliteration.
He is repeating the beginning consonant
sound of “p” while he is describing the
Preposterpus.
 “Dreams”
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
- Langston Hughes
The Dream Keeper and Other Poems

Which figure of speech is highlighted in the above poem?

Simile Personification

Metaphor Onomatopoeia
 You’re Right!
When Langston Hughes says, “Life is a
broken-winged bird / That cannot fly”, he is
using a metaphor.
He compares two unlike things (life and a
bird) without using the words like or as.
 “A Pizza the Size of the Sun”
I’m making a pizza the size of the sun,
a pizza that’s sure to weigh more than a ton,
a pizza too massive to pick up and toss,
a pizza resplendent with oceans of sauce.
I’m topping my pizza with mountains of cheese,
with acres of peppers, pimentos, and peas,
with mushrooms, tomatoes, and sausage galore,
with every last olive they had at the store.
My pizza is sure to be one of a kind,
my pizza will leave other pizzas behind,
my pizza will be a delectable treat
that all who love pizza are welcome to eat.
The oven is hot, I believe it will take
a year and a half for my pizza to bake.
I hardly can wait till my pizza is done,
my wonderful pizza is the size of the sun.
- Jack Pretulsky
A Pizza the Size of the Sun

Which figure of speech is highlighted in the above poem?

Onomatopoeia Simile
Hyperbole Personification
 You’re Right!
When Jack Prelutsky says “I’m making a pizza
the size of the sun / a pizza that’s sure to
weigh more than a ton,” he is using
hyperbole.
He is exaggerating about the size of the pizza
that is being made.