FIGURATIVE

LANGUAGE
&
POETRY
TERMS
Figurative language
◦ language that describes
something by comparing it to
something else.
◦ goes beyond the literal
meaning of words to describe
or explain a subject
Your love is like the sun
That lights up my whole world
I feel the warmth inside
Your love is like the river
That flows down through my veins
I feel the chill inside

-Your Love by Alamid

"My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life.“ -It's My Life By Bon Jovi
 The persona is comparing his life with an
open highway. He is trying to say that his life
is what he chooses to be, and that he is
carefree and open to new experiences of life.
 “
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down."
 This song uses the simile to compare friendship with a bridge over
troubled water. This song can be construed as a declaration of
friendship, where one friend tells the other one that no matter where he
finds himself in, he will always be there to comfort him and guide him
out.
 SIMILE
DIRECTLY COMPARES TWO
UNRELATED NOUNS USING
“LIKE” OR “AS” TO BRIDGE
THE CONNECTION
EX.
* STUCK LIKE GLUE
*I’M GOING TO MISS YOU
LIKE A CHILD MISSES THEIR
BLANKET
You‘re a falling star, you‘re
the getaway car.
You‘re the line in the
sand when I go too far.

Everything – by Michael Bublé

Ever the romantic, Michael Bublé uses his
song “Everything” to tell his wife that she
means everything to him. He compares her
to multiple things throughout the song, each
showing that she is the best part of him.
Ricochet, you take your aim
Fire away, fire away
You shoot me down but I won’t
fall
I am titanium

Titanium – by David Guetta

She compares herself to one of the
strongest metals.  She is showing
that no matter what you throw at her,
or how much you try to knock her
down, you won’t succeed.
Today was a fairytale
You were the prince
I used to be a damsel in distress
You took me by the hand and you
picked me up at six
Today was a fairytale.

-Today was a fairytale by Taylor Swift

 METAPHORS
THE COMPARISON
BETWEEN TWO UNRELATED
NOUNS SAYING ONE THING
“IS” ANOTHER THING
EX.
*BABY, YOU’RE A FIREWORK
*YOU WERE ROMEO
*I WAS A SCARLET LETTER
Boom tarat
tarat, boom
tarat tarat
Tararat tararat,
boom boom
boom
ONOMATOPOEIA
THE FORMATION OF
WORDS THAT SOUND LIKE
OR SUGGEST THE
OBJECTS OR ACTIONS
BEING NAMED
EX.
*TICK TOCK
*BANG, BANG, BANG
Whisper words
of wisdom, let it be.
-Let it Be, by The Beatles
The three Ws repeated at the start
of the lyrics add to the tone of the
overall song. They act to set up
those all-important words of
wisdom that lend to the song’s
title.
Said I’m so sick of
love songs, so sad and slow

-So Sick by Ne-Yo

And, baby, now we’ve
got bad blood

Bad Blood by Taylor Swift

ALLITERATION
THE SAME, BEGINNING
CONSONANT SOUND IN TWO
OR MORE WORDS CLOSE
TOGETHER
EX.
*SAD, SONGS, SAY, SO MUCH
*RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED
REINDEER
*WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
 I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend. I know you're not a
fool...
...Time can never mend
The careless whisper of a good friend
To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind
There's no comfort in the truth, pain is all you'll
find.

-Careless Whisper by GEORGE MICHAEL

 This song is full of
personification - 'guilty feet',
'time' being expected to 'mend'
mistakes, and 'ignorance' being
'kind'. Human qualities, applied
to non-human concepts.
There's a calm surrender to the rush of
day
When the heat of a rolling wind can be
turned away
An enchanted moment, and it sees me
through
It's enough for this restless warrior just to
be with you.

-Can You Feel The Love Tonight by

ELTON JOHN
PERSONIFICATION
THE ASSIGNMENT OF HUMAN
TRAITS TO THINGS, COLORS,
QUALITIES, AND IDEAS
EX.*AND THE SHADOW OF THE
DAY, WILL EMBRACE THE
WORLD IN GRAY.
*THIS TOWN IS COLDER NOW, I
THINK IT’S SICK OF US.
*HIP HOP JUST DIED THIS
MORNING, AND SHE’S DEAD.
"I would fly to the moon and back if
you'll be...
If you'll be my baby
Got a ticket for a world where we
belong
So would you be my baby?“

-To the Moon and Back - Savage Garden

I'd catch a grenade for you (yeah, yeah,
yeah) Throw my hand on a blade for you
(yeah, yeah, yeah) I'd jump in front of a
train for you (yeah, yeah, yeah) You know
I'd do anything for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same
-Grenade by Bruno Mars
I have died every day
waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more.
-A thousand years by Christina Perri
HYPERBOLE
USING EXAGGERATION TO
MAKE A POINT
ASSIGNMENT
* LOOK AT THE LYRICS OF THE
SONG (OPM)
* COPY, PASTE, & LABEL
EXAMPLES FROM THE LYRICS
OF EACH OF THE 8 FORMS OF
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE /
POETIC DEVICES THAT YOU
HAVE IN YOUR NOTES.
 OXYMORON
(Greek word: pointedly foolish)

•A FIGURE OF SPEECH IN
WHICH TWO CONTRADICTORY
WORDS ARE PLACED
TOGETHER
EX. *NUMB SENSATION
*PLASTIC GLASSES
*STUDENT TEACHER
A yawn may be defined as a
silent yell.-G.K. Chesterton
USING INK - ADD EACH WORD TO THE
BOTTOM OF A BOX ON YOUR
OXYMORON BINGO CARDS

*COPY*SWEET*TIGHTS*MOVING*
*MILLIONAIRE*NEGATIVE*DOG*
*MISUNDERSTOOD*SHRIMP*END*
*PIECE*RIBS*NEWS*GRIEF*WAR*
*CROWD*ROAR*AGAIN*DEAD*
*ALIVE*SLEEP*LIGHT*MUCH*PAIR
*FLOOR
 EUPHEMISM
A WORD OR SERIES OF WORDS
WHICH REPLACES SAD,
UNPLEASANT, OR SHOCKING
IDEAS WITH SOFTER AND
NICER EXPRESSIONS

EX. *NATURE CALLS

1.She was less favoured by beauty than her sister
2. Someone borrowed money from my locker
without asking me.
3. I just bought a pre‐owned car yesterday.
4. Now I’m headed for the correctional facility
again.
5. Where do I work? Actually, I’m between jobs
at the moment.
6. Eric’s driving skills leave plenty of room for
improvement.
DIRECT OR BLUNT EUPHEMISM
War Armed intervention
Unemployed Between jobs
Lie Categorical
Wrinkle inaccuracy
Rebels Character line

Obese Freedom fighters

Used or second hand Full bodied
Pre-owned
DIRECT OR BLUNT EUPHEMISM
dead body remains
garbage dump sanitary landfill
garbage man sanitationengineer
bartender mixologist
prostitute comfort women
die pass away, pass on,
go to be with the Lord,
called home, gone to
heaven, departed
DIRECT OR BLUNT EUPHEMISM
poor  economically disadvantaged
crippled physically challenged
retarded developmentally
firing employees disabled
old people downsizing personnel
go away senior citizen
I really need a bit of
peace and quiet.
DIRECT OR BLUNT EUPHEMISM
pornography  Adult entertainment
late  Chronologically-challenged
maid  Domestic engineer

short  Vertically-challenged
The following provides examples of how euphemisms can be used to deceive:
The inmates(prisoners) were detained(imprisoned) within the
concentration(extermination) camp.

The soldiers are no longer with us(dead). The deployment(battle) has come
to an end(lost).

There were 200 casualties(deaths) as a result of friendly fire(being attacked

by own troops).
These documents are classified(secret) as it includes human
intelligence(information from spies and interrogated prisoners).

The party received political donations(money) to help fulfil its

pledge(promise) to reform its reputation(corruption) with the
community(voters).

The runoff(liquid waste) from processing plants(slaughterhouses or

chemical factories) was deemed as marginally harmful(toxic).
Rewrite each sentence using euphemisms.

1.Every Tuesday the garbage worker empties the bins.

2.The idiot could not pass the test because he was stupid.

3.The workers were being spied on by the prying boss.

4. He was a lazy teenager who had just been sacked from his job.

5.She was so forgetful that she forgot to go to the toilet before going to the
shops.

6.Young hooligans invaded the shopping centre, igniting fear in helpless

shoppers.

7.Soldiers made a grave error when they slaughtered hundreds of innocent

women and children.
For nearly all actors it begins at the end of
the audition with four words from the
auditor, "Thanks for coming in." . . .

"Thanks for coming in" is a polite

entertainment euphemism for "You suck.
Was that the best you could do?"
Most style guides treat
euphemism as a dishonest
type of wordiness--
something to be avoided in
formal essays and reports.
Consider these cautionary notes:

In academic writing, . . . you should avoid

euphemisms and instead express yourself as
directly and honestly as you can.
Euphemisms . . . should usually be avoided in
essay writing. In expository writing, and in life,
excessive politeness suggests insincerity and
evasiveness.
Euphemisms can make your writing sound wordy
and pretentious. Whenever possible, avoid this
kind of indirect language.
Euphemisms represent a flight to comfort,
a way to reduce tension when conversing.
They are comfort words. Euphemistic
discourse softens the harsh, smooths the
rough, makes what's negative sound
positive.
 Function of Euphemism
 Euphemism helps writers to convey those
ideas which have become a social taboo and
are too embarrassing to mention directly.
 Writers skillfully choose appropriate words to
refer to and discuss a subject indirectly which
otherwise are not published due to strict
social censorship e.g. religious fanaticism,
political theories, sexuality, death etc.
 Thus, euphemism is a useful tool that allows
writers to write figuratively about the libellous
issues.
Taboo -a social or religious custom
prohibiting or forbidding discussion of
a particular practice or forbidding
association with a particular person,
place, or thing.
-something prohibited, forbidden or
restricted.
ALLUSION
 ALLUSION
A BRIEF & INDIRECT REFERENCE TO
A PERSON, PLACE, OR THING, IN
HISTORY, RELIGION, LITERATURE,
POP CULTURE, OR THE ARTS. IT
DOES NOT DESCRIBE IN DETAIL THE
PERSON OR THING TO WHICH IT
REFERS. IT IS JUST A PASSING
COMMENT, & THE WRITER EXPECTS
THE READER TO POSSESS ENOUGH
KNOWLEDGE TO SPOT THE ALLUSION
& GRASP ITS IMPORTANCE IN A TEXT.
 ALLUSION
Intertextuality
- It is a literary device that creates an
interrelationship between texts and
generates related understanding in
separate works
- These references are made to
influence the reader and add layers
of depth to a text, based on the
readers’ prior knowledge and
understanding.
 EXAMPLES OF ALLUSION
I WAS SURPRISED HIS NOSE
WAS NOT GROWING LIKE
PINOCCHIO’S.
(REFERS TO A PUPPET NAMED
PINOCCHIO WHOSE NOSE
WOULD GROW EVERY TIME HE
TOLD A LIE - FROM THE
ADVENTURES OF PINNOCHIO
BY CARLO COLLODI)
 HE WAS A REAL ROMEO
WITH THE LADIES.
(REFERS TO A CHARACTER IN
SHAKESPEARE’S PLAY, ROMEO
AND JULIET. HE WAS VERY
ROMANTIC IN EXPRESSING HIS
LOVE FOR JULIET.)
Sometimes, I feel like Atlas-
carrying the weight of the
world on my shoulders.
Atlas was a legendary Titan. He was in
a lot of stories, starting with a story
including a hero named Hercules.
Atlas led a battle of Titans against
Zeus which lasted for ten years.
Eventually Atlas was singled out by
Zeus and forced to hold up the
heavens as a special punishment.
She had the wisdom of Athena and
the beauty of Aphrodite.
You're a regular Einstein.
I was supposed to go out
with my friends, but my
plans were changed. All of
my siblings were gone, but I
had been in the house
slaving like Cinderella,
scrubbing the floors on my
hands and knees, washing
clothes and dishes and
making everyone’s beds.
Sally had a smile rivaled only
by that of the Mona Lisa.
Since everyone is familiar
with the painting, they can
imagine Sally’s almost
expressionless smile.
What does this show about
Sally?
ALLUSION IN MOVIES
ALLUSION IN MOVIES
ALLUSION IN MUSIC
We were both young when I first saw you
I close my eyes and the flashback starts
I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air
See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns
See you make your way through the crowd
And say hello
Little did I know
That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you, please, don't go
And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all that's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story, baby just say yes
So I sneak out to the garden to see you
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew
So close your eyes, escape this town for a little while
'Cause you…
Allusion vs. Illusion
The noun allusion means "an
indirect reference to a person,
event, or thing."
Illusion is a noun that means
"false impression."
1. Were the horizontal lines
straight or slanted?
2. Take a second look.
3. Well?
***That is an example of
illusion
Whenever you come across an allusion,
stop and ask yourself:
 What does the writer want me to understand
about this character, setting, plot, etc. by
connecting it to something with which I am
already familiar?

 What is the author’s purpose in using this

allusion?
 To create the same feeling/mood as the original
work?
 For comedic effect?
 To show character’s motives or traits?
Why do writers use allusion?

A quick allusion can create a mood in

just a few words, rather than using a
long explanation.
Allusions help writers and musicians
relate to their audiences.
Combinations of allusions can
contribute to a certain THEME. For
example, a musician may use a
number of Biblical allusions to make
a statement about his own religious
beliefs.
 Write down any allusions you find in
films, poems, or music. (Try and find at
least two).
 What does the allusion refer to?
 How does that reference contribute to
the theme that the show/poem/song is
trying to get across?
 COLLOQUIALISMS
WORD, PHRASE, OR OTHER FORM
USED IN EVERYDAY
INFORMAL LANGUAGE
*INCORPORATES CONTRACTIONS
SUCH AS I’LL, HAVEN’T, AND
DOESN’T
*INCORPORATES ABBREVIATIONS
SUCH AS FRIDGE, TV, AND HOOD
*A MAJOR ASPECT IS THE USE OF
IDIOMS AND SLANG
 IDIOMS
PHRASE OF FIXED EXPRESSION
THAT HAS A FIGURATIVE, OR
SOMETIMES LITERAL, MEANING.
___________________________________
AN IDIOMS FIGURATIVE
MEANING IS DIFFERENT FROM
THE LITERAL MEANING.
EX. *RAINING CATS AND DOGS
* WHEN THE FAT LADY SINGS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9DxGe94uoc
 SLANG
*VERY INFORMAL WORDS OR
PHRASES THAT ARE USUALLY
RESTRICTED TO A CERTAIN
GROUP OF PEOPLE
*SOME CONVEY NEGATIVE
CONNOTATIONS & CAN BE
OFFENSIVE
EX. DUDE, PEEPS, BAE, FLEEK
 JARGON
SPECIALIZED LANGUAGE AND
TERMINOLOGOY ASSOCIATED
WITH A PARTICULAR
OCCUPATION
EX. JARGON FROM COMPUTER-
RELATED FIELDS WOULD BE
WORDS SUCH AS INTERFACE,
BLOG, & USER-FRIENDLY
http://www.tvguide.com/news/greys-anatomy-stars-m
edical-jargon-quiz-kevin-mckidd-jessica-capshaw/?rss
=tv-hotlist&partnerid=spi&profileid=09
 S.S.W.
(SUSTAINED SILENT WRITING)
1. YOUR STORY MUST CONTAIN AN EXAMPLE OF 10
OF THE 16 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE / POETIC
DEVICES THAT WE HAVE COVERED.
2. THE 10 EXAMPLES THAT YOU USE, CANNOT BE
THE EXAMPLES I GAVE YOU IN YOUR NOTES.
3. YOU NEED TO UNDERLINE & LABEL THE
EXAMPLES IN YOUR STORY.
4. THE EXAMPLES YOU USE NEED TO FIT
COMFORTABLY INTO YOUR STORY.

HYPERBOLE ALLITERATION EUPHEMISM

COLLOQUIALISM METAPHOR IMAGERY,
ONOMATOPOEIA ALLUSION JARGON
OXYMORON IDIOM SLANG
PERSONIFICATION REPETITION SIMILE
 CLICHÉ
EXPRESSION, IDEA, OR ELEMENT OF
AN ARTISTIC WORK WHICH HAS
BECOME OVERUSED TO THE POINT OF
LOSING ITS ORIGINAL MEANING OR
EFFECT, EVEN TO THE POINT OF
BEING IRRITATING

EX. *TIME IS GOLD

*AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE
DOCTOR AWAY
*AT THE CRACK OF DAWN
YOU SHOULD AVOID
CLICHES LIKE THE
PLAGUE!!!!!
 SYMBOLISM
A FIGURE OF SPEECH WHERE AN
OBJECT, PERSON, OR SITUATION
HAS ANOTHER MEANING OTHER
THAN THE LITERAL MEANING
EX.
*WITH THIS RING, I THEE WED..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhijmmePlU8
 VOWELS
*A, E, I, O, AND U. SOMETIMES
THE LETTER Y IS CONSIDERED
A VOWEL, BECAUSE IT CAN
SOUND LIKE OTHER VOWELS.

*UNLIKE CONSONANTS, EACH

OF THE VOWEL LETTERS HAS
MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF
SOUND OR CAN EVEN BE
SILENT.
 ASSONANCE
REPETITION OF A PATTERN OF
SIMILAR VOWEL SOUNDS TO CREATE
INTERNAL RHYMING WITHIN
PHRASES OR SENTENCES. IT IS ALSO
CALLED VOWEL RHYME.
EX.
*DO YOU LIKE BLUE?
*HE RECEIVED THREE EMAILS
TODAY.
*THE SAILOR SAID , “HEY”TO MAE.
O,OW,OA
 EE, IE, EA
http://
www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ASSONANCE&FORM=HDRSC3#view
=detail&mid=9C134158015BAB5C73029C134158015BAB5C7302
 CONSONANTS
*A SPEECH SOUND
THAT IS NOT A VOWEL.

*A, E, I, O, U, AND
SOMETIMES Y ARE NOT
CONSONANTS
 CONSONANCE
REPETITION OF THE SAME
CONSONANT SOUNDS TWO OR MORE
TIMES IN SHORT SUCCESSION.
(INTERNAL OR AT THE END)

EX.*SHELLY SELLS SHELLS BY

THE SEASHORE.
*DRESS AND BOSS
*SLITHER AND LATHER
*LAUGHED AND DEFT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUrxG8APyiI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85PKusqduBY
 ANAPHORA
(ALSO CALLED EPANAPHORA)

REPETITION OF A WORD OR
WORDS AT THE BEGINNING
OF TWO OR MORE
SUCCESSIVE VERSES,
CLAUSES, OR SENTENCES.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMezcWFW8ss
 EPISTROPHE
THE REPETITION OF A
WORD AT THE END OF
SUCCESSIVE
CLAUSES OR
SENTENCES.
Cause if you liked it then you should
have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you should've put
a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he
want it
If you liked it then you should've put
a ring on it

Single Ladies - Beyonce

For no government is better than the men
who compose it, and I want the best, and
we need the best, and we deserve the
best. - John F. Kennedy

And that government of the people, by the

people, for the people, shall not perish
from the Earth - Abraham Lincoln