Figurative Language

Giving inanimate objects human characteristics.

Ex: "The wind whispered through the trees."

• onomatopoeia.
• personification
• onomatopoeia
• imagery

Comparing two things using the words like or as.

Ex: "Her smile was as bright as the sun."

• metaphor
• simile
• idiom
• symbolism

Comparing two things WITHOUT using the words like or as.

Ex: "All the world is a stage."

• simile
• allusion
• euphanism
• metaphor

Two opposite things put together.

EX: "This is the beginning of the end."

• allusion
• onomatopia
• paradox
• tone

When the opposite of what you would expect happens.

EX: Josh has just received a failing grade on a difficult math test. He sarcastically exclaim, "Oh, great! Another A+ for me!"

• metaphor
• irony
• allusion
• paradox

Using similar words or phrases to emphasize similar ideas in a sentence.

EX: "I like to swim, to run, and to play basketball."

• personification
• allusion
• simile
• parallelism

How an author feels about the subject they are writing about.

• parallelism
• tone
• alliteration
• allusion

Using the five different senses to describe things in literature.

EX: "The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the tranquil lake. The water mirrored the sky, and a gentle breeze whispered through the reeds, carrying the scent of wildflowers."

• imagery
• allusion
• tone
• simile

A figure of speech that combines contradictory words with opposite meanings.

EX: "The deafening silence in the empty library."

• imagery
• oxymoron
• personification
• tone

Making a reference to a person or event in another story.

EX: "When he lifted the heavy weights, he felt as strong as Hercules."

• imagery
• personification
• symbolism
• allusion