Figurative Language in Chapters One and Two of Mice and Men

The path is beaten hard by tramps that come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water.

• personification, metaphor

• metaphor, metaphor

• hyperbole, personification

• hyperbole, metaphor

The shade climbed up the hills toward the top.

• foreshadowing, personification

• personification, metaphor

• metaphor, personification

• hyperbole, metaphor

On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray sculptured stones.

• metaphor

• personification

• hyperbole

• simile

Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his fingers so the water arose in little splashes; rings widened across the pool to the other side and came back again.

• hyperbole

• foreshadowing

• metaphor

• simile

Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his fingers so the water arose in little splashes; rings widened across the pool to the other side and came back again. Lennie is being compared to a ...

His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse.

• hyperbole

• foreshadowing

• metaphor

• simile

"Give it here!” Lennie’s closed hand slowly obeyed.

• weird

• personification

• simile

• metaphor

A water snake slipped along on the pool, its head held up like a little periscope.

• foreshadowing

• simile

• metaphor

• slimy

Far off toward the highway a man shouted something, and another man shouted back. The sycamore limbs rustled under a little wind that died immediately.

• anaphora

• simile

• personification

• foreshadowing

The sycamore leaves whispered in a little night breeze.