Identifying Figurative Language Examples

Bedlam

• A state of calm and tranquility.

• A scene of uproar and confusion.

• A place of peace and quiet.

• A moment of clarity and focus.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.5A

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Hyperbole

• A figure of speech that exaggerates for emphasis or effect.

• A type of metaphor that compares two unlike things.

• A literary device that uses irony to convey meaning.

• A form of understatement that minimizes the importance of something.

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.5A

Crocodile Tears

• A display of genuine empathy and concern.

• To show false sympathy or insincerity.

• A method of hunting used by crocodiles.

• A type of tear that is produced by crocodiles.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5B

CCSS.L.5.5B

Personification

• A figure of speech that gives human qualities to non-human things.

• A type of metaphor that compares two unlike things directly.

• A literary device that uses exaggeration for emphasis.

• A technique that involves the repetition of consonant sounds.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

Paradox

• A statement that is always true.

• A seemingly contradictory statement that actually makes sense or contains some truth.

• A statement that is false by definition.

• A question that cannot be answered.

Alliteration

• The repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words.

• The use of similar sounding words at the end of lines.

• A figure of speech that compares two different things.

• The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.RL.2.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Simile

• A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'.

• A type of metaphor that uses exaggeration for emphasis.

• A phrase that describes something in a literal sense.

• A rhetorical device that asks a question without expecting an answer.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

Imagery

• Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

• A type of figurative language that uses exaggeration.

• A narrative technique that focuses on character development.

• A method of organizing ideas in a logical sequence.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

Irony

• A figure of speech where the intended meaning is opposite to the literal meaning.

• A type of metaphor that compares two unlike things directly.

• A humorous or sarcastic remark that is not meant to be taken literally.

• A statement that expresses a strong emotion or feeling.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

Anaphora

• A figure of speech that repeats the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

• A literary device that involves the use of irony to convey a meaning.

• A rhetorical technique that juxtaposes contrasting ideas in a balanced manner.

• A form of metaphor that compares two unlike things directly.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.4

CCSS.RL.7.4