Figurative language allows the writer to say something in a creative and vivid manner. Some common types of figurative language are listed below.
Type of Figurative Language
Definition
Example
Simile
a comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as"
The mountain air was like a glass of ice poured down your back.
Metaphor
a comparison of two unlike things without "like" or "as"
The rhinocerous was a lumpy, idle rock.
Personification
giving a non-human thing human qualities
The branches did a hula dance in the breeze.
Idiom
a saying that means something different than the literal definition of the individual words
I'm head over heels for you.
Hyperbole
an exaggerated statement that makes the reader have an emotional response
I tried calling you a million times.
Alliteration
the repetition of a beginning consonant sound
Marlene was envious of Vivian's vivacious vulture.
Onomotopoeia
a word that imitates the sound it represents
The pitter-patter of the rain kept me up all night.
Read each sentence carefully. On the line, write the type of figurative language used in the sentence. Use the chart above to help you.
Read the poem "Anxiety," and then answer the questions that follow.
Please evaluate the student's answers:
Excellent
Good
Okay