Similes, Metaphors, Hyperboles, Personification, and Idioms (Literary Devices: Alliteration and Onomatopoeia) copyright 2012 Jane Kotinek.

copyright 2012 Jane Kotinek

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGESimiles, Metaphors, Hyperboles,

Personification, and Idioms(Literary Devices: Alliteration and

Onomatopoeia)


What is figurative language?

Figurative language are the devices used by authors to create images in your mind.

It is language that appeals to the five senses: smell, sound, taste, touch, and sight.

The literal meaning is the real meaning. NO figurative language will be used in the literal meaning.

They are the “juice” in the hamburger!Or

The “squeak” in the mouse!

Squeak!!


Figurative Language Figurative language makes the story

come alive!

“Wow. That is a pretty flower. I would like to pick it.”

Better:“The flower gently swayed in the breeze as if it were motioning for us to admire it. Like children drawn to freshly baked cookies, we carefully made our way to the delicate symbol of love.”


Types of Figurative Language

Simile Metaphor Personification Idiom Hyperbole Onomatopoeia (literary device) Alliteration (literary device)


Let’s begin with a simile

Do not worry. This will be as easy as 1,2,3!


Similes

Comparing two or more things using like or as.

He is as quiet as a church mouse.

She is like a ray of sunshine on a rainy day.


Let’s look at that again.

HeWho or what (the object of the sentence) that is being compared.

as comparison

quiet as a church mouse

What the object is being compared to.He is being compared to a church

mouse.


She is like a ray of sunshine on a rainy day.

Let’s look at the second example.

Who or what (the object of the sentence) that is being compared.

comparison

What the object is being compared to.

She

like

a ray of sunshine on a rainy day


What if?

If the sentence has an “as” or a “like” in it, is it always a simile?

NO!

Remember, the simile MUST compare at least two things!


Which one is the simile?

1. He was like a turtle doing his homework.

or

2. He does not like carrots for dinner.

Click me!

He was like a turtle doing his homework.


One more time…

As I ran down the sidewalk I tripped and fell.

I am as pretty as a peach.

I am as pretty as a peach.

or


Let’s practice. Identify the similes in the following sentences.

Sally ran like a wild animal after she was scared by her brother.

Tom was as angry as a black bear woken from it’s nap.


More practice with similes…

You are as sweet as a double frosted cupcake!

Trouble follows you like a new born pup to it’s mother.

I’m so cold my fingers feel like icicles on a cold December morning.

Hand out and complete practice worksheet before continuing PowerPoint.


Identifying the simile in the

sentence is not enough. You must also understand what the simile

means!


Remember, the author uses figurative language in order to convey meaning and create an image in your mind without

having to use a lot of boring words.


Similes: What do they mean?

The music played softly in my mind like a fallen leaf floating aimlessly on the placid lake.

Identify the simile in the sentence.

…like a fallen leaf floating aimlessly on the placid lake.

Explain the image you see in your mind after reading the sentence.

Your answer should include seeing a leaf gently floating on the top of a clear, calm lake.

Put it together. What does the sentence mean?


What is the meaning?

The music played softly in my mind like a fallen leaf floating aimlessly on the placid lake.

Discuss what you imagine the meaning of the sentence to be with your classmates. Also, what tone do you think the author is trying to convey.


Similes: What do they mean?

The sun shone on the prairie like a hot iron scorching a new shirt. Sweat poured from my brow as I maneuvered the plow through the dirt that felt like molasses on a cold winter’s day. Gasping for a hot breath, I gazed upon my land like a thirsty man desperate for water, my bones already aching at the prospect of plowing the burnt soil tomorrow.

This one is harder. Identify all of the similes in the paragraph. What is the author trying to convey to you? What emotions should you experience after reading the paragraph? Describe the farmer’s land.


Analyzing the Paragraph

1. What are the similes used in the paragraph?

like a hot iron scorching a new shirtlike molasses on a cold winter’s day like a thirsty man desperate for water

2. Describe the conditions of the farm?

There is probably a drought going on. The dirt is very tough to get through. The man is tired and hot. He is proud of his land, but he also understands there is a lot of work to be done.

3. What is the mood of this paragraph?

Depressing, exhausting, tiring


Practice on your own “Oh, I am as nervous as a cat in the dog pound. Do you really think I look alright in this dress? I feel like a water balloon ready to burst! I would just hate to lose this dance competition. I heard the judge was meaner than a rattlesnake tied to a mongoose.”1.What are the similes used in the

quote?

2. What is the tone of the speaker in this quote?

3. What do you think the author is trying to convey to the reader?


Independent Practice

Practice what you have learned by completing the Simile worksheet.


Metaphors

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using the words like or as.

Raul was an icicle when he came in from outside.

Was he really an icicle?

Raul?!


Metaphors

Remember, this is figurative language. You cannot take the

meaning literally (for real).


Metaphor Practice

Sally was a chicken when it came to mountain climbing.

Was Sally really a chicken?

What was the matter with Sally?She was afraid to climb a mountain.


More Practice

The boiling soup cascaded over the edge of the pan.

Why is this NOT an example of a metaphor?

BUTTON

There is nothing being compared. This is literally what is happening to the soup.


Yes, more practice!

Maria was the internet on legs!

Is this an example of a metaphor?

What does it mean?

YES!

Maria is very smart.


More Metaphors

Herbert’s mind was a maze filled with dead ends.

?Is this a metaphor?

YES!


Metaphor Practice

Complete the Metaphor worksheet that has been given to you.


The Meaning of Metaphors

Remember, the author uses figurative

language in order to convey meaning and create an image in your mind without

having to use a lot of boring words.


The Meaning of Metaphors

Jeff’s life had become a circus filled with pratfalls and clown suits. His luck couldn’t possibly get any worse, he thought. Unfortunately, that thought had barely escaped his jumbled mind as his foot, nestled in a new pair of leather dress shoes, settled into the river that had once been his front yard.

Identify the metaphors used in the paragraph.become a circus filled with

pratfalls and clown suits, settled into the river that had once been his front yard


What does the author want you to imagine?

Jeff’s life had become a circus filled with pratfalls and clown suits. His luck couldn’t possibly get any worse, he thought. Unfortunately, that thought had barely escaped his jumbled mind as his foot, nestled in a new pair of leather dress shoes, settled into the river that had once been his front yard.

Jeff’s life was very chaotic and goofy. If something could go wrong; it did.


More practice A prison sentence. That is what it felt like. Hours upon hours of reading and writing in ONE night. Oh, the pain, the injustice of it all. How do my teachers identify my Achilles heel so quickly?

What are the examples of metaphors in the above example?

Prison sentence and Achilles heels

What is the tone of the paragraph?Resentful, upset, angry


Independent Practice

Complete the Metaphor worksheet.


Personification

Giving a non-human characteristics usually associated with people.

? It’s actually easier than you think!


Personification

Say a regular bird (like me) were to start talking to you while you were walking to school. If you told anybody about it, they would think you were crazy? Right?


Personification

Personification does not apply to speaking only. Humans are able to do all kinds of fun things. Humans can skip, whisper, scream, groan, jump, run, giggle, think, analyze, sing, and hum (to name a few things).


Personification

Personification does not always have to be used with an animal. Anything can be given human abilities! A tree could jump or skip. A shoe could tell you your feet smell bad! Maybe a cloud stops by to say “hello.” The possibilities are endless!


Personification

However, if you were reading a story, having an animal talk would be okay. So even though animals don’t normally talk, author’s will sometimes give them that human characteristic.

PersonificationDo you see the word person in the word?

Click me!


Personification

Did you notice how your teacher just followed directions from a talking candle? Pretty cool, huh? That’s why personification is neat. It brings things alive!


Personification

Identifying a dog or a cat speaking is pretty easy. Let’s look at something a lot more difficult.

The wind whistled as it blew past the trees alongside the house.

Where is the personification in this example?

The wind whistled. Whistled is the human act taking place.


Personification

The swollen river raced forward tackling everything in it’s way.

Where is the personification in this sentence?

River raced and tackling

Pop Quiz!

What is the purpose of using figurative language?


Remember, the author uses figurative language in order to convey meaning and create an image in your mind without

having to use a lot of dreary, dull, mind-numbing words.


Personification

The swollen river raced forward tackling everything in it’s way.

With the author’s purpose in mind, what image is the author trying to demonstrate with the example below?

The river is extremely powerful and destructive.


PersonificationThe sun smiled upon the children as they played football on the freshly mowed lawn. Drenched in sweat, the players barely noticed as the wind gently caressed their cheeks with a cool breeze.

Describe the picture you see in your mind? Is it a winter day? Is it night time?

Is the wind blowing hard?

Explain the personification taking place in the example above.


Personification

How did you know the information from the previous page?

Did the author state the boys were playing during the day?

Did the author mention that the breeze was gentle and refreshing?

What type of mood did the author create without explicitly (directly) stating it directly?


Personification

Complete the worksheet on personification.


Idioms (Idiomatic Expressions)

Idioms come from different sources. There are literally hundreds of idiomatic expressions.

An idiom is a saying whose meaning cannot be taken literally.

It’s meaning cannot be understood from the individual words in the saying.

Turning over a

new leaf

On cloud nine

Shake a leg

Behind the eight ball


Idioms (Idiomatic Expressions)

from the frying pan into the fire

What does it mean?

Did you guess it means to go from a bad situation to a worse one?


IdiomsMy teacher has eyes in the back of her head!

This idiom is actually true!


Idioms

Many idioms may only be understood when they are taken in the context they are given.

Do you remember what context clues are?

Context clues are those hints given within the text that help you to understand a word, phrase, or an entire paragraph.


Idioms

I had to eat my words.

To eat my words is the idiom.

What does the idiom mean?

Does the person REALLY have to eat their words?

Wordsvowel

s

Verbs


Idioms

I was so mad at my friend, Bernice! I couldn’t believe she said those things about me. I told Bernice, in no uncertain terms, exactly how I felt about her. Later, I found out Bernice hadn’t said anything bad about me. I had to eat my words and apologize to Bernice. I don’t know if she will ever forgive me.

Let’s see if adding context clues helps you figure out what the idiom means.

Can you figure out what the idiom means now?


Idioms

Fred was on top of the world.

The world is round and rather large. It would be impossible to be on top of a round surface. Therefore, you may not take this idiom literally.

Meet Fred.

Can you guess what this idiom means?


IdiomsLet’s add some context clues to help you make a logical guess as to what the idiom means.

Fred, the green frog, was on top of the world because he had caught the most flies in the fly catching contest. He was very happy about winning because he received a crown and a truckload of flies. He smiled from ear to ear when the crowd cheered his achievement.What do you think the

idiom means?


Let’s Practice

Brenda was really down in the dumps after she lost her wallet filled with money.

Choose the best meaning for the idiom.

A.Brenda smelled funny because she had been to the dump.

B.Brenda was very sad because she had lost her money.

C.Brenda was feeling happy after she got rid of her wallet.


Idiom Practice

Harry had butterflies in his stomach because he had to sing in front of the audience.

A.Harry was nervous about performing.

B.Harry’s stomach was upset after eating a monarch

salad.

C.Harry hated to sing in front of anyone.


Idiom Practice

There’s no sense crying over spilled milk. You’ve already failed the test because you didn’t study for it.

A.Milk will spoil unless tears are added to it.

B.Studying for a test will spoil the milk

which will cause you to fail.

C.There isn’t anything to be done because

the grade is already earned.


Last Idiom

If you find yourself getting into trouble often, it may be time to turn over a new leaf.

A. If you get into a lot of trouble, you should

always blame someone else.

B.Wearing a new leaf with prevent people from

seeing you do something bad.

C.You should change your behavior if you get into

trouble frequently.


Quick Trick Question

Is it possible for an idiom to be a simile or metaphor?

Hint: This question is actually as easy as pie.

Yes, an idiom may be written as a simile or metaphor.


HyperboleHi-per-bo-lee

A hyperbole is an exaggeration. It is used to express very strong feelings about something.

’I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!!

WHAT?!!!


Hyperbole

How do you say this word?

I have to be honest. Kids are THE best at saying hyperboles! True story. You don’t believe me? Watch.


Hyperbole

I am NEVER going to get this! I’ll be, like, 20 before I finish this homework!


Hyperbole

You are my best friend in the whole entire world!


Hyperbole

I’m going to be grounded for LIFE!!


Hyperbole

You are the meanest Mom EVER!!

Said by every child throughout history!


Hyperbole

Ugh, huh! Told you so!


Hyperbole

Remember, hyperbole is a statement that would be impossible to come true.

These shoes are so comfortable, I could walk a million miles in them today.

It would be impossible to walk a million miles in one day.


Hyperbole

A. My dog needs to go on a diet because she is

overweight.

B. My dog weighs more than an elephant!

Choose the example that includes a hyperbole.


Hyperbole

A.The stars in the sky blinded me with their

brilliance.

B.Wow, look at how bright that star is in

the sky!


Hyperbole

A.I died a thousand deaths when my pet

worm died while I was at school.

B.I felt really bad when I found out my

pet worm had died while I was at

school.

Review


1. What is a simile?Comparing two or more things using “like” or “as.”

2. Which example contains a simile?

A. My dog is friendlier than your dog because I feed her Alpo dog food.

B. My dog acts like a wind-up doll after drinking a pot of coffee when she sees me.

3. Why does an author use figurative language in their writing?

An author uses figurative language to convey a message or image in the mind of the reader.

Review


1. The lemons dangled from the branches begging for

a sip of water from the sprinkler.

2. The amount of respect I have for you is an endless

spring fed well.

3. Time drifts by like molten lava on a snow capped

mountain.

4. I swear I was bitten by a hundred mosquitos last

night.

5. I’m in the doghouse after the disrespectful manner

in which I treated my mother.

Identify the figurative language being used in each sentence.

Personification

Metaphor

Simile

Hyperbole

Idiom


Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia uses words that imitate or suggest the sound of what they describe.

Hiss

Boom! Boom!

Squeak!

Grrrrrr!

Sizzle!Sizzle!


Onomatopoeia

Author’s often use onomatopoeia to set the mood or tone of the story.

As the prisoner made his agonizing way to the scaffold he could hear the deep “boom, boom, boom,” resonating off the damp, stone walls of the penitentiary. Desperately, the prisoner scanned the faces of the crowd looking for hope where there was none. “Boom, boom, boom.” The prisoner felt the pull of the drums as they led him to the gallows. What mood is the author trying to convey?

Hopelessness, gloominess


Onomatopoeia Tommy could hear the bark of the dog off in the distance. He lazily thought about getting up and going home. Suddenly, “Bang!”Darting up into a prone position, Tommy looked across the wheat field toward the McDonny Farm. “What was that?” Tommy thought. “Bang, bang,” went the noise again. Squinting his eyes, Tommy could just make out the McDonny boys as they scampered out from behind the tree. Both boys held play guns in their hands. “Ah,” mused Tommy. “That would explain the noise.”

Does the use of the sounds add to the story?


Alliteration

Alliteration occurs when the first sound in the word repeats itself in the sentence.

Remember, it is the SOUND, not the letter, that repeats.


Alliteration

Sometimes, as I seek the sun on a cloudy day, I am reminded of hot summer days and cherry slushies.

What sound do you hear being repeated in the sentence?

S


Alliteration

How about this sentence?

How could you have left me when I am so hungry in my hopes of finding someone with as huge of a heart as you to love and cherish?


Alliteration

Explain why this sentence does not contain alliteration.

A cupid in the city of Cincinnati went to church to find the can of chorizo.

Remember, it is the beginning sound that must be found in the sentence, not the letter.


Alliteration

Create your own example of alliteration using the sound given to you by your teacher.

The sentence should make sense.

The sentence should contain at least

10 words.

The alliteration should be easy to

detect.

Similes, Metaphors, Hyperboles, Personification, and Idioms (Literary Devices: Alliteration and Onomatopoeia) copyright 2012 Jane Kotinek.

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