FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE LIST
Cool suff you need to know about poetry
METAPHOR
• Metaphor: is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or
hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some
common characteristics.
• My sister is a bear in the morning.
SIMILE
• Simile: a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities
between two different things. Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance
with the help of the words “like” or “as”. Therefore, it is a direct comparison.
• Our soldiers are as brave as lions.
PERSONIFICATION
• Personification: is a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an animal is
given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way
that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings.
• The fire swallowed the entire forest.
HYPERBOLE
• Hyperbole: is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for
the sake of emphasis.
• My grandmother is as old as the hills.
ONOMATOPOEIA
• Onomatopoeia: is defined as a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a
thing.
• The buzzing bee flew away.
• The sack fell into the river with a splash.
RHYME
• Rhyme: is a repetition of similar sounding words occurring at the end of lines
in poems or songs.
• Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King’s horses, And all the King’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again!
RHYTHM
• Rhythm: The word rhythm is derived from rhythmos (Greek) which means,
“measured motion”. Rhythm is a literary device which demonstrates the long
and short patterns through stressed and unstressed syllables particularly
in verse form.
ALLITERATION
• Alliteration: alliteration deals directly with the letters that comprise a phrase
and the sounds the words make instead of the words themselves. It is
characterized by a number of words, typically three or more, that have the
same first consonant sound fall within the same sentence or phrase.
• “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.”
CONSONANCE
• Consonance: refers to repetitive sounds produced by consonants within a
sentence or phrase. This repetition often takes place in quick succession such
as in pitter, patter.
• The ship has sailed to the far off shores.
ASSONANCE
• Assonance: takes place when two or more words close to one another
repeat the same vowel sound but start with different consonant sounds.
• “Men sell the wedding bells.”
REPETITION
• Repetition: is a literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few
times to make an idea clearer.
• Anadiplosis: Repetition of the last word in a line or clause.
• Anaphora: Repetition of words at the start of clauses or verses.
TONE
• Tone: is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience. Tone is
generally conveyed through the choice of words or the viewpoint of a writer
on a particular subject.
IMAGERY
• Imagery: means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions and
ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses.
DICTION
• Diction: defined as style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of
words by a speaker or a writer
ALLUSION
• Allusion: is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of
historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail
the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the
writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion
and grasp its importance in a text.
SYMBOLISM
• Symbolism: is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them
symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.
THEME
• Theme: is defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work
that may be stated directly or indirectly.
FORESHADOWING
• Foreshadowing: is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of
what is to come later in the story.
