Figurative language uses words or phrases to create a special meaning. It’s non-literal, which means the use of language shouldn’t be taken as fact but creatively interpreted. Figurative language often has a different meaning or intention that goes beyond how the word or phrase is typically used.
Figurative language is recognized as an essential and highly versatile literary device. It is because it can be used in a variety of ways, including:
- making jokes
- a method of engaging a reader
- explaining complex ideas
However, one of the main reasons an author may use figurative language is to establish an emotional connection with the reader. It is often achieved through a figure of speech, such as a simile, metaphor, or hyperbole.
Why use Figurative Language?
Figurative language, in particular using figures of speech, is common in all languages. They’re often used so much that many people don’t realize they’re a figure of speech until someone points it out to them.
One of the reasons we use figurative language is the culture we grow up in. So many phrases and sayings come from our social environment and history, and we use figurative language to connect to the people around us.
- Portugal – The neighbor’s chicken is always fatter.
- Excellent Britain – They let the cat out of the bag.
Learning to recognize and use figurative language is also a crucial literacy skill for children in day-to-day language use. Understanding figurative language helps children improve their communication skills. Using devices like similes and metaphors, they can express ideas they may otherwise struggle to explain.
Figurative language is also essential for Children will also build inference skills by analyzing figurative language to determine its meaning.
In literature, figurative language allows the writer to appeal to the reader’s senses, imagination, and sense of humor. It paints a picture in the reader’s mind to better describe parts of their story to make it more interesting.
It can transform ordinary descriptions into essential events, enhance emotions, and turn prose into poetry. Not only that, but it can also help the reader to understand the underlying symbolism of a scene or more fully recognize a literary theme.
Without figurative language, story descriptions would be very flat and dull! Also, by taking in only their literal meaning, a lot of poetry wouldn’t make much sense, as poems rely heavily on this literary device.
7 Different Types of Figurative Language and Examples
There are many different ways to use figurative language; it’s so abundant in everyday writing and speech that you probably don’t even notice it being used. To help you identify examples of figurative speech, we’ve compiled this list of seven commonly used types with definitions and examples. Of course, this list doesn’t cover everything, but it’s an excellent place to start.
- Similes
Similes are used to compare the characteristics of two things using words like as, as if, or as though.
This comparison is intended to make a description more vivid.
For example:
- he’s as quiet as a mouse
- the party was like a scene from a film
- the clouds looked as if they were made from candy floss
- the food was as hot as lava
- Metaphors
Metaphors are a form of figurative language that describes something by saying that one thing is another. Unlike similes, metaphors don’t use the words ‘like’ or ‘as.’
For example:
- she is a ray of sunshine
- all the world’s a stage
- time is money
- Personification
Personification is when the writer gives human characteristics, actions, or feelings to non-human objects or animals.
For example:
- the leaves danced on the trees
- that last piece of cake is calling my name
- the sun smiled and hugged us with its warmth
- Hyperbole
Hyperbole is a form of extreme language that uses exaggeration to intensify the image created in the reader’s mind. It’s often humorous and isn’t possible.
For example:
- This work is killing me
- I’ve told you a million times
- this cleaning is going to take me forever
- Alliteration
Alliteration is a figurative writing technique in which the same initial sound or closely related syllables of a word is repeated in a sentence.
For example:
- please pass the pie
- she sells seashells on the seashore
- the slimy snake silently slithered away
Although alliteration does not use non-literal language or a figure of speech like other examples of figurative language, it is used to affect the reader. Alliteration can make writing or speech more memorable and stand out.
- Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a word that is spelled how they sound. These words can sometimes be made up.
For example:
- the snake hissed loudly
- the fireplace crackled
- the fire engine roared as it sped down the street
In writing, onomatopoeia is an excellent way to create more vivid descriptions. It allows the writer to engage the reader’s senses more fully by making the sound that is happening in the story.
- Idiom
An idiom is an expression that doesn’t mean what the words say. Instead, it’s a group of words that, when put together, suggest something unrelated to the meanings of the individual words.
We use sayings in everyday speech more often than in writing.
For example:
- Cat got your tongue?
- It’s raining cats and dogs
- a little birdie told me it’s your birthday today
Idioms can be pretty challenging to learn if you find it difficult to understand non-literal speech or if you are learning English as a second language. It is because they don’t make much sense outside the culture they are used to. Most people who use them do so without thinking, so they likely struggle to explain their origins and meanings.
How to use figurative language
Learning new literary devices can be a difficult task for children. It’s essential to ensure they know how to use them correctly in their writing, as well as being able to understand their meaning. Down below, we have listed some helpful tips on the best ways to use figurative language effectively in your writing:
Don’t overdo it – It’s essential to ensure you don’t overuse figurative language in your writing. While it can create more meaning, using too much figurative language can confuse your text and take away from your message. Instead, think about where things like similes, metaphors, and personification will support your writing the best, and this will ensure that these moments have the most impact on the reader.
Know why you are using figurative language – Ensure you understand why you use a particular expression and that it fits into your writing. If you haven’t used figurative language in your essay, or it doesn’t suit the characters you’re talking about, then you mustn’t use it.
Don’t use figurative language as dialogue – Figurative language is best suited for use in the body of your text, as opposed to speech. Metaphors and similes might be excellent for surprising analogies in Shakespearean texts, but they are often too extravagant for modern characters who speak plainly.
Think carefully about your examples of figurative language – It’s essential to ensure your standards make sense within your writing context. If you’re trying to express something through a simile or metaphor, you must ensure its purpose is practical.
For example, ‘His heart pounded like someone playing the drums loudly’ is, in fact, a simile, but its delivery is not concise or compelling. Instead, ‘His heart pounded like a drum’ is a more effective way of expressing your point.
Figurative language in speech therapy
Fascinating, figurative language has many challenges for children with speech or language difficulties. Idioms are perhaps the most difficult to pick up, as anyone that’s learned English as an additional language will tell you. If you don’t believe us, look at the following phrases.
- The staff party sounds like it’ll be fun. Break a leg!
- I’ve had enough marking, so I think it’s time to call it a day.
- They indeed argued, but that’s water under the bridge now.
- If you think I can help you with advanced algebra, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
- This work won’t take long; it’s a piece of cake!
Although people who grew up in an English-speaking country instinctively know what these sentences mean, they might be a little harder to understand for someone new to English. Why, for instance, would someone tell you to “break a leg” if they wanted to wish you good luck on stage?
As you might imagine, speech-language therapists spend much time teaching figurative language, not just in an EAL setting. Neurodiverse children can sometimes have difficulty understanding metaphors, similes, and idioms, taking language literally.
