Figure of Speech

• What are figures of speech?


  Words or phrases that depart from straightforward literal language
• Why are figures of speech used?


  For emphasis, freshness, expression, or clarity
• What is a simile?


  A comparison using like, as, or resembles
• What does a simile usually compare?


  Two dissimilar objects
• Give an example of a simile.


  His feet were as big as boats
• What is being compared in the simile "She is as beautiful as a sunrise"?


  Her beauty to a sunrise
• What does the simile about death imply?


  It compares the experience of death to walking up stairs in the dark
• What is a metaphor?


  A comparison of two unlike things without using like or as
• How does a metaphor differ from a simile?


  A metaphor does not use like or as
• Provide an example of a metaphor.


  Her hair is silk
• What is an implied metaphor?


  A metaphor lacking the verb "to be"
• Give an example of an implied metaphor.


  The subway coursed through the arteries of the city
• What is synecdoche?


  A figure of speech where a part represents the whole
• Provide an example of synecdoche.


  All hands on deck!
• What does "The United States won gold in basketball" illustrate?


  It uses the whole (the country) to refer to a part (the team)
• What is metonymy?


  A figure of speech using the name of one thing for another with which it is associated
• Give an example of metonymy.


  The Crown is amused (referring to the Queen)
• What is personification?


  A figure of speech where inanimate objects are given human qualities
• Provide an example of personification.


  The sun stretches its warmth across the land
• What is hyperbole?


  An extravagant statement or exaggerated terms for emphasis
• Give an example of hyperbole.


  I’m older than the hills
• What is alliteration?


  A repetition of initial consonant sounds closely together
• What is the purpose of alliteration?


  To create fun and tongue twisters in poetry
• What are the main types of figures of speech?

  • Simile
  • Metaphor
  • Implied Metaphor
  • Synecdoche
  • Metonymy
  • Personification
  • Hyperbole
  • Alliteration
  • Onomatopoeia
• What are the differences between simile and metaphor?


  • Simile uses "like" or "as"
  • Metaphor does not use "like" or "as"
  • Simile makes explicit comparisons
  • Metaphor makes implicit comparisons
• What is hyperbole?


  A figure of speech that exaggerates for emphasis or effect
• Provide an example of hyperbole.


  "I’m older than the hills."
• What is alliteration?


  It is the repetition of initial consonant sounds closely together.
• Give an example of alliteration.


  "Sally sells seashells by the seashore."
• What is the purpose of alliteration in poetry?


  • To create tongue twisters
  • To add fun and rhythm when read
• What is an example of an alliteration poem?


  • "Down the slippery slide they slid"
  • "Sitting slightly sideways; Slipping swiftly see them skid"
• What is onomatopoeia?


  A word that imitates the sound it represents.
• Provide an example of onomatopoeia.


  "The boom of the explosion."
• Who wrote "The Bells" that includes examples of onomatopoeia?


  Edgar Allan Poe
• How can you determine if a sentence contains a simile or a metaphor?


  By identifying if it uses "like" or "as" for similes and direct comparisons for metaphors.
• What would you label the sentence "The baby was like an octopus, grabbing at all the cans"?

  SIMILE
• What would you label the sentence "The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it"?

  METAPHOR
• What would you label the sentence "I feel like a limp dishrag"?

  SIMILE
• What would you label the sentence "The fluorescent light was the sun during our test"?

  METAPHOR
• What would you label the sentence "Ted was as nervous as a cat with a long tail in a room full of rocking chairs"?

  SIMILE