Figurative language has many terms under its umbrella. But, simply put, figurative language is often any expression that creates an image in our head. As such, figurative language has the ability to convey a lot information in simpler, more relatable terms. In this post, we are going to define figurative language so we can employ it in our own writing.
Defining Figurative Language
Figurative language is nonliteral language in writing or everyday speech. In other words, readers and writers should not take it seriously. Thus, figurative language acts as expressions or figures of speech meant to convey a specific message. These messages are often contrasts or sensory in detail and relate what you are describing to something else.
Types of Figurative Language
There are many types of figurative language to consider when trying to spruce up your writing.
- Simile: A simile, in its simplest form, is a comparison using the words “like” or “as.” These comparisons conjure a visual image in one’s brain.
- Metaphor: Metaphors act like similes without using the words “like” or “as.” However, a more appropriate definition is a direct comparison of two things to conjure visual images.
- Hyperbole: Hyperbole is exaggeration for effect. For example, saying, “My backpack weighs a ton!” is an exaggeration. Your backpack can’t weigh a ton, so it’s an exaggeration to let us know that it’s very heavy.
- Idiom: An idiom is a common expression not mean to be taken literally. If you are very hungry, for example, you might say, “I could eat a horse.” This lets us know you could consume a lot of food, but surely not a horse!
- Personification: Personification is when you give an inanimate object human characteristics. “The trees danced,” implies that the trees are moving in the wind as if they are dancers.
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of the first letter of a series of words. “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” is an example of alliteration as it repeats the “p” sound.
- Onomatopoeia: Onomatopoeia is the sound effect a word makes. “Boom!” “Pow” “Pop” or “Buzz” all tell us what a word sounds like, so there for it is onomatopoeic.
These are a few of the types of figurative language you can use in your own writing. Yet, there are many more.
Conclusion
In defining figurative language, we can see that it is nonliteral language. It also often compares two or more things to convey a complex message more directly. Likewise, there are many types of figurative language to use in order to accomplish this feat. Using the right type of figurative language at the right time can dramatically impact your meaning. It also leaves readers with a greater sense of what you are describing. Hopefully, learning about figurative language will help your future adventure into the realms of poetry!
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