Writing Workshop Grade 9

IMAGERY

WHAT IS IMAGERY?

• Imagery is a technique used by good writers to create images in the reader’s head

• Imagery appeals to your sense of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.

• Good imagery helps the reader experience what the character in a poem or story is experiencing.

• Authors use figurative language to convey imagery

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

• Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are using figurative language. 

• Some different types of figurative language are:

• Simile• Metaphor• Alliteration• Personification• Hyperbole• Onomatopoeia

SIMILE• A simile uses the words “like” or “as” to

compare one object or idea with another to suggest they are alike.

• Examples:• The student was as busy as a bee• Or• He ran around like a chicken with no

head

METAPHOR• A metaphor states a fact or creates an image

by making a direct comparison.• a metaphor is more positive than a simile - it

says you are something (does not use like or as).

• Examples:• The baby is a bundle of energy• The moon is a silver platter in the night sky.

PERSONIFICATION• Personification is when a writer gives

humanlike qualities to an inanimate object.• Examples:• The flowers danced in the meadow• The door screamed loudly as it was

opened.“dancing” and “screaming” are human qualities. Flowers don’t dance and doors don’t scream.

ALLITERATION• Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant

sound at the beginning of each word in a series.• Examples:• The crazy cat climbed the curtains.• The bouncing baby boy bawled loudly.

• The letters don’t have to be the same, just the sound.• The kids cruised quickly through the toy store

HYPERBOLE (HI-PER-BOWL-EE)• Is an exaggeration used to make a point.• Examples:• It took her three years to finish her

homework• My mother screamed so loudly, they heard

her in China.• I jumped so high, I touched the sky.

ONOMATOPOEIA• The use of a word to describe or imitate

a natural sound or the sound made by an object or an action.

• Examples:• SNAP, CRACKLE AND POP!• The ball made a WHOOSHING sound

as it flew past my ear.

• SMALL GROUP• In small group we

will be writing our own original poetry using some of the figurative language techniques we learned today.

• We will complete our poetry drafts for homework

• INDEPENDENT READING• As you read your

IRBs, you will be looking for 2-3 examples of figurative language.

• You will write the sentence on a post-it, along with what type of figurative language it is (simile, metaphor, etc)

YOUR TASK TODAY