Understanding Figurative Language. Essential Questions What is figurative language? How can I...

Understanding Figurative Language

Essential Questions

• What is figurative language?

• How can I interpret figurative language?

What is figurative language?Here are some examples. What do you think

figurative language means?• The wind whispered softly through the

trees.• The cafeteria pizza was a soggy, droopy

piece of cardboard.• The teacher glared like a furious dragon.• Jeff stayed up all night to study for the

test only to find out it isn’t until tomorrow.

What is figurative language?

The wind whispered through the trees

• Can wind really whisper?

• What is the author trying to tell us about wind?


• The cafeteria pizza was a soggy, droopy piece of cardboard.

• Is the pizza really cardboard?

• What is the author trying to tell us about the pizza?


The teacher glared like a furious dragon.

• Was the teacher really a dragon?

• What is the author trying to tell us about the teacher?

What is figurative language?Jeff stayed up all night to

study for the test only to find out it isn’t until tomorrow.

• Why did Jeff stay up all night?

• What is the author trying to tell us about Jeff?


• Figurative language expresses an idea that goes beyond the actual meaning of the words

• Wind can’t whisper…but the expression gives you an idea of how the wind sounds

Kinds of figurative language

Similes Metaphors Personification

There are actually many kinds of figurative language. In this presentation, we’ll focus on four

Irony

How can I interpret figurative language?

• To interpret figurative language means to understand what the author is trying to say

• To interpret figurative language, it’s important to understand how different kinds of figurative language work


Personification is a kind of figurative language

• Personification means to give human thoughts and qualities to nonhuman objects


The leaves danced as they fell from the trees

• What are the leaves doing that leaves can’t really do?


The leaves danced as they fell from the trees

• That’s right! Leaves can’t dance

• This is an example of personification

• What is the author trying to tell us about the leaves?


• A simile is another kind of figurative language

• A simile is a comparison between two unlike objects using “like” or “as”


The four students sat down at the cafeteria table and ate like pigs

• What is being compared in this simile?



• That’s right! The author is comparing the students to pigs



• What is the author trying to say about the way that the students are eating?


• A metaphor is another kind of figurative language

• A metaphor is a comparison that does not use “like” or “as”


• The school was a maze of hallways and passages

• What is being compared in this metaphor?



• That’s right! The school is being compared to a maze



• What idea is the author trying to express with this metaphor?


• Irony is another type of figurative language.

• Irony is a clash between what might be expected and what actually occurs.


• The cat was found in the belly of a fish.

• Why is this sentence ironic?



• That’s right! Fish are usually eaten by cats.

How can I interpret figurativelanguage?


• What is the author trying to express with this irony?

Let’s Review

• Which kind of figurative language makes a comparison using “like” or “as”?

• Simile

• Which kind of figurative language gives human thoughts and qualities to non-human objects?

• Personification

Let’s Review

• Which kind of figurative language makes a comparison without using “like” or “as”?

• Metaphor

Let’s Review

• Which kind of figurative language is a clash between what might be expected and what actually occurs?

• Irony

Practice

• Read the examples on the next few slides

• Which kind of figurative language do they show?

• How can you interpret the figurative language?

Example #1

The airplane landed as gracefully as a ballerina

• Personification• Simile• Metaphor• Irony

Example #1


• Simile

Example #1


Interpret the simile• What is the author

comparing?• What is the author

trying to tell us?

Example #2

The water smashed angrily against the rocks


Example #2


• Personification

Example #2


Interpret the personification!

• What is the water doing that water doesn’t really do?

• What is the author trying to tell us about the water?

Example #3

My brother’s room was a dark, mysterious cave


Example #3


• Metaphor

Example #3


Interpret the metaphor!

• What is the author comparing?

Example #3


Interpret the metaphor!

• Yes! The brother’s room and a cave.

• What is the author trying to show about the brother’s room?

Example # 4

The Titanic was called

unsinkable.

• Personification

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Irony

Example #4

The Titanic was called unsinkable.

• Irony

Example #4

• The Titanic was called unsinkable.

Interpret the irony!

What is the author telling us about the fate of the titanic?

Essential Questions

Can you answer these questions?

• What is figurative language?

• How can I interpret figurative language?

Work Cited

Kissner, Emily. "Understanding Figurative Language." Jan. 2010. Microsoft PowerPoint file.

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