Figurative Language - English Language Arts

Figurative Language It is not LITERAL! Alliteration Peter Piper pecked a peck of pickled peppers.

Alliteration Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words. Assonance

The cat sat on the mat. Assonance Repeated vowel sounds.

Onomatopoeia The bees buzzed. Onomatopoeia Words whose sound

suggests its meaning. Imagery Fear was his constant companion.

Imagery Creating pictures for the senses (through similes or metaphors).

Metaphor The book was a passport to adventure. Metaphor

A figure of speech stating two things are similar. Comparing two unlike things Simile

She floated in like a cloud. Simile A comparison using like or as. It is not a simile if things are not being compared. She likes pizza. NOT A

SIMILE Hyperbole My backpack weighs a ton! Hyperbole

A extravagant exaggeration. Personification The cloud whistled as the

storm passed by. Personification Giving human qualities to ideas

and things. Allusion She is as pretty as the Mona Lisa. Allusion

A reference to a specific person, place, or thing. Symbol The Statue of Liberty symbolizes

the democratic ideal. Symbol Representation of something complex,

general, or abstract. Oxymoron She softly shouted. It was a quiet riot. Oxymoron A statement that is

self-contradicting. It contains words that are the opposite of each other. Unnecessary Words

It is a complete total. Unnecessary Words

Redundancies An expression, usually two words, in which the first or second word is not needed because the second word cannot be qualified.

Figurative Language Cheat Sheet Oxymoron

Symbol Alliteration

Assonance Hyperbole

Allusion Personification

Simile Onomatopoeia

Metaphor Imagery

Unnecessary Words