8th Grade Figurative Language

symbolism

an object representing something else or another idea entirely, giving the object much more significance than it would have otherwise Ex: chain representing unity

allusion

brief, indirect reference; does not directly describe person/thing to which it refers Ex: He thinks he's such a Casanova! This makes reference to Casanova, but if you don't know who he is, the rest doesn't make sense.

oxymoron

combination of two contradictory words Ex: jumbo shrimp

paradox

contradictory action/situation/ideas Ex: freedom is slavery

juxtapostion

contrast between concepts Ex. All's fair in love and war; When it rains, it pours; What's good for the goose is good for the gander

antithesis

contrasting concepts, words, sentences with parallel grammar structure Ex. Muhammad Ali's quote, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Structure stays the same (verb + like + insect), but ideas are very different

imagery

descriptive language that appeals to/describes any of the five senses Ex. She whiffed the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

assonance

epetition of same vowel sound Ex. Twilight meets twice at edge of night

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration not meant to be taken literally Ex. I ate a ton of pizza

idiom

figure of speech in which actual words have much different meaning than how they are interpreted Ex: It's raining cats and dogs

metaphor

figure of speech using that compares two unlike things without using like or as Ex: Her eyes were sapphires.

litotes

form of understatement where positive statement is expressed by negative statement Ex. Not Bad instead of Good

personification

human characteristics given to a nonhuman character Ex: The wind whispered through the trees

understatement

minimizes the significance of something Ex. unbearable temperature of 100 degrees being referred to as "a little warm"

pun

play on words in which a humorous effect is created by using a word that suggests two or more meanings Ex. A horse is a stable animal; A happy life depends on a liver

synecdoche

refers to whole of a thing by any of its parts; not to be confused with metonymy Ex. calling a car "wheels"

consonance

repetition of inner (not at beginning) or ending consonant sound Ex. Norm the worm took the garden by storm this morn

alliteration

repetition of same initial consonant sound Ex: better bit of butter

anaphora

repetition of word or phrase at beginning of consecutive sentences or verses Ex. Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have a Dream" speech repeating "I have a dream"

euphemism

replacement of word/phrase by something less offensive Ex: Garbage Man vs. Sanitation Technician

adage

short, memorable saying that is based on facts Ex: appearance is often deceiving; call a spade a spade

chiasmus

two or more clauses balanced against each other by reversal of structure Ex. Love the life you live, and live a life of love

simile

uses like or as to make a comparison between unlike things Ex: Her eyes were like sapphires.

onomatopoeia

word made from the sound it makes Ex: the screech of tires

metonymy

word used to describe a thing that it is related to, but is not part of it Ex: "crown" refers to power in replacement of king/queen (however, crown is not part of a king or queen)

irony

words intentionally used to indicate meaning other than literal Verbal: words; Situational: difference in expected and what actually occurs; Dramatic: audience is more aware of what is happening than character

apostrophe

writer/speaker detaches from reality and addresses imaginary or abstract character/object Ex. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star