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Figurative Language

Teaching

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By Stacey Lloyd

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Contents: 1) Metaphors 8) Onomatopoeia 2) Similes 9) Assonance & Alliteration 3) Euphemism 10) Synecdoche 4) Personification 11) Anaphora 5) Oxymoron 12) Allusion 6) Puns 13) Paradox 7) Hyperbole 14) Irony

Task Answer Keys

© Stacey Lloyd 2014

Metaphors

“Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space.” Orson Scott Card

A metaphor is a figure of speech

in which a comparison is made between

two unlike things that actually

have something important

in common.

EXAMPLES:

» Love is a battlefield.

» He is floating on a sea of grief.

» She has rats’ tails for hair.

Metaphors are used to emphasize the qualities of something by comparing it to something else,

and thus the meaning becomes clearer and more effective. Think about the difference

between saying ‘he controls his students’ and ‘his students are puppets on a string and he is the

puppet master.’ One is definitely more descriptive and communicates the meaning more powerfully.

Why do we use metaphors?

Task One: For each of the following sentences, explain the Meaning of the metaphor. EXAMPLE: John can lift 20 bricks; he is an ox. _________________________________________________

1. He turned over a new leaf. ________________________________________________________________________ 2. My dad was very blue yesterday. _________________________________________________________________ 3. Mary is a couch potato at the moment. ___________________________________________________________ 4. Sara is the apple of her father’s eye. ______________________________________________________________ 5. My mum has a bubbly personality. _______________________________________________________________ 6. The teacher immediately shot down my idea. ____________________________________________________ 7. Ben has the heart of a lion. _________________________________________________________________________ 8. She is the brightest in the class. ____________________________________________________________________ 9. It rained cats and dogs yesterday. _________________________________________________________________ 10 . Aunt Jo has a heart of gold. ______________________________________________________________________

Task Two: Create your own metaphors. (Remember: make direct comparisons without ‘like’ or ‘as’):

EXAMPLE: Friendship is ___________________ that ________________________________________________.

1. Life is ______________________________ which_________________________________________________________. 2. Love is ____________________________________, which never_________________________________________. 3. My teacher is ________________________________; she always_______________________________________. 4. The day was _______________________________________________________________________________________. 5. The pen was ___________________________ in his hand when he __________________________________. 6. He was a __________________ during their relationship, as he always __________________________. 7. My pillow is a __________________________ beneath my head when I ____________________________. 8. My mother is a ______________________________ when she _________________________________________. 9. The spoon was ______________________________, when I ____________________________________________. 10. He __________________________ down the stairs, because he ______________________________________.

This means that John is extremely strong.

a life boat is always there in times of trouble


Task One: For each of the following sentences, explain the Meaning of the Simile. EXAMPLE: She slept like a log last night. _____________________________________________________

1. I feel like a limp dishcloth. ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. She eats like a pig when she is hungry. ______________________________________________________________ 3. Bob is like a bull in a china shop today. ______________________________________________________________ 4. Fly like the wind! _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5. My father is as sharp as a pin. _______________________________________________________________________ 6. She swims like a fish. _________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Cindy’s skin is like porcelain. _________________________________________________________________________ 8. My bag feels like a ton of bricks.______________________________________________________________________ 9. Tom and Joe are like two peas in a pod. _____________________________________________________________ 10 . I feel as flat as a pancake. ___________________________________________________________________________

Similes “Similes prove nothing, but yet greatly lighten and relieve

the tedium of an argument”

Robert South

A simile is a figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things, with the use of a connective word such

as ‘like’ or ‘as’.

EXAMPLES:

» He eats like a pig.

» Life is like a box of chocolates.

» This cake is as dry as a bone.

» You look as white as a ghost.

Writers, poets, and songwriters use similes to add depth and

emphasize what they are trying to convey to the reader

or listener; it makes their writing more descriptive and

effective. Similes can be funny, serious, mean, or creative.

Why use similes?

This means that she slept deeply and well.

Task Two: Create your own SIMILES. (Remember: make comparisons Using connective words):

EXAMPLE: Tom is as __________________ as _________________________________________________________.

1. She dances like _____________________________________________________________________________________. 2. Betty is as _____________________________________ as___________________________________________________. 3. My teacher teaches like ________________________________, because she ____________________________. 4. The day was like ___________________________________________________________________________________. 5. I always feel like a ________________________________ when I ________________________________________. 6. My dad’s words were as ____________________________________ as ___________________________________. 7. When John is tired, he is like ______________________________________________________________________. 8. My sister is like a ______________________________ when she _________________________________________. 9. He spun around like a ___________________________, when I _________________________________________. 10. Steven eats like __________________________________ when he eats ___________________________________.

anxious a mouse in a cattery


Euphemism

“Euphemism is a human device to conceal the horrors of reality.” – Paul Johnson

A euphemism is a polite

expression used in place of words or

phrases that otherwise might be

considered harsh or

unpleasant to hear.

EXAMPLES:

» My father passed away last year.

» Betty is large-boned.

» The company has to let people go.

» His dog was put down.

Euphemisms are used regularly, and there are many examples in every day language.

The purpose of euphemisms is to replace unpleasant and severe words with more

genteel ones in order to disguise the harshness, and soften the meaning when

talking about unpleasant issues such as death, unemployment, crime or other

‘embarrassing’ matters.

Why do we use euphemisms?

Task One: For each of the following sentences, explain the True Meaning of the Euphemism. EXAMPLE: His wife passed away last year. ______________________________________________________

1. There was collateral damage in the war. ____________________________________________________________ 2. Did you just pass wind? _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. We sell pre-owned vehicles. _________________________________________________________________________ 4. Tom’s cooking skills leave room for improvement. ________________________________________________ 5. Your cat needs to be put to sleep. ____________________________________________________________________ 6. Beth is vertically challenged. _________________________________________________________________________ 7. My sister is always borrowing clothes without asking. ___________________________________________ 8. Elizabeth is expecting again. _________________________________________________________________________ 9. He spent some time at a correctional facility last year. ____________________________________________ 10 . The company is downsizing. _______________________________________________________________________

Task Two: Create your own Euphemisms - Rewrite the following, trying to ‘soften’ them.

EXAMPLE: My uncle is a liar. = ___________________________________________________________________

1. My aunty Ann is very old. _________________________________________________________________________ 2. She is uglier than her sister. _________________________________________________________________________ 3. Your mother died this morning. ____________________________________________________________________ 4. My brother is really lazy. ___________________________________________________________________________ 5. Gertrude is a thief. ___________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Your cousin is unintelligent. ________________________________________________________________________ 7. I am going to the toilet. ______________________________________________________________________________ 8. Tim cheated on his homework. _____________________________________________________________________ 9. My husband is unemployed. _______________________________________________________________________ 10. Bob is poor. _________________________________________________________________________________________

This means that his wife died.

My uncle likes to stretch the truth.


Personification

“It would be curious to discover who it is to whom one writes in a diary. Possibly

to some mysterious personification of one's own identity.” - Beatrice Webb

Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, idea or

animal is given human characteristics. Whatever is being personified is portrayed in such a

way that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings.

EXAMPLES:

» The wind whispered through the trees.

» The sun beat down on us.

» Love is blind.

» Her life passed her by.

Personification can make descriptions of non-human things more vivid, or can help readers understand, sympathize with, or react emotionally to non-human characters.

Why personify?

Task One: Fill In the following table.

What’s being personified?

What human characteristic is given?

Ex. Love will carry us through.

1 The sun announced that it was time to get up.

2 Time flew as we enjoyed each other’s company.

3 They slept soundly in front of the comforting fire.

4 The chocolate ice cream is calling my name.

5 He was aware that Death was knocking at his door.

6 The words leapt off the page as she read.

7 The bees played hide and seek atop the flowers.

8 In the moonlight, the waves dance & play with the shore.

Love The ability to hold and carry (which you need arms for).

Task Two: Complete the following, by using personification.

1. The clock on the wall ______________________________________________________________________________. 2. The oven _______________________________________________________________ the food I had prepared. 3. I suddenly felt Anger ______________________________________________________________________________. 4. My cell phone __________________________ on the table and ________________________________________. 5. The mountains ____________________________________________________ as the plane flew overhead. 6. His alarm clock _________________________________________________________ from the bedside table. 7. She ran as fast as she could as Time ______________________________________________________________ 8. The book _________________________ and then ________________________________ as I began to read it.


Task One: Combine the following words to make 12 different oxymorons. Then write

sentences with them below (one sentence per oxymoron).

EXAMPLE: [beautiful + disaster] ___________________________________________________________________

1. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10 . _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 . _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12 . _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Oxymoron “I am a deeply superficial person.” - Andy Warhol

An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms

appear in conjunction. The

incongruity may be accidental or

deliberate (as in the case of humor).

EXAMPLES:

» That would be awfully nice.

» Pigs are pretty ugly.

» She is a big little girl.

» I am almost totally happy.

Writers often use oxymorons to draw attention to a particular

contradiction, or to create an ironic sense of humor. They can also use

oxymorons to emphasize certain qualities or ideas, or even to

confuse the reader.

Why use oxymorons?

fine

sweet

beautiful

together

sorrow

deafening

mess

successful

random

nightmare

organized

deeply

chaos

disaster

alone

silence

bitter

shallow

failure

order

Our failed relationship was definitely a beautiful disaster.


Puns A pun is a play on words; a joke exploiting the

different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there

are words which sound alike but have different meanings.

EXAMPLES:

» A horse is a very stable animal.

» Gloves are extremely handy.

» A skunk fell in the river and stank to the bottom.

Puns can be very humorous and therefore writers,

comedians, actors etc. use them in jokes and witty

remarks. However, they are also used regularly in

everyday speech, sometimes intentionally

and sometimes accidently (often the most humorous

are the unintentional puns!)

Why do we use puns?

Task One: For each of the following Puns, explain the humor:

“Puns are the highest form of literature.”

Alfred Hitchcock

Punning word? Explain the pun.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

1 An elephant's opinion carries a lot of weight.

2 An angry bird landed on a door knob. Then flew off the handle.

3 Biking without a helmet is a no brainer.

4 Santa’s helpers are known as subordinate Clauses.

5 Old skiers never die, they just go downhill.

6 What do you call a cheese which is not yours? Nacho cheese.

7 The chicken crossed the playground to get to the other slide.

8 When my mother saw her first grey hair she thought she’d dye.

9 Most people don’t like food going to waist.

10 I usually take steps to avoid elevators.

‘flies’ & ‘like’

This pun plays on the different meanings of the words ‘flies’ and ‘like’ flies = the action and the insect / like = similarity and preference


Hyperbole

Hyperbole is extreme exaggeration used to make a

point. This literary device is used by writers and poets, but is also common in everyday speech, as

it is used to stress a point and emphasize an idea.

EXAMPLES:

» I’ve seen this movie a million times.

» I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

» He has tons of money.

The purpose of hyperbole is to create a larger-than-life effect and overly stress a specific point. Such

sentences usually convey an action or

sentiment that is generally not

realistically possible or plausible, but helps

emphasize an emotion.

Why do we use hyperbole?

Task One: Underline/Highlight any examples of hyperbole in the following paragraph: Yesterday I woke up in a fluster as I had a million things to do. I leapt out of bed like a gazelle and quickly showered and brushed my teeth. Then, as usual, I stared at my closet forever, feeling frustrated as I had absolutely nothing to wear! I threw on an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt and dashed downstairs. I knew I had a ton of homework hanging over my head, but I put it out of my mind, as it was just too overwhelming to think about. I was starving and so I wolfed down my breakfast, during which my brother asked me if I wanted to ride to school with him. I thought, ‘Please, never in a million years would I ride in your dilapidated old car!’ However, I just politely declined.

Task Two: Are the following examples of hyperbole? Explain why or why not.

Y/N If yes, explain what it means. If no, why not?

1 My shoes are killing me!

2 The TV is really too loud.

3 That teacher is always shouting.

4 I am dying to try that new computer game.

5 My dog is so old he can barely walk anymore.

6 My sister’s brain is the size of a pea.

7 I need the toilet; I’ll be back in a second.

8 That science lesson was never-ending.

9 This cake is the best thing I have ever tasted.

10 That was the easiest exam in the world.

“Hyperbole is a thousand times better than Exaggeration.” Steve Carell


Task One: Underline/Highlight any examples of Onomatopoeia in the following paragraphs: As I lay in the forest I could hear the deep thumping of my heart. I was keenly aware of my

surroundings: the wind whispering through the trees; the rustling of the undergrowth; the gentle buzz and hum of the forest at night. I slowly rolled over and onto my knees and began crawling away from my hideout. I was trying to make my way to the gushing water, desperate for something to drink. I soon came to the edge of the life-giving river and began furiously gulping, trying to take in as much as possible. After a few minutes, as my thirst was starting to abate, I became aware of a strange sound. Without looking up I listened for a while. There it was. Plop. Plop. Plop. I cautiously raised my head and saw a strange boy standing on the opposite bank. He returned my stare without stopping his rhythmic throwing of stones.

Onomatopoeia

“Sound gives life to our words just as well as the images they conjure up and the

sound is there, whether or not we read them aloud.” - A. A, Patawaran

Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the

sounds associated with the objects or

actions to which they refer.

EXAMPLES:

» I could hear a faint buzzing.

» The guitar twanged.

» The boy whistled in my ear.

» The cat meowed loudly.

Writers often use onomatopoeia in their writing to make it more descriptive, as it

allows the reader to almost hear what they are describing. It creates

a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more

expressive and interesting and it helps the reader to create better images in

their mind while reading.

Why use onomatopoeia?

Task Three: Use onomatopoeia and write five of your own sentences. Try to use onomatopoeic

words not previously used on this worksheet.

1. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Task Two: Try to think of as many onomatopoeic words as you can and write them below:


Task Two: Write 5 sentences using alliteration:

1. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now write 5 sentences Using assonance:

1. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Task One: the following are extracts from poems. Identify if they contain alliteration or

assonance, and underline the matching sounds.

EXAMPLE: “With blinding sight / blind eyes could blaze” (Dylan Thomas). -__________________________________

1. “The river murmured” (Jeffrey Farnol). ________________________________________________________________ 2. “With bloody blameful blade he bravely broached” (Shakespeare) _________________________________ 3. “He gives his harness bells a shake” (Robert Frost) ___________________________________________________ 4. “A host, of golden daffodils” (William Wordsworth) __________________________________________________ 5. “The day of his death was a dark cold death.” (W. H. Auden) ______________________________________ 6. “That dolphin-torn, that gong-tormented sea.” (W. B. Yeats) _______________________________________ 7. “Fly o'er waste fens and windy fields.” (Alfred Tennyson) ____________________________________________ 8. “Mary sat musing on the lamp-flame at the table.” (Robert Frost) ___________________________________ 10 . “on a proud round cloud in white high night” (e. e. cummings) _____________________________________

Assonance

Assonance is the

repetition of vowel sounds in

nearby words.

EXAMPLES:

» The curious cat smiled.

» Betty bought some butter.

» She sells seashells.

Many authors and poets use sound devices to enhance the meaning of their words or to set a mood. When assonance is

used, it draws attention to words and is often employed poetically. Similarly, alliteration is commonly used in prose

writing, for instance in newspaper headlines that are intended to be memorable.

Why use alliteration and assonance?

_ Alliteration

Alliteration

Alliteration is the occurrence

of the same letter or sound

at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected

words.

EXAMPLES:

» Go and mow the lawn.

» Engineers steered the vehicle.

» Don’t go tomorrow.

_ _


Synecdoche “Every work of art is a synecdoche, there’s no way around it. Every creative work that someone does can only represent an aspect of the whole of something.” - Charlie Kaufman

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in

which a part is used to represent the whole, or the whole is used to represent a part.

EXAMPLES:

» Those are really nice wheels you have there.

» Britain has won gold at the Winter Games.

» Lend me your ears and I will play you a song.

The function of synecdoche is to emphasize specific aspects of the thing or person that the

synecdoche represents, and to reduce the importance of the thing itself. When used in writing, a synecdoche will add to the visual

imagery of the passage and enhance the reader’s experience.

Why use synecdoche?

Task One: For each of the following, identify the part/whole that is being used and then explain how it is synecdoche (what it means). Part/whole Meaning

ex Those are some nice threads you are wearing.

Threads The actual clothes are being talked about here, but they are made of individual threads.

1 These days people use plastic to pay for everything.

2 He threw his glasses across the room.

3 The world has not been kind to me.

4 We just need a few more hands in here, then we can get this done.

5 I see we have some new faces here tonight.

6 The Pentagon has released a statement this morning.

7 The streets of New York are too crowded with suits.

Task Two: Write 3 sentences of your own which employ synecdoche.

1 . __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 . __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Anaphora “Constant repetition carries conviction.” – Robert Collier

Anaphora is the deliberate

repetition of a word or phase at the

beginning of successive clauses.

EXAMPLES:

» Every day, every night, every moment I love you.

» This land, this home, this place is important.

» You did this. You ruined their lives. You are the problem.

Through the use of repetition, anaphora helps to emphasize a

point and give prominence to an idea. It is used in a variety of types of writing and even in

everyday speech. Speechwriters may use anaphora to appeal to

the emotions of the audience in order to persuade, inspire,

motivate and encourage them. Moreover, the use of anaphora

in literature often adds rhythm to a work of poetry or prose.

Why use anaphora?

Task One: For each of the following, identify the use of anaphora, then explain why it is used. Anaphora The effect

ex Every person, every man, every woman, every child, should experience the power of love.

The word ‘every’ is repeated.

The effect of repeating the word ‘every’ is that it stresses the fact that this applies to all people. It is used for emphasis.

1

"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." (Rick Blaine in Casablanca)

2

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, […] it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” (Dickens)

3

“This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this is England… This land of such dear souls, this dear land.” (Richard II , Shakespeare)

4

“[w]e shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.” (Churchill)

5

"It rained on his lousy tombstone, and it rained on the grass on his stomach. It rained all over the place." (Salinger)

Task Two: Write 3 sentences of your own which employ anaphora.

1 . __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 . __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Allusion

“Never affirm, always allude: allusions are made to test the spirit and probe the heart.” – Umberto Eco

An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a brief indirect reference to a person, place,

thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political

significance.

EXAMPLES:

» He’s a real Solomon when it comes to making decisions.

» She’s opened Pandora’s box with that letter.

» You don’t need a man to save you; you’re not Cinderella.

The use of allusions enables writers or poets to simplify concepts or ideas without having to give

lengthy descriptions. Often, writers allude to biblical stories, Greek mythology or works of literature

or art, which will be known to the reader.

Why allude?

Task One: For each of the following, identify what is being alluded to, and explain the allusion.

Task Two: Write three sentences of your own, incorporating the following allusions:

1 . Achilles’ heel: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 . Pinocchio: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Garden of Eden: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Allusion Explain

ex We love having Beth help out here; she is a Mother Theresa in the making.

Mother Theresa

Mother Theresa was a missionary known for her selflessness and work with the poor. Therefore, Beth is being attributed with these characteristics.

1 These flowers are beautiful! You are quite the Romeo, aren’t you?

2 My wife has a smile which rivals the Mona Lisa.

3 Even though he is only 5 years old, he is quite the little Einstein.

4 Don’t be a Grinch; just please help me decorate the Christmas tree.

5 Ben was a good Samaritan yesterday, helping that old lady the way he did.

6 Completing a triathlon is a herculean task, but I think that Toby is up for it.

7 Lance needs to stay away from Kylie – she is like kryptonite to him.

8 Make the right choice and be loyal to your friends. Don’t be a Judas.


Paradox

“In love the paradox occurs that two beings become one and yet remain two.” – Erich Fromm

A paradox is a seemingly contradictory

statement, which actually makes sense or contains some

truth.

EXAMPLES:

» Less is more.

» Deep down you are really shallow.

» This is the beginning of the end.

The purpose of a paradox is to capture attention and provoke fresh thought. As the sense is not clear without deeper

reflection and thought, it prompts the reader/listener to think critically about the topic to search for the meaning.

What is the purpose of a paradox?

EXAMPLE: This is the beginning of the end. _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Dieting makes you fat. ________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. You need to be cruel to be kind. _______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. There is nobody poorer than a rich man. ____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Nobody goes to that restaurant, as it is too crowded. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. You need to spend money to make money. __________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. (printed on a piece of paper) This page is intentionally left blank. __________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. You must learn to swim before you get into the water. _____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. The best advice I can give you is: Do not listen to people’s advice. __________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Task One: For each of the following, identify the contradiction & then explain how this might be true. The ‘beginning’ and the ‘end’ are opposites, therefore

apparently contradictory. However, this can mean the point at which something starts to deteriorate.


Task One: For each of the following, identify the type of Irony & then explain why it’s ironic.

Irony

volume cranked up.” - George Saunders

3 TYPES OF IRONY Situational Irony

When there is a contrast between the result of a situation, and what was intended or usually expected

Verbal Irony When what is said is actually the opposite of what is really meant

Dramatic Irony When the audience or reader

knows more than the characters in a work of literature

EXAMPLES:

» The criminals decided to rob the police station.

» That dentist has really bad teeth.

» I need this meeting like I need a hole in the head.

» “Wow this bathroom smells fresh!” (When it really doesn’t!)

Writers and poets regularly use irony, but people in

everyday speech also use it. Often verbal irony is

employed in conversation – frequently in the form of

sarcasm. Irony in literature is intended to provoke the reader to think about and

analyze a situation. By comparing and contrasting

reality with assumptions about reality, the reader is

able to gain a deeper understanding.

What is the purpose of irony?

Type Explain

exam

ple

When watching a scary movie, the audience knows the killer is under the bed, but the girl is totally unaware as she enters.

Dramatic Irony

The audience knows more than the character, therefore it is dramatic irony. It is employed to heighten the sense of suspense and the thrill of the drama.

1 Bill Gates was seen using an Apple computer.

2 My hairdresser has a really awful hairstyle.

3

A Facebook status: “I really hate it when people make grammatical errors in there writing.”

4 John posted a video on YouTube about how much he hates YouTube.

5

In Romeo and Juliet, we watch as Romeo, thinking Juliet is dead, kills himself. Yet the audience knows that she is not dead.

6 The boy said, “Oh how wonderful!” when he found out he had failed his exam.

7 Jill protested the ill-treatment of animals while wearing her mink coat.

8 “This steak is as tender and delicious as chewing an old boot.”


Answer Key

Figurative Language Worksheets

Please note that some of the tasks on the worksheets require students to come up with their own example sentences, and therefore there is no strict answer key for those tasks. However, below are the answer keys for the tasks which do have definitive answers.

Metaphor Task One: For each of the following sentences, explain the Meaning of the metaphor. EXAMPLE: John can lift 20 bricks; he is an ox. _________________________________________________

1. He turned over a new leaf. ________________________________________________________________________ 2. My dad was very blue yesterday. _________________________________________________________________ 3. Mary is a couch potato at the moment. ___________________________________________________________ 4. Sara is the apple of her father’s eye. ______________________________________________________________ 5. My mum has a bubbly personality. _______________________________________________________________ 6. The teacher immediately shot down my idea. ____________________________________________________ 7. Ben has the heart of a lion. _________________________________________________________________________ 8. She is the brightest in the class. ____________________________________________________________________ 9. It rained cats and dogs yesterday. _________________________________________________________________ 10 . Aunt Jo has a heart of gold. ______________________________________________________________________

Task Two: [creative – no memorandum]

This means that John is extremely strong.

This means that he has changed his attitudes or actions. To ‘be blue’ means that one is feeling sad.

Mary spends a lot of time on the couch watching TV. This means that Sara’s father cherishes her above all others. To have a ‘bubbly’ personality, means to be high-spirited & cheerful.

This means that their idea was dismissed. This means that Ben is very brave and determined.

This means that she is the cleverest in the class. It rained extremely heavily yesterday.

This means that she is sincere and kind.

Simile

Task One: For each of the following sentences, explain the Meaning of the Simile. EXAMPLE: She slept like a log last night. _________________________________________________________ 1. I feel like a limp dishcloth. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. She eats like a pig when she is hungry. ____________________________________________________________ 3. Bob is like a bull in a china shop today. ____________________________________________________________ 4. Fly like the wind! ___________________________________________________________________________________ 5. My father is as sharp as a pin. _____________________________________________________________________ 6. She swims like a fish. _______________________________________________________________________________ 7. Cindy’s skin is like porcelain. ______________________________________________________________________ 8. My bag feels like a ton of bricks.____________________________________________________________________ 9. Tom and Joe are like two peas in a pod. ___________________________________________________________ 10 . I feel as flat as a pancake. ________________________________________________________________________


This means that she slept deeply and well. This means that the person feels tired and lifeless.

This means that she eats a lot and in a noisy or unpleasant way. This means that bob is being clumsy in a delicate situation.

This means to move very quickly. This means that he is intelligent.

This means that she swims extremely well. This means that her skin is smooth and flawless.

This means that the bad is really heavy. This means that they are very similar.

To feel flat like a pancake means to have no energy.


Euphemism

Task One: For each of the following sentences, explain the True Meaning of the Euphemism. EXAMPLE: His wife passed away last year. ____________________________________________________ 1. There was collateral damage in the war. _________________________________________________________ 2. Did you just pass wind? ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. We sell pre-owned vehicles. _______________________________________________________________________ 4. Tom’s cooking skills leave room for improvement._______________________________________________ 5. Your cat needs to be put to sleep. __________________________________________________________________ 6. Beth is vertically challenged. _______________________________________________________________________ 7. My sister is always borrowing clothes without asking. __________________________________________ 8. Elizabeth is expecting again. ________________________________________________________________________ 9. He spent some time at a correctional facility last year. ___________________________________________ 10 . The company is downsizing.______________________________________________________________________


This means that his wife died. This means that civilians were killed.

To pass wind is a euphemism for farting. They sell second-hand cars.

Tom is a bad cook. This means that the cat needs to be euthanized.

This means that Beth is short. She steals her clothes.

This means that Elizabeth is pregnant. He was in jail.

The company is firing employees.

Personification Task One: Fill in the following table:

What’s being personified?

What human characteristic is given?

Ex. Love will carry us through.

1 The sun announced that it was time to get up.

2 Time flew as we enjoyed each other’s company.

3 They slept soundly in front of the comforting fire.

4 The chocolate ice cream is calling my name.

5 He was aware that Death was knocking at his door.

6 The words leapt off the page as she read.

7 The bees played hide and seek atop the flowers.

8 In the moonlight, the waves dance & play with the shore.

Love The ability to hold and carry (which you need arms for).


The sun

Time

The fire

The chocolate ice cream

Death

The words

The bees

The waves

The sun is given a mouth and the ability to speak. Time is given the ability to move and fly. The fire is given the ability to comfort. The chocolate ice cream is portrayed as speaking. Death is a person who can knock on a door. The words are given the ability to jump (which you need legs for). The bees are playing a game, in a human way. The waves are given the human ability of dancing.


Oxymoron Task One: [creative – no memorandum]

However, suggested oxymorons: » Fine mess » Sweet sorrow » Bitter sweet » Beautiful mess

» Alone together » Deafening silence » Bitter sweet » Successful failure

» Organized chaos » Deeply shallow » Beautiful disaster » Random order

Puns Task One: For each of the following, explain the humor:

Punning word? Explain the pun.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

This pun plays on the different meanings of the words ‘flies’ & ‘like’ flies = the action and the insect / like = similarity and preference

1 An elephant's opinion carries a lot of weight.

Carries a lot of weight

To carry weight means to have influence, but an elephant is also very heavy and literally carries a lot of weight around.

2 An angry bird landed on a door knob. Then flew off the handle.

Flew off the handle

To fly off the handle means to lose one’s temper, but here it also literally means ‘to fly’ as it is in reference to an angry bird.

3 Biking without a helmet is a no brainer.

No brainer

A ‘no brainer’ means it doesn’t even take thought, but here it means that you will have no brain if you don’t wear a helmet.

4 Santa’s helpers are known as subordinate Clauses.

Subordinate clauses

A subordinate clause is a part of grammar, but subordinate also means inferior and therefore as Santa’s surname is ‘Clause’, his helpers are subordinate to him, and are clauses.

5 Old skiers never die, they just go downhill.

downhill To ‘go downhill’ means to deteriorate, but it also is a type of skiing.

6 What do you call a cheese which is not yours? Nacho cheese.

Nacho cheese

This is a play on ‘Nacho cheese’, as it sounds very similar to ‘not your cheese’.

7 The chicken crossed the playground to get to the other slide.

slide The usual joke ends in ‘to get to the other side’, but there are slides in a playground, so it is a play on the word side/slide.

8 When my mother saw her first grey hair she thought she’d dye.

dye Here ‘dye’ has two meanings – ‘to die’ = die from mortification, and ‘to dye’ = to color, as it is about grey hair.

9 Most people don’t like food going to waist.

waist This is a play on the word ‘waist’. It means food waste and putting on weight on your waist.

10 I usually take steps to avoid elevators.

take steps

To ‘take steps’ means to take action, yet in order to avoid elevators one would have to literally take the stairs.

‘flies’ & ‘like’


Task One: Underline/Highlight any examples of hyperbole in the following paragraph: Yesterday I woke up in a fluster as I had a million things to do. I leapt out of bed like a gazelle and quickly showered and brushed my teeth. Then, as usual, I stared at my closet forever, feeling frustrated as I had absolutely nothing to wear! I threw on an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt and dashed downstairs. I knew I had a ton of homework hanging over my head, but I put it out of my mind, as it was just too overwhelming to think about. I was starving and so I wolfed down my breakfast, during which my brother asked me if I wanted to ride to school with him. I thought, ‘Please, never in a million

Hyperbole

Onomatopoeia

Task Two: Are the following examples of hyperbole? Explain why or why not.

Y/N If yes, explain what it means. If no, why not?

1 My shoes are killing me! Yes It means that the shoes are really uncomfortable; they are not actually going to cause the wearer’s death.

2 The TV is really too loud. No It may well be too loud; there is no hyperbole here.

3 That teacher is always shouting. Yes It is not possible that the teacher is shouting at all times. It means

that they shout a lot.

4 I am dying to try that new computer game. Yes This means that the person really really wants to try the computer

game. They are not actually dying.

5 My dog is so old he can barely walk anymore. No If the dog is really old, it is quite likely that he can barely walk. This is

not an implausible exaggeration.

6 My sister’s brain is the size of a pea. Yes No body’s brain is actually that small. She just means that her sister is

not very clever.

7 I need the toilet; I’ll be back in a second. Yes It would take longer than a second to go to the toilet; this just means

that they will be very quick.

8 That science lesson was never-ending. Yes It obviously ended so this is an exaggeration; however it means that it

felt very long.

9 This cake is the best thing I have ever tasted. Maybe It’s difficult to say if this is hyperbole as it may well be the best cake

the person ever tasted. It may also just mean that it is really delicious.

10 That was the easiest exam in the world. Yes This is an exaggeration meaning that the exam was really easy.

Task One: Underline/Highlight any examples of Onomatopoeia in the following paragraphs: As I lay in the forest I could hear the deep thumping of my heart. I was keenly aware of my

surroundings: the wind whispering through the trees; the rustling of the undergrowth; the gentle buzz and hum of the forest at night. I slowly rolled over and onto my knees and began crawling away from my hideout. I was trying to make my way to the gushing water, desperate for something to drink. I soon came to the edge of the life-giving river and began furiously gulping, trying to take in as much as possible. After a few minutes, as my thirst was starting to abate, I became aware of a strange sound. Without looking up I listened for a while. There it was. Plop. Plop. Plop. I cautiously raised my head and saw a strange boy standing on the opposite bank. He returned my stare without stopping his rhythmic throwing of stones.


Task Three: [creative – no memorandum]


Alliteration & Assonance Task One: the following are extracts from poems. Identify if they contain alliteration or

assonance, and underline the matching sounds.

EXAMPLE: “With blinding sight / blind eyes could blaze” (Dylan Thomas). -__________________________________

1. “The river murmured” (Jeffrey Farnol). ________________________________________________________________ 2. “With bloody blameful blade he bravely broached” (Shakespeare) _________________________________ 3. “He gives his harness bells a shake” (Robert Frost) ___________________________________________________ 4. “A host, of golden daffodils” (William Wordsworth) __________________________________________________ 5. “The day of his death was a dark cold death.” (W. H. Auden) ______________________________________ 6. “That dolphin-torn, that gong-tormented sea.” (W. B. Yeats) _______________________________________ 7. “Fly o'er waste fens and windy fields.” (Alfred Tennyson) ____________________________________________ 8. “Mary sat musing on the lamp-flame at the table.” (Robert Frost) ___________________________________ 10 . “on a proud round cloud in white high night” (e. e. cummings) ____________________________________


_ Alliteration _ _ _ _ Assonance

Alliteration

_

_ _ _ _ _

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Assonance Assonance

_ _ _

_

_ _ _

_ _ _

_ _ _ _ Alliteration

Assonance Alliteration

_ _ _

_ Assonance

_ Assonance

Synecdoche

Part/whole Meaning

ex Those are some nice threads you are wearing.

Threads The actual clothes are being talked about here, but they are made of individual threads.

1 These days people use plastic to pay for everything.

plastic What is being referred to here is credit cards, but they are made of plastic, and so that is the part that is mentioned.

2 He threw his glasses across the room.

glasses Glasses are just a part of spectacles (the lenses), so he threw his spectacles across the room.

3 The world has not been kind to me.

The world The world is the whole, in reference to the part of the world (the people), with whom the speaker has come into contact.

4 We just need a few more hands in here, then we can get this done.

hands The speaker means that they need more people to help, but their hands are the part of them which are most needed for the task.

5 I see we have some new faces here tonight.

faces This means that there are some new people, but their faces are the part which the speaker can see and references.

6 The Pentagon has released a statement this morning.

The Pentagon

What is meant here is that a few decision makers at the Pentagon have released a statement.

7 The streets of New York are too crowded with suits.

suits ‘Suits’ is a common reference to businessmen and women, because the suits they wear distinguish them as businesspeople.

Task One: For each of the following, identify the part/whole that is being used and then explain how it is synecdoche (what it means).



Anaphora The effect

exam

ple

Every person, every man, every woman, every child, should experience the power of love.

The word ‘every’ is repeated.

The effect of repeating the word ‘every’ is that it stresses the fact that this applies to all people. It is used for emphasis.

1

"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." (Rick Blaine in Casablanca)

Repetition of the

word ‘all’

The repetition of the word ‘all ’ emphasizes the fact that there are many other possibil ities, and hence highlights the improbabil ity and therefore incredible fact that it was his bar she walked into.

2

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, […] it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” (Dickens)

‘It was the...’ begins each clause

The use of anaphora here makes this piece of prose highly memorable, and it highlights the fact that it is over and in the past tense. It also draws the reader’s attention to this specific time in history.

3

“This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this is England… This land of such dear souls, this dear land.” (Richard II, Shakespeare)

The word ‘this’

starts each

clause.

This use of anaphora stirs emotion in the audience, especially those who have a connection to England as it emphasizes the specific place and country.

4

“[w]e shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.” (Churchill)

Repetition of ‘we shall

fight’.

This use of anaphora is highly emotive, and the repetition emphasizes the fact that they must fight and not give up. By starting each clause with ‘we shall fight’, Churchill stirs his audience into action.

5

"It rained on his lousy tombstone, and it rained on the grass on his stomach. It rained all over the place." (Salinger)

‘It rained’ is

repeated 3 times.

This repetition of ‘it rained’ draws the reader’s attention to the incessant rain and the fact that it was all over the place. It is used for emphasis.

Anaphora

Task One: For each of the following, identify the use of anaphora, then explain why it is used.



Task One: For each of the following, identify what is being alluded to, and explain the allusion.

Allusion

Allusion Explain

ex We love having Beth help out here; she is a Mother Theresa in the making.

Mother Theresa

Mother Theresa was a missionary known for her selflessness and work with the poor. Therefore, Beth is being attributed with these characteristics.

1 These flowers are beautiful! You are quite the Romeo, aren’t you?

Romeo from Shakespeare’s

Romeo and Juliet

‘Romeo and Juliet’ is known as a classic love story, and Romeo as an archetypal lover. Therefore, this is attributing the guy with romantic ways.

2 My wife has a smile which rivals the Mona Lisa.

The Mona Lisa Painting by

Leonardo da Vinci

The Mona Lisa is known for her cryptic and famous smile. So the speaker is saying that his wife has a mysterious smile.

3 Even though he is only 5 years old, he is quite the little Einstein.

Albert Einstein

Einstein is often regarded as one of the greatest and most intelligent scientists. Therefore alluding to him is a way of saying that this child is extremely clever.

4 Don’t be a Grinch; just please help me decorate the Christmas tree.

The Grinch by Dr Seuss

The Grinch in the story was anti-Christmas and grumpy, and so by calling somebody a ‘Grinch’ you are accusing them of not getting into the spirit of the season.

5 Ben was a good Samaritan yesterday, helping that old lady the way he did.

The story of the good

Samaritan from the Bible

In the story of the good Samaritan, the Samaritan helps a stranger, and has come to stand as an example of selfless actions. Therefore, Ben’s actions are being praised.

6 Completing a triathlon is a herculean task, but I think that Toby is up for it.

The Greek myth of the

tasks of Hercules

In Greek mythology, Hercules was unbelievably strong had to undertake 12 tasks which required extreme strength and courage. Therefore, the speaker is saying that a triathlon requires immense strength.

7 Lance needs to stay away from Kylie – she is like kryptonite to him.

Kyroptonite from the Superman comics.

Kryptonite was Superman’s one weakness. Therefore, this allusion means that Kylie is Lance’s weakness.

8 Make the right choice and be loyal to your friends. Don’t be a Judas.

Judas from the Bible

In the biblical story, Judas betrayed Jesus, who was meant to be a close friend. So this allusion means ‘don’t betray your friends’.



EXAMPLE: This is the beginning of the end. _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Dieting makes you fat. ________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. You need to be cruel to be kind. _______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. There is nobody poorer than a rich man. ____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Nobody goes to that restaurant, as it is too crowded. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. You need to spend money to make money. __________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. (printed on a piece of paper) This page is intentionally left blank. __________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. You must learn to swim before you get into the water. _____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. The best advice I can give you is: do not listen to people’s advice. __________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This seems paradoxical, because in

order to take this advice, you do the very thing that the advice is advising against! However, the speaker may be referring

to a particular situation, and not in general. (E.g. don’t listen to advice when it comes to how you raise your children.)

The ‘beginning’ and the ‘end’ are opposites, therefore

apparently contradictory. However, this can mean the point at which something starts to deteriorate.

The purpose of dieting is to lose weight, so the idea that it makes you fat seems

incongruent. However, sometimes people diet wrongly, or think too much about food or eat the wrong things

when they diet, and they end up putting on weight instead of loosing it.

Cruelty and kindness are opposites; therefore the thought that one

can result in the other seems paradoxical. However, sometimes you have to do/say something seemingly unkind in

the short term, for the long term or future benefits.

Being rich means that you are not poor. Therefore saying

that a rich person could be poor seems like a contradiction. However, if we are talking figuratively, and not

literally, a materially rich man could be spiritually / emotionally / relationally poor.

How could a restaurant be crowded if nobody

goes there? This seems like a contradiction. However, the speaker may be using hyperbole, so when they say

‘nobody’, they don’t mean it literally, but they may mean that nobody in his/her community of friends.

This seems contradictory, as if you are spending money, you

are not saving/making it. However, this can relate to business owners who need to invest money (spend it) in the

short term, in order to profit in the long term. The fact that these words

appear on the page means that it is not blank, so it seems nonsensical. However, this may appear in an exam, for

example, and what it means is that it is left blank of content and is not a misprint. Therefore it makes sense. How must one learn to swim without getting

into water? However, this may apply to a certain context; for example a swimming pool at a school - you may

have to know how to swim before getting into that particular body of water.

Paradox

Task One: For each of the following, identify the contradiction & then explain how this might be true.


Irony Task One: For each of the following, identify the type of Irony & then explain why it’s ironic.

Type Explain

exam

ple

When watching a scary movie, the audience knows the killer is under the bed, but the girl is totally unaware as she enters.

Dramatic Irony

The audience knows more than the character, therefore it is dramatic irony. It is employed to heighten the sense of suspense and the thrill of the drama.

1 Bill Gates was seen using an Apple computer.

Situational Irony

Bill Gates is the owner of Microsoft so one would not expect him to use an Apple computer (a competitor’s product). This is the situational irony.

2 My hairdresser has a really awful hairstyle.

Situational Irony

Hairdressers do hair for a living, so one would expect them to have great hair, yet this one doesn’t and this is the opposite of what is expected. Hence the irony.

3

A Facebook status: “I really hate it when people make grammatical errors in there writing.”

Situational Irony

The person is saying that they hate grammatical errors, yet they make one when saying it (“there” – “their”). This is ironic.

4 John posted a video on YouTube about how much he hates YouTube.

Situational Irony

If John hates YouTube, the very last place you would think he would express it is on YouTube. Yet he does, and so this is ironic.

5

In Romeo and Juliet, we watch as Romeo, thinking Juliet is dead, kills himself. Yet the audience knows that she is not dead.

Dramatic Irony

They audience knows more about the situation than Romeo does – they know that Juliet is not really dead. Therefore they have a deeper understanding of the situation than the characters on stage. Therefore this is dramatic irony.

6

The boy said, “Oh how wonderful!” when he found out he had failed his exam.

Verbal Irony

Nobody wants to fail an exam – it is bad news. However, this boy says it is ‘wonderful’. It is the opposite of what they mean and therefore is verbal irony.

7 Jill protested the ill-treatment of animals while wearing her mink coat.

Situational Irony

A mink coat is made of animal fur. One would think that an animal rights activist would be against wearing fur, yet they are not. Therefore this is ironic.

8 “This steak is as tender and delicious as chewing an old boot.”

Verbal Irony

Chewing an old boot is not really tender or delicious. Therefore the speaker means the opposite of what they are saying – it is not delicious at all.

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