Figurative Language in Poetry
Poetry is full of figurative language. That's one of the reasons that poetry is so much fun.
In this lesson, you will practice identifying figurative language in poetry.
Let's start with a short review:
A simile is a comparison using "like" or "as".
by Kelly Roper Jerry's mind wandered during class |
This poem makes several comparisons using the word "like". These comparisons are called similes.
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by Shel Silverstein Small as a peanut, Rich as a sultan, Red, black or orange, So maybe the way |
Similes can also be made using the word "as". How many similes can you find in this poem? |
A metaphor is a comparison without using "like" or "as".
by James Reeves The sea is a hungry dog, |
This poem compares the sea to a dog, without using "like" or "as". The whole poem is built around this metaphor. |
Hyperbole is when you exagerate something for empahsis.
by Sharon Hendricks A mountain of baby carrots, |
This poem exaggerates the amount of food at a Thanksgiving dinner. This is an example of hyperbole.
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Personification is when a writer makes a non-human object (or idea) seem like a person.
by Lil Pluta I know that clouds aren't people, Now, the sky is not a person, The sun is not a person, |
This poet uses personification to explain personification. Clouds don't pout; the sky doesn't cry, and the sun doesn't smile. But imagine that they do: That's called personification.
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Instructions for the Quiz
Identify the figurative language technique that is being used.
- simile
- metaphor
- hyperbole
- personification
Warning: This quiz is slightly challenging. Here are some helpful hints:
Metaphors usually use a form of the verb "to be", such as is, was, are, were, etc.
- Life is a frail moth flying
- The moon was a ghostly galleon
However, metaphorical comparisons can also be made with words such as of, whose, that, etc.
- The glorious Lamp of Heaven, the Sun [The sun is being compared to a lamp = metaphor].
- A woman whose autumn of life is here [The woman's age is being compared to a season = metaphor]
- Could we but draw back the curtains that surround each other's lives? [The barriers between people are being compared to curtains = metaphor]
Hyperbole is so common in everyday speech that it's sometimes easy to overlook if you aren't paying attention.
If the poet is being overly dramatic, the anwer is probably hyperbole.
- A mere frown from her would kill me. [No, you're not going to die just because she frowned at you; this is hyperbole.]
Also, look for words like
- endless
- forever
- countless
Very few things last forever or cannot be counted, so if you see one of these words, the answer is probably hyperbole.
Quiz