Overview
This lecture introduces figurative language, focusing on how authors use comparisons and descriptive language to create vivid imagery, laying a foundation for studying literary devices.
What Is Figurative Language?
- Figurative language describes something by comparing it with something else, going beyond literal meanings.
- It aims to give new effects or fresh insights into an idea or subject.
- Authors use figurative language to influence readers’ perceptions and emotions.
Imagery: The Umbrella Term
- Imagery is descriptive language appealing to the senses (sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste).
- Five senses: visual (sight), olfactory (smell), auditory (hearing), gustatory (taste), tactile (touch).
- Imagery includes specific types: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole.
- When analyzing, determine if a passage is just imagery or a specific device like a simile or metaphor.
Types of Figurative Language
- Simile: A direct comparison between two unlike things, using "like" or "as" (e.g., "He fought like a lion").
- Metaphor: An implied comparison between two unlike things, often using a form of "to be" (e.g., "The road was a ribbon of moonlight").
- Personification: Gives human qualities to animals, objects, or ideas (e.g., "The mighty oak fell with a creaking, rending cry").
- Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement not meant to mislead but to emphasize (e.g., "She said so on several million occasions").
Key Terms & Definitions
- Figurative Language — language comparing things to provide new meaning, beyond literal words.
- Imagery — descriptive language that appeals to the five senses.
- Simile — comparison using "like" or "as" between two unlike things.
- Metaphor — implied comparison between unrelated things, often with a "to be" verb.
- Personification — giving human traits to non-human entities.
- Hyperbole — deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Identify and label examples of figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole) in assigned readings.
- Remember imagery is an umbrella term; strive to specify the type of figurative language when possible.