Figurative Language Terms

RI/RL.7.4 Complete the definitions on pg.2 ¨ Intended meaning of the words ¨ True definition of the words ¨ ¨ Hyperbole: An over-exaggeration meant to emphasize a point; adds excitement or humor. Ex: “So hungry I could eat a horse” ¨ ¨ Idiom: An expression whose meaning is different from the meaning of its individual words; NOT meant to be literal; meant to inspire, cheer up a person about life; usually culturally based Ex: Make a mountain out of a molehill; The grass is always greener on the other side ¨ ¨ Imagery: Words or phrases that appeal to the senses; help create a mental image. Ex: The children were nestled all snug in their beds/While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads ¨ ¨ ¨ Metaphor: A comparison between two unrelated objects that uses no connecting words; often contains “is” Simile: A comparison between two unrelated items using “like” or “as”. Ex: “Life is like a box of chocolates” ú “Love is a red, red rose” ¨ ¨ Oxymoron: Two or three word phrase that contains opposite words or ideas. EX: “Sweet sorrow” “wise fool” “jumbo shrimp” ¨ ¨ Personification: Giving human qualities or actions to something not human like animals, inanimate objects… Ex: The leaf danced upon the breeze. ¨ ¨ Symbol: Something concrete that stands for something abstract; contains more meaning than the actual thing. Example: An American Flag stands for freedom, democracy Example: A backpack symbolizes learning or student ¨ ¨ ¨ Alliteration: The repeating of beginning consonant sounds; adds a musical quality. REPEATING SOUNDS– “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out” ¨ ¨ Assonance: The repeating of a vowel sound, adds a musical quality “She’d scour the pots and scrape the pans/Candy the yams and spice the hams” ¨ ¨ Onomatopoeia: A word that represents a sound. Ex: Snap! Crunch! ¨ ¨ A short story designed to help someone understand an idea or concept that is usually complicated or difficult. Ex: The importance of having a proper breakfast. An analogy could be a short discussion about a car needing fuel. = ¨ -A contradiction between what is expected and what actually occurs (contrast of appearance and reality) ¡ ¡ ¡ Verbal Situational Dramatic ¨ Verbal – the meaning is different than the actual words or meaning (sarcasm) ¨ Situational – Often when the exact opposite occurs ¨ Dramatic – Where the reader or viewer is aware of something the character is not ¨ Narrator/Speaker: the imaginary voice a poet uses when writing a poem. The speaker is the character who tells a story, and is often not identified by a name. ¨ ¨ Mood: The feeling created in the reader like love, depressing, morose, sorrow, delight, joy. Tone: The attitude the writer takes toward his subject, character, or reader. End Rhymes Couplet Internal Rhymes Exact Rhymes Approximate Rhymes Words at the end of the lines that rhyme Two rhyming lines that are consecutive Rhyming words that occur within the lines Words rhyme exactly with each other Sounds that are similar but not exactly the same ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ Lyric Narrative Ballad Epic Ode Sonnet Elegy Free Verse LYRIC ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ Definition: Poems that express feeling(s) and do not tell stories. Usually short in length Imply - rather than state directly - a single, strong emotion Word “lyric” comes from the word “lyre” which refers to a stringed instrument something like a small harp NARRATIVE POEM ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ Definition: A poem that tells a story. Typically uses rhythm and meter Rhythm: The rise and fall of the voice produced by sounds. Meter: When the sounds occur in a particular pattern. BALLAD ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ Definition: A song or songlike poem that tells a story. Usually tell stories of tragedy, love, or adventure Use simple language and a great deal of repetition Generally have regular rhythm and rhyme patterns that make them easy to memorize EPIC ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ Definition: A long narrative poem that is written in formal, elegant language that tells about a series of quests undertaken by a great hero. Oldest stories in the world are epics Typically the hero is a male warrior who embodies the values cherished by his culture Mock Epic: A short narrative poem that imitates the old epic tales, but in a comical way ODES ¨ ¨ ¨ Definition: A long, complex poem, which celebrates, in elegant language, one person or thing. Originated in Greece Today odes are looser in form and subject matter, but they still celebrate a particular person or thing SONNET ¨ Definition: Fourteen lines, usually written in iambic pentameter. ¡ ¡ Iambic refers to verse in which the beat or stress is on every other syllable starting with the unstressed beat Pentameter is verse in which there are five stressed beats in every line ELEGY ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ Definition: A poem of mourning. Most are about someone who has died Some mourn a way of life that is gone forever May use extended metaphor - a comparison that is stated and is extended as far as the poet can take it FREE VERSE ¨ ¨ ¨ Definition: Poem that does not follow a regular rhyme scheme or meter, but that doesn’t mean that anything goes. Poets have to rely on their own sense of balance and measure Poets typically use literary devices such as: alliteration, onomatopoeia, imagery, figures of speech (similes, metaphors, personification), and rhythm