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Central idea of figurative language essay
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Figurative language is one of literature’s great facets. Authors use it both to enhance their story and portray their own voices. Not only is figurative language used to portray an author’s voice, it is also used in characterization, tone, theme, and style. When readers go through a piece of literature, the objects they find themselves most drawn to are the characters. Characters are like people, readers find them both relatable and interesting. However, there are a countless number of characters in the world of literature so authors must use figurative language to make their character both unique and memorable. Authors do this by using techniques such as similes and metaphors where authors attribute unique physical traits or mannerisms
The first literary device is a simile and it paints a picture in the readers head.
In this short, but charming story, Amy Tan uses imagery to bring the story to life. With figurative language, the reader is immersed into the Chinese culture and can better relate to the characters. Tan main use of imagery is to better explain each character. Often instead of a simple explanation, Tan uses metaphors, similes, or hyperboles to describe the person, this way they are more relatable and their feelings better understood.
Authors use figurative language to add detail to the story. One example of literature that uses figurative language is The Outsiders. The dramatic short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, by Washington Irving uses many types of figurative language.
In the story “Rain, Rain Go Away” the author uses figurative language to develop the reader's understanding of the story. A first example is “Bang, biff, smack, bang, biff.” This helps the reader develop their understanding by helping them visualize how the boy is getting tortured. Next, “The ball went sailing into the right field.” The reader is able to visualize how the ball went from one field to the right field. Finally, “It was a beautiful day at Murphy’s Park; hot and dry without being too hot; and with a cheerfully bright
In the story there were a lot of figurative language. For example in the beginning
Characterization is when the author leaves small little “clues” as to the appearance, personality, etc of the character(s). This can be shown through dialogue, word choice describing appearance, the actions the character makes, etc. Characterization can also be used alongside personification to give non-living objects personality! "I've met my match and admit it. This is too much for me" –Eckels (“A Sound of Thunder”). This quote is a piece of Eckel’s, a character from “A Sound of Thunder”, characterization. It shows that he was once brave, but now he is frightened and willing to admit he was wrong. Another example is, “He listened to the faint push of his soft shoes through autumn leaves with satisfaction, and whistled a cold quiet whistle” (“The Pedestrian”) This is showing us something that makes Mr. Leonard Mead happy! He is simply enjoy the sound of his feet pushing through the leaves as he is walking. Even though this is a subtle detail, it plays a large role in Leonard’s characterization, because it is showing us his thought process, which is part of who he is. Here characterization is used with personification, “It quivered at each sound, the house did. If a sparrow brushed a window, the shade snapped up.” (“There Will Come Soft Rains”). This is showing that the house is paranoid. Even though the house is not alive, it has living characteristics, giving it characterization! Every character is in a setting, and this setting is our
In the book Metaphors We Live By, authors George Lakoff and Mark Johnson address the traditional philosophic view denouncing metaphor's influence on our world and our selves (ix). Using linguistic and sociological evidence, Lakoff and Johnson claim that figurative language performs essential functions beyond those found in poetry, cliché, and elaborate turns of phrase. Metaphor permeates our daily experiences - not only through systems of language, but also in terms of the way we think and act. The key to understanding a metaphor's effect on behavior, relationships, and how we make sense of our environment, can be found in the way humans use metaphorical language. To appreciate the affects of figurative language over even the most mundane details of our daily activity, it is necessary to define the term, "metaphor" and explain its role in defining the thoughts and actions that structure our conceptual system.
Taylor, the author uses both foreshadowing and figurative language to help convey a theme, sometimes people need to resort to resort to violence to keep themselves safe, by using these literary devices to help describe important events in the story. These Literary devices help improve the description, and can help convey a certain theme throughout the
Figurative language includes several types of figures of speech such as simile, metaphor, and personification. A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two different things using the word “like” or “as.” One example of a simile is the phrase, “It’s as clean as a whistle.” Another example of a simile is “my love is like a red, red rose.” Each of these examples use “like” or “as”; these are the indicators that the author is using a simile. Ha Jin’s simile in “The Bane of the Internet” demonstrates Yuchin’s feelings: “At the sight of that gorgeous machine, I felt as if a dozen awls were stabbing my heart.” Another type of figurative language is called a metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison between two fundamentally different things. An example of a simple metaphor is, “He is a pig.” A metaphor makes the comparison without using “like” or “as.” An author uses a metaphor to help the reader ‘see’ details. “Her burning eyes glared straight through me.” Miguel de Cervantes uses a metaphor to describe the size of the mule: “The second brother, seeing how his comrade was treated, drove his heels into his castle of a mule and made off across the country faster than the wind.” A third type of figurative language is
Out of all the literary elements, Characterization is considered one of the most powerful. A believable, entertaining story needs Characters who are lifelike and who develop throughout the story. Unforgettable characters we recall from our childhood had several sides to them; like real people, they were depicted as complex individuals with a mixture of traits from both nature and experience.
There is only one way an author can get their readers to cry, laugh, and love or just enjoy their master pieces. That one way is through the uses of literary devices such as similes, metaphors and personification. These are the small things that brings the author`s thoughts and ideas alive. The author`s ability to use literary devices through the book helps in direct characterization and lets readers get a better understanding of Lennie and George, the two main characters Of Mice and Men. It also helps in keeping readers thinking on their feet and constantly questioning George and Lennie`s next move while in Salinas, California. John Steinbeck, in his novel Of Mice and Men, makes use of similes and foreshadowing to keep readers in touch with the characters and at the edge of their seats throughout the story.
The use of metaphors really took the poem “Beowulf” over its set caliber. “Her coffin was a shadow of death in my mind” is an example that shows the extreme usage of metaphors.
The choice of a signifier is nowhere near arbitrary; words may not have transcendental meaning, but they certainly relate to each other within a given linguistic structure - a language, a dialect, or even a piece of fiction. One interesting way to explore the mystery of the signifier is through constructs like metaphor and metonymy. These work within a text, simultaneously concealing and betraying meaning. Metaphor an...
A. The primary reason to teach figurative language is so that students can understand that some ideas presented in text are abstract in nature and may be outside their personal realm of experience. Connections made through figurative language connect the abstract to more easily relatable topics. Choices (B) and (C), while true, are incorrect because neither is the only reason to teach figurative language. Figurative language occurs in nonfiction, in TV commercials, and so forth — it can be in any type of text, not just fiction. Choice (D) is incorrect because assessment expectations are never