Figurative Language
Is the writing that is not meant to be taken literally (or exactly as the words are presented). The language is
used to create vivid impressions by setting up comparisons between things that might be dissimilar.
Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words; it is used to create melody, establish mood,
call attention to important words, or point out similarities and differences.
Wide-eyed and wondering while we wait for others to waken.
Allusion
An allusion is a reference, within a literary work, to another work of fiction, a film, a piece of art, or
even a real event. An allusion serves as a kind of shorthand, drawing on this outside work to provide
greater context or meaning to the situation being written about.
She stood as strong at the Statue of Liberty while holding 50 pound weights above her head.
Cliché
is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or
novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful or novel. The term is
generally used in a negative context.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Hyperbole
A bold, deliberate overstatement not intended to be taken literally; used as a means of emphasizing the
truth of a statement.
She said you crossed that line seven million times!
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two dissimilar things.
The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it after a long day.
