It's fairly likely that we may come across some passages using figurative language while reading a book that contains poetry or prose. These passages provide an additional layer of meaning to what we are reading. Yet what exactly is figurative language? How should I utilise this properly?
Figurative language is a phrasing strategy that transcends the literal meaning of the words employed to better convey emotions, mood, and the significance of an action, character, or event. We can employ a wide range of strategies from figurative language to make it work, including:
When someone or something is compared to something that seems unconnected, it is called a simile. When you say, "They walked as elegantly as a cat," for instance.
Writing a metaphor involves connecting the seemingly unrelated subject as a predicative rather than comparing it, as in the sentence "those kids are such busy bees."
Similar to a metaphor, an implied metaphor makes use of components that relate to one but is less overt about it. "I can't stand this person!" could be an example of an implied metaphor. He never stops voicing his ideas!
Personification is the process of imparting human characteristics to animals, natural forces, or inanimate objects rather than onto living beings. "The Sun is smiling to me on this warm day," is a wonderful illustration.
Hyperbole: Everyone enjoys making exaggerated statements, such as "I'm so busy today, I have a million jobs to accomplish by the end of the day," therefore this one is highly prevalent.
Allusion is when you make a reference to a different person, place, text, event, or piece of art in order to contrast one aspect with another. "I'm quite proud of this, that's my Monalisa of science projects," could be an example of an allusion.
Idiom: Some statements, like "hey, my friend, hold your horses, soon we'll get there," are figurative since they depict an action or occurrence.
Pun: A pun is a word play with a comic connotation. "Time travels like an arrow" is a suitable illustration that has frequently been explored. Bananas fly like fruit.
Onomatopoeia: Despite having such a long word, onomatopoeias are frequently used and extensively studied when we are learning to talk and are attempting to mimic the sounds we hear. Great examples are words like "buzz," "whoof," "tick-tock," "ding-dong," and others.
Now that you're aware of these nine figurative language strategies, it's critical to understand that you shouldn't employ them consistently, under any circumstances. Our advice for using figurative language correctly is as follows:
Always be aware of your motivations when using figurative language. Why not just say, "Our love is dead," as opposed to, "I no longer love you"? Is your character's mouth expression true to life? Does it fit your tone and fashion? Don't use it if it isn't.
Choose your figures of speech with care. You can use a simile to describe someone's beauty, such as "her beauty hit me in the eye like a squirt of grapefruit juice," but how would that improve the tale or clarify its point? It's a good idea to incorporate it if one of your characters has significant communication difficulties; otherwise, stay away from it.
Only use metaphors when absolutely required. It can be challenging to understand a work that is jam-packed with similes and metaphors. Don't employ figures of speech just because you can; pick them because they will help you accomplish your aim (improving mood, meaning, or subject).
Make sure that whatever figurative language you employ in conversation is appropriate for that character. Flowery language should not be used by characters who communicate simply.
Watch this entertaining video to learn more about some of these figurative language strategies:
Because you can.
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