Figurative Language and Literary DevicesEnglish 3 CP

connotation

The associations and overtones of a word

Determined, firm, rigid, stubborn, and pigheaded all have the same definition, but each has a “feeling” that goes along with it.

That is connotation.

denotation

A word’s literal meaning

Gay= Happy, in a lighthearted mood

diction

Word choice

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

(The poet chose words that have similar sounds and create a certain mood)

imagery

Words that appeal to the senses

…and then he would dash, so hurriedly that his necktie flew back over his shoulder, down through our yard, past the grapevines hung with buzzing Japanese-beetle traps, to the yellow brick building, with its tall smokestack and wide playing

fields, where he taught.

mood

The overall “feeling” of a piece Influenced by diction

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtainThrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before

(Remember this quote from the “diction” slide? These words create the spooky mood!)

tone

The author’s (speaker’s) attitude toward the subject Created through diction and connotation

Remember my dog?

My dog is cuddly like a snuggly teddy bear and as white as a fluffy cotton ball.

The tone is loving and affectionate. The tone is created through the underlined words, which have a positive connotation.

theme

The central idea or insight revealed by a work of literature

The theme is what YOU learn from a story. It is not what a character does or learns. It relates to the whole world, not just the character in the story.

Figures of Speech

hyperbole

Exaggeration

Mrs. Jurica gave me a ton of homework!I have a million things to do!This is the worst day of my life!

metaphorA direct comparison between two unlike

things

My sister is a pig!The eyes are windows to the soul!

oxymoronCombines opposite or contradictory terms

in a brief phraseDeafening silenceLiving deathJumbo shrimpSweet sorrowStudent teacherOriginal copy

personificationGiving human feelings or actions to a

nonhuman thing

The sun kissed the flowersMy cell phone diedThe alarm clock shouted at me!

simileA comparison between two unlike things

which uses a comparison word (like, as, such as, than, etc.)

My sister eats like a pig!

symbolSomething that has meaning in itself and

also stands for something more

The American Flag and the Bald Eagle are both symbols of the United States.

onomatopoeiaThe use of a word whose sound imitates its

meaning

Buzz, splash, bark