Understanding

Figurative Language

Essential Questions
What is figurative language?
How can I interpret figurative
language?

What is figurative language?

Here are some examples. What do you
think figurative language means?
The wind whispered softly through the
trees.
The cafeteria pizza was a soggy, droopy
piece of cardboard.
The teacher glared like a furious dragon.

What is figurative language?

The wind whispered
through the trees
Can wind really
whisper?
What is the author
trying to tell us about
wind?

What is figurative language?

The cafeteria pizza
was a soggy, droopy
piece of cardboard.

Is the pizza really

cardboard?
What is the author trying
to tell us about the pizza?

What is figurative language?

The teacher glared like a
furious dragon.
Was the teacher really
a dragon?
What is the author
trying to tell us about
the teacher?

What is figurative language?

Figurative language
expresses an idea that
goes beyond the actual
meaning of the words
Wind cant whisper
but the expression
gives you an idea of
how the wind sounds

Kinds of figurative language

There are actually many kinds of figurative
language. In this presentation, well focus on three

Similes

Metaphors

Personification

How can I interpret

figurative language?
To interpret figurative
language means to
understand what the
author is trying to say
To interpret figurative
language, its important to
understand how different
kinds of figurative
language work

How can I interpret figurative

language?
Personification is a
kind of figurative
language
Personification means
to give human
thoughts and qualities
to nonhuman objects

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The tree stood tall and
proud by the curving
path
How does this
sentence show
personification?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The tree stood tall and
proud by the curving
path
How is this sentence
showing the tree doing
something that trees
dont really do?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The tree stood tall and
proud by the curving
path
Thats right! Trees
cant really feel
proud. This is an
example of
personification.

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The tree stood tall and
proud by the curving
path
What is the author
trying to tell us about
the tree?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The leaves danced as
they fell from the trees
What are the leaves
doing that leaves cant
really do?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The leaves danced as they
fell from the trees
Thats right! Leaves cant
dance
This is an example of
personification
What is the author trying
to tell us about the leaves?

Lets Review!
What is
figurative
language?
What is
personification?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
A simile is another
kind of figurative
language
A simile is a
comparison between
two unlike objects
using like or as

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The four students sat
down at the cafeteria
table and ate like pigs
What is being
compared in this
simile?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The four students sat
down at the cafeteria
table and ate like pigs
What is being
compared in this
simile?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The four students sat
down at the cafeteria
table and ate like pigs
Thats right! The
author is comparing
the students to pigs

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The four students sat
down at the cafeteria
table and ate like pigs
What is the author
trying to say about the
way that the students
are eating?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The waves licked the
shore like a kitten
lapping milk
What is the author
comparing in this
simile?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The waves licked the
shore like a kitten
lapping milk
Thats right! The
waves are being
compared to a kitten
lapping milk

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The waves licked the
shore like a kitten
lapping milk
What is the author
trying to say about the
wavesthat they are
rough and fierce, or
small and gentle?

Lets Review!
What is it called when
an author gives human
thoughts and feelings
to non-human objects?
Personification
What is a comparison
using like or as?
Simile

How can I interpret figurative

language?
A metaphor is another
kind of figurative
language
A metaphor is a
comparison that does
not use like or as

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The school was a maze
of hallways and
passages
What is being
compared in this
metaphor?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The school was a maze
of hallways and
passages
Thats right! The
school is being
compared to a maze

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The school was a maze
of hallways and
passages
What idea is the
author trying to
express with this
metaphor?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The math test was a
walk in the park
What is being
compared in this
metaphor?

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The math test was a
walk in the park
Thats right! The math
test is being compared
to a walk in the park

How can I interpret figurative

language?
The math test was a
walk in the park
What is the author
trying to tell us about
the math test?

Lets Review
Which kind of figurative
language makes a
comparison using like
or as?
Simile
Which kind of figurative
language gives human
thoughts and qualities to
non-human objects?
Personification

Lets Review
Which kind of
figurative language
makes a comparison
without using like or
as?
Metaphor

Practice
Read the examples on
the next few slides
Which kind of
figurative language do
they show?
How can you interpret
the figurative
language?

Example #1
The airplane landed as
gracefully as a
ballerina
Personification
Simile
Metaphor

Example #1
The airplane landed as
gracefully as a
ballerina

Simile

Example #1
The airplane landed as
gracefully as a
ballerina
Interpret the simile
What is the author
comparing?
What is the author
trying to tell us?

Example #1
The airplane landed as
gracefully as a
ballerina
Interpret the simile
What is the author
comparing?
What is the author
trying to tell us?

Example #2
The water smashed
angrily against the
rocks
Personification
Simile
Metaphor

Example #2
The water smashed
angrily against the
rocks
Personification

Example #2
The water smashed angrily
against the rocks
Interpret the personification!
What is the water doing
that water doesnt really
do?
What is the author trying
to tell us about the water?

Example #3
My brothers room
was a dark, mysterious
cave
Personification
Simile
Metaphor

Example #3
My brothers room
was a dark, mysterious
cave
Metaphor

Example #3
My brothers room was a
dark, mysterious cave
Interpret the metaphor!
What is the author
comparing?
What is the author trying
to show about the
brothers room?

Essential Questions
Can you answer these
questions?
What is figurative
language?
How can I interpret
figurative language?