2.3 Figurative Language

Figurative language: the use of words or phrases that mean more than their dictionary definition

Types of Figurative Language

Metaphor: a comparison that does not use like or as

Example: My stomach was a rope tied into a million knots.

Simile: a comparison that uses the words like or as

Example: The sound echoed through the sky like fireworks on the 4th of July.

Idiom: a phrase or saying that means more than the words used in it

Example: beat around the bush

Imagery: figurative language that helps a reader imagine how something looks, sounds, smells, feels, or tastes

Example: Styx flew up like his seat was on fire.

Identify the type and meaning of figurative language in The Season of Styx Malone. First, describe what is happening in the text where the quotation appears. Then, identify the potential meaning of the quotation based on what is happening in the text. Last, name the type of figurative language using the definitions.