Figurative Language
What is being used in the following sentence?
"The stars blinked like diamonds in the night sky."
Simile
To convey a strong emotion such as anger or fear; to emphasize a quote or point being made
What is being used in the following example?
And the winner of the competition is...
What is being used in the following sentence?
To him, Jenna was a breath of fresh air on the first day of spring.
Metaphor
Why might an author use an ellipsis in their writing?
To create suspense; to show a character's train of thought
What is being used in the following example?
You have got to be kidding me right now. This cannot be happening.
What effect does it have?
Italics -- creates emphasis on certain words; helps readers hear the narrator/character's voice; establishes tone - frustration/shock
The rain pelted against the side of the house as the wind howled relentlessly through the night.
Personification (or sensory imagery)
Why might an author use sensory imagery in their writing?
To make their writing more descriptive and appeal to the reader's senses.
To help readers imagine the scene more clearly; to help them see/smell/hear what is going on
What strategy is being used in the following example?
Think about structure.
"Evidently, I wasn't missed. Nobody sent a frantic message to room H-5. Nobody peeked their head in the door to see if I was absent or sick. Nobody seemed to notice at all."
Repetition - Nobody x3
What is being used in the following sentence?
He was dying of boredom.
Hyperbole
Why might an author use a simile or metaphor in their writing?
To create a comparison between two things; to help their reader imagine an object, character, or experience through comparison; to add description
What is being used in the following example?
Think about structure! (And patterns of power!)
Ex: I was so nervous. Stomach churning. Sweaty palms. Shaky hands.
Intentional sentence fragments -- for emphasis or to create a certain mood
This type of figurative language pairs two contradictory terms side by side:
"The silence was deafening."
Oxymoron
Why might an author break the fourth wall in their writing?
Ex: "If you're looking for a happy ending, you definitely shouldn't read this book. I'm warning you."
To create interaction between the book and the reader; to be humorous; to foreshadow/create suspense
What's being used in the following example?
What effect does it have?
It's been snowing—just flurries—almost every day.
Dash; interrupts main thought; adds information; adds a pause