Figurative Language
“The classroom was a zoo.”
Metaphor
What strategy uses the words and sentences surrounding an unfamiliar word to help you figure out its meaning?
What is context clue?
“Although the terrain was arid, with little rainfall and almost no vegetation, the explorers continued their journey.” What does arid mean? Dry.
In “The directions were concise, so we finished quickly,” what does concise mean?
Brief but clear.
In The Lion King, what does the phrase “Hakuna Matata” mean, and why is it an example of an idiomatic expression?
It means “no worries.” It is an expression whose meaning is understood as a whole rather than by interpreting each word literally.
“Firework” — Katy Perry: The firework represents a person's inner potential and uniqueness. What literary device compares one thing to another without using “like” or “as”?
What is a metaphor?
“I’ve told you a million times.”
Hyperbole
What strategy connects a new word to related words, synonyms, or concepts you already know?
What is a semantic association?
Semantic association: If benevolent means kind and generous, which word is most closely related: compassionate, hostile, or careless? Compassionate.
In “Her benevolent actions helped the struggling family,” what does benevolent mean?
Kind, generous, or well-meaning.
Shrek famously compares himself to an onion. What literary device does this comparison use, and what does it suggest?
A metaphor. Like an onion has layers, Shrek suggests that people have different layers to their personalities.
Blank Space by Taylor Swift
In the song "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift, she uses exaggerated descriptions of a romantic relationship. What literary device is used when an artist deliberately exaggerates for effect?
Hyperbole.
What does “break the ice” mean?
To ease tension or help people feel comfortable.
What visual strategy organizes a word, its definition, synonyms, antonyms, and examples into a diagram?
What is semantic mapping?
Semantic mapping: A student puts meticulous in the center of a diagram and adds careful, precise, thorough, and an example. What strategy is this? Semantic mapping.
Use the contrast clue: “Unlike his candid brother, who spoke honestly, Marcus concealed his opinions.” What does candid mean?
Honest and direct.
In the famous Spider-Man pointing meme, multiple identical Spider-Man characters point at one another. What makes this image an example of irony or situational humor?
Each character appears to accuse another of being the same person or having the same identity. The humor comes from the characters blaming one another despite being identical.
“HUMBLE.” — Kendrick Lamar: What literary device occurs when a speaker's words or actions contradict what we expect?
What is Irony?
“The wind whispered through the trees.”
If you break the word unpredictable into un-, predict, and -able to determine its meaning, what strategy are you using?
What is morphological analysis?
Morphological analysis: What does unpredictable mean if un- means “not,” predict means “foretell,” and -able means “capable of”? Not able to be predicted.
In “The scientist’s hypothesis was plausible because the evidence supported it,” what does plausible mean?
Reasonable or believable.
A movie character from "The Wizard of Oz" says, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” What does this expression suggest in common usage?
The person is somewhere unfamiliar or in a very different situation.
“Radioactive” — Imagine Dragons: What literary device uses an object or image, such as radioactivity, to represent a larger idea of transformation?
What is symbolism?
Analyze: “Her words were daggers.” What does this metaphor suggest?
Her words were hurtful or emotionally painful.
What strategy involves using a dictionary or glossary to confirm a word's definition, pronunciation, and usage?
What are reference resources?
After using context clues to guess a word's meaning, what resource can you consult to verify the definition? Dictionary or glossary.
Ex: dictionary, thesaurus
Analyze the word: “The judge’s impartial decision pleased neither side completely.” What does impartial mean, and what clue supports your answer?
Fair and unbiased; the decision did not favor either side.
A meme says, “My brain has left the chat” after a difficult exam. Explain the figurative meaning and its effect.
The person feels mentally exhausted or unable to think; the humorous personification emphasizes frustration.
In the song "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter, The singer compares herself to espresso because she keeps someone energized and awake. What literary device makes this comparison?
What is a metaphor?