Songs
"Life is a highway, and I wanna ride it all night long!"
Metaphor or Similie?
Metaphor
"And then he ran out.
And, then, fast as a fox,
The Cat in the Hat
Came back in with a box."
-Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
Is "fast as a fox" a simile or metaphor?
The expression as "fast as a fox" is an example of a simile. It compares to the Cat in the Hat to being as fast as a fox.
"There are two kinds of people in this world...those who stand up and face the music, and those who run for cover."
What can we infer about the meaning of these idioms?
The idiom stand up and face the music could mean facing your fears and demonstrating courage. The speaker is comparing two types of people- those who are brave to those who run for cover- meaning those who are afraid and avoid their fears.
"A great city alive with cars like multicolored ants"- Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
Metaphor or simile?
This is an example of a simile.
True or false:
Figurative language is found in many fictional stories like fables and fairytales, songs, poetry, plays, and even in everyday conversation.
True.
"Why does love always feel like a battlefield?"
Metaphor or Simile?
Simile
My love is like a red, red rose -Robert Burns
Is this an example of a metaphor or a simile?
This is an example of a simile, comparing love to a red rose.
"Every one of us will kick the bucket someday."
This idiom may be tricky to guess its meaning. Try to see if you can figure out the meaning of this idiom!
Kick the bucket is an idiomatic expression that refers to when someone reaches the end of their life or passes away.
"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!” -Romeo and Juliet
Is this an example of a metaphor or a simile?
Juliet is the sun is an example of a metaphor. Romeo is comparing his love Juliet's beauty to the sun itself.
True or false:
Figurative language is used by authors to confuse and frustrate the audience as to its meaning.
False! Figurative language is used by authors to express ideas/ emotions in meaningful ways, clarify and illustrate ideas richly, and to connect and engage with the audience.
"You aint nothin' but a hound dog
Quit snoopin' round my house!"
Metaphor or Simile?
Metaphor
"I found a dimpled spider, fat and white,
On a white heal-all, holding up a moth
Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth"
- Robert Frost
Is this an example of a metaphor or a simile? What two things are the author comparing?
This is an example of a simile. The author (Robert Frost) is comparing a fat and white spider to being like a "white piece of rigid satin cloth. "
"Let's watch old movies all night. We'll just veg out in front of the TV".
What does this idiom mean?
Veg out is an idiomatic expression that means to relax or chill out.
"Prim’s face is as fresh as a raindrop,
as lovely as the primrose for which she was named."- The Hunger Games
Are these both examples of metaphors or similes? What do you think it could mean?
"Prim’s face is as fresh as a raindrop" and "as lovely as the primrose" are both similes.
The author is comparing Prim's face to the freshness of a raindrop or a primrose flower. Things that are fresh are full of new life and are youthful. The author is trying to describe how young Primrose is in appearance.
True or false:
Idioms, metaphors, allusions, alliteration, antonyms and synonyms are all types of figurative language.
False. Antonyms and synonyms are not figurative language.
"Now I'm floating like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee, I earned my stripes"
Metaphor or Simile?
Both are similes.
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players
They have their exits and their entrances;"
-William Shakespeare
"All the world's a stage" is an example of a metaphor or simile? What do you think it could mean?
"All the world's a stage," is a metaphor. Shakespeare is comparing the world to being a stage. We all are playing a part in this world- we all act in different ways that shape our character! Sometimes we act in unexpected and expected behaviors and this affects how our "audience" views us and thinks of us in different settings.
"Hi there. From my neck of the woods, eh? Sorry if I took a snap at you one time. Fish gotta swim. Birds gotta eat. "
What does the idiom neck of the woods mean?
Neck of the woods is an idiomatic expression that means neighborhood or hometown.
"The waves rolled in like blue metal tubes carrying an egg white of foam on their peaks"- Elena Ferrante
Is this an example of a metaphor or simile?
This is an example of a simile. The author is comparing waves to appearing like blue metal tubes that have egg white foam on the top of the waves.
True or false:
An idiom is a phrase or expression that's meaning cannot be taken literally but can be figured out by surrounding context clues in the text or by the emotional expression of a speaker.
True.
Metaphor or Simile?
"Losing him was blue, like I'd never known.
Missing him was dark gray, all alone.
Loving him was red. "
These are all metaphors.
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all. "
Is this a metaphor or a simile? Can you guess what Emily Dickinson (the author) may mean?
The line, "Hope is the thing with feathers", is an example of a metaphor. The author compares hope to a songbird. Like a bird is alive and is always flying, hope is something that keeps us all alive and moving every day! Hope keeps one able to soar above life's difficulties and problems.
"All the things you've done, have put you right here with me. To life...life is the dream. The only dream. Cost a lot to be here. Cost you an arm and a leg."
What does the idiom cost you an arm and a leg mean?
Cost an arm and a leg is an idiomatic expression that refers to something that is very expensive and had a high price attached to it. In this particular example, the idiom may mean that the accomplishment of "the dream" the speaker is referring to cost someone something in their life. He/she may have had to give up a lot (ex: time, money, relationships) to achieve this dream.
"The pain just increases like a violinist going up the E string. You think it can’t get any higher and it does–the pain’s like that, it rises and rises…" The Spy Who Came in From The Cold
Is this line a metaphor or a simile? Why do you think the author decided to include this line?
This line is an example of a simile. The author is comparing his/her pain level to being as high as the highest string of a violin ("E"). A high string is tight and the sound of a screechy high-pitched sound can be uncomfortable and not pleasant like feeling pain.
True or false:
"She is the light of my life" is an example of a simile.
False. This is an example of a metaphor. "She" is said to be a "light" in this metaphor. Remember- similes show how two different things are similar by using the key words "like" or "as".