Figurative Language

Lyrics

Chorus
Sometimes what you mean is not exactly what you say
That’s figurative language, using words in different ways
Personification, alliteration, assonance, hyperbole
Onomatopoeia, metaphor, and simile

Verse I
When Sally seems to sit somewhere separate from Sonia,
Or Caleb calls Chris ‘cause he’s coming to California
It’s called alliteration: that’s what occurs
When you got the same sound at the start of every word
But when you’ve got a vowel sound that keeps sounding the same
That’s a figure called assonance, yeah, that’s its name
It’s what I’m trying to define by providing this example
But I cannot deny that assonance can be a handful

Chorus

Verse II
A simile is something that you use to compare
Two unrelated things with an element that’s shared
My mind is like an ocean; it’s as smooth as jazz
But it’s only a simile if it uses “like” or “as”
A metaphor is similar, but watch out!
Be careful ’cause you’ve got to leave “like” and “as” out
My mind is an ocean; my words are a river,
So keep your ears open as I continue to deliver

Chorus

Verse III
Now if the sun’s smiling down, or the boat hugged the shore
That’s personification, nothing less, nothing more
But with a buzz or a ding or a hiss or a roar
That’s onomatopoeia that we’re using for sure
Hyperbole: man, that’s like a million times harder!
Take something true, then exaggerate it way farther
Now you’ve heard this song from beginning to the finish
Now you’ve got some tools to draw your literary image

↥ return to top

Description

“Figurative Language” helps students learn about using specific elements of literature. The song covers personification, alliteration, assonance, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, metaphors, and similes, and gives figurative language examples by teaching through music, rhyme, and memorization. The teaching materials at the bottom of the page, including literature lesson plans and worksheets, help teachers and homeschool parents generate teaching ideas for the song topics.

This Language Arts song is suitable for teaching poems to advanced elementary school students (3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade), middle school, high school, and home school.

↥ return to top

Related Reading and Activities

Reading

Kidskonnect.com
Figurative Language
This site has a chart of figurative language definitions and links to other resources.

Frostfriends.org
Figurative Language
Using examples from Robert Frost’s poetry, this website provides detailed information about various forms of figurative language.

Lesson Plans & Activities

ABCTeach.com
Baseball Similes
This worksheet explains the set-up of a simile and then asks students to create their own about baseball.

Hyperboles (PDF)
This worksheet teaches students about using hyperboles to make writing more amusing.

Personification
This worksheet gives students practice in using personification.

Similes
This worksheet allows students to practice using similes.

What’s a Euphemism? (PDF)
This worksheet teaches students how to exchange simple phrases for clever euphemisms.

Eduref.org
Analysis of Literary Devices Used By Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X
By analyzing the speeches of MLK, Jr. and Malcolm X, students get immersed in figurative language and creative thinking.
Grades 7-12

Figurative Language
This lesson plan goes extremely in-depth about the use and interpretation of figurative language, and requires the use of internet resources provided within this page. This lesson plan also comes with worksheets.
Grades 9-11

Educationworld.com
Fear Factor Fun
Students are asked to write descriptions to “Fear Factor” stunts they create in the hopes of grossing out other students. It teaches them to use figurative language in an effective way.
Grades 3-5 and 6-8

Poetry Shopping Spree
Students “shop” for poems that provide examples of literary elements/devices such as metaphors, similes, personification, imagery, or onomatopoeia.
Grades 6-8 and 9-12

Snowy Similes
This activity asks students to create picture booklets using as many similes as possible.
Grades 3-5. 6-8

Harris Middle School
Alliteration Lesson Plan and Resources
This website provides several ideas for classroom activities about alliteration, as well as links to other resources. Lots of good examples to use. Two levels.
Grades 4-6, and 7-12

Descriptive Words
This activity encourages students to describe phrases in creative ways that they would not normally think of. Fun page! Versatile and useful.
Grades 4-12

Imagery
Students are asked to identify imagery within a poem, and then to write their own poems using creative imagery.
Grades 7-12

Personification Lesson Plans and Resources
This website recommends numerous activities for teaching personification. Different activities for upper elementary and older students.
Grades 4-6, 7-12

A Simile and Metaphor Sample Lesson Plan
This lesson plan teaches students to identify and create similes and metaphors. Adaptable for many grades and classes. Poetry is used
Grades 5-12

Website: Mr. Donn’s Language Arts
Figurative Language Lesson Plans & Activities
This site features lesson plans, activities, quizzes and links to other resources about figurative language. Uses power point and other devices. Be sure to scroll down the whole page.
Grades 3-12

↥ return to top

State Standards

State standards listed here are representative of school standards across the United States.

California

4th Grade
Literary Response and Analysis 3.5 - Define figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification) and identify its use in literary works.

5th Grade
Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development 1.5 - Understand and explain the figurative and metaphorical use of words in context.

Literary Response and Analysis 3.7 - Evaluate the author’s use of various techniques (e.g., appeal of characters in a picture book, logic and credibility of plots and settings, use of figurative language) to influence reader's perspectives.

6th Grade
Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development 1.2 - Identify and interpret figurative language and words with multiple meanings.

Literary Response and Analysis 3.4 - Define how tone or meaning is conveyed in poetry through word choice, figurative language, sentence structure, line length, punctuation, rhythm, repetition, and rhyme.

8th Grade
Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development 1.1 - Analyze idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes to infer the literal and figurative meanings of phrases.

9th-10th Grades
Literary Response and Analysis 3.11 - Evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme, using the terminology of literary criticism.

Literary Response and Analysis 3.7 - Recognize and understand the significance of various literary devices, including figurative language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism and explain their appeal.

11th-12th Grades
Listening and Speaking Strategies 1.4 - Use rhetorical questions, parallel structure, concrete images, figurative language, characterization, irony, and dialogue to achieve clarity force, and aesthetic effect.

Florida

2nd-4th Grades
LA.2.2.1.7 - Identify and explain an authors use of descriptive and figurative language (e.g., personification, similes, metaphors, symbolism), and examine how it is used to describe people, feelings, and objects.
LA.3.2.1.3 - Identify and explain how language choice helps to develop mood and meaning in poetry (e.g., sensory and concrete words as well as figurative language).
LA.3.2.1.7 - Identify and explain an authors use of descriptive, idiomatic, and figurative language (e.g., personification, similes, metaphors, symbolism), and examine how it is used to describe people, feelings, and objects.
LA.3.4.1.2 - Write a variety of expressive forms (e.g., chapter books, short stories, poetry, skits, song lyrics) that may employ, but not be limited to, figurative language (e.g., simile, onomatopoeia), rhythm, dialogue, characterization, plot, and appropriate format.
LA.4.2.1.3 - Identify and explain how language choice helps to develop mood and meaning in poetry (e.g., sensory and concrete words as well as figurative language).
LA.4.2.1.7 - The student will identify and explain an authors use of descriptive, idiomatic, and figurative language (e.g., personification, similes, metaphors, symbolism), and examine how it is used to describe people, feelings, and objects.
LA.4.4.1.2 - The student will write a variety of expressive forms (e.g., short story, poetry, skit, song lyrics) that employ figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification), rhythm, dialogue, characterization, plot, and/or appropriate format.

5th-6th Grades
LA.5.2.1.3 - Demonstrate how rhythm and repetition as well as descriptive and figurative language help to communicate meaning in a poem.
LA.5.2.1.7 - Identify and explain an authors use of descriptive, idiomatic, and figurative language (e.g., personification, similes, metaphors, symbolism), and examine how it is used to describe people, feelings, and objects.
LA.5.4.1.2 - Write a variety of expressive forms (e.g., fiction, short story, autobiography, science fiction, haiku) that employ figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, hyperbole), rhythm, dialogue, characterization, plot, and/or appropriate format.
LA.6.2.1.3 - Locate and analyze the effects of sound, meter, figurative and descriptive language, graphics (illustrations), and structure (e.g., line length, fonts, word placement) to communicate mood and meaning.
LA.6.2.1.7 - Locate and analyze an author's use of allusions and descriptive, idiomatic, and figurative language in a variety of literary text, identifying how word choice sets the author's tone and advances the work's theme.
LA.6.4.1.1 - Write narrative accounts with an engaging plot (including rising action, conflict, climax, falling action, and resolution) include a clearly described setting with figurative language and descriptive words or phrases to enhance style and tone.
LA.6.4.1.2 - Write a variety of expressive forms (e.g., short play, song lyrics, historical fiction, limericks) that employ figurative language, rhythm, dialogue, characterization, and/or appropriate format.

7th-8th Grades
LA.7.2.1.3, LA.8.2.1.3 - Locate various literary devices (e.g., sound, meter, figurative and descriptive language), graphics, and structure and analyze how they contribute to mood and meaning in poetry.
LA.7.2.1.7, LA.8.2.1.7 - Locate and analyze an author's use of allusions and descriptive, idiomatic, and figurative language in a variety of literary text, identifying how word choice is used to appeal to the reader's senses and emotions, providing evidence from text to support the analysis.
LA.7.4.1.1 - Write narrative accounts with an engaging plot (including rising action, conflict, suspense, climax, falling action, and resolution), and that use a range of appropriate strategies and specific narrative action (e.g., dialogue, movement, gestures, expressions) and include effectively developed and complex characters, a clearly described setting, figurative language, and descriptive words or phrases to enhance style and tone.
LA.7.4.1.2, LA.8.4.1.2 - Write a variety of expressive forms (e.g., realistic fiction, one-act play, suspense story, poetry) that according to the type of writing employed, incorporate figurative language, rhythm, dialogue, characterization, plot, and appropriate format.

9th-10th Grades
LA.910.2.1.5 - Analyze and develop an interpretation of a literary work by describing an authors use of literary elements (e.g., theme, point of view, characterization, setting, plot), and explain and analyze different elements of figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, symbolism, allusion, imagery).
LA.910.2.1.6 - Create complex, multi-genre response to reading of two or more literary works, describing and analyzing author's use of literary elements (e.g., theme, point of view, characterization, setting, plot), figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, symbolism, allusion, imagery), and analyzing author's development of time and sequence through use of complex literary devices such as foreshadowing and flashback.
LA.910.2.1.7 - Analyze, interpret, and evaluate an author's use of descriptive language (e.g., tone, irony, mood, imagery, pun, alliteration, onomatopoeia, allusion), figurative language (e.g., symbolism, metaphor, personification, hyperbole), common idioms, and mythological and literary allusions, and explain how they impact meaning in a variety of texts.
LA.910.3.2.3 - Draft writing by analyzing language techniques of professional authors (e.g., figurative language, denotation, connotation) to establish a personal style, demonstrating a command of language with confidence of expression.
LA.910.4.1.2 - Incorporate figurative language, emotions, gestures, rhythm, dialogue, characterization, plot, and appropriate format.
LA.910.5.2.4 - Use an engaging introduction and conclusion and the use of figurative language to reinforce the intended message.

11th-12th Grades
LA.1112.2.1.6 - Create a complex, multi-genre response to the reading of two or more literary works using multiple critical perspectives (e.g., historical, archetypal, social), describing and analyzing an authors use of literary elements (e.g., theme, point of view, characterization, setting, plot), figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, symbolism, allusion, and imagery), and analyzing an authors development of time and sequence (e.g., through the use of complex literary devices such as foreshadowing and flashback).
LA.1112.2.1.7 - Analyze, interpret, and evaluate an author's use of descriptive language (e.g., tone, irony, mood, imagery, pun, alliteration, onomatopoeia, allusion), figurative language (e.g., symbolism, metaphor, personification, hyperbole), common idioms, and mythological and literary allusions, and explain how they impact meaning in a variety of texts with an emphasis on how they evoke reader's emotions.
LA.1112.4.1.2 - Incorporate figurative language, emotions, gestures, rhythm, dialogue, characterization, plot, and appropriate format.

Illinois

7th-8th Grades
2.A.3.a - Identify and analyze a variety of literary techniques (e.g., figurative language, allusion, dialogue, description, word choice, dialect) within classical and contemporary works representing a variety of genres.
9th-10th Grades
2.A.4.a - Analyze and evaluate the effective use of literary techniques (e.g., figurative language, allusion, dialogue, description, symbolism, word choice, dialect) in classic and contemporary literature representing a variety of forms and media.

Massachusetts

5th Grade
Standard 14: Poetry - Identify and respond to the effects of sound, figurative language, and graphics in order to uncover meaning in poetry.
Standard 15: Style and Language - Identify and analyze imagery and figurative language.

New York

3rd-4th Grades
Literacy Competencies - Use literary elements in creative writing (e.g., figurative language)
Composition Begin to use literary devices such as simile and figurative language.

9th-10th Grades
Standard 2 Reading - Recognize range of literary elements and techniques, such as figurative language, allegory, irony, symbolism, and stream of consciousness, and use elements to interpret the work.
Standard 2 Writing - Use literary devices, such as figurative language, allegory, irony, symbolism, and stream of consciousness.

11th-12th Grades
Standard 3 Reading - Analyze and evaluate fiction, including the effect of diction and figurative language.
Standard 3 Reading - Analyze and evaluate poetry in order to recognize the use and effect of - sensory imagery, - figurative language, -4 verse form.

Texas

4th Grade
b9b - Draw on experiences to bring meanings to words in context such as interpreting figurative language and multiple-meaning words (4-5)
b15g - Use literary devices effectively such as suspense, dialogue, and figurative language (5-8)

5th Grade
b8 - Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language - Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to evaluate the impact of sensory details, imagery, and figurative language in literary text.
b16bii - Figurative language (e.g., similes, metaphors)

6th Grade
b4 - Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry.
Understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Explain how figurative language (e.g., personification, metaphors, similes, hyperbole) contributes to the meaning of a poem.
b15g - Use literary devices effectively such as suspense, dialogue, and figurative language (5-8)

7th Grade
b8 - Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Determine the figurative meaning of phrases and analyze how an author's use of language creates imagery, appeals to the senses, and suggests mood.
b9b - Draw on experiences to bring meanings to words in context such as interpreting figurative language idioms, multiple-meaning words, and analogies (6-8)
b15bii - Figurative language (e.g., personification, idioms, hyperbole)

↥ return to top