Figurative Language Used in Poetry

Poets use figurative language to make their writing show the reader things in a different or interesting way. It heightens the senses and helps to get the poets thoughts across.

Here are seven types of figurative language used in poetry. 

• Simile: In a simile, the words “as” or “like” are used to compare two things.  
• Metaphor: Upon first hearing a metaphor, it sounds false or ridiculous. When you think about it, it makes sense because the two things being compared have a trait or two in common. It is used to make a point or give an opinion.
• Alliteration: This is a technique that repeats the first sound in several words. The words may be separated by a word or several words.  Tongue twisters use this technique.
• Personification: With personification, you give human characteristics to animals, ideas, or objects. This can add pleasure to the reading of a poem and make the reader take a different perspective on things. This literary device is used a lot in poetry.
• Onomatopoeia: This consists of using words that mimic sounds. The words can also sound like their meaning. This can add a fun element to poetry and can really help the reader experience what the poet experienced.
• Hyperbole: This is basically an extreme exaggeration. It makes a point and can sometimes be very funny.
• Imagery: This device appeals to the reader’s senses. It can describe objects, desires, or thoughts.  

Here are examples of the seven literary terms above.  

• Simile: As blind as a bat, as nutty as a fruitcake, as dry as a bone, they fought like cats and dogs, as easy as shooting fish in a barrel 
• Metaphor: You are my sunshine, she has a heart of stone, he kicked the bucket, time is money, life is a roller coaster
• Alliteration: “That's what made these three free fleas sneeze” (Dr. Seuss), Show Shawn Sharon's shabby shoes, Boil the butter and bring it by the bank, Kim comes to cut colorful kites
• Personification: The flowers begged for water, the sun played hide and seek with the clouds, lightning danced across the sky, the rain kissed my cheeks as it fell   
• Onomatopoeia: Bong, crunch, gobble, hum, meow, oink, ping, quack, smash, slurp, tick, tock, whoosh, zap
• Hyperbole: He is older than the hills, my backpack weighs a ton, it is raining cats and dogs, I have a million things to do today, her smile was a mile wide
• Imagery: The eerie silence was shattered by her scream, the word spread like leaves in a storm, the ants began their daily marching drill