Understanding Figurative Language

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Understanding Figurative Language
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Essential Questions

• What is figurative language?
• How can I interpret figurative language?

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What is figurative language?

• Here are some examples. What do you think
  figurative language means?
• The wind whispered softly through the trees.
• The cafeteria pizza was a soggy, droopy piece of
  cardboard.
• The teacher glared like a furious dragon.

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What is figurative language?

• The wind whispered through the trees
• Can wind really whisper?
• What is the author trying to tell us about wind?

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What is figurative language?

• The cafeteria pizza was a soggy, droopy piece of
  cardboard.
• Is the pizza really cardboard?
• What is the author trying to tell us about the
  pizza?

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What is figurative language?

• The teacher glared like a furious dragon.
• Was the teacher really a dragon?
• What is the author trying to tell us about the
  teacher?

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What is figurative language?

• Figurative language expresses an idea that goes
  beyond the actual meaning of the words
• Wind cant whisperbut the expression gives you
  an idea of how the wind sounds

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Kinds of figurative language
There are actually many kinds of figurative
language. In this presentation, well focus on
three
Personification
Similes
Metaphors
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How can I interpret figurative language?

• To interpret figurative language means to
  understand what the author is trying to say
• To interpret figurative language, its important
  to understand how different kinds of figurative
  language work

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• Personification is a kind of figurative
  language
• Personification means to give human thoughts and
  qualities to nonhuman objects

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The tree stood tall and proud by the curving
  path
• How does this sentence show personification?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The tree stood tall and proud by the curving
  path
• How is this sentence showing the tree doing
  something that trees dont really do?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The tree stood tall and proud by the curving
  path
• Thats right! Trees cant really feel proud.
  This is an example of personification.

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The tree stood tall and proud by the curving
  path
• What is the author trying to tell us about the
  tree?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The leaves danced as they fell from the trees
• What are the leaves doing that leaves cant
  really do?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The leaves danced as they fell from the trees
• Thats right! Leaves cant dance
• This is an example of personification
• What is the author trying to tell us about the
  leaves?

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Lets Review!

• What is figurative language?
• What is personification?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• A simile is another kind of figurative language
• A simile is a comparison between two unlike
  objects using like or as

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The four students sat down at the cafeteria
  table and ate like pigs
• What is being compared in this simile?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The four students sat down at the cafeteria
  table and ate like pigs
• What is being compared in this simile?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The four students sat down at the cafeteria
  table and ate like pigs
• Thats right! The author is comparing the
  students to pigs

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The four students sat down at the cafeteria
  table and ate like pigs
• What is the author trying to say about the way
  that the students are eating?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The waves licked the shore like a kitten
  lapping milk
• What is the author comparing in this simile?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The waves licked the shore like a kitten
  lapping milk
• Thats right! The waves are being compared to a
  kitten lapping milk

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The waves licked the shore like a kitten
  lapping milk
• What is the author trying to say about the
  wavesthat they are rough and fierce, or small
  and gentle?

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Lets Review!

• What is it called when an author gives human
  thoughts and feelings to non-human objects?
• Personification
• What is a comparison using like or as?
• Simile

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• A metaphor is another kind of figurative language
• A metaphor is a comparison that does not use
  like or as

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The school was a maze of hallways and passages
• What is being compared in this metaphor?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The school was a maze of hallways and passages
• Thats right! The school is being compared to a
  maze

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The school was a maze of hallways and passages
• What idea is the author trying to express with
  this metaphor?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The math test was a walk in the park
• What is being compared in this metaphor?

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The math test was a walk in the park
• Thats right! The math test is being compared to
  a walk in the park

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How can I interpret figurative language?

• The math test was a walk in the park
• What is the author trying to tell us about the
  math test?

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Lets Review

• Which kind of figurative language makes a
  comparison using like or as?
• Simile
• Which kind of figurative language gives human
  thoughts and qualities to non-human objects?
• Personification

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Lets Review

• Which kind of figurative language makes a
  comparison without using like or as?
• Metaphor

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Practice

• Read the examples on the next few slides
• Which kind of figurative language do they show?
• How can you interpret the figurative language?

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Example 1

• The airplane landed as gracefully as a
  ballerina
• Personification
• Simile
• Metaphor

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Example 1

• The airplane landed as gracefully as a
  ballerina
• Simile

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Example 1

• The airplane landed as gracefully as a
  ballerina
• Interpret the simile
• What is the author comparing?
• What is the author trying to tell us?

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Example 1

• The airplane landed as gracefully as a
  ballerina
• Interpret the simile
• What is the author comparing?
• What is the author trying to tell us?

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Example 2

• The water smashed angrily against the rocks
• Personification
• Simile
• Metaphor

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Example 2

• The water smashed angrily against the rocks
• Personification

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Example 2

• The water smashed angrily against the rocks
• Interpret the personification!
• What is the water doing that water doesnt really
  do?
• What is the author trying to tell us about the
  water?

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Example 3

• My brothers room was a dark, mysterious cave
• Personification
• Simile
• Metaphor

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Example 3

• My brothers room was a dark, mysterious cave
• Metaphor

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Example 3

• My brothers room was a dark, mysterious cave
• Interpret the metaphor!
• What is the author comparing?
• What is the author trying to show about the
  brothers room?

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Essential Questions

• Can you answer these questions?
• What is figurative language?
• How can I interpret figurative language?