Literary Analysis Concepts Symbolism figurative language literal language

Literary Analysis Concepts Symbolism, figurative language, literal language, simile, metaphor, extended metaphor, & personification 1/18 -1/21

LITERAL LANGUAGE Literal language is meaning exactly what you say; e. g. Go jump in the lake. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE Figurative language is saying one thing and meaning another; e. g. ‘Go jump in a lake!’ 1. What would the meaning of these sentences be if you took them literally: 2. Read the sentences and decide if they should be taken literally (L) or figuratively (F): a. The test was a real killer! a. He was the apple of my eye. b. Are you chilling? b. He was very nice. c. Please give me a break! c. She had a mouth like a speedboat. d. That boy is two-faced! d. He had a crush on her. e. My friend drives me up the wall! e. She was a very good student. f. He had a bleeding heart for animals.

• Definition: A person, place, or object that represents something beyond itself. • Examples: The flag – represents America/USA A heart -- represents the feeling of love Glasses – smart, intellectual, studiousness

A metaphor compares two unlike things using the words ‘is or was’; e. g. ‘He is a computer’. 1. Read each sentence and write a metaphor for each. For example: She is very fast. a. He is very angry. b. She is a warm person. c. He is very mean. d. She is very pretty. e. He is very gentle. f. She is very slow. She is a speedboat.

A simile compares two unlike things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’; e. g. ‘My friend is like a diamond’. 1. Read each sentence and write a simile for each. For example: She shines like ……. . the sun. a. He laughs like a ………. . b. He waddled like a ……. . c. The crowd poured into Jade Stadium like ……… into a paddock. d. As big as a ……… e. The players lumbered like ……. . through mud to get to the try line. f. He clung like a ……. to his surfboard.

• A metaphor that is used throughout a piece of literature. (it continues beyond more than just one or two sentences or lines of a poem. ) • Example: In Mother to Son by Langston Hughes the metaphor of “life is a staircase” is extended for the entire poem.

• Definition: Giving human characteristics, or qualities, to an inanimate object (something that is not human) • Examples: - The sun smiled on us today. - I frantically cleaned my room as my cell phone yelled on.