I know I risk sounding like an English teacher when I use the words “figurative language.” The phrase may sound frightening but figurative language will make your writing more interesting evocative and memorable. And who doesn’t want that –even in non-fiction? Here are some examples of figurative language:
• allusion
• hyperbole
• metaphor
• oxymoron
• personification
• paradox
• simile
I read widely and follow many forms of media, keeping my eyes and ears attuned to figurative language so I can share a piece of it with you each week.
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share similes and metaphors I encounter in my reading. I write today about the figurative language of Julian Barnes…. I read Julian Barnes’ latest novel, The Only Story, earlier this summer. While I enjoyed the beginning I can’t say the book was up …
Reading time: About 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of arresting images from American writer Amor Towles…. I love receiving books — they are my favourite gift in the world. Particularly if the giver …
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of similes from young adult author Vicki Grant…. I don’t typically read a lot of young adult fiction. I make a happy exception for …
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a simile from Brenda McKeon…. I can no longer recall how I discovered Brenda McKeon’s remarkable novel, Tender. I think, perhaps, I was browsing in a bookstore …
Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of similes and metaphors from Megan Abbott. I seldom read mysteries or thrillers because I’m more interested in figurative language than plot. But when …
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about several metaphors from American writer Christina Lynch…. I was filled with hope when I went to read Christina Lynch’s first novel, The Italian Party. The book …
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about similes and metaphors from American novelist Danzy Senna… I can’t remember who recommended the 2017 Danzy Senna novel, New People, to me. A ‘best book of …
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors and similes from Jonathan Franzen…. I’ve never been a huge fan of Jonathan Franzen. I found his 2001 novel — a satirical …
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about the figurative language (and other writing skills) of novelist Julian Barnes… As a longtime fan of the superb British writer Julian Barnes, I was thrilled to …
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of similes and metaphors from Edward St. Aubyn… I had never heard of Edward St. Aubyn until earlier this year. News penetrated my dim …