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: 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 metaphors from JoAnna Klein…. JoAnna Klein is a freelance science journalist based in Brooklyn. She grew up in North Carolina and earned a […]
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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 Mark Haddon…. When I read the remarkable 2003 book The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time —
The figurative language of Mark Haddon Read More »
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 and metaphors from Kristen Arnett… When I heard that the main character in a first novel by Kristen Arnett (pictured above) was
The figurative language of Kristen Arnett Read More »
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 from Elizabeth McCracken… Contemporary American writer Elizabeth McCracken has one of the best — most skillful — ears around for figurative language.
Elizabeth McCracken: more figurative language…. Read More »
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 Emma Donoghue…. As a long-term fan of Emma Donoghue, I was disappointed that her latest novel, Akin, didn’t meet my expectations.
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Reading time: Less than one minute I’m too exhausted from the launch of my new book to be able to write a figurative language post as I do most Thursdays. Instead, I ask you to consider whether you might be a world-class procrastinator. Would you prefer scrubbing your toilet to
Are you a world-class procrastinator? Read More »
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 metaphors from Wesley Morris…. I am willing to go against Aretha Franklin’s wishes… In a Nov. 15/18 New York Times piece headlined: Aretha
The figurative language of Wesley Morris…. Read More »
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 Robert Harris… I’ve read a number of Robert Harris books and I see him as a journeyman thriller writer rather than
More figurative language from Robert Harris… Read More »
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 and metaphors from Kim Thuy…. In her book that is a cross between a novel, a memoir and poetry, writer Kim Thuy
The figurative language of Kim Thuy…. Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about some fine work by music writer and cultural critic Alex Ross…. I was a 16-year-old when I went to my first opera, dragged by a friend.
The figurative language of Alex Ross… Read More »
