Figurative language

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.

The figurative language of Elif Batuman…

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 metaphors  from American writer Elif Batuman… Elif Batuman (pictured above) was born in New York City to Turkish parents. She graduated from Harvard College, and received her doctorate in comparative literature from Stanford University. She […]

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The figurative language of Colson Whitehead…

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 Colson Whitehead… I had heard many laudatory reviews of the novel The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. A National Book Award Winner and a #1 New York Times bestseller, the book also drew

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