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.
Word count: 270 words Reading time: Just over 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. In today’s post you’ll see an interesting piece of figurative language by Adam Green I’ve encountered recently. I have a weakness for sleight-of-hand. As nothing more than a clumsy writer …
Word count: 206 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. In today’s post you’ll see an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently from writer John Seabrook. I lost touch with popular music in about, oh, 1982. Yes, I …
Word count: 337 words Reading time: Just over 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. In today’s post you’ll see an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. It’s from New Yorker writer Lauren Collins. When my family and I went to Paris a …
Word count: 229 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. In today’s post you’ll see an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. It’s by Elizabeth Renzetti. My daily newspaper is the Globe and Mail. In last Saturday’s edition, …
Word count: 196 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. In today’s post you’ll see an interesting piece of figurative language from Joni Mitchell I’ve encountered recently. I still haven’t read any of Zadie Smith’s popular books, such as White …
Word count: 269 words Reading time: About 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. In today’s post you’ll see an interesting use of figurative language by Ken Auletta I encountered recently. What could be more noble than the task of eliminating cliches? While I’m not …
Word count: 284 words Reading time: Just over 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. In today’s post you’ll see an interesting piece of figurative language by Nathan Heller I encountered recently. A columnist for Slate Magazine and a film and TV critic for Vogue, Nathan Heller grew up …
Word count: 225 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. In today’s post you’ll see an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently, this time focusing on personification. You know, I never fully realized how much I appreciated personification …
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Word count: 275 words Reading time: Just over 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. In today’s post you’ll see an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently, this time in a book by Junot Diaz. I’d heard a lot of buzz about Junot …
Word count: 182 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. In today’s post you’ll see an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. David Gilbert is a short story writer who lives in New York City. He’s author …
Her laugh a lighthouse, proudly proclaiming its rocky reach Read More »