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 interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from Walter Kirn in the New Yorker. I cannot remember where I first read about “Clark Rockefeller”. Perhaps it was in Vanity Fair. That seems the right place to […]
The figurative language of Walker Kirn… Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from David Sedaris. I’ve written about David Sedaris, before today. Just hearing the man’s name makes me smile. He’s so funny! But he’s also a deeply sophisticated writer who
The figurative language of David Sedaris…. Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from Aaron Sorkin. My son and I were huge fans of the TV show The West Wing. We’ve watched all 154 episodes, twice. (Truthfully, I think my son
The figurative language of Aaron Sorkin… Read More »
Reading time: about 1.5 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from Rivka Galchen. The May 13/13 New Yorker story, “Every Disease on Earth” (I can’t provide a link because the article is locked and even the online summary is
The figurative language of Rivka Galchen… Read More »
Reading time: About 1.5 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from Emily Nussbaum. Several years ago I enjoyed many guilty laughs over the British film, In the Loop. A crass and funny black comedy about British politics during the
The figurative language of Emily Nussbaum… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from Sebastian Barry, author of The Secret Scripture. Following a recommendation by my readers Margaret and Seamus, I just finished reading the novel The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry.
The figurative language of Sebastian Barry… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from Johanna Schneller in the Globe & Mail. I remember seeing a photo of Robert Redford about 10 years ago and being shocked by how much he’d aged.
The figurative language of Johanna Schneller… Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from novelist Nicole Bokat. If you read my blog regularly, you may recall my recent post about a sentence by Nicole Bokat. That sentence had originally appeared in
The figurative language of Nicole Bokat… Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from Sara Hope Anderson. Sometimes, sustained metaphors can become tiresome. Do you know what I mean? Here’s an example of one that I really don’t like: The teacher
The figurative language of Sara Hope Anderson.. Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from the late Roger Ebert. Even when I was an entertainment editor for about five years, I managed to do the job without owning a TV. (Shhh, don’t tell
The figurative language of Roger Ebert… Read More »
