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: 237 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. Here, catch an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently in the novel The Grief of Others. It took writing this blog to teach me something important about myself. …
Finding personification in the grief of others Read More »
Word count: 580 words Reading time: About 2 minutes I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. Here, catch an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. Today’s choice comes from the Obama 2012 speech that wrapped up the election. I had no vote in this week’s …
Obama 2012 speech delivers figurative language Read More »
Word count: 236 words Reading time: Less than 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. Here, catch an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently, which comes from a New Yorker article describing Steinway Hall. I remember exploring Steinway Hall’s quiet corridors about two …
Steinway Hall has the ponderous stillness of a funeral home Read More »
Word count: 350 words Reading time: About 1.5 minutes I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. Here, catch an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. For many years, I subscribed to the magazine Cook’s Illustrated. I liked its old-fashioned appearance, complete with botanic drawings and …
Cook’s Illustrated dissed by NY Times Read More »
Word count: 289 words Reading time: Just over 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. Here, catch an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. Do you have much common sense? I’ve been thinking about this topic recently after I read the beginning of …
Common sense revolts at the idea Read More »
Word count: 248 words Reading time: about 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. Here is an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. I saw a few minutes of the movie, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, many years ago, starring Nicholas Cage and Penelope Cruz. …
Rustling leaves…flashed an intricate semaphore Read More »
Word count: 247 words Reading time: about 1 minute I read widely, watch movies and listen to the radio. Here, catch an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. Even though I like and admire plain and simple writing, I’ve never been a fan of Ernest Hemingway. Last year, …
From A Moveable Feast…. Read More »
Word count: 251 words Reading time: About 1 minute I read widely, watch movies, listen to the radio and see the occasional TV show. Here, you’ll find an interesting piece of figurative language I’ve encountered recently. I don’t generally have much of a taste for police programs on TV but …
White Collar delivers a great simile Read More »
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