Desk Boy Loves Figurative Language Poems!

This Figurative Language Poem, “Just Talking Figuratively”, teaches students about alliteration, personification, and hyperbole.

Just Talking Figuratively By – Christopher Rudolph © 

Alliteration makes your tongue tingle too
Personification makes the wind howl and coo
Hyperbole will grant your wish
You’ll have no problem catching a million fish
Now, I’m just talking figuratively
So, please don’t take me literally

Alliteration makes squirrels skip and skate
Personification makes your alarm clock irate
Hyperbole lets you have some fun
You’ll be so strong you can lift a ton
Now, I’m just talking figuratively
So, please don’t take me literally

Alliteration lets you eat pink peach pie
Personification lets stars dance across the sky
Hyperbole lets you whistle a sweet tune
You can go where you want even fly to the moon
Now, I’m just talking figuratively
So, please don’t take me literally

Alliteration lets you twist, tumble, and tuck
Personification lets you talk to a crazy duck
Hyperbole lets you do more still
You’ll grow older than those big old hills
Now, I’m just talking figuratively
So, please don’t take me literally

Alliteration makes my stomach roar, roll, and rumble
Personification makes the thunder grumble
Hyperbole is exaggeration of course
You’ll be so hungry you’ll eat a horse
Now, I’m just talking figuratively
So, please don’t take me literally

Alliteration makes you try, try, try
Personification makes the sad clouds cry
Hyperbole will help you make rhymes
I think I‘ve told you this a million times
Now, I’m just talking figuratively
So, please don’t take me literally

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Figurative language is a way of using words to create vivid pictures in our minds or convey ideas in interesting ways. Instead of using plain, literal descriptions, figurative language makes writing more exciting and expressive. Here are some common types of figurative language that you might encounter:

Simile: A simile compares two different things using the words “like” or “as.” This helps readers see similarities between things they might not usually associate. For example, “Her smile is like sunshine” compares a smile to sunshine, suggesting warmth and brightness.

Metaphor: Like a simile, a metaphor compares two things, but it does so directly, without using “like” or “as.” An example is “Time is a thief.” This metaphor suggests that time can steal moments from our lives, making us aware of how quickly it passes.

Personification: This type of figurative language gives human qualities to animals, objects, or ideas. For instance, “The wind whispered through the trees” makes the wind seem like it can whisper, adding a mystical quality to the description.

Hyperbole: Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration used to emphasize a point. When you say, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” you don’t literally mean you could eat a horse, but it shows that you are extremely hungry.

Idioms: Idioms are phrases where the meaning isn’t clear from the individual words. They often come from cultural expressions and don’t make literal sense. For example, “It’s raining cats and dogs” means it’s raining very heavily, not that animals are falling from the sky.

Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of closely connected words. It creates a musical effect in writing. For example, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” uses alliteration with the “p” sound to make the sentence more fun and engaging.

Using figurative language can make your writing come alive. It helps readers imagine scenes more vividly and understand emotions more deeply. Next time you write a story or poem, try adding some similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, idioms, and alliteration. These tools will help your words sparkle and keep your readers hooked from beginning to end

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