Figurative Language

Grade 6 · English · Study Guide

Explore how writers use comparisons and wordplay to make their writing vivid and memorable.

Figurative language is writing that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to create images, evoke emotions, and make ideas more powerful. When a poet says 'the world is a stage,' they don't literally mean Earth is made of wooden boards — they mean life is like a performance. That's figurative language at work.

A simile compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as': 'Her voice was as smooth as honey.' A metaphor makes the same comparison but without 'like' or 'as': 'Her voice was honey poured over glass.' Both create vivid images, but metaphors feel more immediate and bold. Personification gives human qualities to non-human things: 'The wind whispered through the trees' makes weather feel alive and intentional.

Hyperbole is extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or humor: 'I've told you a million times!' Nobody has literally said anything a million times — the exaggeration conveys frustration. Onomatopoeia is when a word sounds like what it describes: buzz, crash, sizzle, thud. Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the start of nearby words: 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.'

Symbolism uses objects or images to represent bigger ideas. A dove represents peace. A broken mirror might symbolize bad luck or a fractured relationship. Authors use symbols to add layers of meaning without stating them directly — readers feel the meaning rather than being told it.

Key terms

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'brave as a lion').

Metaphor

A direct comparison that says one thing IS another (e.g., 'Life is a rollercoaster').

Personification

Giving human traits or actions to non-human things (e.g., 'the sun smiled down').

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration used for effect (e.g., 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse').

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it describes (e.g., buzz, crash, sizzle).

Symbolism

Using an object or image to represent a larger idea or concept beyond its literal meaning.

Flashcards

Simile

Comparison using 'like' or 'as' — 'brave as a lion'

Metaphor

Direct comparison without 'like' or 'as' — 'life is a journey'

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things — 'the wind whispered'

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for effect — 'I've told you a million times'

Onomatopoeia

A word that sounds like what it describes — buzz, sizzle, crash

Symbolism

Using an object to represent a bigger idea — a dove symbolizes peace

Practice questions

1. Which sentence is an example of personification?

   1. The test was as hard as a rock.
   2. The flowers danced in the breeze.
   3. She ran faster than the wind.
   4. His laugh was a thunderclap.
   Show answer

   Answer: The flowers danced in the breeze.

   'The flowers danced in the breeze' gives flowers the human action of dancing — that is personification.

2. A simile always uses the words 'like' or 'as' to make a comparison.

   Show answer

   Answer: True

   Similes always signal the comparison with 'like' or 'as.' Without those words, the same comparison becomes a metaphor.

3. Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or humor is called ___.

   Show answer

   Answer: hyperbole

   Hyperbole uses wild exaggeration to make a point — no one has literally said something a million times.

4. Which of the following is a metaphor?

   1. The night was as dark as ink.
   2. The moon is a silver coin tossed into the sky.
   3. The thunder rumbled like a giant's stomach.
   4. The leaves fell like snowflakes.
   Show answer

   Answer: The moon is a silver coin tossed into the sky.

   'The moon is a silver coin' directly states the moon IS a coin — no 'like' or 'as,' making it a metaphor.

5. Onomatopoeia refers to words that sound like the thing they describe, such as 'buzz' or 'crash.'

   Show answer

   Answer: True

   Onomatopoeia comes from the Greek for 'word making' — the sound of the word echoes the thing it names.

Fun facts

• Shakespeare invented over 1,700 words we still use today — including 'bedroom,' 'lonely,' and 'generous' — often using figurative twists on existing words.
• Onomatopoeia varies across languages: in English a dog says 'woof,' in Japanese 'wan-wan,' and in Spanish 'guau' — different sounds for the same bark!

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