Figurative Language, Imagery, and Symbolism

Writers do not always mean things literally. When a poet says the wind “whispered,” no one thinks the wind has a mouth. Learning to read this kind of language keeps you from taking creative writing at face value.

Figurative language is wording that means something beyond its literal definition, used to create a picture or feeling. It includes simile, metaphor, and personification, plus imagery (words that appeal to the senses) and symbolism (an object standing for a bigger idea). Reading it well means asking what the writer really means.

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Simile, Metaphor, and Personification

Three common tools make up much of figurative language. A simile compares two things using “like” or “as”: “Her voice was as sharp as a blade.” A metaphor makes the same kind of comparison without those words, saying one thing is another: “Her voice was a blade.” A personification gives human qualities to something non-human: “The storm screamed all night.” None of these are meant literally — a voice is not really a blade, and a storm cannot scream. Instead, they help you feel the sharpness or the fury. When you meet a strange-sounding comparison, ask what quality is being borrowed. “Time is a thief” borrows the idea of stealing to say time takes things from us.

Imagery and Symbolism

Imagery is language that appeals to your five senses to paint a vivid picture: “The warm bread filled the kitchen with a golden, buttery smell.” Good imagery lets you see, hear, or even taste a scene, which makes it memorable. Symbolism goes a step further: a symbol is an object, color, or image that stands for a larger idea. A dove often stands for peace, a storm for trouble, spring for new beginnings. To spot a symbol, notice when a writer keeps returning to one object or gives it unusual weight. If a story mentions a wilting flower again and again as a character grows sick, the flower likely symbolizes fading life. Ask, “What bigger idea does this object represent?”

Watch: A Short Video Lesson

Khan Academy gives a clear overview to go with this lesson:

A Routine for Reading Figurative Language

1. Notice wording that cannot be literally true.
2. Decide if it is a simile, metaphor, or personification.
3. Ask what quality or feeling the comparison borrows.
4. For repeated objects, ask what larger idea they symbolize.

Practice

1. What is figurative language?
2. What word signals a simile?
3. How is a metaphor different from a simile?
4. What is personification?
5. What is imagery?
6. How can you spot a symbol?

Answers

1. Wording that means something beyond its literal definition.
2. “Like” or “as.”
3. A metaphor says one thing is another, without “like” or “as.”
4. Giving human qualities to something non-human.
5. Language that appeals to the senses to paint a picture.
6. Notice an object the writer repeats or gives unusual weight.

Where This Fits in Your RLA Prep

Figurative language works alongside tone, mood, and word choice and helps reveal theme and how it is supported. See every topic on the Language Arts Prep Hub.

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