Navigation
An introduction to the difference between saying exactly what you mean and using creative language to paint a picture.
If someone tells you they are 'feeling blue,' would you look for blue paint on their skin, or would you ask them why they are sad?
Literal language is when you say exactly what you mean. There are no hidden meanings or secret codes. If you say, 'The water is cold,' you are describing the actual temperature of the water. It is like a photograph—it shows exactly what is happening without any extra decorations. Scientists and news reporters use literal language because they need to be very clear and factual. In the world of literal language, a 'dog' is always a four-legged animal that barks, and 'homework' is always a school assignment.
Quick Check
Which of these is a literal sentence: 'He is a couch potato' or 'He is sitting on the couch'?
Answer
'He is sitting on the couch' is literal because it describes exactly what is happening.
Figurative language is when you use words in a creative way to describe something by comparing it to something else. It is like a painting—it uses colors and imagination to create a feeling. Authors use this to help readers 'see' the story in their minds. For example, instead of saying 'the sun is hot,' an author might say 'the sun is a golden heater in the sky.' This isn't literally true (the sun isn't a metal appliance!), but it helps you imagine the warmth and brightness more clearly.
A simile compares two things using the words 'like' or 'as'. 1. Start with your subject: 'The runner.' 2. Choose a quality: 'Speed.' 3. Compare it to something fast using 'like': 'The runner was fast like a cheetah.' 4. Or use 'as': 'The runner was as fast as lightning.'
Quick Check
Does the sentence 'The clouds are like cotton candy' use literal or figurative language?
Answer
Figurative language (specifically, a simile).
A metaphor is a stronger type of comparison. Instead of saying something is like another thing, a metaphor says something is another thing. If you say 'The classroom was a zoo,' you don't mean there are lions and giraffes in the desks. You are using a metaphor to say the room was loud and chaotic. Metaphors help create a strong mental image very quickly by borrowing the traits of one thing and giving them to another.
Let's turn a boring literal sentence into a powerful metaphor. 1. Literal: 'The snow is white and covers the ground.' 2. Identify the object: 'Snow.' 3. Think of something else that covers things: 'A blanket.' 4. State it as a fact: 'The snow is a white blanket on the grass.'
Compare these two descriptions of a storm: 1. Literal: 'The wind blew hard and the thunder was loud.' 2. Figurative: 'The wind howled in anger while the thunder played a drum solo in the clouds.'
Notice how the second version gives the wind 'feelings' and the thunder a 'job.' This makes the storm feel like a character in a story rather than just weather.
Which sentence is an example of a metaphor?
Why do authors use figurative language?
The sentence 'I am so hungry I could eat a horse' is a literal statement.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, look at the weather. Try to describe it once literally (The sun is out) and once figuratively using a simile (The sun is like a giant yellow marble).
Practice Activity
Find your favorite book. Can you find one simile (using 'like' or 'as') on the first three pages?