40 Introduction

References:
Figurative speeches are present in our everyday life. When we talk in
https://literarydevices.net/figure-of-speech/
our house, school, community, or even in the society, we used it accidentally
https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/figures.htm or intentionally. It adds up to the brightness of the words we have spoken.
https://literarydevices.net/simile/
This workbook wishes to assist your learnings in dealing with figurative
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-a-simile-and-a-
metaphor/ speeches. It tackles the figurative language such as: simile, metaphor,
personification, hyperbole, alliteration, anaphora, and antithesis. The intention
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/metaphor/
of it is to give a vivid picture of what truly is the topic in everyday lessons that
https://literarydevices.net/personification/
this book delivered. Thus, the contents are being gathered in various
https://literarydevices.net/hyperbole/ references and have been mixed to create a comprehensible and informative
https://literarydevices.net/alliteration/ concept to enhance your mastery in figurative languages. An eight days of

https://www.thoughtco.com/anaphora-figure-of-speech-1689092
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=simile-or-metaphor_4vz#
https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/58516994de41efab499df339/similes
dealing with this book will elevate your ability to know, analyze, comprehend,
internalized and appreciate the importance of it and be able to use it as a tool
for communicating with uprightness.

https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=metaphor-quiz We believe that, “It is sweet to hear but it is sweeter when we know what

https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=metaphor-quiz_1 we heard are the sweetest.”

https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=personification-quiz_1
We are hoping that you will enjoy!
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=alliteration-quiz

https://literaryterms.net/hyperbole-quiz/

https;//quizizz.com/admin/quiz/58ae37d675b872ef06bc620d/hyperbole
 Drillings 39

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?

 Drillings 38 Outline of Contents
Introduction…..………….…………………………………………………...…i
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification
Figure of Speech……………..………………………………………..……….1-2
19. Grandmother's dresser smelled like a rose garden.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification Simile……………………………………………………………………………..3-9

20. The truck groaned under the weight of its load. Metaphor…………………………………………………………………………10-13
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification
Personification………………………………………………………………….14-18
Let us Wrap it up! Hyperbole…………………………………….………………………………….19-22
Direction: Write your answer in the space provided for!
1. What is the difference between simile and metaphor? Alliteration………………………………………..……………………………..23-26
2. What is personification? Give an example.
3. What is hyperbole? Explain. Anaphora………………………………………………..…………………….....27-31
4. Give an example of alliteration and find what makes it an alteration.
5. How is anaphora being used? Antithesis………………………………………………………………………..32-35
6. Why are we using antithesis in speaking or writing?
Drillings………………………………………………………………………….36-39
7. How figurative language gives impact in communicating?
8. In what way can you use a figurative language effectively?
Reference………………………………………………………………………..40
9. If given a chance to be an advocate one of the figurative language, what would
it be?
10. Using simile, expound this:
 Drillings 37

9. Wiley was very good at chess. "You have to watch him," said his father. "He's a
real fox."
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

10. Shay ran in a relay race on Saturday. When it was over, her legs felt like lead.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

11. The day after the rain, the air was clean and fresh. A soft breeze carried the
scent of lilacs.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

12. The boy's room was an amusement arcade.

A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

13. Louis is as strong and as tall as a redwood tree.

A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

14. Computers talk to one another.

A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

15. The train whistle screamed as the train flew through the tunnel.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

16. The kitchen is the heart of my mother's home.

A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

17. The idea was a fire in my head.

A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

18. The waxed floor was as slippery as an ice rink.

 Drillings 36 1

After all the lessons try to figure what is write and best.
Activity 1: Pick the best!
Day 1
Direction: Write your best answers.
1. Jenny cooked the candy too long. When she took it out of the oven it was hard
as a rock.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

2. Iva worked hard on her report. After presenting it to the class, she felt as light as
a feather.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

3. The old car woke reluctantly from its overnight sleep. Coughing and sputtering,
it finally broke into a loud roar.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

4.The trees of the forest watched sympathetically over the lost child.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

5. After Marshall climbed three flights of stairs, he had to sit down. He was a
puffing steam engine.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

6. Kyle's father was as stern as a judge when he came home after curfew.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

7. The storm was a savage beast.

A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification

8. The storm took the house in its teeth and shook it.
A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification
 Figure of Speech 2 Antithesis 35

Exercise 2: Time to shine!

Figures of Speech Direction: Write in the shapes any slogans that will show an antithesis.
A figure of speech is a phrase or word having different meanings than its
literal meanings. It conveys meaning by identifying or comparing one thing to
another, which has connotation or meaning familiar to the audience. That is why it
is helpful in creating vivid rhetorical effect.
Figurative language: One meaning of "figure" is "drawing" or "picture".
Figurative language creates pictures in the mind of the reader or listener. These
pictures help convey the meaning faster and more vividly than words alone.
We use figures of speech in "figurative language" to add color and interest,
and to awaken the imagination. Figurative language is everywhere, from classical
works like Shakespeare or the Bible, to everyday speech, pop music and television
commercials. It makes the reader or listener use their imagination and understand
much more than the plain words.

Figurative language is the opposite of literal language. Literal language

means exactly what it says. Figurative language means something different to (and
usually more than) what it says on the surface:

 He ran fast. (literal)

 He ran like the wind. (figurative)

In the above example "like the wind" is a figure of speech (in this case, a
simile). It is important to recognize the difference between literal and figurative
language. There are many figures of speech that are commonly used and which you
can learn by heart. At other times, writers and speakers may invent their own figures
of speech. If you do not recognize them as figures of speech and think that they are
literal, you will find it difficult to understand the language.
 Antithesis 34 3

"A perfectly formed antithesis," says Jeanne Fahnestock, combines

"isocolon, parison, and perhaps, in an inflected language, even homoeoteleuton; it
Day 2
is an overdetermined figure. The aural patterning of the antithesis, its tightness and
predictability, are critical to appreciating how the syntax of the figure can be used
to force semantic opposites" (Rhetorical Figures in Science, 1999).

Let us check your mastery!

Exercise 1: Look and answer!

Direction: Write the term/s that make the statement an antithesis.

1. 2.

3. 4.
 Simile
Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities
between two different things. Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with
the help of the words “like” or “as.” Therefore, it is a direct comparison.
We can find simile examples in our daily speech. We often hear comments
like, “John is as slow as a snail.” Snails are notorious for their slow pace, and here
the slowness of John is compared to that of a snail. The use of “as” in the example
helps to draw the resemblance. Now we know the definition of simile, let’s look at
some examples of common similes.
Common Examples of Simile
 Our soldiers are as brave as lions.
 Her cheeks are red like a rose.
 He is as funny as a monkey.
 The water well was as dry as a bone.
 He is as cunning as a fox.
Simile introduces vividness into what we say. Authors and poets utilize
simile to convey their sentiments and thoughts through vivid word pictures.
Short Examples of Simile in a Sentence
1. The glow of the tube-light was as bright as the sunshine.
2. In winter, when it rained, he climbed into bed and felt as snug as a bug in a
rug.
3. At exam time, the high school student was as busy as a bee.
4. The beggar on the road looked as blind as a bat.
5. When the examination finished, the candidate felt as light as a feather.
4 Antithesis 33
Read me!
"Love is an
ideal thing,
"You're easy on marriage a real
thing."(Goethe)
the eyes. Hard on the
heart."(Terri Clark)
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the
epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything
before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we
were all going direct the other way."
(Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859)
Given the eight passage, what have you notice? Have you meet
word/s which has/have antonyms in the sentence? Are they good to hear
when being used?
The above lines are called antithesis. Antithesis is a rhetorical
term for the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases
or clauses. In grammatical terms, antithetical statements are parallel
structures.
 32 Simile 5

Day 8 1. When the examination finished, the candidate felt as light as a feather.
2. When the teacher entered the class, the 6th-grade students were fighting like
cats and dogs.
3. The diplomat said the friendship of the two countries was as deep as an ocean.
4. The desert traveler’s hopes were dashed, as when at last he reached a well, it
was as dry as a bone.
5. His opponent was trying to infuriate him, but he remained as cool as cucumber.

Examples of Simile in Literature

Example #1: Lord Jim (By Joseph Conrad)

“I would have given anything for the power to soothe her frail soul, tormenting
itself in its invincible ignorance like a small bird beating about the cruel wires
of a cage.”

In these lines from Lord Jim, the helplessness of the soul is being compared with a
bird in a cage, beating itself against the merciless wires to be free.

Example #2: The Daffodils (By William Wordsworth)

“I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o’er vales and hills.”

The poet envisions himself as a free cloud that floats alone in a blue sky above
valleys and the mountains. By choosing this simile, Wordsworth describes his
loneliness.
 Simile 6 Anaphora 31

Example #3: Sonnet 18 (By William Shakespeare) Exercise 2: You utter it with emotions!
Direction: In front of the class you say it with emotion.
A significant thing to consider here is that at times simile is drawn without using the
words “as” or “like.” Consider the following example:

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines”

In the very first line, Shakespeare poses a question if he should compare his
beloved to a summer’s day. But then he rejects this idea and says that his beloved
is better than that. This is an example of an extended simile.

Example #4: Othello (By William Shakespeare)

Challenge: Write your own anaphora!

Othello: She was false as water.

Emilia: Thou are rash as fire,
To say that she was false: O she was heavenly
true.

Othello compares Desdemona’s infidelity to water, but Emilia calls him as rash as
fire and testifies to her fidelity. In both cases, these are very good similes to reflect
the character of a person.
 Anaphora 30 Simile 7

3. What is the function of an anaphora Example #5: Will There Really Be a Morning? (By Emily Dickinson)
A. Adds rhyme to the passage making it more pleasurable to read and easier
to remember
B. it puts emphasis on the passage “Will there really be a morning?
C. it persuades, inspires, motivates and encourages readers Is there such a thing as day?
D. all of the above Could I see it from the mountains
If I were as tall as they?
4. Which phrase(s) is (are) examples of anaphora in the following passage? Has it feet like water-lilies?
Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world - to do away Has it feathers like a bird?
with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us Is it brought from famous countries.”
fight for a world of reason, a world
A. let us fight
B. to do away with In this example of simile, the speaker is feeling dejected, wondering if there
C. a world could be hope and morning again. The poet has used trochees, giving a
D. "let us fight" and "to do away with" strong rhythm to the poem. Notice in this first stanza, the accented syllables are
5. Which phrases are examples of anaphora in the following passage? emphasized. See that word “I” is unaccented or unstressed with different feet.

"I could have danced all night Simile Meaning and Function
I could have danced all night
And still have begged for more So what is a simile and its purpose? From the above discussion of simile
I could have spread my wings examples, we can infer the function of similes, both in everyday life and in literature.
And done a thousand things Using similes attracts attention, and appeals directly to the senses of listeners or
I've never done before." readers, encouraging their imaginations to understand what is being
My Fair Lady 'I Could Have Danced all Night' communicated. Also, it brings rhythm, life-like quality in our daily speech and the
characters of fiction or poetry.

A. danced all night Simile allows readers to relate the feelings of a writer or a poet to their
B. and done personal experiences. Therefore, the use of similes makes it easier for readers to
C. my wings understand the subject matter of a literary text, which may have been otherwise
D. i could have too demanding to be comprehended. Like metaphors, similes also offer variety in
our ways of thinking and offer new perspectives on the world.
 Simile 8 Anaphora 29

Let us try how far you have been all the time! 3. What do you call by the terms that is being repeated?

Exercise 1: Time-bounded! 4. How does it add up to the text?

Direction: Given the time in each item, shade the letter of the best answer.
1. The wind was like a piercing arrow. (30 seconds) A lot of times we seen, heard or read phrases that are being repeatedly used.
o Simile These are called anaphora.
o Metaphor
o Alliteration Anaphora is a rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning
o Idiom of successive clauses. By building toward a climax, anaphora can create a strong
emotional effect. Consequently, this figure of speech is often found in polemical
2. Make this a simile. She sings... (180 seconds)
o at lunch writings and passionate oratory, perhaps most famously in Dr. Martin Luther
o at the crowd King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Classical scholar George A. Kennedy compares
o like a bird anaphora to "a series of hammer blows in which the repetition of the word both
o very well connects and reinforces the successive thoughts" (New Testament Interpretation
Through Rhetorical Criticism, 1984).
3. Choose the correct simile. The laptop is as... (180 seconds)
o cunning as a sheep
Then let us have a drill!
o blind as a rat
o light as a feather
Exercise 1: Notice me!
o quiet as a drum
Direction: Choose the right answer.
4. Complete this sentence with a simile. Her hair is ... (180 seconds)
o as strange as a vision 1. What is anaphora?
o as black as day A. repetition of a phrase at the end of clauses or sentences
o sensitive as a flower B. a repetition of a phrase in the middle of clauses or sentences
o as soft as silk C. repetition of a phrase at the beginning of clauses or sentences
D. no repetition in the sentence or clause
5. A simile..... (180 seconds)
o says that something actually is something else. 2. When can anaphora NOT be used?
o compares two unlike things using the words like or as A. in poetry
o compares two similar things using the words like or as B. in technical writing
o represents a person, an animal, an thing, or an idea. C. in prose
D. in advertisements
6. Comparing two unlike things using the words, "Like" or "As". (30 seconds)
 Anaphora 28 Simile 9

Letter From a Birmingham Jail o Hyperbole

: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr o Metaphor
o Simile
"But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and
o Onomatopoeia
drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen
curse, kick, brutalize and even kill your black brothers and sisters with 7. The baby's skin was soft like a rose petal. (60 seconds)
impunity; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers o simile
smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when o metaphor
you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to o idiom
explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park o none of the above
that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes 8. The sidewalks were as slippery as glass freshly cleaned for the birthday party (60
when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing seconds)
cloud of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort o simile
her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white o metaphor
people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son asking in o idiom
agonizing pathos: 'Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so o hyperbole
mean?'; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night
after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will Exercise 2: Write it up!
accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading Direction: Make a saying where similes are used.
'white' and 'colored'; when your first name becomes 'nigger' and your middle name
becomes 'boy' (however old you are) and your last name becomes 'John,' and when
your wife and mother are never given the respected title 'Mrs.'; when you are
harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living
constantly at tiptoe stance never quite knowing what to expect next, and plagued
with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a
degenerating sense of 'nobodiness'; then you will understand why we find it difficult
to wait."

Questions:
1. What have you noticed in the text?
2. Is there an instance where a phrase or clause is being repeat? What is/are
this/these?
 10 27

Day 3
Day 7
 Alliteration 26 Metaphor 11

Exercise 2: Bring out your tongue! Metaphor

Direction: In front of the class try to utter it three times.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way
that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.

Here are the basics:

 A metaphor states that one thing is another thing.
 It equates those two things not because they actually are the same, but for
the sake of comparison or symbolism.
 If you take a metaphor literally, it will probably sound very strange (are there
actually any sheep, black or otherwise, in your family?)
 Metaphors are used in poetry, literature, and anytime someone wants to
add some color to their language. A word or phrase for one thing that is used
to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar.
 An object, activity, or idea that is used as a symbol of something else.
 Metaphors are a form of figurative language, which refers to words or
expressions that mean something different from their literal definition. In
the case of metaphors, the literal interpretation would often be pretty silly.

If you’re a black sheep, you get cold feet, or you think love is a highway, then
you’re probably thinking metaphorically. These are metaphors because a word or
phrase is applied to something figuratively: unless you’re actually a sheep or are
dipping your toes in ice water, chances are these are metaphors that help represent
abstract concepts through colorful language.
Challenge: Write your own alliteration.
Take these famous metaphor examples:
1. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have
their exits and their entrances.” -William Shakespeare
2. “America has tossed its cap over the wall of space.” -John F. Kennedy
3. “Chaos is a friend of mine.” -Bob Dylan
4. “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.” -Benjamin Franklin
 Metaphor 12 Alliteration 25
5. “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog, cryin’ all the time.” Elvis Presley
Ronald Reagan Lois Lane
Most of the times we are confused to determine what is simile or metaphor. So Sammy Sosa Marilyn Monroe
here is the tip: Jesse Jackson Fred Flintstone
Michael Moore Donald Duck
William Wordsworth Spongebob Squarepants
Tip: Similes are like metaphors, but metaphors aren’t similes. A metaphor Mickey Mouse Seattle Seahawks
makes a comparison by stating that one thing is something else, but a simile Porky Pig Ryan Reynolds
states that one thing is like something else.

Exercise 1: Find the best!

Direction: Choose the right answer.
Let us try now how far you have gone! 1. Which of the following is an example of an alliteration?
o A. Splendid Sarah saw special shells
o B. Lucy jumps at least a hundred feet in the air
Exercise 1: Eliminate what’s not!
o C. The sky is blue and so are you
Direction: Write the best answer. 2. What is the definition of an alliteration?
1. Choose which one is a metaphor. o A. A huge exaggeration
o B. Giving an animal humanlike qualities
A. My dad is a bear.
o C. The repetition of similar sounds at the beginning of words
B. My dad is as big as a bear
o D. Two words that sound alike, but have different meanings
3. Is the statement "She sang like a bird", an alliteration?
2. Choose which one is a metaphor.
o A. Yes
A. The light is bright like the sun.
o B. No
B. The light was the sun during our test.
4. Which of the following phrases is an alliteration?
o A. She is a pig
3. Choose which one is a metaphor.
o B. He was as tall as a skyscraper
A. This class is a three-ring circus.
o C. Charlie cheats on cheat-sheets
B. This class is just like a three-ring circus.
o D. I told you a million times
5. Is this statement "Mommy made me mash my m&m's", an alliteration?
4. Choose which one is a metaphor. o A. Yes
A. Ted was like a nervous cat before his test.
o B. No
B. Ted was a nervous cat before his test.
 Alliteration 24 Metaphor 13

Exercise 2: Write on the bag!

Alliteration Direction: Make your own sayings where metaphor is present.
Alliteration is derived from Latin’s “Latira”. It means “letters of alphabet”. It
is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant
sound, occur close together in a series.
Consider the following examples:
 But a better butter makes a batter better.
 A big bully beats a baby boy.

Both sentences are alliterative because the same first letter of words (B)
occurs close together and produces alliteration in the sentence. An important point
to remember here is that alliteration does not depend on letters but on sounds. So
the phrase not knotty is alliterative, but cigarette chase is not.

Common Examples of Alliteration

In our daily life, we notice alliteration in the names of different companies.
It makes the name of a company catchy and easy to memorize. Here are several
common alliteration examples:
Dunkin’ Donuts American Apparel
PayPal American Airlines
Best Buy Chuckee Cheese’s
Coca-Cola Bed Bath & Beyond
Park Place Krispy Kreme
Life Lock The Scotch and Sirloin

We also find alliterations in names of people, making such names prominent

and easy to be remembered. For instance, both fictional characters and real people
may stand out prominently in your mind due to the alliterative effects of their
names. Examples are:
 14 23

Day 4 Day 6
 Hyperbole 22 Personification 15

2. “He cried all night, and dawn found him still there, though his tears had dried and Personification
only hard, dry sobs shook his wooden frame. But these were so loud that they could Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing – an idea or an animal –
be heard by the faraway hills …” --- The Adventures of Pinocchio (By C. Colloid) is given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that
we feel they have the ability to act like human beings. For example, when we say,
3. In the poem As I Walked One Evening (By W. H. Auden), find the hyperboles “The sky weeps,” we are giving the sky the ability to cry, which is a human quality.
being used. Give its meaning. Thus, we can say that the sky has been personified in the given sentence. With the
above definition of personification, let us look at some personification examples.
“I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you
Till China and Africa meet, Common Examples of Personification
And the river jumps over the mountain 1. Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t she?
And the salmon sing in the street, 2. The wind whispered through dry grass.
I’ll love you till the ocean 3. The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.
Is folded and hung up to dry.” 4. Time and tide wait for none.
5. The fire swallowed the entire forest.
Exercise2: Try to give the meaning!
Direction: Given the pictures, give its meaning and use one of it as a passage or We see from the above examples of personification that this literary device
theme of your poem. helps us relate actions of inanimate objects to our own emotions.

1. 2. Short Examples of Personification in Speech

1. The shadow of the moon danced on the lake.

2. There was a heavy thunderstorm, the wind snorted outside,
rattling my windowpanes.
3. The flowers were blooming, and the bees kissed them every now
and then.
4. The flood raged over the entire village.
5. The tread of time is so ruthless that it tramples even the kings
under its feet.
 Personification
Examples of Personification in Literature
Example #1: The Green Gables Letters (By L. M. Montgomery)
“I hide me away to the woods — away back into the sun-washed alleys
carpeted with fallen gold and glades where the moss is green and vivid
yet. The woods are getting ready to sleep — they are not yet asleep but
they are disrobing and are having all sorts of little bed-time conferences
and whisperings and good-nights.”
The lack of activity in the forest has been beautifully personified as the forest
getting ready to sleep, busy at bed-time chatting and wishing good-nights, all of
which are human customs.
Example #2: Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scene II (By William Shakespeare)
“When well-appareled April on the heel
Of limping winter treads.”
There are two personification examples here. April cannot put on a dress,
and winter does not limp, nor does it have a heel on which a month can walk.
Shakespeare personifies the month of April and the winter season by giving them
two distinct human qualities.
Example #3: How Pearl Button Was Kidnapped (By William Shakespeare)
“Pearl Button swung on the little gate in front of the House of Boxes. It was
the early afternoon of a sunshiny day with little winds playing hide-and-seek
in it.”
16 Hyperbole 21
6. The teacher told his students not to repeat that mistake for the umpteenth
time, but to no avail.
7. He was in such a hurry that he drove his car at a bazillion miles per hour.
8. The minister told the guests that the couple’s friendship was deeper than
the sea, and sweeter than honey.
9. The blacksmith’s hand was harder than the rock.
10. Their headmaster was omnipresent, as he seemed to be all around the
school all the time.
Function of Hyperbole
The above arguments make clear the use of hyperbole. In our daily
conversation, we use hyperbole to create an amusing effect, or to emphasize our
meaning. However, in literature it has very serious implications. By using hyperbole,
a writer or a poet makes common human feelings remarkable and intense to such
an extent that they do not remain ordinary. In literature, usage of hyperbole
develops contrasts. When one thing is described with an over-statement, and the
other thing is presented normally, a striking contrast is developed. This technique is
employed to catch the reader’s attention.
In determining how far you have gone in this lesson, let us have a drill!
Exercise 1: Try to seek!
Direction: Given some text by famous writers, find the hyperboles being used.
1. “Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the
fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that
all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until
sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.” --- Babe the Blue
Ox (American Folklore)
 Hyperbole 20
Hyperbole
Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting,” is a figure of
speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.
It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when
you meet a friend after a long time, you say, “It’s been ages since I last saw you.”
You may not have met him for three or four hours, or a day, but the use of the word
“ages” exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a
hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation. Some other
common Hyperbole examples are given below.
Common Examples of Hyperbole
 My grandmother is as old as the hills.
 Your suitcase weighs a ton!
 She is as heavy as an elephant!
 I am dying of shame.
 I am trying to solve a million issues these days.
It is important not to confuse hyperbole with simile and metaphor. It does
make a comparison, like simile and metaphor. Rather, hyperbole has a humorous
effect created by an overstatement. Let us see some examples from Classical English
literature in which hyperbole was used successfully.
Short Examples of Hyperbole
1. A ton of worry was lifted from the beggar’s back when he received the
alms.
2. He saw a man as tall a power poll.
3. He saw his childhood friend after ages.
4. The weather was so hot that literally everything was on fire.
5. The boy was dying to get a new school bag.
Personification 17
It personifies wind by saying that it is as playful as little children playing hide-
and-seek on a sunny day.
Function of Personification
Personification is not merely a decorative device, but serves the purpose of
giving deeper meanings to literary texts. It adds vividness to expressions, as we
always look at the world from a human perspective. Writers and poets rely on
personification to bring inanimate things to life, so that their nature and actions are
understood in a better way. Because it is easier for us to relate to something that is
human, or which possesses human traits, its use encourages us to develop a
perspective that is new as well as creative.
Let us measure first how did you got the topic!
Exercise 1: Get it on!
Direction: Choose the correct answer.
1. Choose which one is an example of personification.
A. Cars danced across the icy road.
B. The cars were sliding because the road was icy.
2. Choose which one is an example of personification.
A. The full moon guided me through the dark streets.
B. The light of the full moon made the dark streets shine.
3. Choose which one is an example of personification.
A. The wind whispered a lullaby to me as I fell asleep.
B. The wind blew as I fell asleep.
4. Choose which one is an example of personification.
A. My cheeks got wet as the rain fell.
B. The rain kissed my cheeks as it fell from the sky
 Personification 18 19

5. Choose which one is an example of personification.

Day 5
A. The time flew, and before I knew it school was over for the day.
B. The time passed very quickly and before I knew it school was over for
the day.

Exercise 2: Out your utmost imagination!

Direction: Write a short fiction story using personification and underlined the
personification, word/s, phrase/s or clause/s. Write on the space provided for.