I know I risk sounding like an English teacher when I use the words “figurative language.” The phrase may sound frightening but figurative language will make your writing more interesting evocative and memorable. And who doesn’t want that –even in non-fiction? Here are some examples of figurative language:
• allusion
• hyperbole
• metaphor
• oxymoron
• personification
• paradox
• simile
I read widely and follow many forms of media, keeping my eyes and ears attuned to figurative language so I can share a piece of it with you each week.
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors from Emily Austin…. Originally, I wanted to say that the best thing about a new book by Emily Austin was its title, Everyone […]
The figurative language of Emily Austin Read More »
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of similes and metaphors from Elizabeth McCracken… I was listening to my favourite podcast recently — The New York Times Book Review podcast — when
The figurative language of Elizabeth McCracken…. Read More »
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors and similes from Rebecca Makkai… I will read a novel because it wins awards. Because I’m curious. And because its theme or subject matter
The figurative language of Rebecca Makkai… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about some similes and metaphors from Dani Shapiro… I’ve never been a huge fan of Dani Shapiro. The American writer (pictured above), is 56-years-old and has already
The figurative language of Dani Shapiro… Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of similes metaphors from the Irish writer Maggie O’Farrell (pictured above)…. My husband picked up a new Maggie O’Farrell book from the library and
The figurative language of Maggie O’Farrell…. Read More »
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about similes, metaphors and personification from Téa Obreht… I’ve not typically enjoyed the genre of magic realism. Somehow, the notion that a “trick” or a Deus Ex
The figurative language of Téa Obreht… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of similes from Irish novelist John Boyne… I read a John Boyne novel about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Ireland a little
The figurative language of John Boyne… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors from author Susan Orlean…. I have visited Southern California many times, on perhaps as many as a dozen different trips. But I have
The figurative language of Susan Orlean… Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about similes and metaphors from Roxana Robinson…. Roxana Robinson is the author of 11 books—seven novels, three collections of short stories, and the biography of Georgia O’Keeffe. I
The figurative language of Roxana Robinson… Read More »
Reading time: About 2 minutes I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a series of metaphors from Sebastian Barry… Sebastian Barry is an Irish novelist, playwright and poet, who was named Laureate for Irish Fiction, 2019–2021 and who has
The figurative language of Sebastian Barry…. Read More »
