Figurative language: examples and meaning

We don't always use words with their literal meaning; both in everyday speech and in literary language it is very common to use set phrases, metaphors, and other rhetorical devices that assign to a word a different meaning than usual. These elements make the language much richer, as they give it expressiveness and connotative value. In this lesson from a TEACHER a definition of Figurative language, in addition to providing some examples of the common language and of literature.

We call Figurative language to the use of a word or expression with a meaning other than the one usually assigned to it. The relationship of the term used with the idea that is being represented can be one of real likeness (in the sentence This house is an oven, it refers to the fact that the house is hot like an oven) or imaginary (in the sentence Her friend is turning her green The expression put green has no meaningful relationship with to speak badly about someone).

Figurative language is opposed to

literal language, which consists of the use of a word or expression with its conventional meaning.

Sometimes the use of figurative language gives rise to situations of semantic change, that is to say, that the new meaning is added to the previous one (thus becoming a polysemic word) or displaces it. This happens with: neck of a bottle, Tree top, foot of a mountain, cardinal (as a synonym for hematoma), table leg, Spider (like a kind of lamp), river bed, etc.

Figurative language in literature takes the form of stylistic devicesand tropes such as metaphor or personification. Below are examples of each one with its meaning.

Metaphor

- The pegs of the roosters dig looking for the dawn. (Garcia Lorca)

The roosters crow at dawn.

- That his hair is of gold, his forehead of fields elysees, his eyebrows arches of the sky, his eyes are sun, his cheeks roses, her coral lips, pearls her teeth, alabaster her neck, marble her chest, ivory her hands, her whiteness snow. (Miguel de Cervantes)

His hair is blond; his forehead, smooth; his eyebrows arched; his eyes bright; her cheeks, rosy; her lips, red; his teeth white; his neck, chest and hands, white; its whiteness, white.

- (...) your hair, burnished gold (...) (Luis de Góngora)

Your blonde hair.

Hyperbole

So much pain is grouped in my side that because of pain it hurts even my breath. (Miguel Hernández).

My side hurts a lot.

There is no extension greater than my wound. (Miguel Hernandez)

My wound is very big.

(...) I resist with such fury (...) that a mountain placed on top would break. (Lope de Vega)

I resist a lot.

The Figurative language It is not widely used in formal settings, but it is used in colloquial speech due to the presence of set phrases, exaggerations and other expressions. For example, in the sentence Time is money tol identify weather with gold by an attributive sentence, it is applied to weather the most outstanding quality of gold, the value. Therefore this expression means that Time is precious. On I don't have a penny an exaggeration is carried out, since what is meant is I have little money.

Here are some examples of figurative language along with his meaning:

As soon as she heard it, her face lit up.

As soon as she heard it, she was very happy.

The news has been a bucket of cold water.

The news has been an unpleasant surprise.

Out of sight, out of mind.

If you don't know what's going on, it won't affect you emotionally.

You are a lynx.

You are very insightful.

He was in the prime of life.

Was young.

His eyes went wide.

He widened his eyes.

I have butterflies in my stomach.

I'm in love.

The girl had to bite her tongue and bite the bullet.

The girl had to shut up and put up with the situation.

You are missing a screw!

You're crazy!

I am starving.

I am very hungry.

Not even God is leaving here.

Nobody is leaving here.

Can you give me a hand, please?

Can you help me please?

He was quiet as the grave, he didn't say a peep.

He was very quiet, he didn't say anything.

You're a machine.

You are very good at it.