What to Look For
When studying figurative language in poetry, students should look for places where the poet uses words in creative, non-literal ways. Here are the most common techniques found in the poems on this page:
- Simile: compares two things using "like" or "as."
Example: "His sorrow goes / Like mountain snows."
- Metaphor: compares two things directly without using "like" or "as."
Example: "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair."
- Personification: gives human traits or abilities to nonhuman things.
Example: "The wind sings upon my lips."
- Hyperbole: extreme exaggeration for effect.
Example: "The dawn of a thousand dreams and thrills."
- Alliteration: repeating the same starting sounds in nearby words.
Example: "In the low blue lustre."
- Imagery: writing that appeals to the five senses to create vivid mental pictures.
Example: "Sunlight floods the shiny many-windowed place."
Simile vs. Metaphor: Both compare two things, but similes use "like" or "as" while metaphors state the comparison directly. This is one of the most common points of confusion for students, so keep an eye out for those signal words.
Quick Tips for Students
- Read the poem more than once. The first read is for understanding; the second is for finding techniques.
- Ask: what two things are being compared? If "like" or "as" connects them, it's a simile. If not, it's a metaphor.
- Look for nonhuman things doing human actions — that's personification.
- Watch for exaggeration that isn't meant to be taken literally — that's hyperbole.
- Consider the effect: does the technique create humor, emphasis, imagery, or emotion?
- Remember: a single line can contain more than one technique at the same time.
The Poems
