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.
Word count: 286 words Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about an article on Lyme Disease by Michael Specter, published recently in the New Yorker. I can remember pulling a tick from the leg […]
The figurative language of Michael Specter… 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 simile from the late Lucy Grealy. I first learned about the late poet Lucy Grealy several years ago when reading Ann Patchet’s book, Truth and
The figurative language of Lucy Grealy… Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today I present a simile from Canadian writer Will Ferguson. I often start my day with a pitchfork, cleaning out my spam folder. Too often, the junk mails come from
The figurative language of Will Ferguson.. Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today I discuss a metaphor that Jill Lepore offers in the New Yorker. I didn’t know that Benjamin Franklin had had seven sisters! Somehow, they faded into the dark recesses of
The figurative language of Jill Lepore… Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today I present an image from novelist Linda Spaulding. I’m not sure I fully understand the bubble-bath of praise in which Linda Spalding is reclining. Her book, The Purchase, won
The figurative language of Linda Spaulding… Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today I present a metaphor from novelist Jess Walter. I first encountered the writing of Jess Walter thanks to a Valentine’s Day gift from my husband. (He knows enough to give
The figurative language of Jess Walter… Read More »
Reading time: Just over 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from English novelist Jeanette Winterson. I’ve heard Jeanette Winterson interviewed on the radio several times. She’s so engaging that each interview has inspired me to pick up one
The figurative language of Jeanette Winterson… Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from Walter Kirn in the New Yorker. I cannot remember where I first read about “Clark Rockefeller”. Perhaps it was in Vanity Fair. That seems the right place to
The figurative language of Walker Kirn… Read More »
Reading time: About 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from David Sedaris. I’ve written about David Sedaris, before today. Just hearing the man’s name makes me smile. He’s so funny! But he’s also a deeply sophisticated writer who
The figurative language of David Sedaris…. Read More »
Reading time: Less than 1 minute I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. Today’s comes from Aaron Sorkin. My son and I were huge fans of the TV show The West Wing. We’ve watched all 154 episodes, twice. (Truthfully, I think my son
The figurative language of Aaron Sorkin… Read More »
