Figurative Language
📋 What it is
Figurative language — simile, metaphor, personification — says one thing in terms of another for effect.
🗣️ Coach says
FIGURATIVE language means words that aren't literally true but create a strong image. A SIMILE compares with "like/as" ("brave as a lion"); a METAPHOR says it IS ("she's a lion"); PERSONIFICATION gives feelings to things ("the wind whispered"). They make lyrics vivid and surprising.
🧠 Memory hook
Simile (like/as) · Metaphor (IS) · Personification (things feel). Say one thing as another.
😂 Giggle
Why did the first line matter so much?
Because a strong opening line makes the listener lean in!
😲 Whoa!
A single strong metaphor can carry an entire song — writers sometimes build every line around one central comparison.
✅ Quick check: What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
A simile compares using "like" or "as" ("brave as a lion"); a metaphor says it IS the thing ("she's a lion").
Similes use like/as; metaphors state the comparison directly.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Turn "the night was dark" into a metaphor — say the night IS something.