- When two things are compared using the words "like" or '"as," this is called a simile. The comparison is usually made between two things that are essentially unlike. Two examples are: "Mary is as beautiful as a rising sun" or "Those flowers are as delicate as a spider web."
- Similar to a simile, a metaphor compares two things that are not alike, but the metaphor does not use the words "like" or "as." "Life is a hard road" is an example of a metaphor. Some metaphors are not directly stated; they are merely suggested. These types of metaphors are called "implied metaphors." There are also extended metaphors in which the comparison is drawn out throughout an entire poem.
- A hyperbole is an exaggeration. This type of figurative language is used by poets and writers for special effect. Shakespeare uses hyperbole in Macbeth: "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?"
- A figure of speech that brings together ideas or terms that are opposites is an oxymoron. Examples include "living death," "wise fool," and "sweet sorrow." Oxymorons are usually created with just two or three opposing words.
- Personification is when the writer gives human qualities to something that is not human. Poets often use this type of figurative language to breathe life into nonhuman objects like trees or sunsets. For example: "The sharp teeth of the cold wind bit through my overcoat." The cold wind doesn't have teeth to bite with, so this is an example of personification.
- Metonymy is a figure of speech in which one thing is used to stand for itself. Examples include "crown" for a king, "sails" for ships, and "White House" for the United States President.
