Enhance your writing using figurative language
Today’s blog is about enhancing your prose with figurative language, using the book i never metaphor i didn’t like by Dr. Mardy Grothe as a reference.
Firstly, what is prose and figurative language?
Prose is language that transmits information and ideas. It’s ordinary writing with sentences and paragraphs, without any rhyming structure to it.
Figurative language, according to the Macquarie Little Dictionary, means words or phrases not used with their ordinary, straightforward meaning, but used to create an ímage.
Enhancing your creative writing with figurative language can transform a dull piece of work to something truly beautiful and memorable. It adds real spice to prose, but like any spice, it’s to be added sparingly – take care not to overdo it!
In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
Albert Camus
We’re going to explore the major stylistic tools of figurative writing – metaphors, similes and analogies.
Metaphor
With metaphor there’s a comparison between two things, but it presents the comparison as though it were literally true.
For example:
Literal meaning: She was very depressed.
Metaphor: Her heart was dragging her through a sea of despair, not giving her any air, threatening to drown her at any moment.
The image of being dragged through a sea conjures up all the sights, sounds and feelings of a vast ocean, making it more palpable and interesting to the reader.
Simile
A simile is saying one thing is like something else. Words such as ‘like’ and ‘as’ are often used in the sentence.
For example:
Literal: teaching school is draining and exhausting.
Simile: teaching school is like having jumper cables hooked to your brain, draining all the juice out of you.
The above sentence is a quote from the famous horror writer Stephen King, describing his tiring experience of school teaching.
Analogy
An analogy is stating a relationship between two things to make some sort of explanatory point.
For example:
Literal: It’s not good for a person to be envious.
Analogy: As iron is eaten away by rust, so the envious are consumed by their own passion.
The above analogy is yet another quote, this time from a Greek philosopher called Antisthenes, who lived in the fourth century B.C.
Besides spicing things up, what other advantages are there of including figurative language in your writing?
It creates vivid imagery
Figurative language can put strong images in the reader’s mind.
For example:
Literal: the city was busy.
Figurative: the city buzzed like a hive, each person a bee in the pursuit of daily nectar.
It adds emotional depth
It allows you to present emotions in a way that otherwise might be difficult to articulate.
It makes abstract concepts concrete
Abstract concepts like love and fear can be challenging to describe in writing. Figurative language helps to make these concepts more concrete in the mind. For example, consider these sentences:
Literal: His love for her was very strong.
Figurative: His love for her was like a fortress, unyielding and steadfast against life’s storms.
WEIRD WORD OF THE DAY: UNCTUOUS. Meaning oily or greasy. Can also mean oily or greasy in manner. This means to be excessively suave, lacking sincerity.
It develops the characters
Figurative language can reveal aspects of a character’s personality in a more engaging way.
For example:
Literal: He was a courageous man.
Figurative: He stood like an oak in the face of his enemies, his courage unwavering.
It enhances the narrative voice
Figurative language contributes to the narrative voice of your writing. It can help establish a distinctive style and make your prose more interesting.
For example:
Literal: the garden was very nice.
Figurative: the garden had a vibrant tapestry of colours – it had roses that blushed like the dawn and daisies that winked under the sun’s gaze.
I’m going to finish up with a metaphorical quote from the famous artist, Vincent Van Gogh:
One may have a blazing hearth in one’s soul and yet no one ever comes to sit by it. Passerby see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on the way.
To me, this expresses how one might look ordinary on the surface, but have a torrent of emotions and passions going on inside. And one of the great things about art – be it sculpture, music, poetry, painting or writing – is that it’s an avenue available to us to channel these thoughts and emotions into something positive. And unburden ourselves of them at the same time!
I’m going to add a quick side note about Vincent Van Gogh here (because I’ve studied him at art college and I think he’s awesome):
Van Gogh (1853- 1890) was a Dutch painter who became very famous and influential in Western Art. Today, his paintings are worth millions; however, he wasn’t successful when he was alive, only managing to sell one painting. His brother Theo supported him financially so he could pursue his artistic lifestyle. Unfortunately, he suffered mental health problems such as psychotic episodes and delusions (he famously severed his left ear), often neglecting his physical health. He sadly died by suicide, aged only 37, but the thousands of art works he created has left behind a lasting legacy.
WRITING PROMPT: Write a story about a family who hide a terrible secret, using a metaphor or analogy or simile in your passage.
P.S. NOTES FROM THE DESK: I’m still trying to train myself out of a youtube viewing addiction. Yesterday I estimated I spent three hours on youtube. Three hours! Far out, it’s a lotta time. I’ve just bought an interesting book, and haven’t even gone near it yet. I miss reading. Something has to change – my brain is literally getting toasted by the internet. I’ve got this – I’m going to force myself to read more in my down time. My books need me.
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