Definition of Figures of speech II JSS1 Literature-in-English Lesson Note

Subject: Literature in English
Class: JSS 1
Duration: 40 minutes
Topic: Definition of Figures of Speech

LESSON OBJECTIVES

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1. Explain what figures of speech are
2. Understand why writers use figures of speech
3. Identify simple figures of speech in sentences
4. Give basic examples of common figures of speech
5. Appreciate how figures of speech make language interesting

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE

Students can read and understand simple sentences. They know basic vocabulary and can identify nouns, verbs, and adjectives. They understand the difference between literal meaning (actual) and non-literal meaning (not exactly what it says).

TEACHING AIDS

• Whiteboard and markers
• Chart with examples of figures of speech
• Pictures illustrating literal vs figurative meanings
• Flashcards with sample sentences

INTRODUCTION (5 minutes)

The teacher writes two sentences on the board:

1. “I am very hungry.”
2. “I am so hungry I could eat a horse.”

The teacher asks:

• What is the difference between these two sentences?
• In sentence 2, will the person really eat a horse?
• Why do people say things like this?

Students share their ideas.

The teacher explains: “The second sentence uses a special way of speaking called a figure of speech. Today we will learn what this means and why it makes our language more interesting.”

LESSON DEVELOPMENT

STEP 1: What Are Figures of Speech? (10 minutes)

Simple Definition

Figures of speech are special ways of using words that go beyond their normal, everyday meanings. They are expressions that paint pictures in our minds and make language more colorful and interesting.

Think of them as “special effects” in language – like special effects in movies make scenes more exciting, figures of speech make language more exciting.

Literal vs. Figurative

To understand figures of speech, we must know the difference between literal and figurative language.

Literal Language: Says exactly what it means. The words mean their normal, dictionary definitions.

Examples:

• “The sun is bright” – The sun really is bright
• “I am happy” – I really feel happy
• “The dog is barking” – The dog is actually making barking sounds

Figurative Language: Says one thing but means something different. The words create a picture or comparison to express ideas in interesting ways.

Examples:

• “She is a shining star” – She is not actually a star, but this means she is special and talented
• “Time flies” – Time does not have wings, but this means time passes quickly
• “He has a heart of stone” – His heart is not actually made of stone, but this means he is cold and unfeeling

Why We Cannot Take Figures of Speech Literally

If we took figures of speech literally (exactly as written), they would be silly or impossible:

“It’s raining cats and dogs”

• Literal meaning: Cats and dogs are falling from the sky (impossible!)
• Figurative meaning: It is raining very heavily (makes sense!)

“I’m over the moon”

• Literal meaning: I am floating in space above the moon (impossible!)
• Figurative meaning: I am extremely happy (makes sense!)

“Break a leg!”

• Literal meaning: Hurt yourself by breaking your leg bone (terrible!)
• Figurative meaning: Good luck! (friendly and kind!)

Class Activity: Teacher shows pictures:

• Picture 1: A person literally eating a horse
• Picture 2: A person eating a big meal

Students identify which picture shows the literal meaning and which shows what “I could eat a horse” really means.

STEP 2: Why Do We Use Figures of Speech? (8 minutes)

1. To Make Language More Interesting

Plain language can be boring. Figures of speech add color and excitement.

Plain: The food was good. With figure of speech: The food was heavenly! (Comparing food to heaven makes it sound really delicious)

Plain: She runs fast. With figure of speech: She runs like the wind. (More exciting and creates a picture in your mind)

2. To Create Pictures in Our Minds

Figures of speech help us see, hear, smell, taste, or feel things in our imagination.

Example: “The classroom was a zoo.”

This creates a picture of a noisy, chaotic classroom full of wild behavior – much more vivid than just saying “The classroom was noisy.”

3. To Express Strong Feelings

When we have strong emotions, plain words are not enough. Figures of speech express feelings powerfully.

Example:

• Instead of “I am very sad,” we might say “My heart is broken.”
• Instead of “I am very angry,” we might say “I am boiling with rage.”

4. To Make Ideas Clearer

Sometimes figures of speech help explain difficult ideas by comparing them to familiar things.

Example: “The internet is a highway of information.”

This helps us understand that the internet is a way to travel through and access lots of information, just like a highway is a way to travel to different places.

5. To Make Language Beautiful

Poetry, songs, and stories use figures of speech to sound beautiful and artistic.

Example from a song: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.”

Obviously a person is not actual sunshine, but this beautiful comparison shows deep love and appreciation.

6. To Say More with Fewer Words

Figures of speech pack a lot of meaning into short expressions.

Example: “He kicked the bucket.”

This short phrase means “He died” but sounds less harsh and direct. It says a lot with few words.

7. To Be Creative and Original

Anyone can say ordinary things in ordinary ways. Figures of speech show creativity and make your language special and memorable.

Ordinary: My teacher is very knowledgeable. Creative: My teacher is a walking encyclopedia.

8. To Add Humor

Many figures of speech are funny and make people smile or laugh.

Example: “I’m so hungry I could eat an elephant.”

This is funny because we know the person cannot actually eat an elephant, but the exaggeration makes us smile while understanding they are very hungry.

Real-Life Examples

We use figures of speech every day without thinking:

In Conversation:

• “I’m dead tired” (very tired)
• “That test was a piece of cake” (very easy)
• “I’ve told you a million times” (many times)

In Songs:

• “You light up my life”
• “Love is a battlefield”
• “I’m walking on sunshine”

In Advertisements:

• “Finger-lickin’ good” (Kentucky Fried Chicken)
• “Red Bull gives you wings”
• “Have a break, have a Kit Kat”

In Proverbs:

• “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush”
• “Don’t cry over spilled milk”
• “Actions speak louder than words”

Class Discussion:

Teacher asks: “Can you think of any special sayings your parents or grandparents use that don’t mean exactly what the words say?”

Students share examples from home and discuss what they really mean.

STEP 3: Basic Types of Figures of Speech (12 minutes)

There are many types of figures of speech. Let us look at the most common ones with simple explanations.

1. SIMILE

What it is: A comparison using “like” or “as”

Easy way to remember: If you see “like” or “as” comparing two things, it is probably a simile.

Examples:

• She is as brave as a lion
• He swims like a fish
• The baby’s skin is as soft as silk
• Your room is like a pigsty
• My brother eats like a pig

How to spot it: Look for “like” or “as” making a comparison.

2. METAPHOR

What it is: A comparison that says something IS something else (without using “like” or “as”)

Easy way to remember: It calls something by a different name to make a comparison.

Examples:

• Life is a journey
• Time is money
• She is a star
• He is a snake
• The classroom is a zoo

How to spot it: One thing is called another thing directly (uses “is” or “are”).

3. PERSONIFICATION

What it is: Giving human qualities to non-human things

Easy way to remember: If an object, animal, or idea acts like a human, it is personification.

Examples:

• The sun smiled down on us (sun cannot smile)
• The wind whispered through the trees (wind cannot whisper)
• Time marches on (time cannot march)
• The flowers danced in the breeze (flowers cannot dance)
• My alarm clock screams at me every morning (clocks cannot scream)

How to spot it: Non-human things doing human actions or having human feelings.

4. HYPERBOLE

What it is: Extreme exaggeration

Easy way to remember: Making something sound much bigger, more, or worse than it really is.

Examples:

• I’m so hungry I could eat a horse (you cannot really eat a whole horse)
• I’ve told you a million times (not actually a million)
• This bag weighs a ton (bags do not weigh a ton)
• I’m dying of thirst (not actually dying)
• I waited forever (not literally forever)

How to spot it: The statement is obviously an impossible exaggeration.

5. ONOMATOPOEIA

What it is: Words that sound like what they mean

Easy way to remember: The word makes the sound it describes.

Examples:

• Buzz (sound a bee makes)
• Bang (sound of explosion)
• Splash (sound of water)
• Meow (sound a cat makes)
• Crash (sound of collision)
• Sizzle (sound of frying)

How to spot it: The word imitates a real sound.

6. ALLITERATION

What it is: Repeating the same sound at the beginning of nearby words

Easy way to remember: Same starting sound repeated.

Examples:

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers (P sound repeats)
• She sells seashells by the seashore (S sound repeats)
• Big brown bears (B sound repeats)
• Tiny timid tortoise (T sound repeats)

How to spot it: Same consonant sound starts multiple words close together.

Simple Practice

Teacher writes sentences on the board. Students identify which figure of speech each one uses:

1. “The stars danced in the sky” – Personification
2. “He is as tall as a tree” – Simile
3. “I’m so tired I could sleep for a year” – Hyperbole
4. “The bee buzzed around the flower” – Onomatopoeia
5. “My teacher is a walking encyclopedia” – Metaphor

STEP 4: How to Identify Figures of Speech (5 minutes)

Simple Steps:

Step 1: Read the sentence carefully

Step 2: Ask yourself:

• Does this mean exactly what it says, or something different?
• If it means something different, it is probably a figure of speech

Step 3: Look for clues:

• “Like” or “as” = probably simile
• Something IS something else = probably metaphor
• Non-human thing acting human = probably personification
• Obvious exaggeration = probably hyperbole
• Word sounds like the sound = probably onomatopoeia
• Same starting sound repeated = probably alliteration

Step 4: Think about what it really means What is the sentence actually trying to say?

Practice Example:

Sentence: “The thunder roared angrily.”

Step 1: Read it – “The thunder roared angrily”

Step 2: Does thunder really roar? Does it have emotions like anger? No, these are human things.

Step 3: Look for clues – Thunder (non-human) is doing human actions (roaring, feeling angry)

Step 4: This is personification – giving human qualities to thunder

What it really means: The thunder was very loud and sounded frightening.

Important Reminder

You do not need to memorize all the difficult names of figures of speech right now. What is most important is understanding that:

1. Figures of speech say things in special, non-literal ways
2. They make language more interesting
3. They create pictures in our minds
4. They help express ideas and feelings powerfully

Class Activity:

Students work in pairs. Teacher gives each pair a simple sentence. They must create a more interesting version using any figure of speech.

Examples:

Plain: The car is fast. Improved: The car runs like lightning. (simile)

Plain: She is beautiful. Improved: She is a rose. (metaphor)

Plain: The rain was heavy. Improved: The rain poured down like a waterfall. (simile)

EVALUATION (2 minutes)

Questions:

1. What are figures of speech?
2. What is the difference between literal and figurative language?
3. Why do we use figures of speech? (Give two reasons)
4. What does “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse” really mean?
5. Which figure of speech uses “like” or “as”?
6. Which figure of speech gives human qualities to non-human things?
7. Is “The classroom is a zoo” literal or figurative? Why?
8. Give one example of a figure of speech you use in everyday conversation.

CONCLUSION

The teacher reminds students that figures of speech are special ways of using words to make language more interesting, colorful, and powerful. They help us create pictures in people’s minds, express strong feelings, and say ordinary things in extraordinary ways. We use figures of speech every day in conversations, songs, stories, and poems, often without even realizing it. The words do not mean exactly what they say – they mean something different that we understand from the comparison or picture they create. Learning to recognize and use figures of speech will make you better at reading, writing, and speaking. It will help you understand poetry, stories, songs, and everyday expressions. Most importantly, it will make your own language more creative and interesting. As you read books, listen to songs, or have conversations, start noticing figures of speech around you – you will be surprised how common they are!

ASSIGNMENT

1. Definition: In your own words, write what “figures of speech” means (3-5 sentences).
2. Purpose: Write five reasons why people use figures of speech.
3. Literal vs. Figurative: For each sentence below, write whether it is literal or figurative:
   1. The dog is sleeping under the table
   2. Time flies when you are having fun
   3. She drank a glass of water
   4. He has a heart of gold
   5. The baby is crying
4. Real Meaning: What do these figures of speech really mean?
   1. “It’s raining cats and dogs”
   2. “Break a leg!”
   3. “I’m over the moon”
   4. “You are my sunshine”
   5. “That test was a piece of cake”
5. Collection: Find and write down five figures of speech you hear people say at home, in school, or in songs. Write what each one really means.
6. Creation: Write five sentences using figures of speech to describe:
   1. A very hot day
   2. A very happy person
   3. A very fast runner
   4. A very difficult test
   5. A very beautiful sunset