Figurative vs. Literal Language: Key Literary Devices

Introduction: The Power and Peril of Literary Devices

In literature, authors have a plethora of literary devices they can use to engage the reader and make their words more powerful. These tools give the author the ability to convey far more than plain language alone would allow. Unfortunately, this abundance of potential literary tools can, in less skilled hands, make written language very difficult to comprehend. One of the most frequent offenses in literature is an author's confusion between figurative and literal language. In order to prevent such errors, it is best to become well acquainted with the terms of literary usage so that each device can be employed in its proper context.

Idioms, Analogies, and Comparisons

An idiom is an expression whose meaning is separate from the definitions of the individual words that compose it. Idioms are cultural expressions that will usually not translate outside of their cultural context (Bradshaw 2012). Some idioms are specific to the community in which they are used and will not be intelligible outside of that region. A well-known example is the phrase "raining cats and dogs." Of course, the sky is not actually releasing animals — only drops of water.

An analogy is a comparison between two things in which the connection observed in one context is carried over to illuminate another set of circumstances. In literary terms, analogy can be used to compare characters or plot devices to real-world situations. A clear example arises when someone is a duplicitous or dishonest employee. If a supervisor asks your opinion of this individual and you respond, "He is as honest an employee as Richard Nixon was a President of the United States," you are drawing an analogy. Nixon was, of course, one of the most underhanded and deceitful men ever to hold the office, and he resigned before he could be impeached for his criminal actions. By suggesting that the employee shares the same level of integrity, the speaker makes an analogy that is decidedly not in the employee's favor.

Metaphor and Simile

A metaphor is a comparison in which one thing is defined as another. The classic example is the expression "men are pigs." This phrase is most often used to describe a particularly sexist male who minimizes and marginalizes women. The men in question are compared to animals — and to a lowly order of animals at that — making the simple statement that men who hold such archaic ideas are no better than farm animals, as though they had never evolved.

Similes work on a similar principle to metaphors in that two distinctly different things are compared. However, a simile requires the use of the words "like" or "as" to make the comparison. Authors frequently use similes to describe everything from personality traits to weather conditions. In the classic fairy tale "Snow White," the title character is famously described as having "lips as red as blood, hair as black as ebony, and skin as white as snow." Each of the character's features is compared to something that shares its color. This serves to impress upon the reader the exact shade described, producing a far more specific image than a simple statement that she had red lips, black hair, and white skin.

Conclusion: The Author's Responsibility

All of the literary devices discussed above share one thing in common: if used incorrectly, they can take an otherwise intelligent and thought-provoking piece of writing and reduce it to something of far less value. When writing, it is the author's responsibility to ensure that their intended meaning is always clear. To accomplish this, the author must be aware of the tools of the trade — and must know when, and indeed whether, each one should be used. A strong command of figurative and literal language is therefore not merely a stylistic advantage but an essential foundation of effective writing.

Works Cited

Bradshaw, Robert. "Figures of Speech." 2012.

Sullivan, Frank. "The Cliche Expert Testifies." The Roosevelt Era. Boni and Gaer: New York, 1947.