Figurative Language in The Poet X

Activity Overview

There are so many examples of figurative language present throughout The Poet X, adding to its powerful poetry. In this activity, students will identify figurative language such as similes, metaphors, personification, imagery, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, etc. and illustrate the examples from the text. Teachers may ask them to identify one type of figurative language and find multiple examples, or select one example for different types. To differentiate or scaffold, teachers can provide students with a list of types of figurative language to look out for, or have students identify them on their own!

Examples of Figurative Language in The Poet X

• Metaphor: "It has brought me the most light. And isn't that what a poem is? A lantern glowing in the dark”


• Metaphor: “My brother was birthed a soft whistle: quiet, barely stirring the air, a gentle sound. But I was born all the hurricane he needed to lift - and drop - those that hurt him to the ground”


• Metaphor: "In science we learned that thermal conductivity is how heat flows through some materials better than others. But who knew words, when said by the right person, by a boy who raises your temperature, move heat like nothing else? Shoot a shock of warmth from your curls to your toes?"


• Metaphor: "I wanted to tell her that if Aman were a poet he'd be written slumped across the page, sharp lines, and a witty punch line written on a bodega brown paper bag."


• Simile: “My parents probably wanted a girl who would sit in the pews wearing pretty florals and a soft smile. They got combat boots and a mouth silent until it’s sharp as an island machete"


• Simile: "I thought tenth grade would be different but I still feel like a lone shrimp in a stream where too many are searching for someone with a soft shell to peel apart and crush."


• Simile: "Ms. Galiano is young, has on bright colors, and wears her hair naturally curly. She's also little - like, for real petite - but carries herself big, know what I mean? Like she's used to shouldering her way through any assumptions made about her."


• Imagery: Mami on the Subway - "Mami Works"


• Irony: Mami's harsh interpretation of Christianity


• Irony: Xiomara's meaning of her name "Gave me this gift of battle and now curses how well I live up to it"

Template and Class Instructions

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Frequently Asked Questions about Figurative Language in The Poet X

Why is figurative language important in a story?

Authors use figurative language to assign deeper meaning to their words, and make their writing more poetic. Figurative language such as imagery, metaphor, and personification allows the reader to think more deeply and make more connections.

What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

Similes and metaphors are types of figurative language that make comparisons. A metaphor is a straight comparison where a writer says something is something else. A simile is a comparison using like or as. By comparing two usually unlike things, authors are able to make deep meaning in a faster way.

What does imagery add to a story?

Imagery is the art of painting a picture with words. Authors appeal to the reader's senses and make them see, taste, touch, hear, or smell. Imagery sets the scene and helps the reader to feel like he is there.