Figurative Language in Where the Red Fern Grows

The author uses many different types of figurative language throughout the story. Some other examples of figurative language that are used are similes, metaphors, personification, idioms, and onomatopoeia. For this activity, students will identify and illustrate three examples of figurative language in Where the Red Fern Grows. Teachers may want to give the students a list of examples, or have them do a “scavenger hunt” either as they read or as an activity after reading.

Examples of Figurative Language from Where the Red Fern Grows

• Page 15: “He swelled up like a sitting hen.” (Simile)
• Page 17: “His voice seemed to bore its way through the pillow and ring in my ears.” (Personification)
• Page 22: “All through that summer I worked like a beaver.” (Simile)
• Page 33: “My straw-colored hair was long and shaggy, and was brushed out like a corn tassel that had been hit by a wind.” (Simile)
• Page 44: “My face was as red as a fox’s tail.” (Simile)
• Page 68: “He put his thinking cap on and thought the situation over.” (Idiom)
• Page 79: “I was as nervous as Samie, our house cat.” (Simile)
• Page 82: “A big grinning Ozark moon had the countryside bathed in a soft yellow glow.” (Personification)
• Page 109: “The wind itself seemed to be angry at the big tree’s stubborn resistance.” (Personification)
• Page 127: “When the wind started blowing, everything froze, leaving the ground as slick as glass.” (Simile)
• Page 184: “It was no wonder that my heart was bursting with happiness. Wasn’t I the luckiest boy in the world?” (Idiom)