Figurative Comparisons Poetic Devices in Prose Imagery

Figurative Comparisons Poetic Devices in Prose

Imagery • Images make writing more lively. • We can use images to describe directly. • We can also import images through figurative comparisons. • The word sunflower can make sunflowers appear as readily as clip art.

Sensory Details Images are sensory details, things we perceive through the senses.

Simile • A comparison using like or as. • “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? ” William Shakespeare LIKE

Simile in an Essay My grandmother’s house is like a chambered nautilus; it has many rooms. . . Judith Ortiz Cofer “More Room”

Colorful Simile My grandmother’s house. . . rested on its perch like a great blue bird, not a flying sort of bird, more of a nesting hen but with spread wings. Judith Ortiz Cofer “More Room”

Another Simile The more you write the easier it gets, and when you have a True Friend to write to, a compadre, a soul sibling, then it’s like driving a car down a country road, you just get behind the key board and press on the gas. Garrison Keillor “How to Write a Letter”

Similes in a Poem When She Was Here When she was here, Li Bo, she was like a cold summer lager, Like hot pastrami at Katz’s on Houston Street, Like a bright nickname on my downtown express, Like every custardy honey from the old art books: She was quadraphonic Mahler And the perfect little gymnast. Now she’s gone, it’s like a flat Coke on Sunday morning, Like a melted Velveeta on white, eaten Listening to Bobby Vinton— Like the Philadelphia Eagles. Peter Williams

How many parts? • Two stanzas. • A big one and a small one. • A stanza in a poem is like a paragraph in an essay.

Similes in Red When She Was Here When she was here, Li Bo, she was like a cold summer lager, Like hot pastrami at Katz’s on Houston Street, Like a bright nickname on my downtown express, Like every custardy honey from the old art books: She was quadraphonic Mahler And the perfect little gymnast. Now she’s gone, it’s like a flat Coke on Sunday morning, Like a melted Velveeta on white, eaten Listening to Bobby Vinton— Like the Philadelphia Eagles. Peter Williams

Supermarket of the Imagination Shopping for images

O Make a Table O Superior Things O Sorry Things

Something Good to Drink

Shopping for Images Superior Things A tall glass of pink lemonade with plenty of ice on a hot July afternoon Sorry Things

Something Not so Good to Drink

Shopping for Images Superior Things A tall glass of pink lemonade with plenty of ice on a hot July afternoon Mediocre Things Cold coffee

Something Good to Eat

Shopping for Images Superior Things A tall glass of pink lemonade with plenty of ice on a hot July afternoon Thanksgiving turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and all the trimmings Sorry Things Cold coffee

Something not so Tasty

Shopping for Images Superior Things A tall glass of pink lemonade with plenty of ice on a hot July afternoon Sorry Things Cold coffee Thanksgiving turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes, Half a bag of stale potato chips gravy, cranberry sauce and all the trimmings

Fantastic Music

Shopping for Images Superior Things A tall glass of pink lemonade with plenty of ice on a hot July afternoon Soory Things Cold coffee Thanksgiving turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes, Half a bag of stale potato chips gravy, cranberry sauce and all the trimmings Simon and Garfunkel singing “Sound of Silence” in concert at Central Park

Sorry Music

Shopping for Images Superior Things A tall glass of pink lemonade with plenty of ice on a hot July afternoon Sorry Things Cold coffee Thanksgiving turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes, Half a bag of stale potato chips gravy, cranberry sauce and all the trimmings Simon and Garfunkel singing “Sound of Silence” in concert at Central Park Rap music from the neighbors at three o’clock in the morning

Fine Ride

Shopping for Images Superior Things A tall glass of pink lemonade with plenty of ice on a hot July afternoon Sorry Things Cold coffee Thanksgiving turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes, Half a bag of stale potato chips gravy, cranberry sauce and all the trimmings Listening to Simon and Garfunkel singing “Sound of Silence” in concert at Central Park A shiny black 1952 Cadillac parked in front of your house for all the world to see Rap music from the neighbors at three o’clock in the morning

Sorry Ride

Shopping for Images Superior Things A tall glass of pink lemonade with plenty of ice on a hot July afternoon Sorry Things Cold coffee Thanksgiving turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes, Half a bag of stale potato chips gravy, cranberry sauce and all the trimmings Listening to Simon and Garfunkel singing “Sound of Silence” in concert at Central Park Rap music from the neighbors at three o’clock in the morning A shiny black 1952 Cadillac parked in front of your house for all the world to see An old rusted Volkswagen think of another think of a contrast

More Categories Superior Things Catagories Sorry Things Weather Winning $4000 jackpot at Speaking Rock Money Clothes Movies Books Vacations Sports Art TV shows Flowers Stores Your choice Finding three pennies in washing machine

Set up the Two Stanzas When she was here, it Now that she’s gone, it is was LIKE all of these sorry superior things. Like X 6

My Own Poem When she was here, it was Like a tall glass of pink lemonade with ice on a hot July afternoon, Like Thanksgiving turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes, and all the trimmings, Like Simon and Garfunkel singing “Sound of Silence” in Central Park, Like a shiny black 1952 Cadillac parked in front of your house for all the world to see. Like winning a $4000 jackpot at Speaking Rock Like the Arizona Diamondbacks winning the World’s Series in the bottom of the ninth. Now that she’s gone, it’s Like cold coffee, Like half a bag of stale potato chips, Like rap music at three o’clock in the morning, Like a rusted VW beetle, Like finding three pennies in the washing machine, Like watching golf. James Gonzales

Word process your poem. When she was here, it was Like Like Now that she’s gone, it’s Like Like Write Your Own

Poetic License • Use categories you want in whatever order you like. • Switch the order of the stanzas if you want. • Apply to whatever subjects you wish – When I lived in Los Angeles, it was. . . Now that I live in El Paso it is. . . – When Grandpa was still with us, it was. . . Now that he is gone, it is. . . – When I was in high school. . . Now that I’m in college – When he was here, it was like all these sorry things. . . Now that he is gone, it is like all these superior things.