Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The Power of Words: Figurative Language

How much power do you think your words hold? After commemorating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. yesterday, we will focus today on an aspect of his life in which he excelled: giving powerful, life-changing speeches.

The greatest speakers throughout history have used a combination of vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar, and - for today's lesson - figurative language to move their listeners to action. We've already seen powerful examples of figurative language in our book, and we'll look at some real-examples today.

TODAY'S LESSON

1. Your first task is to refresh in your mind the major types of figurative language. Do that by going to the link below:

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

2. Second, in your books, read Eli Wiesel's Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Note the figurative language he uses in his speech. Leave comments that give an example of figurative language he used and explains them. (I have left an example)

WIESEL'S SPEECH

3. Look for the following types of figurative language.
    1. Metaphor
    2. Simile
    3. Imagery
    4. Symbolism
    5. Personification
    6. Hyperbole
    7. Imagery

32 comments:

  1. SIMILE

    "Without memory, our existence would be barren and opaque, like a prison cell into which no light penetrates"

    Wiesel emphasizes the importance of memory by comparing a life without memories to a prison cell of complete darkness. Memory provides light and guidance in times and places of oppression and struggle. Without it, we would be left captive and imprisoned with no light.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "dreams reflect the past and hope summons the future"
    Hyperbole- he uses this to express that you have to have hope.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is not a hyperbole. This is more like advice.

      Delete
  3. "Children looked like old men, old men whimpered like children"

    Wiesel explains that their is a new world that has changed people's out look on life. Childrens personality changed as the world became more destructive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What kind of figurative language is this?

      Delete
    2. You left out that this was a simile.

      Delete
    3. No Figureative language label

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    4. But you can tell its a simile if you read it !!!!

      Delete
  4. Mankind jewel of his creation.
    Metaphor- he uses this to state that man is great creation.

    ReplyDelete
  5. "if god wishes to remember our suffering all will be well; If he refuses all will be lost"
    This quote is somewhat of a hyberbole because it is either completely one way or completely the other way, there is no in between.

    "the tears of mothers driven to madness"
    This quote is imagery describing the emotional pain that mothers went through during the holocaust.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hyperbole

    God and God alone can and must remember everything

    God is the superior to mankind, and only he can proceed in knowing everything.

    Metaphor

    It is memory that will save humanity

    The mermories that humanity writes down for the next generation it will cause the previous generation not to follow in the wrong foot steps.

    ReplyDelete
  7. " Thus, the rejection of memory becomes a divine curse, one that would doom us to repeat pas disasters, past wars."
    He is saying if we forget all the horrible things that have happened in wars in the past, we will repeat them and put people through that same suffering again.because if people forget the bad, it will only happen again because nobody will stop it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What kind of figurative language is this?

      Delete
  8. Remembering is a noble and necessary act. Simile, this quote is saying remembering is a necessary act of life. Because if we didn't remember anything, where would we be

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is not a simile. There is no "like" or "as." The quote is merely a statement.

      Delete
    2. It's a metaphor! Sorry I made a mistake you guys

      Delete
  9. Personification

    Memory saved Besht, and if anything can, it is memory that will save Humanity.
    This is personification because memory can not really save you litterity. Wiesel is trying to get you to understand that memory is important.

    Imagery

    Children looked like old men, old men whispered like children.
    This gives a picture of little kids that look old and old men crying. Wiesel is trying to show the damage that was caused and how it affected them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The second one is also a simile

      Delete
    2. The second one is more like a smilie

      Delete
  10. Just as a man cannot live without dreams, he cannot live without hope.

    This means that without dreams a person can't hope for anything cause hopes and dreams are connected

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Striped of possessions all human ties were severed.

      This is personification because it states a qualities that humans have

      Delete
  11. "It seemed as impossible to concieve of Auschwitz with God as To conceive of Auschwitz without God."

    Simile

    Elie Wiesel is stating that it will be just as difficult to with stand Auschwitz with the help of God as it would be without the help of God. Wiesel is saying Auschwitz is a very difficult place to overcome and can be overwhelming at times.

    ;)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Without the ability to forget man, would live in permanent paralyzing fear of death.
    Wiesel is trying to tell that some memory's are worth storing and some are worth forgetting about. The bad memory can keep you from your happy ones.
    Metaphor.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Metaphor

    "A world where the past no longer counted, no longer meant any thing."

    Wiesel is saying that nothing matters anymore, because that person had lost everything and everybody in their life. That there is no reason to live or try to be the best cause nothing matters.

    Metaphor

    "War leaves no victors, only victims."

    This is saying that, when there is a war everybody is effected in a negative way. Many people lose their lives and/ or personal things.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Men and women from all across Europe we're suddenly reduced to nameless and faceless creatures.
    Here he showing how people were turned into nothing but creatures made to fill space.
    This is showing an example of metaphor.

    The Great Historian Shimon Dubnov, served as our leader and inspiration.
    Here they are using him to show that he was there spiritual guider by which they mean God.
    This is showing an example of a simile

    ReplyDelete
  15. "children looked like old men, old men whispered like children."

    Smilie and imagery

    Wiesel is describing how the young children look like they are old and the old people stay quiet and whisper like the little children.

    ;)

    ReplyDelete
  16. " the memory of death will serve as a shield against death"
    Simile - This is saying that if the memory of those who died is not forgotten, then future deaths can be avoided.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The Talmud tells us that even by saving a single human being, Man can save the world. Personification, thetalmud cannot actually say something

    Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair. Alliteration, repeats " I remember" and " I despair"

    ReplyDelete
  18. If dreams reflect the past, hope summons the future"

    Although hope is not a living creature, it still has a mind of its own. Hope is what keeps us moving through life because it's what we want to see in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The smiley face is unnecessary

    ReplyDelete