Metaphor, Simile, Onomatopoeia, and Hyperbole Worksheet

Metaphor, Simile, Onomatopoeia, and Hyperbole Worksheet

Section 1: Metaphor

Metaphors are imaginative ways to describe something by comparing that thing to something else. For example, if I wanted to say that Dan is tall, I could say that Dan is a giant.
Use a metaphor to describe somebody who is: /
tall
kind
fast
slow
smart
fat
sneaky
angry
beautiful
ugly
stubborn
short
thin
silly / He is a giant.
She is an angel.

Section 2:

/ Similes are a way to compare two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. For example, if I want to say that somebody swims well, I can say they swim like a fish because fish swim well. There are two basic patterns that you can use.

Pattern 1:

like / verb + like + noun
Examples / She plays like a pro.
He walks like a duck.
She acts like a fool.

Pattern 2:

as / as + adjective + as + noun
Examples / He is as graceful as a swan.
She is as sneaky as a fox.
He is as quiet as a mouse.

How could I say that somebody:

runs fast
is pretty
jumps well
is strong

How could I say that something:

is hard
feels soft
is sweet
feels rough
is heavy
sounds noisy
is light

Section 3: Hyperbole:

Hyperbole Worksheet

Friday night I went disco dancing, and when I woke up on Saturday my feet were killing me! Mom ordered me to clean my room – or else. All day long I worked my fingers to the bone getting things together so I’d be free to go out that evening. I was dying to see the new movie at the Center Cinema. When I finished, however, I was so tired I couldn’t move.

Obviously, the author has emphasized certain points by means of exaggeration. A much exaggerated statement is called a hyperbole. Hyperboles are attention-getters, but can become clichés if overused.

Part I: Create some attention getting, original hyperboles in response to the following lines of dialogue.

1. Don’t you think the TV is too loud?

The TV is so loud______.

1. Are you really going to eat the entire hot fudge brownie sundae?

I’m so hungry______.

1. Look at that incredible amount of snow piled up outside.

The snow is so deep that______.

1. Do you really want to go to the movies? I mean, don’t you have too much homework to do?

I have so much homework______.

1. Look at that poor old dog. He can hardly walk.

That dog is so old______.

1. Weren’t you frightened by the roller coaster?

I was so frightened______.

Section 4: Onomatopoeia: The formation or use of words that are intended to sound like what they represent.

Match the onomatopoeia with the noun.

ItemSound

Turkeyschug

Soda poppop-pop-pop

Popcorn poppingpeep! peep!

Henssplash-splash-splash

Baby robinsfizzle

Rain dropsgarble

Water coming out of a juggobble

Highlight the onomatopoeia in the rest of these sentences.

The old engine chugged down the rickety track.

The hard-hit tennis ball whistled by my ear.

The truck’s brakes screeched in the distance.

The old floor creaked as we walked slowly across it.

The rain beat on the metal barn roof.

The fire crackled and popped on a cold night.

His guitar strings twanged the sad melody

Final Task:

Write a paragraph that uses all 4 poetic devices that we looked at, hyperbole, metaphor, simile, and onomatopoeia. Please underline each device and indicate which one is by putting an ‘H’, ‘M’, ‘S’, or ‘O’.