Weave Poetry into Narratives

Readers may not be able to identify what is missing when a narrative lacks figurative language, but they know something is missing. Without imagery, words sit on the page like a puddle beside the road leaving the reader wanting more to carry them away. Puddles remain because they do not have enough energy to flow into the storm drain and the best they can hope for is to evaporate into a vapor and eventually cease to exist. Unknown authors are puddles.

In contrast, Martin Luther King, Shakespeare, and Hemingway's words flow like a waterfall. They greet readers with a roaring welcome, force them to pay attention, generate power and action, deposit small drops of inspiration and large splashes. They have developed the art of weaving figurative language into narratives so well readers may not define it but know something special exists.

Figurative language is usually associated with poetry, but some writers miss the opportunity to incorporate it into narrative writing, creating writing that is dry and motionless. Imagery allows the words on paper to evoke pictures in the reader’s mind. It creates descriptions through precise word choices that spark the imagination to be interested and intrigued.

Figurative language

By definition figurative language creates phrases that are not of the normal order, construction, or meaning. These phrases gain strength and freshness in expression. Who doesn’t want their writing to have strength and freshness?

It is easy to describe the temperature outside with a simple statement. It was a hot summer day. However, the reader does not grasp the concept of how hot or the impact of the heat on the surroundings. Compare the following sentences. Each announces it is hot outside but with quite different descriptions.

• The sun beat down with extreme heat during the picnic, causing the Jello salad to flow like Kool-Aid. (simile)
• The melted asphalt was glue that adhered my shoes to the ground making walking to my car nearly impossible. (metaphor)
• The sun’s rays touched my skin creating a burning sensation. (personification)

Below, 4 types of figurative language are defined, followed by examples. Notice the power of the renowned quotes that demonstrate techniques by famous authors.

Alliteration: The repetition of sounds at the beginning of words

• “The whisper of the wind sang in the trees while the rain rapped on the roof.”
• “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” — MLK

Notice the repeated “s” sound in the second example. It presents a smooth, gliding tone that relaxes the audience and increases comfort, possibly opening them up to the persuasion that is to come.

Metaphor: A comparison of two unlike things without using like or as

• “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.” — William Shakespeare
• “It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note [the Constitution] insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” — MLK

The second example is an extended metaphor because it is longer than a sentence and extends throughout several parts of the speech. The promises stated in the Constitution are compared to a bank check that promises money from a bank account with a zero balance. King challenge Americans to recognize the promise given to them is not fulfilled.

Personification: The portrayal of a non-human object with human characteristics

• “The house opened its doors welcoming.”
• “But the old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. The moon affects her as it does a woman, he thought.”- From The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway gives life to the sea while providing her an excuse for her behavior.

Simile: The comparison of two unlike things by using like or as

• “The Indian chief was colorful and proud like a peacock.”
• “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” — MLK

The dream of justice is compared to the refreshing, free flow of a stream. Similes gain their power by linking common items and experiences to new ideas. By doing this the writer allows the reader to make connections to familiar things.

Maybe all writers should release their inner poet

Writers explore multiple genres that all have the potential to capture a reader. Drama pulls the audience onto a stage. Memoirs share experiences. Stories create characters who become our best friends or enemies. Often the connections between the words and the human are built by carefully crafted figurative language. The next time you take pen to paper, practice changing the order of the word, manipulate the construction of the phrases, and mishmash meaning so that the person on the other side of the paper is captivated and unable to escape from the power of the expressions.