Question

Identify the figurative language and define it.

Answer 1

In this excerpt we identify the following figurative language: “He trampled all over my feelings”. Figurative language, or non-literal language, uses words in a way that changes the original, literal or conventionally accepted definition of a phrase. In other words, we can take a simple phrase and transform it into something more powerful and meaningful. 'Similes' and 'metaphors' are two of the most popular forms of figurative language. Similes, on the one hand, make comparisons using the words “like” and “as”. For example, “She sings like an angel”. Metaphors, on the other hand, make more complex and indirect comparisons as in the following example: “Love is a battlefield”.  

In the excerpt “He trampled all over my feelings”, the writer does not want to say that his feelings have been literally trampled or stamped by someone else, but that he feels devastated because his invitation to dance has been turned-down.