Question

Why is it important to be able to recognize figurative language in literature? Question 9 options:

1) To make English teachers happy
2) To score well on exams
3) To understand an author’s full intent

Answer 1

The right answer is: 3) To understand an author´s full intent. In literature, figurative language enriches the lexicon and refines the meaningful nuances of the words., and in this functionality has the duty to recover certain lost terms and fully expand the colloquial language. The use of figurative language in literature denotes a strong capacity for abstraction on the part for the author and an absolute surrender for language beyond the known meanings.

Answer 2

The correct answer is 3) To understand an author’s full intent.

Indeed, literary authors use figurative language in order to infuse their text with more intense emotional charge and more complex meaning. For that purpose, several figures of speech are used. A metaphor is the classic exampla of figurative speech. A good example is the foloowing:

“Masked, I advance.” Rene Descartes.

Descartes does not literally wear a mask but he uses one figuratively in order to reveal his true self. In literal language the words would be: “ I show an alternative persona in my social interactions who is more akin to who I really am.”