Figurative Language and Sound

Overview

Lesson 4 of 9 in Poetry: Craft, Revise, Perform. Students revisit mentor poems, transform literal statements using figurative language and sound devices, then rehearse and perform selected lines for an audience.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify simile, metaphor, personification and onomatopoeia in poems.
• WALT transform literal ideas to create vivid poetic lines.
• WALT rehearse and perform lines using pace, volume, expression and sound.
• WALT explain how a language choice affects meaning or an audience.

Success criteria

• I can identify four figurative or sound devices and give an example.
• I can transform a literal statement using an appropriate device.
• I can perform a line clearly, using my voice to show its meaning.
• I can explain the effect of a language choice on the reader or listener.

Curriculum links

• Creating and crafting texts: selecting vocabulary, language features and structure for a purpose and audience.
• Reading and responding to texts: identifying how writers use language features to create meaning and effects.
• Speaking and presenting: using voice, expression and delivery to communicate ideas to an audience.
• Communication and collaboration: listening, giving constructive feedback and responding to others’ ideas.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 minutes – Hook and retrieval

Display the literal line: “The rain fell heavily.” Open with the introduction and hook slides and ask: “How could a poet make this line sound, look or feel more powerful?” Students first think independently, then share possible alternatives. Briefly revisit the unit’s focus on crafting, revising and performing poetry.

2. 7–17 minutes – Teach and notice

Use the device teaching slides to review:

• Simile: compares using like or as — “The rain fell like marbles.”
• Metaphor: says one thing is another — “The rain was a drumbeat.”
• Personification: gives human qualities to something non-human — “The rain tapped impatiently.”
• Onomatopoeia: a word that imitates a sound — “Drip, splash, thud.”

Read each example aloud. Students identify the device and discuss what picture, feeling or sound it creates. Clarify that a metaphor does not need to be literally true.

3. 17–28 minutes – Guided transformation

Distribute the figurative language transformation worksheet. Model transforming “The wind moved through the trees” into one example for each device. Pairs complete four further literal statements, choosing a device and explaining its effect. Circulate and conference with students, prompting: “What do you want the audience to imagine, hear or feel?” Check device choices as students work.

4. 28–38 minutes – Device detective

In pairs, students reread selected lines from the mentor poems used earlier in the unit. Open the mentor-poem investigation slides to display the four device names and discussion prompts. Students use the literary devices reference cards as a quick reference, identify one device in a mentor line, and explain its effect on meaning or audience. Invite several pairs to share, accepting different interpretations when supported by the words.

5. 38–50 minutes – Oral rehearsal

Students choose one original line from the worksheet or one mentor line to perform. They rehearse twice with a partner: first for accurate words and clear pronunciation, then experimenting with pace, volume, pause and expression. Partners use the feedback prompts on the rehearsal and feedback slides: “I could picture/hear/feel…” and “Try changing…” Teacher conferences with students who need support and listens for clear identification of the device and its effect.

6. 50–57 minutes – Perform and respond

Invite pairs or small groups to perform selected lines. Before each performance, the speaker names the device; after it, the audience identifies the effect it noticed. Keep feedback specific and respectful, focusing on the language choice and delivery rather than personal judgement.

7. 57–60 minutes – Plenary and exit response

Display the plenary slides. Students complete the final section of the worksheet: “My strongest line is…”, “The device is…”, and “It affects the audience by…”. Take two quick responses and preview the next lesson, where students will revise selected lines for a complete poem.

Resources

• the complete lesson slide deck
• the figurative language transformation worksheet
• the literary devices reference cards
• Mentor poems from earlier lessons
• Whiteboard and pens
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Timer
• Space for paired performances

Assessment

• Listen during pair work and conferencing for accurate device identification and purposeful language choices.
• Check worksheet transformations and explanations for appropriate use of simile, metaphor, personification and onomatopoeia.
• Use performances and partner feedback to assess clarity, vocal expression and explanation of effect.

Differentiation

• Provide a word bank, sentence frames and one completed example for students needing support: “The ___ was like ___ because…” and “The ___ became ___.”
• Allow students to rehearse privately, perform with a partner, or record a line rather than perform alone.
• For EAL learners, use gestures, pictures, sound effects and oral rehearsal before writing; pair with a supportive peer.
• Extend confident writers by combining two devices, revising a line for a particular audience, or explaining how delivery changes its effect.