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Figurative Language and Rap Music
(connecting rap music with poetry - figurative language definitions and examples)

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Rap Music and poetry are full of Figurative Language. Here is a guide for identifying and using figurative language in hip-hop and poetry. Each figurative language term has a pronunciation guide, a definition, and an example. Rap is poetry, and a lot of poetry is rap. Also check out examples of metaphors in popular hip-hop page.

Simile, (SIH-muh-lee): a comparison between two or more things using the words like or as.
example: "I move fast like a cheetah on the Serengeti."

Metaphor, (MET-uh-for): a comparison between two or more things that doesn't use the words like or as.
example: "You are an ant, while I'm the lion."

Alliteration, (ah-LIT-er-AY-shon): a phrase with a string of words all beginning with the same sound.
example: "Five freaky females finding sales at retail."

Hyperbole, (hie-PER-buh-lee): an exageration.
example: "I fought a million rappers in an afternoon in June."

Personification, (per-son-if-ih-KAY-shon): giving an animal or object human-like characteristics.
example: "Alright, the sky misses the sun at night."

Paradox, (PARE-uh-docks): a statement that seems untrue, that seems to contradict itself.
example: "The poorest man is the richest, and the rich are poor."

Symbol, (SIM-bull): something that stands for something else (often something more abstract).
example: In Tupac Shakur's song Me and My Girlfriend, the "girflfriend" referenced is actually his gun.

Apostrophe, (uh-POS-troe-fee): a figure of speech that addresses (talks to) a dead or nonpresent person, or an object.
example: "O, King Vitamin cereal, you blow my mind!"