Chorus
Sometimes what you
mean is not exactly what you say
That’s figurative language, using words
in different ways
Personification, alliteration, assonance, hyperbole
Onomatopoeia, metaphor, and simile
Verse I
When Sally seems
to sit somewhere separate from Sonia, Or Caleb calls Chris ‘cause he’s coming to California It’s called
alliteration: that’s what occurs When you got the same sound at the start
of every word
But when you’ve got a vowel sound that keeps sounding the same That’s a figure called assonance, yeah, that’s its name It’s what I’m trying to define by providing this example But
I cannot deny that assonance can be a handful
Chorus
Sometimes
what you mean is not exactly what you say
That’s figurative language,
using words in different ways
Personification, alliteration, assonance, hyperbole
Onomatopoeia, metaphor, and simile
Verse II
A simile is something that you use to compare
Two unrelated things with an element that’s shared My mind
is like an ocean; it’s as smooth as jazz But it’s only a simile if it uses “like” or “as”
A
metaphor is similar, but watch out! Be careful ’cause you’ve got to
leave “like” and “as” out My mind is an ocean; my words are a river, So keep your ears open as I continue
to deliver
Chorus
Sometimes
what you mean is not exactly what you say
That’s figurative language,
using words in different ways
Personification, alliteration, assonance, hyperbole
Onomatopoeia, metaphor, and simile
Verse III
Now if the sun’s smiling down, or the boat hugged the shore That’s personification, nothing less, nothing more
But with a buzz or a ding or a hiss or a roar That’s onomatopoeia that we’re using for sure
Hyperbole: man, that’s
like a million times harder!
Take something true, then exaggerate it way farther
Now you’ve heard this song from
beginning to the finish
Now you’ve got some tools to draw your literary image