Figurative Language is a Symbolism and a Hyperbole
Symbolism
Symbolism is using symbols to represent ideas. The main character of the poem, Annabel Lee, is a symbol for Edgar Allan Poe's dead wife, Virginia Poe. The sea is a powerful, unpredictable element of nature. It is from a sea wind that Annabel Lee gets the chill that kills her. The sea is a looming, ominous presence in the poem and symbolizes loneliness, coldness, and emptiness. In the end, Annabel Lee dies and is put in a sepulchre, or tomb. The sepulchre symbolizes death.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is exaggeration. 'I was a child and she was a child.' This is a line from the poem 'Annabel Lee' in which the narrator talks about Annabel Lee and himself as children. This is hyperbole, or exaggeration, to indicate that Annabel Lee and the narrator were young and in love.
example: Figurative language uses literary devices to go beyond the actual meaning of the words and phrases. It is often used in literature and is the opposite of literal language, which tells things exactly as they are. Figurative language is used in literature because it can give new and hidden meaning to a story. While there are many different types of figurative language, in this lesson we'll look closely at uses and examples of symbolism, hyperbole, personification, and alliteration from 'Annabel Lee.'
