4th Grade Reading & Language Arts — Great Stories of Faith — Reading and Writing
Students will identify and understand similes, metaphors, and personification, especially as used in the Bible.
Figurative language uses words in creative ways to paint pictures in our minds. Instead of saying things plainly, authors use comparisons and word pictures to make their writing more beautiful and meaningful.
A simile compares two things using the words 'like' or 'as.' For example, Psalm 42:1 says, 'As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.' This compares our longing for God to a thirsty deer looking for water.
A metaphor compares two things without using 'like' or 'as.' When Jesus said, 'I am the bread of life' (John 6:35), He did not mean He was actual bread. He meant that just as bread feeds our bodies, He feeds our souls.
Personification gives human qualities to non-human things. Psalm 98:8 says, 'Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.' Rivers cannot really clap, but this language helps us feel the joy of all creation praising God.
The Bible is rich with figurative language because God wants us not only to understand truth but to feel it deeply in our hearts. When we recognize these word pictures, reading becomes even more exciting!
Find three examples of figurative language in the Psalms. Write each verse, identify whether it is a simile, metaphor, or personification, and draw a picture of what the verse describes.