A. Literacy Connections and Applications / C. Comprehension: Understanding and Responding to Texts · Understanding and Responding to TextsWord Magic: Metaphors and Assonance
C3.1 C1.5About 40 minutes
Learning goals- I can find a metaphor and explain what two things it compares.
- I can tell a metaphor from a simile.
- I can hear assonance (repeated vowel sounds) in a line of writing.
- I can explain how metaphors and assonance help a writer communicate meaning.
Words to know
literary device
A special tool writers use with words to create pictures, sounds or feelings.
simile
A comparison that uses like or as: The snow was as soft as feathers.
metaphor
A comparison that says one thing is another thing, without like or as: The snow was a soft blanket.
vowel
The letters a, e, i, o, u (and sometimes y), and the sounds they make.
assonance
When the same vowel sound repeats in words close together: Go slow on the cold road.
consonance
When the same consonant sound repeats in words close together: pitter-patter.
Remember from Grade 2
In Grade 2 you learned two literary devices:
- A simile compares using like or as: The ice was as smooth as glass.
- Consonance repeats consonant sounds: I tucked my socks in quick.
In Grade 3 you will learn their cousins: the metaphor and assonance.
Hook: Is the classroom really a zoo?
Your teacher sighs and says, "This classroom is a zoo!"
Are there lions and monkeys in your classroom? No! The teacher means the class is loud, wild and busy, like a zoo. That is a metaphor.
Metaphors
A metaphor compares two different things by saying one thing is the other. It does not use like or as.
- Simile: Grandpa's snoring is like a freight train.
- Metaphor: Grandpa's snoring is a freight train.
Both compare snoring to a train (loud and rumbly). The metaphor is stronger: it says the snoring is the train!
Remember the text Snow Is a Warm Blanket from the main idea lesson? That title is a metaphor too. Snow isn't really a blanket, but it keeps things warm like one.
How to figure out a metaphor
- Find the two things being compared.
- Ask: How are they alike?
- Explain what the writer wants you to picture or feel.
Worked exampleLet's figure out a metaphor
Her smile was a ray of sunshine.
- Two things: her smile and a ray of sunshine.
- **Is there like or as? No, it says her smile was a ray of sunshine. So it's a metaphor**.
- How are they alike? Sunshine is bright, warm and makes people feel good.
- Meaning: Her smile was bright and warm and made people around her happy.
It's a metaphor. It means her smile was bright and warm and made others feel happy.
A metaphor says one thing is another. To understand it, find the two things and ask how they are alike.Read: Night in the Forest
The moon is a lantern hanging high, the lake is a mirror for the sky. The pines are soldiers, straight and tall, the owl is the keeper of them all. The night is a quilt, so deep and wide. I sleep and dream, all cozy inside.
Worked exampleLet's find the metaphors in the poem
Find the metaphors in Night in the Forest and explain two of them.
- Look for is or are comparisons: The moon is a lantern. The lake is a mirror. The pines are soldiers. The owl is the keeper. The night is a quilt. That's 5 metaphors!
- The lake is a mirror: A calm lake reflects the sky, just like a mirror reflects you. I picture the moon and stars shining on the still water.
- The pines are soldiers: Soldiers stand straight and tall in rows, and they guard. The trees stand tall and seem to guard the forest.
- Why use metaphors? They help us see the forest in a new way and feel that it is safe and peaceful.
The poem compares the moon to a lantern, the lake to a mirror, the pines to soldiers, the owl to a keeper and the night to a quilt. Together they make the night feel calm, safe and cozy.
Assonance: repeating vowel sounds
Assonance is when the same vowel sound repeats in words that are close together.
- Go slow on the cold road. Listen for the long o sound: go, slow, cold, road.
- The green leaves sleep beneath the tree. Long e: green, leaves, sleep, beneath, tree.
- The fat cat sat back. Short a.
Listen for the sound, not the spelling! Slow, cold and road are spelled differently, but they all have the long o sound.
In the poem, listen to so deep and I sleep and dream. The long e sound repeats. It sounds soft and slow, like falling asleep.
Assonance or rhyme?
Rhyming words have the same ending sound: sleep and deep rhyme.
Assonance only needs the same vowel sound. The consonants can be different: sleep and dream share the long e sound but don't rhyme.
Rhyme often includes assonance, but assonance does not have to rhyme.
Worked exampleLet's hear assonance
Light the bright kite and fly it high! Which vowel sound repeats? How does it help?
- Say the sentence slowly. Stretch each word.
- Light, bright, kite, fly, high: the long i sound (like in eye) repeats.
- The spellings are different (igh, i_e, y), but the sound is the same.
- How does it help? The long i sound is bright and open, and saying it makes your voice go up, like a kite flying high. It makes the line fun and musical.
The long i sound repeats. The assonance makes the line musical and happy.
Just for funIf someone calls your bedroom a disaster zone, guess what? They just used a metaphor! (Cleaning it up is a lesson for another day.)
| Device | What it is | Example |
|---|
| Simile | Compares using like or as | The lake was like a mirror. |
| Metaphor | Says one thing is another | The lake was a mirror. |
| Consonance | Repeats consonant sounds | pitter-patter |
| Assonance | Repeats vowel sounds | go slow on the cold road |
Hands-on activityMetaphor and assonance hunt
You need: picture books or poem books, song lyrics, paper, a pencil.
- Hunt through books and songs for metaphors (is/are/was comparisons) and similes (like/as). Write down 2 of each.
- For each metaphor, draw a quick two-part picture: what it says, and what it means. ("Dad is a bear in the morning": a bear in pyjamas / Dad being grumpy.)
- Write 3 metaphors about your family or pets: My cat is a ___.
- Say these slowly and tap the repeated vowel sound: The rain made a lake on the lane. / Go slow on the cold road. / Sweet sheep sleep.
- Make up your own assonance line using one vowel sound.
Your turn
1What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?
A simile uses like or as. A metaphor says one thing is another, without like or as.
2The moon is a lantern. What two things are compared? How are they alike?
The moon and a lantern. Both give light in the dark.
3Is this a simile or a metaphor? The baby's cheeks were as red as apples.
4Is this a simile or a metaphor? My brother is a couch potato.
A metaphor. (It means he sits on the couch a lot.)
5What vowel sound repeats in Go slow on the cold road?
When the same vowel sound repeats in words close together.
7In Night in the Forest, what is the night compared to? What feeling does it give?
A quilt. It feels warm, cozy and safe.
More practice: warm-up
1Does a metaphor use like or as?
2Which are vowels: b, a, t, e, o?
3How many metaphors are in Night in the Forest?
Five (moon/lantern, lake/mirror, pines/soldiers, owl/keeper, night/quilt).
4Sweet sheep sleep. Which vowel sound repeats?
5Is pitter-patter assonance or consonance?
Consonance. The t sound repeats. (The vowels in pitter and patter are different, so it is not assonance.)
More practice: on your own
1Explain the metaphor: The playground was an oven.
The playground was very hot, like the inside of an oven.
2Change this simile into a metaphor: The stars were like diamonds.
3Find the assonance: The rain made a lake on the lane.
The long a sound: rain, made, lake, lane.
4Why might a writer use a metaphor instead of just saying The night was dark and peaceful?
A metaphor creates a picture in the reader's mind (a cozy quilt) and a feeling, which is more interesting and memorable than plain words.
5Do cake and rain rhyme? Do they show assonance? Explain.
They don't rhyme (different endings: -ake and -ain), but they do show assonance: both have the long a sound.
Challenge
1Write a metaphor about winter and explain what it means.
Example: Winter is a sleepy giant under a white sheet. It means winter is quiet and still, and the snow covers everything. (Look for is + a comparison + a clear explanation.)
2Write a sentence with assonance using the short o sound (as in hot).
Example: The hot dog got dropped on the rock. (Check that several words share the short o sound.)
3Some metaphors are used so often that people forget they are metaphors, like Mom is a night owl. What does it mean, and why is it a metaphor?
It means Mom likes to stay up late at night. It's a metaphor because it says Mom is an owl (owls are awake at night) without using like or as.
Quiz
1. Which sentence is a metaphor?
2. Which sentence is a simile?
3. Assonance is the repeating of...
4. Which line has assonance with the long e sound?
5. The classroom is a zoo. What does it mean?
6. Why do writers use metaphors?
What this lesson teaches: Grade 3 students identify literary devices, including metaphor and assonance, and describe how they help communicate meaning (C3.1). This builds on similes and consonance from Grade 2 and on elements of style (C1.5).
How to help at home:
- Point out everyday metaphors: "You're a star!", "It's a jungle out there," "Time is money." Ask what they really mean.
- Read poetry aloud and stretch out the vowel sounds.
- Song lyrics are full of metaphors and assonance; listen together.
Common difficulties:
- Metaphors taken literally. Some children (including many English language learners and some neurodivergent children) find figurative language confusing. Use the two-picture drawing: what it says vs. what it means.
- Assonance and spelling. Children often look at letters instead of listening. Have them say words aloud and listen for the sound: slow, cold and road share a sound with different spellings.
- **Any sentence with is = metaphor?** No! The lake is big is not a metaphor. A metaphor compares two different things.