Figurative Language

figurative language: writing or speech not intended to convey literal meaning, usually imaginative and vivid

"This natural tunefulness made Phoebe sing like a bird in a shadowy tree; or conveyed the idea that the stream of life warbled through her heart as a brook sometimes warbles through a pleasant little dell..."
                                                                       -The House of the Seven Gables
                                                                               by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables is full of figurative language. This is a device characteristic of romances, of which Hawthorne's novel is a shining example. The figurative language helps the reader to experience the story rather than observe it, as is the case in other genres. Hawthorne uses the figurative language to give the reader a more complete view of the scene and the world of his characters. The figurative language also can be a form of characterization, as the reader learns from the section above that Phoebe is a marvelous singer.