Figurative Language

Figurative Language is displayed throughout stories in all different ages. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight not only is the Green Knight figurative – in the instance, for the Harvest – but the animals in which Bertilak hunts are also figurative of Gawain. Even something as seemingly simple as a title can be quite figurative, take A Modest Proposal for example. When reading the text, it is quite obvious that this is anything but a “modest” proposal. Even Beowulf, contains figurative language in regards to its many kennings. When, in Doctor Faustus, our protagonist, Faustus, continually uses figurative language; for example, he states “These metaphysics of magicians/And necromantic books are heavenly” when such a thing truly would not be heavenly (1026). Lastly, “Dream of the Rood” is very much figurative in the sense that the entire piece takes place within a dream, and it is a cross telling the tale.