What are some examples of figurative language used in "The Scarlet Ibis"?

The following are some examples of figurative language
used in "The Scarlet
Ibis":

Simile:

Simile
involves the comparison of two things that are essentially different. In “The Scarlet
Ibis”, in the first paragraph, the writer, James Hurst, uses this type of figurative
language. He writes that:

…but the oriole nest in
the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty
cradle.

The author is using simile to show that
the empty oriole nest, although rustically made of twigs, paper, and such, is akin to
(in its present state) an empty cradle. Simile here conveys the message of emptiness as
concerns fragile birds and their nests and fragile babies and their
cradles.

Metaphor:

Metaphor
involves comparing people, places and/or things that are unalike. This is shown quite
clearly in the last paragraph of “The Scarlet Ibis” when the brother falls on the dead
younger brother (Doodle) and relates that:

I lay
there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of
rain.

In this passage, the boy Doodle is
compared to the fiery red bird the scarlet ibis. Doodle has bled to death. His body
violently broke down as he tried to run with all his heart to keep up with his brother
who chose to run away from
him.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole
is when a writer uses exaggeration as a literary tool. This exaggeration is meant to
convey deep feelings. A writer uses hyperbole to make a point in a more dramatic way. In
“The Scarlet Ibis”, hyperbole is evident in this
line:

There is within me (and with sadness I have
watched it in others) a knot of cruelty borne by the stream of
love...

Here, Hurst does not simply write that
we can be mean to those we love. He uses the above line to show
this sentiment more intensely, with the heightened language employed. This hyperbole
allows the reader to really understand what Doodle’s brother is feeling.

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