RoarThere are many songs out there that are extraordinarily memorable or catchy, and sometimes they are so because of the use of figurative language. Similes, metaphors, onomatopoeias, idioms and symbolism are just some of the writing techniques known as "figurative language" and which are used in many songs we listen to. Katy Perry's song "Roar" is a great example of how an artist uses figurative language in a song. There are a couple of instances where Perry uses a simile in the song. First, he says “Hear my voice, hear that sound like thunder, it will make the earth shake” (Perry). This is a simile because he uses the word like to compare his voice and sound to the power of thunder, and this means that it will be so loud that no one will be able to ignore it and everyone will hear it. Then he says, in the fifth verse, "Now I'm floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee I've earned my stripes" (Perry). This is also a simile because of the comparison with the word similar. He first compares himself to the butterfly, saying that it floats as such and could be interpreted as a rebirth. Then to the bee, when she says she has earned her stripes and proves her worth. The meaning of these similarities is that she finally understands that she has been mistreated and will stand up for herself, not let anyone put her down or worry about things anymore. Next Perry uses a couple of metaphors. First, in the fifth verse, right before the pre-chorus, she says, “I went from zero to my hero” (Perry). This is a metaphor because it compares to a scale from zero to hero, which is not literally applicable. This metaphor shows how she started from a weak person and ended up becoming very powerful and extremely confident. Next,……half of the paper…removing the dust” (Perry), symbolizes the moment when he finally realized what was happening and began to assert himself. The whole song in general could also be a symbol or reference to the old song "Eye of the Tiger" by a band called Survivor. That song was also about defeating someone or something that has hurt you. Katy Perry uses many forms of figurative language in this song, and probably more than I've listed. Similes, metaphors, onomatopoeias, idioms and symbolism are just a few types of figurative language used in this song. The fact that Perry uses figurative language in her song shows that she is intelligent and also a great songwriter. Work Cited Perry, Katy. Perry. Katy Perry. Bonnie McKee, Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Cirkut, 2013. Metro lyrics. Network. April 6, 2014.katy-perry.html>.