Name That Device
“Her determination was a locked door.” Name the literary device and interpret it.
Metaphor. Her determination is firm or difficult to change.
“Thud!” demonstrates which sound device?
Onomatopoeia. It imitates a sound
Define tone and name a word that could describe a speaker’s attitude.
Tone is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject. Examples include bitter, hopeful, admiring, and sarcastic.
A story explores a future invention that lets people store dreams. Which subgenre fits best?
Science fiction because it explores imagined technology.
Make an inference about the speaker’s initial feelings and cite evidence.
The speaker feels nervous or anxious. “My hands were ice” and “My heartbeat boomed” support that inference.
“The empty stage begged for a voice.” Name the device and explain its effect.
Personification. A stage cannot beg. The language makes the silence feel urgent or expectant.
Identify the device in “crisp curtains caught the cold.” Focus on the repeated beginning consonant sound.
Alliteration. Several words repeat the /k/ sound.
What is a stanza, and what can a stanza break signal?
A stanza is a group of lines in a poem. A break can signal a change in idea, emphasis, or feeling.
How does a memoir differ from a biography?
A memoir recounts selected experiences from the author’s own life. A biography tells another person’s life story.
Explain the metaphor “A bridge of words across my fear.”
The speaker’s words act as a bridge that helps them move through fear and connect with listeners.
“The rumor spread like spilled ink.” Identify the device and explain the comparison.
Simile. “Like” compares the spreading rumor to ink spreading quickly and widely.
“Hot pavement scorched my feet as exhaust stung my nose.” Identify TWO senses and cite the words that appeal to each.
Touch: “scorched my feet.” Smell: “exhaust stung my nose.”
Change the topic “courage” into a complete theme statement.
Example: “People can act courageously even while they feel afraid.” Accept another complete message about life.
A fictional family lives through a real event from the past. Name the subgenre.
Historical fiction. It combines an invented narrative with a real historical context.
Where does the tone begin to shift? Quote a line and explain.
Accept “I took a breath and spoke one line” as the start of action, or “The room grew still to hear my voice” as growing reassurance. The explanation must connect the line to a change in confidence.
“I rehearsed this speech a billion times.” Identify the device and explain why the author might use it.
Hyperbole. The exaggeration emphasizes repeated practice or frustration.
How can sensory imagery help a reader understand a speaker’s experience? Give an original example.
It makes an experience concrete through the senses. Example: “My damp palms slid along the cold railing” helps a reader feel the speaker’s discomfort.
A speaker says, “Wonderful, another broken promise.” What tone is likely? Explain.
Sarcastic or bitter. “Wonderful” conflicts with the disappointment of a broken promise.
How do clues and unanswered questions help a mystery?
They create suspense and invite readers to make and revise predictions about the solution.
What might the microphone symbolize? Support your interpretation with a detail.
An opportunity for self-expression or the challenge of being heard. “The room grew still to hear my voice” supports this interpretation. Other supported interpretations are acceptable.
Rewrite “I was nervous” as a metaphor. Explain what the comparison adds.
Example: “A storm churned inside me.” The metaphor makes the nervousness feel intense and unsettled. Other explained metaphors are acceptable.
Write a sentence containing both alliteration and onomatopoeia. Identify each device.
Example: “Big boxes banged against the wall.” Alliteration: big/boxes/banged. Onomatopoeia: banged. Other accurate examples are acceptable.
A narrator describes a rival as “arrogant,” but another character calls the rival “confident.” How might perspective affect the story?
The narrator’s feelings influence how people and events appear. Readers should consider the narrator’s bias and compare it with other evidence.
A text uses dialogue and stage directions. Name the genre and explain how those features support a performance.
Drama. Dialogue presents the characters’ speech, and stage directions guide actions and staging.
State a theme and explain how TWO literary devices develop it. Use specific words from the poem.
Example: “Speaking despite fear can build confidence.” The metaphor “My hands were ice” shows initial fear. The bridge metaphor shows words helping the speaker move beyond fear. Accept other accurate connections between devices and theme.