Literary Devices
Comparing two things using "like" or "as."
Simile
"The resistance was a flickering flame in the darkness."
Metaphor
I can be cracked, made, told, and played.
What am I?
A joke.
If you multiply me by any other number,
the answer will always be the same.
What number am I?
Zero.
I sound like what I mean,
Like buzz, pop, or moo.
When you read me aloud,
You’ll hear something new.
What am I?
Onomatopoeia.
Comparing two things directly without using "like" or "as."
Metaphor
"Fear gripped our hearts like a relentless shadow."
Simile
What can fill a room but takes up no space?
Light.
I am a number between 1 and 100.
I am divisible by 3 and 5 but not by 10.
What number am I?
15
I’m an exaggeration,
Too big to be true.
I make a point dramatic,
And bring humor to you.
What am I?
Hyperbole
Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.
Foreshadowing
"The cold, gray streets of Paris echoed with the sound of marching boots."
Imagery
I am not alive, but I can die.
I do not breathe, but I need air.
What am I?
A candle or fire
I add five to nine and get two.
The answer is correct, but how?
It’s a clock! When you add 5 hours to 9 o’clock, it becomes 2 o’clock.
I give life to the lifeless,
And make objects behave.
I let the wind whisper,
And the ocean wave.
What am I?
Personification
Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.
Imagery
"We heard whispers of families disappearing in the night."
Foreshadowing
I fly without wings.
I cry without eyes.
Wherever I go, darkness flies.
What am I?
A cloud.
I am a number.
If you double me and subtract 6, you get 10.
What number am I?
8. (Double 8 is 16, and 16 - 6 = 10.)
I repeat the same sound
At the start of each word.
I’m catchy and fun,
And I’m easily heard.
What am I?
Alliteration.
A contrast between expectation and reality.
Irony
"The soldiers, claiming to protect order, brought only chaos."
Irony
I have no hands, but I can knock on your door.
I have no feet, but I move around.
What am I?
Opportunity.
A man buys a horse for $60, sells it for $70, buys it back for $80, and sells it again for $90.
How much profit does he make?
$20. (He gains $10 in the first transaction and $10 in the second.)
I drop subtle hints,
Of what’s yet to appear.
I build up suspense,
And make the future clear.
What am I?
Foreshadowing.