Hyperbole
Identify the hyperbole in this sentence: "I've told you a million times to put your shoes away."
"I've told you a million times..." is a hyperbole because it exaggerates.
What is a metaphor?
A metaphor says one thing is another to show similarity without using "like" or "as."
Which sentence is a simile? A) He was as brave as a lion. B) The wind roared. C) She is a star. D) The tree danced.
A) He was as brave as a lion.
What is personification?
Giving human traits or actions to non-human things.
What is a stanza?
A stanza is a grouped set of lines in a poem, like a paragraph in a story.
Which of these is a hyperbole? A) The moon is a silver coin. B) Her backpack weighed a ton. C) The cat slept. D) He runs like the wind.
B) Her backpack weighed a ton.
Identify the metaphor in this sentence: "The classroom was a zoo during free time."
"The classroom was a zoo."
Complete the simile: "The puppy's fur was as ___ as a ___." (Provide two sensible words.)
Example: "soft as a cloud" / "fluffy as a pillow" (many acceptable answers).
Identify the personification in this sentence: "The sun smiled down on the picnic."
"The sun smiled down..." (sun given the human action of smiling)
Name two common elements of poetry besides stanza and explain one briefly.
Examples: rhyme (matching end sounds), meter (rhythm), imagery (descriptive language), repetition (repeated words/phrases); brief explanations accepted.
Explain how the hyperbole "This bag is heavier than a mountain" helps a reader understand the character's experience.
It exaggerates the weight to show how heavy the bag felt, helping readers feel the character's struggle.
How does the metaphor "time is a thief" help a reader understand the author's idea about time?
It suggests time steals moments; helps readers feel time disappears quickly or is taken away.
Explain how the simile "cold as ice" helps the reader picture the weather or a character's feelings.
"Cold as ice" creates a clear image, showing how extremely cold it is or how emotionally distant someone feels.
How does personification in "The leaves danced across the yard" change the way a reader imagines the scene?
It makes the leaves seem lively and playful, helping readers imagine motion.
A poem uses rhyme and repetition. Explain how repetition can add to the poem's meaning or feeling.
Repetition can emphasize an idea or feeling and make the poem more musical or memorable.
Write a hyperbole a student might use to describe being very hungry after school.
Example: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
Turn this simile into a metaphor: "Her smile was like sunshine."
"Her smile was sunshine."
Find the simile in this short passage and explain how it supports the main idea: "The hallway was quiet, like a sleeping library, as students tiptoed to class."
"Like a sleeping library" makes the hallway feel very quiet and studious, supporting the idea that everyone is quiet.
Revise this plain sentence by adding personification to make it more vivid: "The storm came to the town."
Example revision: "The storm barged into town, rattling windows and shouting through the streets."
Name one element of poetry (for example: imagery, rhyme, meter, stanza, or repetition) and explain in one sentence how that element can help a reader understand a poem.
Imagery — Imagery uses descriptive words that appeal to the senses (like sight, sound, or touch) to help the reader form a clear picture and feel the poem's mood.
Read this short sentence and decide whether it is a hyperbole. Explain your reasoning: "I could sleep for a thousand years." Describe how this hyperbole affects the mood or meaning.
Yes — it's a hyperbole because sleeping a thousand years is impossible; it shows extreme tiredness and creates a dramatic mood.
Read this line: "Books are passports to adventure." Explain two ways this metaphor contributes to the meaning of a paragraph about reading.
"Books = passports" suggests books take readers to new places and help them explore, making reading feel powerful and exciting.
Write a two-sentence passage that uses a simile to show (not tell) that someone is nervous. Underline the simile (teacher will underline when checking).
Example student answer: "Her hands trembled like leaves in the wind." (Shows nervousness; teacher checks underline.)
Read this sentence: "The old house groaned as the wind pushed against it." Explain how the personification affects the feeling (mood) of the description.
It makes the house feel alive and vulnerable, adding an eerie or sympathetic mood.
How can figurative language (metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole) work together in a poem to deepen meaning? Give one short example (2–3 lines) showing at least two types of figurative language and explain their combined effect.
Example two-line answer: "The night was a velvet blanket, swallowing the city whole; / Stars winked like tiny lamps, gossiping with the moon." (Metaphor: night is a blanket; simile: stars winked like lamps; combined effect: creates cozy yet lively nighttime image.