Literary Devices
"The hallway was a zoo during lunch."
What is a metaphor?
"Her smile was sunshine."
What does the metaphor suggest?
Her smile brings warmth, happiness, and comfort.
"She solved the problem faster than Einstein."
What is an allusion to Albert Einstein?
"Peter Piper picked a peck..."
What is alliteration?
"Time is a thief."
What is a metaphor?
"The wind whispered secrets through the trees."
What is personification?
"The city's heart stopped after the blackout."
What does "heart" symbolize?
The city's activity, energy, or functioning center.
"He met his Waterloo during the championship game."
What is an allusion to Napoleon's final defeat?
"The bees buzzed beneath the bridge."
What is consonance?
"The stars winked down at us."
What is personification?
"I've told you a million times to put your phone away."
What is hyperbole?
"His words were daggers."
Analyze the metaphor.
His comments were emotionally painful and hurtful.
"Unlike Romeo, he wasn't willing to risk everything for love."
What is an allusion to Romeo and Juliet?
"Slow roads home."
What is assonance?
"The White House announced new policies."
What is metonymy?
"The pen is mightier than the sword."
What is synecdoche/metonymy?
"The chains of poverty held the community captive."
What do the chains symbolize?
Restrictions, barriers, or systemic obstacles.
"The politician promised to lead the people to a promised land."
What is a biblical allusion?
"Bang! Crash! Boom!"
What is onomatopoeia?
"Freedom is never given; it is won."
Identify the device created by repeating sentence structure.
Parallelism.
"The flames danced across the abandoned house while the moon watched silently overhead."
Identify two figurative language devices.
Personification ("flames danced") and personification ("moon watched").
"The American Dream is a ladder climbed by determination."
Explain the symbolism and metaphor.
The ladder represents upward mobility; climbing symbolizes effort and perseverance.
"Like Icarus, the CEO ignored warnings and flew too close to the sun."
Explain the allusion's meaning.
Excessive ambition and overconfidence led to downfall.
"The silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain."
Identify two sound devices.
Alliteration and consonance.
"America has written a bad check to Black citizens, a check marked 'insufficient funds.'"
This figurative language appears in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. What device is being used, and why is it effective?
Extended metaphor. It compares civil rights promises to a financial debt, emphasizing America's failure to deliver equality.
Distinguish between metonymy and synecdoche.
Metonymy substitutes something closely associated with a thing for the thing itself.
Synecdoche uses a part to represent the whole or a whole to represent a part.
Metonymy is based on association; synecdoche is based on a part-whole relationship.
Explain how symbolism and allegory differ.
Symbolism uses a person, object, or event to represent a deeper meaning.
Allegory is an entire story, poem, or work in which characters and events consistently represent larger ideas.
A symbol is usually one element representing an idea, while an allegory is an entire narrative built on symbolism.
Analyze/Explain how MLK's "I Have a Dream" uses repetition and metaphor to strengthen persuasion.
Martin Luther King Jr. uses repetition to emphasize key ideas and make his message memorable.
He also uses metaphors to help listeners understand the injustice of segregation in concrete, relatable terms.
Together, repetition and metaphor strengthen King's emotional appeal and make his argument more persuasive.
Create a sentence using allusion, metaphor, and personification simultaneously.
**Class judges**
Identify three figurative devices in this passage from Dear Martin and explain their effect on tone.
"The city roared beneath Justyce's feet as a storm of questions raged in his mind. Hope flickered like a candle in the darkness, refusing to surrender."
Personification: "The city roared"... Gives the city human-like qualities and creates an overwhelming atmosphere.
Metaphor: "A storm of questions raged in his mind"... Compares his confusion and inner conflict to a violent storm
Simile: "Hope flickered like a candle in the darkness"... Compares hope to a candle, emphasizing its fragility and persistence.