Figurative Language
This type of figurative language compares two things using the words “like” or “as.”
What is a simile
This bird often symbolizes peace.
What is a dove
This is what we call it when two or more words end with the same sound, like “cat” and “hat.
What is rhyme
What do we call the main struggle or problem that the character faces in a story?
What is the conflict
Break apart the word "unhappy" into prefix, root, and suffix. Give the meaning of each part.
What is: prefix – un, root – happy, suffix – (none)
Prefix – un (meaning “not”)
Root – happy (meaning “feeling good or joyful”)
Suffix – none
“Her smile was sunshine.” What type of figurative language is used here?
What is a metaphor
In literature, the color red often symbolizes this strong emotion.
What is anger (or love)
This is the term for a single row of words in a poem.
What is a line
This is the part of the plot where we meet the characters and learn about the setting.
What is the exposition
Break apart the word "rewrite" into prefix, root, and suffix. Give the meaning of each part.
What is: prefix – re, root – write, suffix
Prefix – re (meaning “again”)
Root – write (meaning “to mark words on a surface”)
Suffix – none
What type of figurative language gives human traits to non-human things, like in “The wind whispered through the trees”?
What is personification
In many stories, a journey or road is a symbol for this.
What is life (or a life’s journey)
A group of lines in a poem, often separated by a space, is called this.
What is a stanza
This plot element is where the conflict begins to build, and the reader starts to see the stakes grow higher for the main character.
What is the rising action
Break apart the word "carefully" into prefix, root, and suffix. Give the meaning of each part.
What is: prefix – (none), root – care, suffix – ful and ly
Prefix – none
Root – care (meaning “concern or attention”)
Suffix – ful (meaning “full of”), ly (meaning “in a certain way”)
Identify the figurative language: “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
What is hyperbole
What might a rising sun symbolize in a story, and why would an author use it?
What is a new beginning, hope, or a fresh start—because the sun rising marks the start of a new day
This sound device repeats the first consonant sound in several nearby words, like “Peter Piper picked...
What is alliteration
In a short story, what do we call a character who changes throughout the story, and one who stays the same
What are dynamic and static characters
Break apart the word "transportation" into prefix, root, and suffix. Give the meaning of each part.
What is: prefix – trans, root – port, suffix – ation
Prefix – trans (meaning “across”)
Root – port (meaning “to carry”)
Suffix – ation (meaning “the act of”)
This figurative phrase doesn’t mean exactly what the words say. For example: “It’s raining cats and dogs.” What kind of figurative language is this?
What is an idiom
If a character keeps carrying a heavy backpack everywhere they go, what could that symbolize?
What is emotional burden, guilt, or carrying the weight of the past—because the backpack represents something they can’t let go of
What do we call the emotional feeling or atmosphere that a poem creates for the reader?
What is mood
This literary term, often used as a synonym for “resolution,” refers to the final part of a narrative where loose ends are tied up, the conflict is fully resolved, and the theme is often reinforced through character reflection or change. It comes from a French word meaning “the untying.”
What is the denouement
Break apart the word "indestructible" into prefix, root, and suffix. Give the meaning of each part.
What is: prefix – in and de, root – struct, suffix – ible
Prefix – in (meaning “not”), de (meaning “reverse or remove”)
Root – struct (meaning “to build”)
Suffix – ible (meaning “able to be”)