Similes and Metaphors
Identify the literary device: “Her thoughts were as tangled as the jungle vines.
What is a simile?
Identify the personification: “The angry sea swallowed the ship.”
“The sea swallowed the ship.”
Identify the sound device: “The slippery snake slithered silently.”
What is alliteration?
A police station gets robbed. What kind of irony is this?
What is situational irony?
What does the color red often symbolize in literature?
Passion, danger, or violence.
What makes this a metaphor instead of a simile? “He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.”
It does not use "like" or "as" and directly compares his burden to the world.
Why might an author use personification in a scene of destruction or chaos?
To intensify emotion and make abstract or inanimate forces seem alive and threatening.
What sound device is used here: “Try to light the fire.”
What is assonance? (Repetition of the long “i” sound.)
Explain how dramatic irony creates tension in a story.
The audience knows something the characters don’t, which builds anticipation or dread.
What sensory imagery is used in: “The scent of rain clung to the air, thick and sweet.”
Smell (olfactory) and possibly touch (tactile).
Rewrite this simile as a metaphor: “He was as sly as a fox.”
He was a sly fox.
Create a personification that reflects how someone might feel during an exam.
Ex: “The clock mocked me with every ticking second.”
What is the difference between consonance and alliteration?
Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds anywhere in the word, while alliteration is at the beginning.
This type of irony occurs when what is said is the opposite of what is meant.
What is verbal irony?
In Lord of the Flies, what does the conch symbolize?
Order, civilization, or authority.
This device implies a comparison without stating it outright, often requiring interpretation.
What is a metaphor?
Compare the effect of personification to metaphor. How does personification shape tone differently?
Personification gives human emotion or intent to objects, which can create empathy or fear, affecting mood/tone more directly.
How do sound devices affect tone or mood in poetry?
They enhance musicality, emphasize emotion, and can create rhythm or tension.
Identify the irony: “The health inspector’s favorite restaurant failed inspection.”
What is situational irony?
Explain how recurring imagery can help develop a theme.
Repeated imagery reinforces ideas and emotions that support the author’s central message.
Explain the metaphor in this quote: “Hope is the thing with feathers.”
Hope is compared to a bird, suggesting it is light, uplifting, and persistent.
Analyze this example: “The wind argued with the trees all night.” What tone does the personification create?
It creates a restless, possibly tense or chaotic tone.
Find and explain both assonance and consonance in this line: “The lumpy, bumpy road seemed to moan.”
Assonance: long “o” in “road” and “moan”; Consonance: repeated “m” and “p” sounds.
Explain the layered irony in this quote from Romeo and Juliet: “My only love sprung from my only hate!”
Juliet has fallen in love with someone from the family she is supposed to hate, creating both situational and dramatic irony.
Identify both imagery and symbolism in this passage: “A single candle flickered in the vast darkness.”
Imagery: visual of light/dark; Symbolism: the candle may represent hope or life in a hopeless situation.