Literary Devices — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Read: "The silver moonlight spilled across the lake like liquid mercury, and the crickets sang a lullaby to the sleeping hills." Which THREE devices are used?
A) Hyperbole, alliteration, and onomatopoeia
B) Simile, imagery, and personification
C) Metaphor, symbolism, and hyperbole
D) Alliteration, onomatopoeia, and simile
"Like liquid mercury" is a simile comparing moonlight to mercury. "Silver moonlight spilled across the lake" creates vivid imagery. The crickets "sang a lullaby" and the hills are "sleeping," giving human actions to non-human things, which is personification.
2. In a novel, the main character plants a tiny seed at the beginning and tends it throughout the story. By the end, it has grown into a tall tree. What does the growing tree most likely symbolize?
A) The character enjoys gardening as a hobby
B) The character's personal growth and development over time
C) Trees are important for the environment
D) The story takes place over one growing season
The tree starts as a tiny seed and grows tall over the course of the story, mirroring how the character develops and matures. The tree's physical growth symbolizes the character's personal growth and change.
3. Read: "The sour tang of vinegar hit his nose before he even opened the jar. The sharp smell stung his eyes and made them water." What effect does the imagery create?
A) It teaches the reader how vinegar is made
B) It makes the reader feel they can almost smell and feel the vinegar too
C) It shows the character does not like cooking
D) It proves that vinegar is dangerous to use
"Sour tang" and "sharp smell" target the sense of smell, while "stung his eyes" and "made them water" target touch. Together, these sensory details make the reader feel like they can almost experience the vinegar themselves.
4. Read: "Tiny Tim trembled, his teeth chattering like castanets in the freezing wind." Which devices does the author use, and why?
A) Alliteration and simile, to create rhythm and help the reader picture Tim's shivering
B) Hyperbole and metaphor, to exaggerate how cold Tim feels
C) Symbolism and imagery, to represent Tim's fear of winter
D) Personification and onomatopoeia, to give the wind human traits
The repeated /t/ sounds in "Tiny Tim trembled, his teeth" create alliteration that adds a rhythmic, chattering feel. Comparing teeth chattering to castanets with "like" makes a simile that helps the reader vividly picture Tim shivering.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. "The sweet fragrance of jasmine floated through the open window" uses imagery that appeals to the sense of smell.
"Sweet fragrance" and "jasmine" describe a scent drifting through the air. Since fragrance is detected by the nose, this imagery appeals to the sense of smell.
2. In a story about overcoming challenges, a character crossing a bridge can symbolize a transition from one stage of life to another.
A bridge physically connects two separate sides, just like a transition connects two stages of life. Crossing a bridge in a story symbolizes moving from one phase to the next.
3. When authors layer multiple literary devices in a single passage, they create writing that is more vivid and engaging for the reader.
Combining devices like imagery, simile, and personification in one passage gives readers multiple ways to connect with the text. The more sensory and emotional layers, the more vivid and engaging the writing becomes.
4. "The rough sandpaper scratched against the smooth wood" contains imagery that appeals to the senses of touch and hearing.
"Rough" describes the texture you can feel (touch), while "scratched" creates a sound you can hear. This sentence uses imagery that targets two senses at once: touch and hearing.
5. A clock ticking loudly in a story about running out of time is an example of symbolism because the clock stands for urgency.
The loud ticking clock is more than just a clock in the story. It represents the pressure and urgency the character feels as time runs out, making it a clear example of symbolism.