Literary Devices — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. "She runs faster than the speed of light" is an example of hyperbole because it uses extreme exaggeration.
Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or humor. The speaker has not literally said something a million times.
2. "The river sang a gentle lullaby" uses personification by giving the river a human ability.
Personification gives non-human things human characteristics. Wind cannot literally whisper, but the device makes it feel alive and mysterious.
3. "My backpack weighs a ton" is not meant literally; it is an example of hyperbole.
This is hyperbole — an obvious exaggeration. No one can literally eat a horse; the statement emphasizes how very hungry the speaker is.
4. "The snow was a white blanket covering the town" compares snow to a blanket, making it a metaphor.
A metaphor makes a direct comparison by stating one thing IS another, without using comparison signal words like 'like' or 'as.'
5. "The bacon sizzled in the pan" contains the onomatopoeia word sizzled.
Onomatopoeia describes words whose pronunciation imitates the sound they name. 'Thump,' 'buzz,' and 'hiss' are all onomatopoeia.
6. "Cool cats climbed the crooked climbing wall" repeats the /k/ sound, which is called alliteration.
Alliteration is the repetition of an initial consonant sound in nearby words. The repeated 'S' sound creates a pleasing, musical rhythm.
7. "Her eyes sparkled like diamonds" uses simile because it compares using the word like.
Similes use 'like' or 'as' to compare two unlike things. Here 'as...as' signals the comparison between a person and a lion.
8. Literary devices that compare things or exaggerate are called figurative language.
Figurative language goes beyond the literal meaning of words to create imagery, emotion, or emphasis in a reader's mind.
9. Authors use literary devices to create vivid images in the reader's mind.', a: 'mind'
'Blowing my mind' is a hyperbolic expression meaning something is extremely overwhelming or confusing.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
"The wind howled all night long"
→ personification
hyperbole
"He eats like a horse"
→ simile
onomatopoeia
"Snap, crackle, pop went the cereal"
→ onomatopoeia
personification
"I have a mountain of homework"
→ hyperbole
simile
'Wind howled' = personification (wind given human voice); 'eats like a horse' = simile (uses 'like'); 'Snap crackle pop' = onomatopoeia (sound words); 'mountain of homework' = hyperbole (exaggeration).