Literary Devices — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. "The rough bark scratched her fingertips as she climbed" uses imagery that appeals to the sense of touch.
Words like "rough" and "scratched" let the reader feel the texture of the bark on their own fingertips. Writing that makes you experience a sense like touch is called imagery.
2. A dove is a common symbol for peace in many cultures.
A dove is a real bird, but when used in stories or art, it stands for the larger idea of peace. An object that represents something beyond its literal meaning is called a symbol.
3. "The river was as smooth as glass" is a simile because it uses the word as to compare.
The phrase "as smooth as glass" uses the word "as" to compare the river's surface to glass. Any comparison that uses "like" or "as" to connect two unlike things is a simile.
4. "The spicy chili burned a trail down his throat" contains imagery that appeals to the sense of taste.
The words "spicy" and "burned a trail down his throat" make the reader almost feel the heat of the chili in their own mouth. This vivid description of eating targets the sense of taste.
5. When an author writes "The night swallowed the village," the night is given a human action, which is called personification.
Swallowing is something a person or animal does, not something the night can actually do. Giving a non-human thing like the night a human action is the definition of personification.
6. In a story, a character who always wears dark clothing may symbolize evil or mystery.
Dark colors are often linked to villains, danger, or hidden motives in stories. When an author dresses a character in dark clothing, it signals to the reader that the character may represent evil or mystery.
7. "Tick-tock, tick-tock went the grandfather clock" uses onomatopoeia to imitate the sound a clock makes.
The words "tick-tock" sound just like the actual noise a clock makes. When a word imitates or mimics a real-world sound, the literary device being used is onomatopoeia.
8. Imagery helps the reader picture a scene by describing what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, or tasted.
By describing sensory details like sights, sounds, and textures, imagery lets readers picture a scene in their minds as if they were actually there experiencing it.
9. "Life is a journey" is a metaphor that compares living to traveling without using like or as.
The sentence says life IS a journey, directly calling one thing another without using "like" or "as." This direct comparison between two unlike things is what makes it a metaphor rather than a simile.
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 bright red, juicy apple glistened in the sunlight"
→ imagery
alliteration
A broken chain in a story about freedom
→ symbolism
hyperbole
"Wicked wolves wandered the winding woods"
→ alliteration
imagery
"I have been waiting forever for my turn"
→ hyperbole
symbolism
Correct matches: "The bright red, juicy apple glistened in the sunlight" → imagery; A broken chain in a story about freedom → symbolism; "Wicked wolves wandered the winding woods" → alliteration; "I have been waiting forever for my turn" → hyperbole.