Literary Devices — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. "The shrill whistle echoed across the empty stadium" uses imagery that appeals to the sense of hearing.
Words like "shrill" and "echoed" describe a loud, piercing sound bouncing off the empty stadium. Since the reader can almost hear the whistle, this imagery appeals to hearing.
2. In stories, a rising sun often symbolizes a new beginning or fresh start.
Just as each sunrise starts a brand-new day, a rising sun in a story represents a fresh start or new beginning for the characters. The dawn signals that something is starting over.
3. "His feet were blocks of ice after the long walk" is a metaphor comparing his feet to ice.
The sentence says his feet WERE blocks of ice, directly calling them something they are not. Since it compares feet to ice without using "like" or "as," this is a metaphor showing how extremely cold his feet felt.
4. "Furry foxes frolicked in the frozen field" repeats the /f/ sound, which is called alliteration.
The words furry, foxes, frolicked, frozen, and field all start with the /f/ sound. Repeating the same beginning consonant sound across nearby words is alliteration.
5. "The soft petals felt like silk between her fingers" appeals to the sense of touch and uses a simile.
The words "soft," "felt," and "between her fingers" all describe a physical sensation, targeting the sense of touch. The phrase "like silk" also makes it a simile by comparing petals to silk.
6. "The door creaked open by itself" uses the onomatopoeia word creaked.
The word "creaked" sounds like the actual squeaky noise a door makes when it swings open slowly. That sound-imitating quality is what makes it an example of onomatopoeia.
7. A locked door in a story can be a symbol for something that is secret or hidden.
A locked door physically blocks access, just like a secret blocks people from knowing the truth. Authors use locked doors to symbolize things that are hidden, forbidden, or kept private.
8. "She cried an ocean of tears" uses hyperbole to show how extremely sad she was.
No one can literally cry an entire ocean. This extreme exaggeration is hyperbole, and the author uses it to emphasize just how deeply sad the character felt.
9. Symbolism is different from simile and metaphor because the object represents something bigger rather than being directly compared.
Similes and metaphors compare two things directly, but symbolism works differently because the object stands in for or represents a larger idea without any direct comparison being stated.
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 tangy lemon juice made her lips pucker"
→ imagery
hyperbole
"The moon danced behind the clouds"
→ personification
imagery
A wilting flower in a story about a sick character
→ symbolism
personification
"He ran faster than a cheetah on rocket skates"
→ hyperbole
symbolism
Correct matches: "The tangy lemon juice made her lips pucker" → imagery; "The moon danced behind the clouds" → personification; A wilting flower in a story about a sick character → symbolism; "He ran faster than a cheetah on rocket skates" → hyperbole.