IEO Literary Devices and Figures of Speech 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What literary device is used in the sentence: 'The wind whispered through the trees'?
- Metaphor
- Personification (Correct answer)
- Simile
- Alliteration
Correct answer: Personification
Personification gives the wind a human quality (whispering), which is a non-human subject acting like a person.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of a metaphor?
- She runs as fast as a cheetah.
- Life is a roller coaster. (Correct answer)
- The bees buzzed loudly.
- He was very, very tired.
Correct answer: Life is a roller coaster.
A metaphor makes a direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'; 'Life is a roller coaster' equates life directly to a roller coaster.
Question 3: Which sentence uses a simile?
- The moon is a silver coin.
- He ran like the wind. (Correct answer)
- Time flies when you're having fun.
- The stars danced overhead.
Correct answer: He ran like the wind.
A simile uses 'like' or 'as' to compare two things; 'ran like the wind' uses 'like' to compare his speed to the wind.
Question 4: 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers' is an example of:
- Assonance
- Alliteration (Correct answer)
- Onomatopoeia
- Consonance
Correct answer: Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words; here the 'p' sound is repeated throughout.
Question 5: Exaggeration used for emphasis or comic effect is called:
- Irony
- Metaphor
- Hyperbole (Correct answer)
- Paradox
Correct answer: Hyperbole
Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration not meant to be taken literally, used to emphasize a point or create humor.
Question 6: Words like 'buzz,' 'hiss,' and 'bang' are examples of:
- Alliteration
- Simile
- Onomatopoeia (Correct answer)
- Personification
Correct answer: Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia refers to words that phonetically imitate or suggest the sounds they describe.
Question 7: A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth is called a:
- Paradox (Correct answer)
- Oxymoron
- Irony
- Metaphor
Correct answer: Paradox
A paradox is a statement that appears self-contradictory or absurd but expresses a possible truth upon reflection.
IEO Literary Devices and Figures of Speech 1
What literary device is used in the sentence: 'The wind whispered through the trees'?