IEO Literary Devices and Figures of Speech 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The word 'bittersweet' is an example of:
- Paradox
- Oxymoron (Correct answer)
- Simile
- Hyperbole
Correct answer: Oxymoron
An oxymoron combines two contradictory or opposite words in a single expression; 'bitter' and 'sweet' are opposites placed together.
Question 2: The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words, as in 'fleet feet sweep by sleeping geeks,' is called:
- Alliteration
- Consonance
- Assonance (Correct answer)
- Rhyme
Correct answer: Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel sounds in nearby words; the repeated 'ee' sound in this phrase is the key example.
Question 3: 'The pen is mightier than the sword' is an example of:
- Metaphor (Correct answer)
- Simile
- Alliteration
- Personification
Correct answer: Metaphor
This is a metaphor because it directly compares writing/words (pen) to physical force (sword) without using 'like' or 'as'.
Question 4: When an author drops hints about future events in a story, the device used is called:
- Flashback
- Foreshadowing (Correct answer)
- Allusion
- Irony
Correct answer: Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary technique where the author hints at or warns of future events in the narrative.
Question 5: A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of literature within a text is called:
- Allusion (Correct answer)
- Analogy
- Allegory
- Anecdote
Correct answer: Allusion
An allusion is an indirect reference to something outside the text that the reader is expected to recognize, such as a historical event or classic work.
Question 6: 'I have a million things to do today' is an example of:
- Metaphor
- Personification
- Hyperbole (Correct answer)
- Simile
Correct answer: Hyperbole
This is hyperbole because 'a million things' is an extreme exaggeration used to emphasize how busy the speaker is.
Question 7: What figure of speech is used in: 'The cold hand of death reached out for him'?
- Simile
- Alliteration
- Personification (Correct answer)
- Onomatopoeia
Correct answer: Personification
Death is given a human characteristic (having a hand and reaching out), which is personification.
IEO Literary Devices and Figures of Speech 2
The word 'bittersweet' is an example of: