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Literary Devices Study Guide and Practice

The document provides examples of different literary devices such as personification, simile, hyperbole, alliteration, metaphor, and onomatopoeia. It then gives a short story using these devices and asks the reader to identify them in the story. At the end, Jason is feeling very frustrated after realizing his keys were in the lock where he left them the previous night, making his face red like a raging bull.

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Jad Ghaoui
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
80 views2 pages

Literary Devices Study Guide and Practice

The document provides examples of different literary devices such as personification, simile, hyperbole, alliteration, metaphor, and onomatopoeia. It then gives a short story using these devices and asks the reader to identify them in the story. At the end, Jason is feeling very frustrated after realizing his keys were in the lock where he left them the previous night, making his face red like a raging bull.

Uploaded by

Jad Ghaoui
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Name: ________________________ Date: ________________________

Literary Devices – Study/Practice


Personification Simile Hyperbole Alliteration Metaphor Onomatopoeia

1. Why do authors use the above literary devices? _________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Section A: For the following, please write a sentence that is an example of the literary device asked
for. If words appear in brackets (e..g, door knob), make your sentence about one of the words listed.
Write Zoom! beside your name to show you read instructions.

Personification
Write a personification sentence about one of these: door knob, vacuum cleaner, toothbrush)

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Hyperbole
Write a hyperbole sentence about one of these: watching a scary movie or playing well at a sport

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Simile (grasshoppers OR alarm clock)


Write a simile sentence about one of these: grasshoppers or an alarm clock

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Metaphor (swimmer OR unhappy customer at a bank)


Write a simile sentence about one of these: a swimmer or an unhappy customer at a store

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________
Section B: Read the following paragraph. Answer the questions.
In the paragraph below, circle any literary devices you find. Above the circle, make sure you name the
literary device you have found. You can use the following abbreviations: Personification = Pers.;
Simile = Sim.; Hyperbole = Hyp.; Alliteration = Allit.; Metaphor = Meta.; Onomatopoeia = Ono.

Thump! Jason rolled out of bed and ran like a jack rabbit to the bathroom. He had to been late

for work three times already this week. He hoped he had his huge honeydew melon for his healthy

breakfast! As Jason brushed his teeth, he looked in the mirror and saw that his hair was a bird’s nest.

Zow! What a mess!

After getting dressed, Jason was a wolf at the breakfast table. He ate the whole breakfast in

about two seconds! Next, he needed to find all his papers for work and his briefcase. He started to

panic. Where was his briefcase? Oooooh! There it was, hiding under the sofa like a child playing hide

and seek. Jason was ready to go to work on time for the first time in a million years. He just needed his

keys and he could leave. His keys! Where were his keys?

Jason scrambled around the house, throwing things around in an effort to find his keys. The

place was a pig sty! Twenty two seconds later, he trampled and tripped, trying to take time to not have

a tantrum! He gave up the search, and decided to just walk to work instead. As he opened the front

door, he heard a familiar jingle that was like sleigh bells at Christmas time. His keys were still resting

in the lock of the front door, where Jason had left them the night before when he got home. Jason saw

them and his face became red. He was a raging bull!

1. How did Jason feel at the very end of the story? Give evidence to explain ____________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Common questions

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Authors use literary devices like personification, simile, and hyperbole to add depth and clarity to their writing, enhance the reader's experience, and convey emotions and imagery more vividly. These devices engage readers by helping them visualize scenes and connect emotionally with the text. For example, personification can animate inanimate objects, similes draw direct comparisons to create relatable images, and hyperboles emphasize feelings or situations to highlight their significance .

Hyperbole, by exaggerating certain aspects of a narrative, can heighten tension or inject humor into a story. For instance, when Jason was 'a wolf at the breakfast table' and ate in 'about two seconds,' it emphasizes his rush and hunger in a humorous way . This exaggeration underscores the urgency and chaos of his morning routine, effectively conveying a sense of panic while also entertaining the reader with its absurdity. Similarly, stating that Jason was ready for work 'for the first time in a million years' humorously exaggerates the unlikeliness of his punctuality, adding lightheartedness through hyperbolic expression .

Alliteration, onomatopoeia, and hyperbole effectively denote the cacophony and commotion of Jason’s morning. The use of onomatopoeia such as 'Thump!' and 'Zow!' immediately immerses the reader in the chaotic sounds of Jason rolling out of bed and reacting to his reflection . These auditory cues create a sense of immediacy and disorder. Moreover, the metaphor 'his hair was a bird’s nest' and the hyperbole of 'eating breakfast in two seconds' complement this by visualizing Jason’s franticness . Collectively, these devices convey the disorder and amplify the stress Jason experiences, enhancing the comic urgency of the narrative.

The narrative employs hyperbole to frame daily mishaps humorously by exaggerating common scenarios to absurd levels. For example, Jason being ready to go to work 'for the first time in a million years' humorously underscores the rarity of this occurrence . This hyperbole resonates with readers familiar with habitual lateness, transforming a typical frustration into a comedic exaggeration. Similarly, when Jason’s house is described as 'a pig sty,' it humorously hints at the universal chaos of morning rush, made laughable by the exaggerated portrayal . Hyperbole effectively makes these relatable experiences amusing by pushing the limits of believability.

Similes and metaphors both function to create vivid imagery and convey deeper meanings, but they differ structurally and functionally. A simile makes a comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as,' which maintains the distinction between the two elements being compared. For example, describing grasshoppers as "like tiny musicians" allows the reader to visualize their movement or sound distinctly as a simile . In contrast, a metaphor directly describes one thing as another, blurring the distinction and enhancing the emotional or conceptual impact, such as stating "the swimmer is a dolphin in the pool," suggesting swiftness and grace beyond human capability . Similes are often more literal, whereas metaphors invite more interpretation.

The metaphor "Jason was a wolf at the breakfast table" contributes significantly to the visual imagery and theme of urgency in the narrative. By likening Jason to a wolf, it accentuates his frantic, voracious approach to eating, suggesting both a primal hunger and a lack of time, as if he is devouring his meal amidst chaos . This metaphor not only sharpens the visual picture of his hurried state but also reinforces the overall theme of chaotic preparation and the persistent rush characterizing Jason's morning routines . Such metaphoric language deepens the reader's understanding of his harried lifestyle in a vivid manner.

The story's conclusion uses metaphor and personification to capture the impact of Jason's actions on his emotional state. As Jason realizes his keys were 'resting in the lock,' the metaphorical description highlights his oversight and the notion of keys leisurely lounging add a humorous note while underscoring his absent-mindedness . His face turning 'red' like a 'raging bull' uses metaphor and simile to emphasize his embarrassment and mounting frustration resulting from his oversight . These devices effectively communicate the culmination of his emotional upheaval, transforming the mundane discovery into a climactic culmination of his morning chaos, resonating as a comedic yet poignant representation of distraught coping mechanisms.

Personification in the narrative of Jason serves to reflect his trying emotional state and his chaotic morning. For example, his briefcase 'hiding under the sofa like a child playing hide and seek' suggests both the elusiveness of the item and Jason's growing panic and urgency as if the briefcase were actively avoiding his grasp . Additionally, the use of expressions like 'his hair was a bird’s nest' employs personification and metaphor to emphasize his disheveled appearance, indirectly communicating Jason's frazzled mindset and lack of control over his morning routine . These personifications imbue the scene with vibrancy and reflect Jason’s tumultuous emotions effectively.

The metaphor describing Jason's hair as a 'bird’s nest' enhances reader understanding by vividly depicting his disheveled state and lack of morning readiness. This image suggests a chaotic tangle, visually mirroring Jason’s inner turmoil and the disarray of his routine . It illustrates not only the physical mess but also the mental clutter he experiences as he attempts to manage his morning rush. By using this comparison, the metaphor intensifies the reader's visualization of Jason, conveying a humorous yet empathetic picture of someone overwhelmed and out of control at the start of his day .

Onomatopoeia plays a crucial role in illustrating Jason’s feelings and actions by bringing his morning routine to life through sound. The use of sounds such as 'Thump!' and 'Zow!' injects a sense of immediacy and chaos into the scene . 'Thump!' encapsulates the abruptness of Jason’s movement out of bed, indicating urgency and a degree of clumsiness. Similarly, 'Zow!' adds an element of surprise and disarray to his self-perception upon seeing his hair as a mess . These sound terms reinforce the hasty and disorderly nature of the morning, mirroring Jason's rushed and disorganized emotional state.

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