Language Arts: Literary Devices
Recognizing and explaining common literary techniques
Language Arts: Literary Devices
Recognizing and explaining common literary techniques
Language Arts - Grade 6-8
- 1
Read the sentence: "The wind whispered through the trees." What literary device is used, and how do you know?
Look for a nonhuman thing acting like a person.
The sentence uses personification because it gives the wind a human action, whispering. - 2
Read the sentence: "Her smile was as bright as the sun." What literary device is used in this sentence?
The sentence uses a simile because it compares her smile to the sun using the word "as." - 3
Read the sentence: "The classroom was a zoo after the bell rang." What literary device is used, and what does it mean?
A metaphor makes a direct comparison.
The sentence uses a metaphor because it says the classroom was a zoo without using "like" or "as." It means the classroom was noisy, wild, and hard to control. - 4
Read the sentence: "Boom. Bang. Crash." What literary device is shown by these words?
These words show onomatopoeia because the words sound like the noises they describe. - 5
Read the sentence: "I have told you a million times to clean your room." What literary device is used, and why is it effective?
This device often uses overstatement.
The sentence uses hyperbole because it exaggerates for emphasis. It is effective because it shows strong frustration and makes the feeling more dramatic. - 6
Read the sentence: "The cold wind cut through my jacket." Which literary device is used, and what feeling does it create?
The sentence uses personification because it gives the wind the human-like action of cutting. It creates a harsh and uncomfortable feeling. - 7
Read the sentence: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." What literary device is used in this sentence?
Listen for repeated beginning sounds.
The sentence uses alliteration because several nearby words begin with the same consonant sound. - 8
Read the line: "The stars danced across the sky." Identify the literary device and explain the image it creates.
The line uses personification because stars are described as dancing. It creates an image of a lively, beautiful night sky. - 9
Read the sentence: "He was so hungry he could eat a mountain of food." What literary device is used?
Decide whether the statement is meant to be taken literally.
The sentence uses hyperbole because it exaggerates how hungry he is. - 10
Read the sentence: "The river was a silver ribbon winding through the valley." What literary device is used, and what two things are being compared?
The sentence uses a metaphor. It compares the river to a silver ribbon. - 11
Read the sentence: "Sally sells seashells by the seashore." What literary device is used, and how does it affect the sound of the sentence?
Focus on repeated consonant sounds at the start of words.
The sentence uses alliteration because the repeated "s" sound appears at the beginning of many words. This gives the sentence a catchy, musical sound. - 12
Read the sentence: "The alarm clock screamed at me to wake up." What literary device is used?
The sentence uses personification because it gives the alarm clock the human action of screaming. - 13
Read the sentence: "Her backpack weighed a ton." What literary device is used, and what does the sentence really mean?
Think about whether a backpack can truly weigh that much.
The sentence uses hyperbole because it exaggerates the backpack's weight. It really means the backpack felt very heavy. - 14
Read the sentence: "The leaves rustled and hissed in the dark." Which literary device is shown most clearly by the word "hissed"?
The word "hissed" shows onomatopoeia because it sounds like the noise the leaves make. - 15
Write your own sentence that uses either a simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, or onomatopoeia. Then name the device you used.
Choose one device and make sure your sentence clearly shows it.
Answers will vary. A correct response includes an original sentence and a correct identification of the literary device used, such as "The moon was a lantern in the sky," which is a metaphor.