Part 1: Fill in the diagram/boxes below. Metaphor Definition Example Simile Personification Symbolism Imagery Selection of Detail Allusion (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, gustatory) Pun Oxymoron
1. Well aren't we in a fine mess. 2. The cave smelled as damp and musty as it looked. 3. The little boy acts as voracious as Pac-Man. 4. He has the voice of a crow. 5. He is such a Casanova. 6. A new type of broom came out and it's sweeping the nation. Device: 7. The avalanche devoured anything standing in its way. 8. Lightning danced across the sky. 9. The sweat dripped down her forehead, around her nose, and off her chin as her body strained to hold the yoga pose. 10. You are a stubborn as a mule. 11. Our vacuum hums a happy tune while it cleans. 12. I'm glad I know sign language--it's pretty handy. 13. This place is like a Garden of Eden. 14. It was a just war for peace. 15. She has the heart of a lion. 16. You sing like an angel. 17. She is the Posh Spice of our group. 18. She broke her finger today, but on the other hand she was completely fine. Device: 19. The slime oozed up between his toes as he made his way through the swamp. 20. He eats like a bird. 21. The dog's voiced boomed and echoed throughout the house as the barked at every passerby. 22. The car complained as the key was turned.
23. The ivy wove its fingers around the fence. 24. He is the sun of my sky, the light of my life. 25. She tried to help but her legs were rubber. 26. His hair was bone white. 27. Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man. Device: 28. This shirt is as stiff as a board... when did you last wash it? Device: 29. He came to her like a moth to a flame. 30. Enjoy your boneless ribs! 31. I try wearing tight jeans but I can never pull them off. 32. When I didn t make the team, my dream of being a star died. Device: 33. Her belt was a snake curling around her waist. 34. The shadows crisscrossed the rug while my cat stretched languidly in one of the patches of sun. 35. Ideas are wings. 36. I've been working like a dog. 37. The light was dark. 38. The door protested as it opened slowly. 39. The deep, dark, comforting smell of cinnamon and apples filled the back room. Device: 40. Life is a dream, a shadow. 41. He is a dog when he eats. 42. My hair is as golden as Aphrodite's. 43. I was reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down. Device 44. I could hear the crackling of the branches as they storm caused them to scrape and scratch at the window.
45. The wildfire ran through the forest at an amazing speed. Device: 46. The moon played hide and seek with the clouds. 47. That elderly lady is as tough as old boots... and as smelly too. Device: 48. Her thoughts were a storm. Device: 49. Did you see the guy whose left side was cut off? He's all right now. Device: 50. His voice sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard. 51. She turned a blind eye to the wrongdoing. 52. Truth is food for the soul. 53. They seem to have Peter Pan syndrome... they never want to grow up. Device: 54. Winter s icy grip caused people to shudder. 55. The laugh rang out in a sea of sadness. 56. The crimson liquid spilled from the neck of the white dove, staining and matting its pure, white feathers. 57. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds. 58. What a clever fool.
Part 3: Now, write your own sentences which include the literary devices listed: 1. Write three metaphors about your best friend. 2. Write three similes about your mom (be nice!). 3. Write a sentence in which you personify a light bulb. Write a sentence in which you personify the idea of "courage". 4. Write a paragraph in which you use symbolism (have a physical object represent an idea). 5. Use imagery to describe what taking a shower sounds like/smells like/feels like. 6. Locate and describe the smallest detail that you can find of this room... 7. Write a sentence which includes an allusion to pop culture. Write a sentence which includes an allusion to mythology. 8. Create your own pun: 9. Combine two seemingly opposite words in a sentence to create an oxymoron.