The Tell-Tale Heart Figurative Language

"The disease had sharpened my senses-not destroyed-not dulled them."

• Hyperbole

• Personification

• Simile

• Metaphor

Answer explanation

The phrase "sharpened my senses" attributes human-like qualities to the disease, suggesting it enhances perception. This is an example of personification, as it gives the disease the ability to affect senses in a human manner.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

"...it (the idea) haunted me day and night."

• Personification

• Idiom

• Hyperbole

• Simile

Answer explanation

The phrase "haunted me day and night" attributes human-like qualities to the idea, suggesting it can affect emotions and thoughts, which is a clear example of personification.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

"He had the eye of a vulture-a pale, blue eye..."

• Metaphor

• Personification

• Simile

• Idiom

Answer explanation

The phrase "He had the eye of a vulture" compares his eye to that of a vulture, suggesting a direct equivalence rather than using 'like' or 'as', which would indicate a simile. Thus, it is a metaphor.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

"Madmen know nothing."

• Idiom

• Personification

• Hyperbole

• Metaphor

Answer explanation

The phrase "Madmen know nothing" exaggerates the idea that madmen are completely ignorant, which is an example of hyperbole. It emphasizes the extent of their ignorance rather than stating a literal truth.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

"...for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye."

• Hyperbole

• Metaphor

• Idiom

• Personification

Answer explanation

The phrase "Evil Eye" attributes human-like qualities to an abstract concept, suggesting it has the power to cause distress. This is an example of personification, as it gives life to the idea of an eye that can vex.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

"His room was as black as pitch..."

• Simile

• Idiom

• Hyperbole

• Personification

Answer explanation

The phrase "as black as pitch" compares the darkness of the room to pitch, using 'as' to highlight similarity. This is a clear example of a simile, which directly compares two different things.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

"Death, in approaching him, had stalked with his black shadow before him."

• Metaphor

• Idiom

• Personification

• Hyperbole

Answer explanation

The phrase describes Death as if it has human-like qualities, such as stalking, which is an example of personification. This literary device attributes human characteristics to non-human entities.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

"a single dim ray, like the thread of a spider"

• Idiom

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Personification

Answer explanation

The phrase "a single dim ray, like the thread of a spider" uses "like" to compare two different things, which is characteristic of a simile. This makes "simile" the correct choice, as it highlights the similarity between the ray and the thread.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

"...chilled the very marrow in my bones..."

• Simile

• Personification

• Metaphor

• Hyperbole

Answer explanation

The phrase "chilled the very marrow in my bones" exaggerates the feeling of fear or coldness, making it a hyperbole. It emphasizes the intensity of the sensation rather than being a literal description.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

"a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton"

• Metaphor

• Idiom

• Simile

• Personification

Answer explanation

The phrase describes a sound by comparing it to a watch in cotton, using 'as' to highlight the similarity. This is characteristic of a simile, which directly compares two different things.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4