Figurative Language & Poetic Devices Dickinson

What is the primary characteristic of "slant rhyme" in poetry?

• Words with identical sounds at the end

• Words with similar consonant sounds but different vowel sounds

• Words that rhyme at the beginning of the line

• Words that rhyme at the middle of the line

Answer explanation

Slant rhyme involves consonants that match but vowels that differ, such as "moon" and "run" or "hold" and "bald"​​. 

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

Which of the following is an example of slant rhyme?

• "Moon" and "soon"

• "Hold" and "bald"

• "Run" and "fun"

• "Love" and "above"

Answer explanation

Slant rhyme, also called imperfect rhyme, occurs when consonant sounds are similar, but vowel sounds differ​​. 

 

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.5

Which poetic device is used in the following line? "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary."

• End rhyme

• Internal rhyme

• Simile

• Personification

Answer explanation

Internal rhyme happens when rhyming words occur within the same line, as seen with "dreary" and "weary"​.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.4

Why does Emily Dickinson often use unconventional dashes in her poetry?

• To create rhythmic breaks in her poems

• To replace capital letters

• To emphasize words and connect ideas

• To follow traditional poetic rules

Answer explanation

Dickinson's dashes often encourage the reader to slow down or bridge two ideas, replacing traditional punctuation like periods​.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

In which situation would Dickinson likely capitalize a word?

• To follow grammatical conventions of her time

• To highlight a word's importance or significance

• To emphasize rhyming patterns

• To signal the beginning of a stanza

Answer explanation

Dickinson's capitalization was intentional, drawing the reader's attention to specific words for deeper significance​.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

Which of the following themes is commonly found in Emily Dickinson's poetry?

• Adventure and exploration

• Humor and satire

• Death, love, self-discovery, and nature

• Politics and society

Answer explanation

These recurring themes are central to Dickinson’s body of work, including poems like "That I did always love"​.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What is a rhyme scheme, and how is it represented?

• The mood of the poem, represented with symbols

• The pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines, represented by letters

• The use of repeated consonant sounds, represented by numbering lines

• The structure of stanzas, represented with Roman numerals

Answer explanation

A rhyme scheme uses letters like ABAB to map rhyming patterns at the ends of lines, as in "In Flanders Fields"​

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.5

Which line contains an example of unconventional capitalization?

• “And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes”

• “Hope is the thing with feathers—That perches in the soul—”

• “A word is Dead, When it is Said—”

• “The sun smiled at me.”

Answer explanation

Dickinson capitalized "Dead" and "Said" to draw attention to their significance in the poem​.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

Identify the figurative language used in the following sentence: “The snow is a white blanket.”

• Simile

• Personification

• Metaphor

• Imagery

Answer explanation

A metaphor directly compares two unlike things without using "like" or "as"​.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Which of the following is an example of a simile?

• “The sun smiled at me.”

• “He is as tall as a giraffe.”

• “The stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes.”

• “A word is dead / When it is said.”

Answer explanation

A simile compares two things using "like" or "as"​.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4