Identifying Poetic Devices

"I am so hungry, I could eat a horse!" What poetic device is used here?

• Metaphor
• Hyperbole
• Imagery
• Enjambment

Answer explanation

Hyperbole, because it exaggerates hunger to make a point.

"The leaves danced in the wind." What poetic device is used here?

• Simile
• Metaphor
• Personification
• Oxymoron

Answer explanation

Personification, because the leaves are given human qualities (dancing).

Which sentence uses a metaphor?

• "The sun smiled down on us."
• "The classroom was a zoo."
• "She is as fast as a cheetah."
• "Boom! The thunder crashed."

Answer explanation

"The classroom was a zoo", because it directly compares without using "like" or "as."

Which sentence contains imagery?

• "Her voice was music to my ears."
• "The juicy, ripe mango dripped sweet nectar down my chin."
• "I am drowning in homework!"
• "The wind howled through the trees."

Answer explanation

"The juicy, ripe mango…" because it appeals to taste and touch.

What poetic device is used in "Bittersweet goodbye"?

• Simile
• Oxymoron
• Hyperbole
• Caesura

Answer explanation

Oxymoron, because "bitter" and "sweet" are opposites.

What type of line ending is in this sentence? "Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?"

• Enjambment
• End-stopped
• Caesura
• Oxymoron

Answer explanation

End-stopped, because the line ends with punctuation (a question mark).

What is the effect of enjambment?

• It makes a poem more choppy
• It allows ideas to flow smoothly
• It creates dramatic pauses
• It forces unnatural breaks in rhythm

Answer explanation

Enjambment allows a thought to continue onto the next line, making poetry feel fluid.

What poetic device is used in this line? "And every fair from fair sometime declines,"

• Hyperbole
• Alliteration
• Irony
• Enjambment

Answer explanation

Enjambment, because the sentence flows into the next line without punctuation.

Why is "Death brag" an example of personification?

• Because Death is being compared to a person
• Because Death is actually alive
• Because Death is winning
• Because Death is an object

Answer explanation

Personification, because "brag" is a human action given to Death.

What does caesura do in poetry?

• Speeds up the rhythm
• Creates a pause in the middle of a line
• Changes the rhyme scheme
• Ends a thought completely

Answer explanation

Caesura is a pause inside a line, often marked by punctuation.