Question

Difficulty: MediumUnseen Text Appreciation and Analysis

Match each unseen literary extract (Extract I–IV) with the predominant literary device it exemplifies.

  • Extract I: 'The heavy sun sank into the horizon like a dropped gold coin.'Simile
  • Extract II: 'The angry storm beat its thick fists against the wooden shutters.'Personification
  • Extract III: 'In the middle of the crowded market, he felt a deafening silence.'Oxymoron
  • Extract IV: 'The warrior died a hero, living forever in the memories of his people.'Paradox

Answer

Extract I matches Simile, Extract II matches Personification, Extract III matches Oxymoron, and Extract IV matches Paradox.
Each extract corresponds to its respective literary device: Extract I uses 'like' for a direct comparison (Simile); Extract II endows a storm with human emotions and physical actions (Personification); Extract III pairs two opposite terms directly together (Oxymoron); and Extract IV makes a statement that appears contradictory on the surface but conveys a truth (Paradox).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Extract I for explicit comparison words.
Identified 'like' comparing the sun to a dropped gold coin, confirming Simile.
A simile compares two distinct things using comparative words such as 'like' or 'as'.
2
Examine Extract II for human characteristics assigned to non-human entities.
Observed human traits ('angry', 'thick fists') attributed to a storm, confirming Personification.
Personification endows inanimate objects or natural phenomena with human attributes.
3
Evaluate Extract III for adjacent contrasting words.
Found 'deafening' directly preceding 'silence', confirming Oxymoron.
An oxymoron brings together two contradictory terms side by side.
4
Assess Extract IV for a statement containing a self-contradictory truth.
Recognized the statement of dying while living forever as revealing an underlying truth about remembrance, confirming Paradox.
A paradox is a seemingly self-contradictory statement that reveals an essential truth upon closer analysis.

Key Concept

Identification of Literary Devices in Unseen Extracts
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