Digital SATReading and Writing: Craft and StructureMedium
A literary critic is analyzing a novel where the protagonist frequently describes their environment using vivid, unsettling sensory details, such as 'the air hung thick with unsaid words, heavy as damp wool' and 'shadows writhed like tortured spirits.' Which literary device is the author primarily employing to create atmosphere?
- AAlliteration
- BSynecdoche
- CHyperbole
- DPersonification
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Personification
The phrases 'air hung thick with unsaid words' and 'shadows writhed like tortured spirits' attribute human-like actions and qualities (hanging, writhing, torture) to inanimate objects or abstract concepts (air, shadows, words). This is the definition of personification.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds, which is not the primary device here.
- B. Synecdoche is when a part represents the whole or vice versa, which is not present in the examples.
- C. Hyperbole is extreme exaggeration for emphasis, which, while present in 'tortured spirits,' is secondary to the attribution of human qualities.
Personification
A literary device where human qualities or actions are attributed to inanimate objects, animals, or abstract ideas.
- Used to create vivid imagery and atmosphere.
- Helps readers connect emotionally with non-human elements.
- Often involves verbs and adjectives typically associated with human behavior.
Memory trick: Figurative language paints pictures with words beyond their literal meaning.