5 Literary Devices for Comprehension: “Language Use for Impact”

As you may have already noticed after reading the example questions above, Language Use for Impact Questions on Similes/Metaphors will call your attention to the comparison that has been made between objects and requires you to unpack the reason(s) behind the comparison. To answer such questions accurately, you must consider the shared qualities between both objects and deduce what is being emphasised about the first object.

For example, to tackle Qn #1, we must consider the qualities of a trusty clock and what it emphasises about the Arctic sky. The word ‘trusty’ itself suggests that it is something dependable while comparing it to a clock suggests it is used to determine the time. Your answer should capture both parts:

Similarly, to tackle Qn #2, we must consider the shared qualities between snowflakes against Miyax’s hands and needles. We know that needles are sharp and would cause us pain if we were to touch them, especially if we do so with our bare hands. Using this knowledge and what we know about Miyax’s hands from the passage, the answer should look like this:

To tackle Qn #2, we must identify the human adjective (“comforting”) and verb (“embrace”) that have been used to describe the non-human object (“sun”) and deduce what qualities of the sun the writer wants to highlight. We know that to “embrace” is to put your arms around someone and hold them gently or lovingly, and in this case, providing much comfort to Miyax who was feeling very cold. The answer will look something like this:

To tackle Qn #2, look for a repeated word, phrase, or idea that conveys the desire to be distracted by the negative emotion of guilt.

Look at how to answer Q1. See how you have to unpack the definition of key words in the given phrase before moving onto explaining what is emphasised in the story’s context?