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8th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 2 of 12

Literary Devices

Irony, symbolism and point of view

What your child practices

Naming devices like simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, irony, foreshadowing and symbolism in short excerpts, and identifying a narrator's point of view.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 8.RL.4; 8.RL.6 · irony, symbolism and point of view

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Simile (like or as), metaphor (is), personification (human traits) and hyperbole (exaggeration) are figurative language.
  2. Irony is a gap between what is said or expected and what is real. Foreshadowing hints at later events.
  3. A symbol stands for a bigger idea. Second person speaks to the reader as you.

Example: “Her words were daggers.” Which device is this? Words are compared to daggers without like or as. That makes it a metaphor. Answer: Metaphor

Literary Devices in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 2 of 12 in 8th grade English Language Arts, after Close Reading and before Word Study.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    Dark clouds gathered over the picnic as Dana noticed the unlocked gate swinging in the wind.

    • Simile
    • Onomatopoeia
    • Foreshadowing
    • Flashback

  2. Question 2

    Which point of view is used?

    You open the box and your hands begin to tremble.

    • First person
    • Second person
    • Third person limited
    • Third person omniscient

  3. Question 3

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    She wore a smile that could light a city.

    • Onomatopoeia
    • Simile
    • Foreshadowing
    • Hyperbole

  4. Question 4

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    Years later, standing by the lake, Dana could still hear her grandmother singing in the boat that summer long ago.

    • Irony
    • Hyperbole
    • Foreshadowing
    • Flashback

  5. Question 5

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    Every time Ana feels hopeful, a bright yellow bird lands on her windowsill.

    • Symbolism
    • Hyperbole
    • Alliteration
    • Flashback

  6. Question 6

    Which literary device does this excerpt use?

    The fire station burned down on Tuesday.

    • Simile
    • Alliteration
    • Irony
    • Hyperbole

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