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Figurative Language Quiz: Metaphors and Symbols

Can you distinguish a simile, a metaphor and a symbol? Try 10 questions on the ways writers create meaning beyond literal statements.

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Question 1

What is denotation?

Denotation concerns the literal definition.

Source excerpt
The first layer is the denotation, which is the strict, dictionary definition of a word.

From the Knowverse course text.

Question 2

What does connotation include?

Connotations can vary with context and experience.

Source excerpt
The second layer is the connotation, which includes the feelings and cultural associations we attach to that word.

From the Knowverse course text.

Question 3

Which line is a simile?

The explicit comparison uses like.

Source excerpt
The most common way to do this is by using a simile, which connects two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'.

From the Knowverse course text.

Question 4

Which line is a metaphor?

The room is described in terms of a jungle, rather than literally being one.

Source excerpt
In a metaphor, you state that one thing is another thing, even though it is literally impossible.

From the Knowverse course text.

Question 5

In the metaphor this room is a jungle, what is the tenor?

The tenor is the subject being described.

Source excerpt
To understand how these comparisons work, we can break them down into two technical parts: the tenor and the vehicle. Think of these as the 'Subject' and the 'Image' used to describe that subject. Imagine you are describing a very messy bedroom by saying: "This room is a jungle." Whether you use a simile (room like a jungle) or a metaphor (room is a jungle), the tenor and vehicle remain the same.

From the Knowverse course text.

Question 6

In that same metaphor, what is the vehicle?

The vehicle supplies the descriptive image and its associations.

Source excerpt
To understand how these comparisons work, we can break them down into two technical parts: the tenor and the vehicle. Think of these as the 'Subject' and the 'Image' used to describe that subject. Imagine you are describing a very messy bedroom by saying: "This room is a jungle." Whether you use a simile (room like a jungle) or a metaphor (room is a jungle), the tenor and vehicle remain the same.

From the Knowverse course text.

Question 7

What defines an extended metaphor?

It continues and develops a central comparison.

Source excerpt
An extended metaphor is a comparison between two unlike things that continues through several sentences or even an entire literary work.

From the Knowverse course text.

Question 8

What distinguishes a motif?

Recurrence is essential to a motif.

Source excerpt
No. A motif must be a recurring element. If it only happens once, it might be a symbol, but it hasn't formed the pattern required to be a motif.

From the Knowverse course text.

Question 9

Which line uses personification?

Loneliness and waiting give the house human qualities.

Source excerpt
This technique is called personification, which happens when we give human qualities to non-human things or ideas.

From the Knowverse course text.

Question 10

What is hyperbole?

Hyperbole exaggerates to emphasize a point or feeling.

Source excerpt
This student is using Hyperbole, which is the act of using intentional exaggeration to make a point or create an effect.

From the Knowverse course text.

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Words and comparisons

Denotation is a word's dictionary meaning. Connotation includes the feelings and cultural associations that accompany it. Calling a character curious or nosy can suggest different attitudes toward similar behaviour. The effect depends on context and on readers' experiences, so a word does not carry the same associations for everyone.

A simile compares unlike things using like or as, while a metaphor describes one thing in terms of another. In the comparison this room is a jungle, the room is the subject, or tenor. The jungle is the vehicle: the image whose associations help describe that subject.

Source excerpt
The first layer is the denotation, which is the strict, dictionary definition of a word.

From the Knowverse course text.

Visualizing a Feeling — image from Wikimedia Commons
Anger Symbol · Petar Pavlov · CC BY 3.0

Images that develop meaning

An extended metaphor sustains a comparison across several sentences or a longer work. A symbol is something within the text that also suggests a further idea. Its meaning can develop or shift as the story unfolds. A motif is a recurring element, so repetition helps distinguish it from a single symbolic appearance.

Personification gives human qualities to nonhuman things or ideas. Sensory imagery evokes sights, sounds, smells, tastes or touch. Hyperbole exaggerates deliberately for effect. Identifying the device is a starting point for analysis: the next question is how that choice changes the tone, feeling or meaning of the particular passage.

Source excerpt
This technique is called personification, which happens when we give human qualities to non-human things or ideas.

From the Knowverse course text.

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Sources

Sources: Symbols and Figurative Language. Each question or step includes an excerpt from the course.