IXL | Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone

Select the verbal irony in the passage.

As I started forward practically the whole population of the quarter flocked out of the houses and followed me. They had seen the rifle and were all shouting excitedly that I was going to shoot the elephant. They had not shown much interest in the elephant when he was merely ravaging their homes, but it was different now that he was going to be shot. It was a bit of fun to them, as it would be to an English crowd; besides they wanted the meat.

ref_doc_title.

Learn with an example

question

Select the hyperbole in the passage.

Ann-Margret brought George Burns along to see Peter perform. George Burns was older than the century, older than time.

To Peter, George's date with Ann-Margret represented Hollywood's last gasp of glamour. The star of Kitten With a Whip also liked Peter. "I remember someone had said something about me," Ann-Margret would explain in her Hollywood-mystic whisper, "and he got after that person. And I said thank you for standing up for me."

key idea

Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way.

An allusion is a brief reference to something or someone well known, often from history or literature.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

—Robert Frost, "Nothing Gold Can Stay"

Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.

There did not seem to be brains enough in the entire nursery, so to speak, to bait a fish-hook with.

—Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Personification is giving human characteristics to nonhuman things.

April is the cruellest month.

—T. S. Eliot, "The Waste Land"

A simile uses like or as to compare two things.

No, no, we are not satisfied and will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.

—Martin Luther King, Jr., "I Have a Dream"

A metaphor compares two things that are not actually alike without using like or as.

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

—William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Verbal irony involves saying one thing but actually meaning something very different. People often use verbal irony when they are being sarcastic.

Thirty-five is a very attractive age. London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained thirty-five for years.

—Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

solution

The author exaggerates George Burns' age by claiming he is older than time. This is an example of hyperbole.

Looking for more? Try this:

$Confetti$

Excellent!

Now entering the Challenge Zone—are you ready?

Questions
answeredQuestions

Time
elapsedTime

hr	min	sec
00	00	06

SmartScore
out of 100
IXL's SmartScore is a dynamic measure of progress towards mastery, rather than a percentage grade. It tracks your skill level as you tackle progressively more difficult questions. Consistently answer questions correctly to reach excellence (90), or conquer the Challenge Zone to achieve mastery (100)! Learn more

Teacher tools

Work it out

Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

H.3Determine the meanings of similes and metaphors

F.4Interpret figures of speech

F.5Classify figures of speech

F.5Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone

Excellent! You got that right!

Jumping to level 1 of 1

Excellent!