Figurative Language

8 Grade 8 English questions on Figurative Language, with worked marking schemes. 8 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   7 marks

   Read the poem and answer the questions.

   "The Old Fisherman"

   His hands, like weathered oak, grip the oar,

   His eyes scan the horizon, searching for more,

   The sea, his lover, calls him each day,

   And like a faithful servant, he obeys.

   (a) Identify two figures of speech in the poem. (4 marks)

   (b) What is the rhyme scheme? (1 mark)

   (c) What is the theme of this poem? (2 marks)

   (7 marks)

   Marking scheme

   (a) 1. Simile: "His hands, like weathered oak" — compares hands to oak using "like". 2. Personification: "The sea, his lover, calls him each day" — the sea is given human qualities (lover, calling).

   (b) AABB (oar/more, day/obeys — approximate rhyme)

   (c) The theme is dedication to one's calling/passion — the fisherman is devoted to the sea despite his age, like a servant to a master.

2. Question 2

   1 mark

   A paradox is:

   A. a comparison using like or as

   B. an exaggeration for effect

   C. a mild expression for something unpleasant

   D. a statement that seems contradictory but reveals truth

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme for this question

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3. Question 3

   1 mark

   Which is an example of hyperbole?

   A. I have told you a million times!

   B. She is as tall as a tree.

   C. She sang like a bird.

   D. The stars danced in the sky.

   (1 mark)

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4. Question 4

   1 mark

   An analogy is:

   A. a word that sounds like another

   B. an exaggerated statement

   C. a mild expression

   D. a comparison showing similarity between two things

   (1 mark)

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5. Question 5

   4 marks

   Read the extract:

   "The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,"

   "The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas."

   (a) Identify TWO poetic devices. (2 marks)

   (b) What is the mood/atmosphere created? (2 marks)

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme for this question

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6. Question 6

   1 mark

   "Hope is the thing with feathers." This is an example of:

   A. a simile

   B. hyperbole

   C. a metaphor

   D. personification

   (1 mark)

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7. Question 7

   1 mark

   Which literary device is: "The sun smiled down on the children"?

   A. personification

   B. simile

   C. alliteration

   D. metaphor

   (1 mark)

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8. Question 8

   3 marks

   Read the poem.

   "Africa"

   Africa, my Africa,

   Land of sunshine and of rain,

   Your children scattered like seeds in the wind,

   Yet your roots hold firm through the pain.

   (a) What figure of speech is "children scattered like seeds"? (2 marks)

   (b) What is the tone of this poem? (1 mark)

   (3 marks)

   Marking scheme

   (a) Simile — compares Africa's scattered children to seeds in the wind using "like".

   (b) The tone is nostalgic and resilient — longing for Africa but also affirming its enduring strength.

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