Student Question
What literary devices are used in I Am Number Four?
Quick answer:
I Am Number Four employs various literary devices, including simile and metaphor. A simile compares two different things using "like" or "as," as seen when trees are likened to dancing grains in a wheat field, highlighting their fragility. A metaphor directly refers to one thing as another, such as a river "cupping" a city, suggesting protection and security. These devices enhance the narrative by adding vivid imagery and deeper meaning.
Simile: "The power deflects into the trees which dance for a brief moment like the grains in a wheat field."
A simile is a literary device in which two dissimilar things are compared using the words "as" or "like." In the example from I Am Number Four cited above trees are likened to dancing grains in a wheat field. This is a particularly effective simile as it emphasizes the sheer force of the power as it crashes into the trees, and also the relative fragility of those trees in relation to that power, the kind we might associate with swaying grains of wheat.
Metaphor: "[I]n the waning light I see a river curling gently around that seems to cup the city."
A metaphor can be defined as a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. In the above example the river appears to cup the city. It cannot do so literally, of course, but metaphorically speaking the use of the river in this expression makes it seem that the city is protected and secure.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.