Student Question
Which literary device is used in the following quote?
"We danced together quite well until she came down on my big toe with her brogans, hurting me so badly I thought I was crippled for life."
Quick answer:
The quote employs two literary devices: metaphor and hyperbole. "Brogans" metaphorically suggests heavy or clumsy shoes, while hyperbole is used in "I thought I was crippled for life," exaggerating the pain for effect. Hyperbole involves deliberate exaggeration, as seen in phrases like "wait an eternity" or "this book weighs a ton," to emphasize emotions or experiences beyond literal truth.
This quotation contains an example of two literary devices. The first is the use of "Brogan" for shoes. A Brogan is a heavy type of work boot. In this quote, "Brogans" may be a metaphor for heavy shoes or uncoordinated feet. The other literary device is hyperbole, an overstatement which intentionally exaggerates the truth. When the speaker says he was hurting so badly" I thought I was crippled for life," he is intentionally exaggerating and does not expect the listeners to take the statement literally. Other examples of hyperbole would be "to wait an eternity"; "This book weighs a ton" or "I'm so tired I could sleep for a year".
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